workflow question

[smsmd]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to FDRTools and readily confess my dumbness as I ask what may be a silly question.

I have not figured out the workflow!

This is what I have done:

loaded images

generated an HDR that I see in the navigator window

Now, I'm not sure what to do, so I close the program and reopen it, go to image, search for the HDR photo in the files, reload it, then tone map it and save the output. I don't know how to directly get to tone mapping from the HDR, so I start over and open the file again.

I also note I can move the lines and small squares on the histograms as I tone map, but I don't have a method to it or know if I should!

Finally, when I open the file in CS3, the histogram is way to the left. I can correct it with levels, but suspect I am not doing the processing right in HDRTools in the first place.

I read the manual, but remain confused. Am I redoing what is already done automatically?

I fear I am complicating life, but I love the program and want to learn to use it well.

Thanks for your help and patience,

steve

[MHS]

Hi Steve,

> This is what I have done:

> loaded images
> generated an HDR that I see in the navigator window

If you take a brief look in manual - http://www.fdrtools.com/eng/manual/fdrtools_2.2/nav/tutorial_ii.htm - you will see, that this is an intermediate result, without any manual optimisation. You should have a look in the icon bar and switch to Tone Mapping, as this is the typical step which needs some refinement.

If you process an image set for the first time, the standard TMO is Simplex. If you are working with the Advanced version switch to Compressor and if you are working with the Basic version switch to Receptor.

> I also note I can move the lines and small squares on the histograms as I tone map,
> but I don't have a method to it or know if I should!

The lower left point of the line or curve corresponds to the black point and the upper white point corresponds to the white point. First you should change these two basic points of the line according to the signals you see in the histogram. The resulting line typically should be like this one:

                  ------
                /
              /
            /
          /
-------

This curve might be refined for global contrast optimisation, but here some further knowledge is recommended.

Then you should press on the Save button and export the tonemapped file.

Hope this helps. All the best

Manfred

[smsmd]

Hi Manfred,

It helps a great deal.

Let me give it a try,

Thanks, steve