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Introduction / New

Release 6 Updates

FFDD 6 is the result of about a year of testing and refining in the aim to transform Photoshop into the ultimate digital darkroom tool. The development actions have been greatly simplified, are easier to use, provide better results, and now more closely match a traditional chemical darkroom style of development. Also the previous bracket script has been transformed into the rock solid batch script.

  1. 100% color correct editing using a Linear variant of the ProPhotoRGB colorspace.
  2. New higher quality contrast actions for the linear colorspace.
  3. Custom gradient digital graduated neutral density filter, the gnd tool.
  4. New dodge tool which can be used to do layered localized exposure adjustments.
  5. The new batch blending script.

The new batch script has the following advantages over the previous version.

  1. The script automatically computes the proper white point and all Adobe Camera Raw settings except Chromatic Aberration and Vignetting. Trying for full automatic settings in FFDD7.
  2. It automatically adjusts the white level allowing a little clipping. This serves to make the resulting image much lighter and easier to work with.
  3. It automatically handles exposures that are out of range (to dark to be usable, or too light to be usable [such as an exposure which is 90% white]).
  4. It has a higher quality blend and automatically merges the output layers into one image.
  5. It has ability to work with batches of images for stitching. Matching all the exposures to a common level for all the sub groups of images.
  6. It gives feedback on the blending process.
  7. New feature for generating a quick development file. Basically a low resolution copy of the digital negative, which can be developed with adjustment layers, then using the Apply quick development to blended negatives option, these adjustment layers will be applied to the full size image.
  8. All of the functionality runs as a fully batch process. Ideal for running overnight on thousands of files at one time.
  9. It will skip files with problems and continue with other files. Skipped files are noted in log.

Release 5 Updates

This website serves as full documentation for FFDD, and can be downloaded using the link at the top of the left hand menu. This site is also expanding and will now be getting updated many times between releases.

Thanks to some very useful feedback from Bill Jordan, the bracket scripts have been improved. The scripts now automatically ignore images which are too dark, insuring the highest quality blend possible. They also ignore images which are too light, avoiding an error message similar to "no pixels selected".

Most of this release focuses on the printing and post-processing actions. All post-processing actions have been completely rewritten to be more batch process friendly. A large amount of R&D went into methods of sharpening, removing noise and doubling an image's resolution prior to printing. The results are twice as sharp and clear as the previous release.

  1. Support for AdobeRGB 1998, ProPhotoRGB, ProPhotoRGB-Linear, and sRGB colorspaces.
  2. New tools to check development with Ansel Adam's Zone System.
  3. The bracket scripts now ignore exposures that are too dark or too light.
  4. The bracket2 and blend2 scripts have been updated to allow flattening of the image before saving and batch processing of 16-bit TIFF files. This allows batch processing of files converted from other Raw converters besides Adobe Camera Raw.
  5. A new black and white conversion tool, gray.
  6. The smooth action has been replaced.
  7. The new denoise action removes noise without removing detail.
  8. The print action has been improved upon and replaced by the following actions.
  9. The sharp set of actions is designed to sharpen before upsampling.
  10. The double set of actions is designed to double the size of an image. It contains an algorithm to try and restore fine details.
  11. The black set of actions is designed to restore detail in the black and very dark areas of an image prior to printing.
  12. The white action has been replaced by the batch friendly gloss-diff action.

Release 4 Updates

  1. A whites script that corrects for gloss differential.
  2. A batch version of blend.
  3. A batch version of bracket.

Release 3 Updates

  1. A blend script for blending developed exposures.
  2. A smooth action for removing noise.
  3. The grain action for re-introducing film grain into a photo.
  4. Documentation cleanup.

Release 2 Updates

  1. FFDD is now compatible with both Photoshop CS1 and CS2, on both Macs and PCs.
  2. Installation has been simplified.
  3. Documentation is more user-friendly.
  4. Workflow is easier.
  5. Bracket and SCE now run as scripts instead of actions.
  6. The Blowout tool has been added to deal with color distortion caused by highlight clipping.
  7. The Desplotch tool has been added to remove digital color noise.
  8. ACE has been replaced by SCE, which is twice as fast and does not effect brightness.
  9. The Print tool has been added to produce very high quality print output.
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