Just letting everyone know that this has been tagged as On-The-Roadmap, and our team is actively working on it for future versions! 
Now that PAI masking is getting there, and since Mask AI seems to be a dead product, could we please have the ability to export masks so that they can be used by other programmes.
This is something I am wondering, too. The mask is right there. It would be great to be able to export it. Especially now that production seems to have stopped on Topaz Mask AI.
Came here after Ray mentioned this thread, Iām here to signal boost this idea as a solid feature we should have!
+1
Many thanks
Thanks @rayinsanmiguel for the suggestion and everyone for the votes. Could you provide more detail on a specific use case where you might want this functionality? Itāll help me in my discussions with my team.
Some time ago, I used Mask AI to replace the background to a shot of myself and a friend. This was a a laborious process, since the masking tools in Mask AI are not very good. With Photo AI, they are getting there, despite the fact that there is no edge aware tool. Of course, other programmes now have background removal built-in, but it could be something that PhotoAI could achieveāif the mask could be exported to, say, On1 PhotoRaw, which is my main editing programme.
Another instance would be to sharpen an out-of-focus foreground, then export the mask in order to be able to blur the background, as per an image I have already uploaded to the devs.
Thanks for elaborating.
Hi, I primarily use mask for background removal, giving the subject a transparent background. I also use it to isolate elements that need additional work (color changes, etc.) These are the reasons I immediately bought Topaz Mask AI when it came out. I am hoping that Photo AI can pick up the baton and run with this idea.
Dear @tim.he,
I would like to add my vote to this feature request by @rayinsanmiguel and @comedy4cast.
My use would be - to fine tune all enhancements by photo AI in layers - differentially with masking. E.g. in TPAI I used the mask to differentiate in sharpness - now iād like to differentiate in color, or tone in Photoshop.
Even better would be if we could also have an import mask option. So we could export the mask, manipulate it outside of TPAI, and then come back to TPAI with the refined mask.
Many thx
Still hoping we can get this on the road map. We can SEE the Photo AI masking abilities. Now, if we could only export the subject mask, that would be a major, major WIN!
Hi, please add option to copy selected area, i work a lot with persons picture, and i love how fast and good is āsubjectā selection. then adding copy selected with red mask area ( after its enhanced) would cut a lot of unnecersary work.
THQ
When saving preset in Photo AI 3.4.3 that has 2 Denoise operations with inverted auto selections (e.g. one Denoise has Subject selected and other Denoise has Background selected) then it does not store the first auto selection option and replaces it with All selection. When preset is re-applied, it will auto select only for second Denoise and in first Denoise I have to manually re-select auto selection. I have tried both ways - first Denoise has Subject selected, second Denoise has Background selected or first has Background selected and second has Subject selected. In both ways first selection is not applied when Iām using my preset, but the second one is normally applied.
NB! Iām using Lightroom ā Edit in Photo AI ā Lightroom workflow.
Steps to reproduce issue:
- Add Denoise operation to your image manually
- Under Controls tab choose Auto selection Subject
3.Add another Denoise operation to your image manually - Under Controls tab choose Auto selection with value Background
- Apply desired configuration for both Denoise operations
- Click Save edits as new preset button on right bottom. Store preset with desired name.
- Open another photo
- To save time instead 2 separate Denoise addition click Add enhancements button and select the previously saved preset.
Expected result: 2 Denoise operations are automatically added with saved configuration. First Denoise will select and apply only to Subject and second will select and apply only to background.
Actual result: 2 Denoise operations are automatically added with saved configuration except first Denoise has no automatic Subject selected. Instead it selects all the image (Auto selection value is also All). Second Denoise selects background as expected and applies denoise.
Topaz Photo AI [v3.4.3] on [Windows 11 + Lightroom]
Thank you for sharing this detailed workflow and description of the issue! We will add your suggestion to the Ideas section on our Community Forums for the development team to review. Your feedback is valuable, and we appreciate the time you took to help us improve the user experience.
A little late to the conversation. I recently purchased Topaz Photo AI, and Iām using it to restore an archive of scanned 35mm slides. My use case for masks being independent of enhancement layers is that the auto masking sometimes struggles to correctly identify things I want to mask (image is out of focus / damaged etc.). Itās tedious and time consuming to have to redraw masks. Lightroom-style masking would be a great addition to Topaz.
Please add my vote
I often want to duplicate sharpen steps - usually to apply some Standard or Lens Blur sharpening for something slightly out of focus, and then apply Wildlife sharpening on top to make it look more natural. But if I try to right-click and āDuplicate Sharpenā, it copies the original subject detection version of the mask, not the one that I have edited.
Topaz subject detection leaves a lot to be desired - missing out parts of the subject, or leaving the background in, or having a scalloped effect on straight edges that is hidden by the always applied 100% feather. It makes no difference if the background is really blurred, but if it is on the same focal plane as the subject then it creates a sharpened halo around the subject. So I almost always have to edit the mask. It gets really annoying that if I duplicate a mask, I have to edit it all over again.
Also there is no point just copying the original subject detection - I can just create a new mask and get that.
This is the first mask after I edited it
This is the mask after duplicating it. Note the missing tufts on the head, the background water included under the head and around the beak, and the water around the bird. All this I edited in the first mask so it only the bird get sharpened, and not the ripples in the water.
I transferred your message to this thread, where you can also vote for this.
1 Like
