Layers and masks

Develop has two kinds of layer. Picture layers hold pixels (the photo, a starless image, another picture). Adjustment layers hold settings, limited by a mask. Both work on panoramas and single photos.

How the Develop inspector is arranged

1. Header: Undo, Redo and History; Auto and Reset; Copy, Paste, Snapshot, Import XMP and presets.
2. Histogram, with the calibration card.
3. Image Layers: the picture layers.
4. Layers: the adjustment layers, with Base pinned at the bottom.
5. Adjustments: "Editing: <layer>", what the layer is, its opacity, then its panels.

Every slider edits whatever is selected: a layer's own settings, or the whole picture when Base is selected. Until you select something the zone says "Select Base or a layer".

Picture layers

Image Layers lists the pixel layers from top to bottom. Each row has an eye, a thumbnail, a name, an opacity and a blend mode: Normal, Screen, Lighten, Multiply, Overlay, Soft light or Linear dodge (add).

1. Add a picture: Add > Image from file... puts another image on a new layer.
2. Edit one layer only: click the layer. Every Develop panel now edits that layer alone ("Editing: Starless layer"). Click Global (whole picture) to edit the whole picture again.
3. Arrange: drag rows to reorder; the right-click menu renames, duplicates, hides or deletes. Double-click a name to rename it.
4. Mask a picture layer: select it and press Edit mask.... The Mask panel opens on "Mask of the <name> layer"; press Done when finished.
5. Flatten bakes the visible layers into the photo. You do not need to flatten before exporting: exports use the layers automatically.
6. Collapse (in the Image Layers heading) shows only the selected layer in one row; Expand brings the list back.

Star separation in Night & Astro adds a Starless and a Stars layer this way; see the astro tutorial.

Adjustment layers Scenic Pro

1. In the Layers zone press New Layer and pick a type.
2. The new layer starts with no change. Its panels open in Adjustments, together with Mask.
3. Set the layer's opacity, then paint or generate its mask (below).

Adding, deleting, duplicating, renaming and hiding a layer are each one undo step, and so is every slider drag.

Masks

The Mask panel is the same wherever you use it: on an adjustment layer, on a picture layer's own mask, and for the star separator's refine brushes. It offers:

• Brush with size, hardness, and add or erase; the same cursor and shortcuts everywhere.
• Linear gradient and radial shapes.
• Mask Sky and Mask Subject. Subject masks use the optional subject model pack.
• Depth range, using the optional depth model pack (which also powers lens blur).
• Colour range and luminance range.
• Pixel brush and selections.

Mask, curve and colour-picker edits are one undo step each, recorded when you release the mouse.

Layers in Photoshop

Export as Photoshop PSD (or PSB for very large files) and every picture layer becomes a real Photoshop layer with its name, visibility, opacity, blend mode and mask. Masked global adjustments arrive as baked layers named "<name> (adjustment, baked)". Opening a PSD or PSB brings its layers back into Image Layers. See Round trips for the details.

History and snapshots

• Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Shift+Z and Ctrl+Y work everywhere except while you type in a text box (there they undo the text).
• Edit > History... or the History button lists the steps; click one to go back to it.
• Snapshot keeps a named version of the develop settings. File > Version History... keeps whole versions of a saved project.