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1. Installation and Registration
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How do I register as a new user?
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| If you are a new user or want to register a new installation of CodedColor, follow the link directly from the Registration nagscreen inside the CodedColor software. The dialog can be found under the ? menu on the top right side of the main menu. When you register, make sure your email address is correct. If you do not receive an email containing the registration key, login to your account again and check or change your email address. A spam filter or a full mailbox may also have blocked your mail.
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How do I register as an existing user?
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| If you already registered a version of CodedColor, you can log into your account and edit your data or request upgrade registration keys. Follow the link directly from the Registration nagscreen of the installed software. If you forgot your username or password, look for the mail containing your registration key and follow the link at the bottom.
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How do I unlock my CodedColor installation, and where do I enter the registration key?
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| The whole registration process consists of 4 simple steps:
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| 1. | CodedColor Help > Registration dialog: click on link
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| 2. | Online registration system: follow 4 steps
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| 3. | Registration key sent immediately by email
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| 4. | Enter key in nagscreen to unlock CodedColor
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On how many PCs can I use the registration key?
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| A registration key is for your personal use only. You can enter the key on different computers, but only one person is allowed to run the software at a time. You can buy company licenses to cover multiple installations.
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Where do I get the most current version of CodedColor?
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| To download the most current version of CodedColor, you can use the LiveUpdate dialog in the software, or click on the following link. Freeware licenses are only available for the current version.
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| Download the current version
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How much is an upgrade?
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| Updates within the same major version number are free. Upgrades to new major releases are free, if your last purchase was less than 2 months ago. Just install the latest release, and request a new registration key as described above. If your purchase was more than 2 months ago, then you will see a special upgrade offer in your online registration account.
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| Notes: After major releases we may send out special upgrade coupons to registered users with valid email addresses. Make sure, that your SPAM filter allows mails from CodedColor.com. A major release means that the leading digit of the version increases, as in 5.8 to 6.0.
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Can I use my old registration key in the new version?
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| Old registration keys don't work in major release jumps, such as from 5.8 to 6.0. You have to login to your account from within the software (Registration dialog box in the Help menu) and request an upgrade registration key.
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What's the difference between the Freeware and the Pro version?
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| After installation, CodedColor PhotoStudio runs in Pro Trialmode for 30 days. After this period, you can register the Freeware or the Pro version. Magazine readers get a discount of around 25% when they register online with a magazine coupon.
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| The Freeware version is more than just an excellent image viewer. It contains many useful organizing and editing tools, and for many users, the number of features will be adequate. The following options, among others, are not part of the Freeware version and will run only in demo mode:
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| · | Fast searching (keyword, title, annotation, filename, etc.)
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| · | Batch conversion of image folders (change file types, compress, resize, add watermarks, enhance, etc)
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| · | Batch renaming of files
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| · | Web albums & Flash albums
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| · | Email photos and albums with integrated resizing and archive compression
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| · | SmartFix and other professional enhancement dialogs and brushes
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| · | Screen capture and video capture
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| · | Panorama stitch
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| · | DTP editor with PDF export
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| · | Full version upgrade offers for new major releases
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| · | Telephone support
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When I try to register, I get a message saying that my email address is already being used?
| In this case you have already registered with this email address (or someone else has). Please don't try to outwit the system by entering a slightly changed (false) email address - you will not get a registration mail. If you can't remember the password that you used at the time of registration, you can have it sent to you from the Login page.
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I don't have a credit card or don't want to pay over the internet. Can you send me an invoice which I can pay by money transfer or check?
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| Our payment system is secure according to International standards (SSL) and absolutely safe. In 10 years of offering CodedColor we have not experienced a single instance of data being compromised. If you do not have a credit card, you can make a payment from our online shop through one of our partners Share-it or Esellerate. Invoices and money transfers cannot be manually processed, as our registration system only generates licenses automatically, and also because we do not have the capacity for manual processing. The benefit for you: you will receive your license electronically by email immediately after payment.
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Can you send me a receipt for tax purposes?
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| The licensing email indicates the amount of sales tax you have paid, and should therefore be acceptable for income tax purposes.
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Why did I not receive my licensing email?
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| The license is emailed directly after completion of the last page of the online registration form. Check your Spam filter. AOL-filters are especially picky. If you cannot find the licensing email there, it is possible that the Spam filter of your internet provider has already blocked it. This may be due to the fact that there are links embedded in the email. If necessary, re-log into your account, and check the spelling of your email address, or try an alternative one.
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During installation and/or update I am getting a message that says "Access denied". What's happened?
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| Completely close down the CodedColor program. Be sure that it is not running in the Windows tray either. Then restart the installation.
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| Download the current version
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| When installing, please ensure that you have Administrator status. In XP and Vista you can do this by selecting Run as Admin in the Windows Explorer context menu of the right mouse button.
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Why are all my pictures now automatically opened in CodedColor, and why do they all have the CodedColor Icon in Windows?
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| An image file in the Windows Explorer or in an email can only be linked to one Windows program at a time. This is standard Windows behavior, and all image applications are set up this way. In the first dialog during the installation of CodedColor, you designated which image types you want to open with CodedColor. These can be reassigned or deactivated anytime in the Program Settings. You can also reassign image filetypes in other image editing applications.
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| Note: When in doubt, you can choose the destination application through the right-mouse context menu of the Windows Explorer.
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Lately, images are opened automatically in IrfanView instead of CodedColor. How can I reset this?
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| When you installed IrfanView, all images were automatically designated as IrfanView files. All image files on your disk or in an email can only be linked to one Windows program at a time. If you are using more than one image editing/viewing application, then the most recently installed application overrides all previous installations. In Windows, you can change this at any time by right-clicking on the file and choosing Open With, or by reassigning CodedColor to this particular image filetype in the Program Settings of CodedColor. When double-clicking on the image in the Explorer or in an email, it should then open in the CodedColor fullscreen view.
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How do I transfer CodedColor onto my new PC ?
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| · | Start by installing the most current version. If you have an earlier version (i.e. version 4.x. instead of 5.x.), login to your User Account, and download the older version on page 2.
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| · | Enter your licensing information in the installation.
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| · | Copy the entire Work Directory from the old PC onto the new PC. You can find the location path in the old installation under Program Settings > Installation.
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| · | In the new installation, make sure the Work Directory path points to this copied location.You will also find your database and thumbs there.
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| · | If all images from your old PC are now moved to the same drive & path on the new PC, then the two installations are identical. The copied database can thus find the transferred images.
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| · | Finally, update the list of applications in Program Settings > Applications > Update list.
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| Note: If you want to transfer images onto alternative drives, then CodedColor will automatically try to correct the records in the database. After you open all these image folders on your new PC, you should perform a Database Cleanup.
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How can I secure my CodedColor database?
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| You should backup your database regularly under Extras > Database. If you want to backup all of your data including albums, catalogs and image conversions, you must save the Work Directory manually on an external CD or drive. You can find the corresponding path under Program Settings > Installation.
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Why do certain functions in my SE version (a full version according to the magazine) only run in demo mode?
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| To give you a chance to experience the additional tools of the Pro version, certain Pro functions can be previewed in the SE version for a limited trial period of a few days. Please keep in mind, that every purchase of a license supports the research and continuous development of this useful application.
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I am not satisfied with ACDSee and want to switch to CodedColor. Can I transfer my database?
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| CodedColor automatically recognizes all information in the EXIF/IPTC fields within each image file. To test this, simply open an image file in CodedColor an check which information is retained.
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I'm still not convinced that CodedColor PhotoStudio is the best software to help me organize my images. Which organizational structure do you recommend, i.e. which pictures should I put into catalogues, and which folders should I designate as albums? Why do I even need albums?
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| CodedColor is actually a specialized & enhanced file explorer with numerous functions for image editing. The central concepts are:
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| · | Pictures stay where they are
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| · | Nothing is added to image folders
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| · | Images are not copied redundantly into the database. Only image annotations are kept as a copy.
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| Take the following example:
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| 1. | d:\My Pictures\2005
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| 2. | d:\My Pictures\2005\Greece
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| 3. | d:\My Pictures\2005\Greece\Week1
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| 4. | d:\My Pictures\2005\Greece\Week2
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| 5. | d:\My Pictures\2005\London
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| 6. | c:\ProgramData\CodedColor\Organizer\Local Catalogs\Favorites
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| 1, 2 & 5: we recommend that you sort by year, then by event or trip.
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| 3 & 4: we recommend no more than two additional subfolder levels, i.e. a total of 5 folder levels. Some projects may require more levels however.
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| Album: In order to quickly access or search the folder, or for export to the web, we recommend that you define an album "Greece" and "London" for 2 and 5. An album is basically simply a link to the folder.
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| Catalogues are found in 6. This is where CodedColor's Organizer stores links to original images. You can collect images from different vacations in one folder (Catalogue). Creating a Link means, that CodedColor does not copy the actual image to this location, but merely a link to the original, which uses much less disk space. You can use a Catalogue just as you would a normal folder - in other words, you won't be able to tell that you are actually working with image links, rather than the original images themselves.
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| An added benefit of this link concept is, that it also works outside of CodedColor in other Windows applications. Windows rules also apply to the Manual Sorting of your images (see help manual).
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CodedColor is always in my tray. Can I turn that off?
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| You can switch that off in the Program Settings. However, we do not recommend this, as CodedColor is continuously updating its database, for example while you are moving or renaming pictures in Windows Explorer. CodedColor can follow up on these changes the next time you start the program, but this is not 100% reliable and takes more time.
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| Note: Except for the above, CodedColor does nothing else in the background when not in use, and also does not share any data with the web.
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In the generated web album CodedColor is shown as a link. Can I delete or replace that?
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| If you have purchased a CodedColor license, then you are allowed to edit Tree1.js and replace the link with your own homepage. If you are using the SE or free version, then this link must not be changed.
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Can multiple users run CodedColor at the same time on a network?
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| Yes and no. Every CodedColor installation has its own local database, in which EXIF/IPTC image data is redundantly stored for search purposes. If your images are located on a network drive & folder, then multiple users can access and modify an image simultaneously. If a user changes an image annotation (filename, description, keywords), then the information is stored in his local database and in the image. Another user can then read and modify this information directly from the image. Problems only occur, if two users are trying to change image files at the same time. In this case, the winner is the one who stores his annotations last.
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| One could thus say that CodedColor is multiuser enabled, but not in the classical sense of a central database. In our case, the database is the image folder on the network drive. The only drawback of this setup is, that all PCs on the network must generate their own local thumbs.
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Why does it take so long to open a folder for the first time?
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| The first time you open a folder, CodedColor has to generate a thumb for each image. Once this is done, you will find that the folder opens much more quickly - even if it contains RAW images or a large number of images.
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Why does it take so long to display RAW images?
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| This is due to the size of the RAW files, and because each individual RAW format has it's own custom specification. For fast viewing we have the standardized JPEG format. On the other hand, if you are vieweing a folder for the first time, CodedColor will generate miniature thumbs for each RAW original. After this you will notice that things move much more quickly.
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In the contact sheet, which settings should I use so that the right margins of images in the contact are not cut off?
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| This depends on the images themselves, the subtitles, the printable area of your printer, the margin settings and the current print driver. We recommend that you experiment with a variety of settings. It is also important that you use the right paper size. You may also find a solution to this problem by modifying the printer options in Windows.
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| Also try increasing the right margin. In page layout beside the column count, look for the <i> symbol, which will give you additional information on how you could solve this problem.
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| Note: the contact sheet is generated in HTML, which leads to some restrictions in the formatting.
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In the thumbs view, some images produce a red "no access" sign, and when this happens the application sometimes crashes.
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| In this case, it is likely that CodedColor was not able to create a thumb for a certain image. This can occur if the image is defect, or because CodedColor has used up too many resources. Try restarting the application. You can also try to pin-point the problem by starting with an empty folder and adding pictures in small batches.
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Lately, CodedColor is crashing right after start when it opens the current folder. What can I do about this?
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| You can try to following steps to get CodedColor up and running again:
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| · | Problem with system resources: terminate CodedColor, including the tray, and restart Windows.
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| · | Corrupt image: In the Windows explorer, rename the problem folder as foldername.bak. When restarting, CodedColor will not be able to find this folder and will open the standard folder. You can then check this folder for image files which could be causing a problem.
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| · | Corrupt Database: rename the file <CC work directory>\Data\FILES.BIN. After restarting, CodedColor will create an empty FILES.BIN. Image data (annotations) will not be lost, as it is also stored in the image files themselves. In the future, be sure to perform regular Database-Backups, or switch on the AutoBackup option on in the Program Settings.
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How can I convert a catalogue containing links into a folder with originals, so that I can burn them onto a CD?
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| A catalogue is a user defined collection of images from various folders. Each entry is a linkfile, which points to the original. In order to setup a new folder with the corresponding originals, proceed as follows:
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| · | Open the catalogue in the Organizer
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| · | Mark all the images in the catalogue with CTRL+A
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| · | Context Menu: Copy & Move > Copy Files
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| · | Change to the destination folder, or create a new folder
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| · | Context Menu: Insert > Insert Originals
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| Note: If you did custom sorting inside the catalog, you will lose the image sequence in the destination folder. To overcome this, use the menuitem Catalog > Replicate Catalog in the Organizer instead.
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How can I print images from several folders or subfolders, or present them in a screen show?
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| There are two alternatives:
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| 1. Insert the images into a catalogue. A catalogue is a collection of files which link to originals. Each catalogue behaves like a like a folder with images. Catalogues can be viewed in the Organizer.
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| 2. In the Explorer Tree, select the tabset wth the plus sign. There you can select as many subfolders of a directory as you wish. All images of the marked folders will be jointly displayed, printed or exported into a web album.
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How can I change the order of my images?
| For this you would use Initialize Custom Sorting in the Explorer. You can start by sorting the images via the Creation Date column, and then automatically add increasing index numbers to the filenames by calling Initialize Custom Sorting. After this, you can move individual images around manually in the thumbs view (drag & drop). The advantage of this method is, that this sequence will be retained in all Windows applications.
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| Note: You can find more on this in the CodedColor help manual.
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How do I change the size of the thumbs in the Explorer?
| Switch into Image View und move the divider between the thumbs pane and the image.
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I am unable to modify or save some images, and I can't add image annotations. I keep getting the error message "File cannot be created".
| It is likely that the files still have write protection from when you copied them from a USB-Stick or CD/DVD. In the CodedColor Explorer or Windows Explorer, select all files using Ctrl+A, then right-click and select Properties. Deselect Write Protection.
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Why are most EXIF-Fields write-protected, e.g. DocumentName, FNumber, FocalLegth, ApertureValue and Compression?
| EXIF is a fingerprint of the camera and the shooting situation. When you take a picture, these values are saved inside the image file and are safeguarded according to EXIF standards. However, CodedColor declassifies some of these fields, such as Date, ImageDescription, Copyright and UserComment. A field can be edited anytime it's displayed in black instead of red.
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Can I use CodedColor to scan multiple paged documents?
| In the Image Editor, you can combine documents with multiple pages into a TIFF file at the time of scanning. But you can also generate a PDF document or a Collage from several individual scans or images later in the Explorer.
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How can I change the order of the images in an exported album?
| CodedColor can sort images automatically by renaming them. To do this, you need to select Initialize Custom Sorting in the Explorer, and then manually drag your images into the desired order. The advantage of this method is, that this sequence will be retained in all Windows applications and for all CodedColor export functions. If you don't want to change the original file names, simply add the images to a Catalogue, and then sort them there. You can also undo sorting of the original filenames at any time.
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How can I queue pictures of different sources/cameras in the correct time sequence?
| If you receive images from different cameras, and want to combine them in the same folder, then you must first copy these images into a single folder. Usually the filenames will not collide, but if they do, you must first do Batch Renaming in one of the source folders. When all images are in the same folder, choose Sort By > Display Creation Date, then Sort By > [Created] Ascending. The images are now merged/queued in the time sequence they were taken. If you want to permanently retain this sequence, then do Initialize Custom Sorting in the folder. The filenames will receive prefixes, which will allow alphabetic sorting in other applications like the Windows Explorer or when burning the files on CDs. You can now also export albums with CodedColor, which will display the merged images in the correct time sequence.
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Why can't I play some video files in the Explorer?
| CodedColor itself does not convert video files, but uses the DirectShow Codecs installed in Windows. Both the MediaPlayer and CodedColor use Microsoft's DirectShow technology to play videos. Depending on the installed codecs, some videos may run on one computer, but not on another. MOV files from digital cameras are particularly problematic, because Apple is a closed world which does not like to see it's movie files played by software under Windows. Free codecs for MOV files are therefore rare under Windows.
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| To ensure clean and fast video display inside CodedColor, you should install the following:
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| · | Obligatory for DirectShow: the current Windows Mediaplayer and the most recent Windows Service Pack
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| · | Ideal Codecs collection: K-Lite Codec Pack (Download) decodes most known video filetypes and plays them with DirectShow in CodedColor
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| · | Concerning Apple MOV videos: The Quicktime Codec is not compatible to DirectShow. In order to play MOV videos in CodedColor or the Windows Mediaplayer, you will need a correponding codec for DirectShow. This is included in some programs such as the K-Lite Codec Pack. However, some videos of older digital cameras may still play without the sound. To overcome this, you can install the famous VLC-Player, Quicktime Alternative or Quicktime-Lite. The latter plays MOV videos in a webbrowser. Alternatives for the Windows Mediaplayer are the codecs from MediaLooks or RiverPast.
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How can I modify the Image-information and filenames of several files at the same time?
| · | In the Keyword View of the Explorer you can assign keywords to several selected images at the same time.
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| · | In Batch Conversion you can modify IPTC and EXIF Data for several images simultaneously.
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| · | You can assign image titles and descriptions to previously selected images in the Annotation Editor.
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| · | In the Batch Rename dialog you can change filenames for an entire folder.
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| · | You can sort filenames for all Windows applications by calling Initialize Custom Sorting and then dragging the files inside CodedColor.
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How can I inscribe several images at once?
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| In Batch Conversion you can automatically brand Watermarks into your images. The text can come from the image annotations in the database, the filenames or the EXIF/IPTC information.
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How can I delete keywords from the list?
| If a keyword resurfaces after you have deleted it from the list, then it is still assigned to at least one image in the database. You can perform a keyword search in the Search dialog. When you are certain that the keyword in no longer assigned to an image, then try a Database Cleanup.
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I think my database is corrupt. What can I do to restart CodedColor?
| If you selected the AutoBackup program option, or if you manually made Database Backups in CodedColor, proceed as follows:
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| 1. | Find the file <CC Work Directory>\Data\FILES.BIN and rename it to FILES.BIN.defect
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| 2. | Copy the file <CC Work Directory>\Backup\FILES.BIN into the Data folder, and restart CodedColor.
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CodedColor can't generate thumbs anymore, and only displays red stop signs. What's wrong?
| This can be caused by one of the following:
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| · | Your hard drive is full: clean it up, or save your Work Directory onto a different hard drive.
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| · | Your hard drive is defective: check it with chkdsk.
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| · | Your working memory is full: close some applications or restart Windows.
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| · | The images are defective or too big: try opening another directory.
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| · | The database is corrupt: perform Database Cleanup, or copy a backup of FILES.BIN to the Data directory.
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| You should perform regular Database Backups and Cleanups. You can also try to manually copy the Work Directory to another hard drive, and change this in the Program Options. Or you could try installing CodedColor on another hard drive or another computer. Please also check if you can open copied images in another directory.
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Why is my list flickering in the Detail View of the Explorer?
| It is likely that CodedColor cannot read an image or generate a miniature. Try to identify and remove the file.
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When I enter a keyword for an image, the file date changes. How can I retain the original date in the file system?
| The Modified filedate is not particularly relevant because it is always changing, for example when your computer switches to daylight saving time, you select a different time zone, or if you do SmartFix in the Editor. Because changing keywords for an image actually changes the image file itself (this information is stored in the EXIF/IPTC section of the image), as also happens when you use SmartFix, the file's Modified date is adapted. This is Windows default behavior.
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| To get around this, we have included the option Preserve original fildates when saving image changes in the Program Settings > Image Editor. This option ensures that the Modified date is maintained throughout all subsequent edits. You should also display the Creation Date in the Explorer by calling Sort By > Display Creation Date. This ensures that the exact time and date the image was taken is displayed in the date column, as this value always remains the same inside the file.
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I have the feeling that CodedColor is not displaying all existing EXIF fields. Is this possible?
| Unfortunately some Image Programs devise non-standardized EXIF-fields and insert these into the image files. Naturally, these cannot be read by other programs, and are thus lost when files are saved by these programs. CodedColor does not modify the EXIF data when saving images in the Image Editor, so these fields remain as is. If in doubt, deselect the Save Exif Changes option in Program Settings > Image Editor.
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Can multiple users search keywords or annotations in images on a network drive?
| All relevant information ist stored inside the images, if they allow EXIF/IPTC data. If the images are located on a network drive, then all CodedColor installations can add the same information to the local database and search in it. Just open the folder in CodedColor, and let the images be added to the database. The easiest way to do this, is to activate Scan Folders above the folder tree.
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What's the meaning behind the matrix in the "Basic Effects: User Filter" dialog?
| This is a mathematical transformation which is applied to the image pixel by pixel. The center value of the matrix designates the pixel (anchor), while the surrounding values are included in the mathematical calculation. Things are further complicated by the fact that all image editors use different sized matrices.
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| For users who don't have an academic background in mathematics, this issue will likely remain a question of trial & error.
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| Morphing uses a similar mathematical procedure to remove some details in the image, while accentuating others. The size of the matrix and the number of pixels to be combined are determined by the Window Size.
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Where can I see the original size of an image in cm?
| Indicating the original size of an image in cm always requires a reference point, which is measured in dpi (pixels per inch). This could be:
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| · | dpi of the printer
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| · | dpi of the monitor or TV
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| · | dpi of the scanner
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| · | number of dpi embedded in the image
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| You can calculate the image size in cm with this formula: (pixel/dpi)*2.54. For example, if the resolution stored in a file is 72 dpi, an image with a width of 1000 pixels would actually be 35cm wide. Alternatively, with a printer resolution of 600 dpi, the image ends up with a width of only 4,23cm.
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| The resolution of your printer only plays a role when it comes to printing an image. We cannot foresee whether you will print the image on a 1/2 or 1/4 page, and which paper size your printer uses. The number of dpi in the image is also not very helpful in determining the final size of the printout. For example, most images are typically stored with 72 dpi, and would print out with a width of over 100 cm, which is clearly not practical. Currently, aside from the printer dialogue, we are thus not plannning a display-mode in cm.
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| This begs the question: why bother to save an image with a certain number of dpi? The answer is best explained with an example: on a printer with 300 dpi, an image scanned with 300 dpi is supposed to be printed out in the same size as the original. This is why the scanner embeds the dpi value in the image file. However, CodedColor displays each image to best fit your monitor, and prints out images relative to the selected paper size. So the dpi value ends up being of little importance for CodedColor and similar applications.
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What is the difference between image size (pixels) and image resolution (dpi)?
| You can change the number of pixels in an image (and thus the size of the file), in the Resize dialog. When you reduce the size of an image you change its dimensions, i.e. you reduce the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical rows and columns, not the dpi. If you reduce the image quality when you choose Save as > Advanced, you are actually combining similar colors into one color, which allows for better image compression. Again, you are not changing the dpi. The dpi value is embedded in the image, determined by the camera or the scanner with which the image was created. It is only relevant for the printer or beamer.
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| Note: The bigger the image (pixels), and the better the resolution of your printer (dpi), the higher the quality of your printed image. There's an Info button in CodedColor's Print dialog, which indicates your printer's specs.
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How can I convert a color photo into B&W?
| · | Open the image in the Image Editor
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| · | Select Color, then HSL
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| · | move the slider for Saturation all the way to the left
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| Note: If you click on Effects, you will also find a function called Sepia, which makes an image appear older.
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Why do I not have the option of saving in JPG format?
| Your image presumably has several frames and can only be saved as a TIFF of GIF file.
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How can I change the resolution or quality of an image?
| Some file types such as JPG have the Advanced option in the Save As dialog. In this option dialog, you can change the quality, and thus the size of the file. At 85%, JPGs usually suffer no visible reduction of quality. At 94% the quality and file size are pretty much equal to the original.
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| Please note, that the quality of some files (such as JPG) may be reduced each time you save them in the image editor. You should always be sure to backup the original file. For that purpose use the Backup option under Program Settings.
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How can I add text information to an image and archive it on a CD?
| CodedColor offers several advanced options to annotate an image. For example, you can inject Title, Description and Keywords directly into the image files (EXIF, IPTC). This text remains with the image and can be extracted by other applications (if the image is sent as an email attachment for example). In addition, you can also add this information as a visible watermark in the image (Batch conversion and Image Editor). In the image editor you also have the option of placing text anywhere in the image, or add arrows with text.
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| Note: All of these options are described in the help manual in detail.
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How can I cut & paste an object from one image into another?
| · | Mark the object using the Lasso option (careful, a double-click is required at the end)
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| · | Apply Feather
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| · | Copy (or Ctrl+C)
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| · | Add to destination image (or Ctrl+V)
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| · | Reposition the image layer and finally choose Merge Layers
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| · | Fine tune with the Clone Brush
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| Note: you can also draw the object with the Clone Brush, if you define the source image accordingly.
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How can I achieve a ColorKey effect, i.e. fade certain colors?
| · | In the Image Editor choose the Color: HSL tool
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| · | Click on Pipette to select the color range.
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| · | In the image click on the color you want to fade. A large color range will be selected.
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| · | Now you can reduce that range by moving the two triangles in the color band.
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| · | Move the Saturation slider to -255. Now the image is washed out to B&W in the selected color range.
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| · | To accept the changes, click on the check mark in the bottom right corner of the color tool.
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| · | Repeat the process for other color ranges.
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| Note: you can find additional tricks and examples in the CodedColor Tutorials.
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Can I also position text BENEATH an image?
| · | In the image editor choose Edit > Geometry > Extend Workspace
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| · | Expand the image downwards by 100-200 pixels
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| · | Add a watermark or text to this space
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When compiling large panoramas I keep running out of memory. What can I do to fix this?
| Panoramas consist of several frames and require quite a bit of working memory to compile. Depending on the size and number of the frames, this can be in the order of several 100 MB. The only things you can do is reduce the frames before you use them, or free up more working memory by closing unused applications.
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The results I'm getting in the panorama stitch dialog are frequently unusable. How can I improve them?
| When compiling panoramas it is important that the individual frames have similar colors and levels of contrast. Because of the changing lighting conditions when you take individual pictures, this is of course not always possible. To correct this, you can use the Gamma, Exposure and Saturation options. A good reference point to use is the sky of each frame. If the blue is identical, then the objects in the frames can be recognized and combined more easily. Keep in mind that the camera should be kept in a horizontal position as much as possible and that the focal length should be around 50mm (which approx. equals the size if the eye), to avoid lens curvature.
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I want to change a building to look like it was built in 1787, i.e. eliminate connecting walls, replace tile roof with thatched roof, reduce height of barn, enlarge pond in front of house etc. Can I do this with CodedColor?
| Are you sure you don't have us confused with a contractor? ;-)
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| Alright: CodedColor has tools like the Clone Brush, a Paint Brush with textures, a Retouch Brush, a Fill Tool and a versatile Eraser. Combining those tools you should be able to carry out the changes you need. Keep in mind though, that CodedColor is not intended to be as complex as Adobe Photoshop.
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When I use the Sharpen tool, I am not getting the results I had hoped for. In preview the image looks much clearer, but when I accept, the image barely changes. What am I doing wrong?
| Before you sharpen the image, Zoom in to 100% so you can see the changes in more detail. When you display the image in reduced size, or if the image is automatically fit to the window, then this is the image used for the sharpen preview (because of speed), and you apparently end up with a different result. In CodedColor, Sharpen is a very defensive function, as it usually results in a loss of pixel information. When you sharpen, the color of some pixels is changed as edges are detected and emphasized, possibly also resulting in the unwanted emphasis of noise.
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| If the sharpening process seems too defensive, you can try sharpening several times in a row to intensify the result. You should also test the various sharpening options, such as Enhance Edges and Unsharp Mask. Alternatively you could turn on the Boost Mode, try using a less defensive sharpening algorithm in the editor's basic Improvement Dialog.
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If I have saved an image in the editor, can I undo the changes?
| No. When in doubt, you should copy an image with Save As, also because you can lose quality each time you save a JPG-image. Or you can select the Backup into Subfolder option in the CodedColor Programm Settings.
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| Keep in mind that changes look different on different monitors. If you are concerned about this, you should calibrate your monitor, for which you can find digital or analog tools on the internet.
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What are my professional options when Cloning?
| · | change the size of the Paintbrush
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| · | set Transparency, border Feather and Blend Mode
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| · | use a different paintbrush, or add your own
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| · | limit cloning to an image selection with a feathered edge
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| · | define an alternative Clone Source, for example to cut&paste a bird from the source image into the empty sky of the destination image
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| · | change the size of the Clone Source
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| · | undo or soften changes using the Eraser Brush
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| · | correct noticeable clone edges with the Retouch Brush
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How can I colorize B&W images?
| 1. | Use the Fill Tool with a very low tolerance of about 15. You can change the tolerance interactively to reduce overflow errors. Start with Opacity of 50% and blend mode Overlay. That way you can intensify or mix colors by clicking a second time in the same area. You can undo each change. Try experimenting with the image to find the best settings.
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| 2. | Use the Paint, Clone or Eraser brush to correct any remaining imperfections
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How can I make lips redder and eyes sparkle?
| 1. | Color > HSL > increase Saturation
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| 2. | Red Eye Correction: you can also change the eye color here
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| 3. | Color Replacement Brush
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| You can find examples for this in the help manual tutorials.
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Can I use the orientation flag to automatically rotate my images, or can I correct the flag?
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| The flag feature is a can of worms. Every software uses it differently, so it's actually somewhat pointless. "Correcting" it will cause problems with other programs. To make things worse, some cameras don't even get this right, for instance if the tilt sensor isn't working right. Often the image and thumb are also out of sync.
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| This is why CodedColor assumes - after every editing operation - that the current orientation is obviously correct, and sets the EXIF_Orientation to 1. It also writes a thumb with the same orientation into the image file, so that both are in sync from now on.
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| Example 1: if your exif thumbnail has a vertical orientation, but your image is horizontally aligned, and you edit and save the image without rotating it, you end up with:
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| · | a horizontal image
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| · | a horizontal thumb
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| · | EXIF_Orientation = 1
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| Example 2: if the image and thumb are vertical, but the image should be horizontally aligned, then you should rotate it in the Rotation Dialog. After saving the image, you will get the same result as in example 1.
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How can I trim an image and maintain the height-to-width ratio?
| 1. | Make sure that the image is completely visible in the editor, either by calling Fit Image or by Unzooming it to fit the screen.
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| 2. | Now click on Crop. The appearing selection frame already has the same aspect ratio as the image.
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| 3. | While holding down the Alt key, change the size and position of the frame. The aspect ratio will be maintained.
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| 4. | Now click on Apply Crop.
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