pfactory.jpg (2850 bytes)


title.gif (1968 bytes)

pixel.gif (807 bytes)
The Panorama Factory Home
pixel.gif (807 bytes)
Search the Help Website
(requires internet access)


Introduction

Window layout

Making a panorama, step by step

Extra steps when working from scanned images

Menus

Context menus

Dialogs

Trimming properties

Film size

Focal length

Alignment properties

Blending properties

Fine tuning properties

Color tool

Histogram panel

Resize image

Filter control

Timing panel

Project properties

Image properties

Project/Image notes

Panorama Factory projects

Hints, tips and tricks

 

 

Unless otherwise noted, images and text are © 1999 John Strait, all rights reserved.  Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of copyrights.  To request permission for reproduction:
jstrait@panorama factory.com


pixel.gif (807 bytes)
Color tool

Shortcut

Toolbar:

The Color tool is a modeless dialog box that controls color correction. Color correction is an attribute of the Panorama Factory project. That is, you do not color correct individual images. Rather, the same color correction settings apply to all images in the project. This approach is taken to ensure that all images within a panorama are color corrected in a consistent fashion.

While the color correction dialog is active, The Panorama Factory displays a preview rectangle on the current image. The Panorama Factory interactively updates the color within the preview rectangle as you make changes on the color panel. if you pause for a few seconds, The Panorama Factory updates the color of all images on the screen.

When you place the cursor over the various parts of the preview rectangle it changes to show you what editing actions are possible:

Indicates that the cursor is over one of the sides or corners of the preview rectangle. Dragging changes the size of the rectangle.
Indicates that the cursor is not over any part of the preview rectangle. Dragging draws a new preview rectangle.

You can also perform color correction operations using one or more thumbnail images. If you select thumbnail images, The Panorama Factory interactively updates their color.

See also the Histogram panel.

The color tool offers the following controls:

White level, color and balance

Controls the brightness and color balance of the highlights of the image.

Level Increasing this value brightens the highlights. Decreasing this value dims the highlights.
Color Controls the direction of the color shift of the white point. If your whites are too blue, for example, you make them whiter by moving this value toward yellow, blue’s complementary color.
Balance Controls the degree of color shift in the white point. Once you have selected the color shift direction, changing this value increases or decreases the amount of the white point shift.

You can use the color wheel to the right of the White level, color and balance controls to simultaneously change color and balance.

Midrange level, color and balance

Controls the brightness and color balance of the midrange of the image.

Level Increasing this value brightens the midrange. Decreasing this value dims the midrange.
Color Controls the direction of the color shift of the midrange. If your image has a general bluish cast, for example, you compensate by moving this value toward yellow, blue’s complementary color.
Balance Controls the degree of color shift in the midrange. Once you have selected the color shift direction, changing this value increases or decreases the amount of the midrange shift.

You can use the color wheel to the right of the Midrange level, color and balance controls to simultaneously change color and balance.

Black level, color and balance

Controls the brightness and color balance of the shadows of the image.

Level Increasing this value brightens the shadows. Decreasing this value dims the shadows.
Color Controls the direction of the color shift of the black point. If your shadows have a general bluish cast, for example, you compensate by moving this value toward yellow, blue’s complementary color.
Balance Controls the degree of color shift of the black point. Once you have selected the color shift direction, changing this value increases or decreases the amount of the black point shift.

You can use the color wheel to the right of the Black level, color and balance controls to simultaneously change color and balance.

Saturation

Controls the color saturation within the image. Increasing this value makes the colors more saturated and decreasing it makes them less saturated.

NOTE: Color correction has poor performance when the Saturation control is non-zero. You may wish to leave this at zero until you make final color corrections when you are satisfied with all other aspects of your Panorama Factory project.

Negative

Selecting this checkbox causes The Panorama Factory to invert the colors within the image. You use this checkbox when your original images are photographic negatives.

Shortcut

Toolbar:

Monochrome

Selecting this checkbox removes all color from the image, making it a "black and white" image.

divider.jpg (2299 bytes)
Revised: October 13, 1999