How to apply a mask to multiple images?

Baldy · August 23, 2011

I'm doing a time lapse for images that look like:

There is an area of the image I'm trying to adjust for the whole time lapse (180 images) and I'm trying to automate it. Anyone know how to point to a mask that can be applied to each image in bullk?

Baldy · August 23, 2011

Baldy wrote: »

I'm doing a time lapse for images that look like:

There is an area of the image I'm trying to adjust for the whole time lapse (180 images) and I'm trying to automate it. Anyone know how to point to a mask that can be applied to each image in bullk?

Actually....Maybe I'm better off doing this in Final Cut Pro than in Photoshop...

NeilL · August 24, 2011

In Ps, you can save a layer and therefore a mask, and/or save the document with layers-masks, and then reopen, and move the layer/mask into each document where you want it. Since you are using the same mask for all images you could possibly create an action in the document with the mask, and then load each image as separate documents, and run the action on them as a batch. Something like that.

See here: http://mgreerphoto.blogspot.com/2006/11/actions-and-batch-processing.html

If in Lr and you have all your images in Development, and you have used local adjustments and therefore masking on one image, you can batch process using the adjusted image as the source for adjustments to all images when you batch export.

I think.

Neil

BinaryFx · August 24, 2011

Photoshop may not be the place to do this, however the method that I use to apply the same layer mask or custom cropping to many images can go like this:

Create a document for the mask or crop. This is a single channel grayscale doc that is flattened.

Create an action that loads this documents grayscale channel as a selection in the files/layers to mask or crop.

Apply a batch command or image processor to the series of images using the action.

Regards,

Stephen Marsh

Peano · August 24, 2011

Record an action that applies the mask to one image, then create a droplet to run it on the others.

ziggy53 · August 24, 2011

It would be helpful to know whether the mask is to be hard or soft edged, what the end result end end resolution requirements are, whether you need the mask for other purposes and whether the software you intend to use supports transparency and/or alpha channels.

Also, do the individual frames register exactly the same or will there be any need for mask adjustments.

How to apply a mask to multiple images?

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