Adjustable gradient masks on Effects and Color Adjustment layers

What features would you like to see in Pixelmator Pro?
User avatar

2022-09-07 20:38:38

The addition of adjustment layers was, for me, a great improvement. I am requesting (and hoping) for an extension to that capability. I would like the ability to apply an Effect (or Color Adjustment) and have it vary linearly across the image. (A specific example is, apply a sharpening effect which is strong at the left side of an image and reduces to zero at the right side.) There is not (to my knowledge) an efficient way to implement this. One method (as you know) is that an Effect can be added as a separate layer and a mask applied to the effect. But the only gradient which can be applied to the mask is gradient fill, which can not be adjusted after it has been applied. This results in some trial and error, i.e. apply a grating fill, evaluate the result, undo the fill, try again, etc. I am also aware of other methods, such as duplicating the image - and you probably know the rest. Inevitably, at a later time, I want to modify the adjustment applied to the image, which requires making the same modifications on both the image and the duplicate. The approach I frequently use is the the first one I described, however after applying the gradient fill to the mask on the effect, I unlink the mask and slide it left and right to vary the effect across the surface. With an image layer, even more flexibility can be had by applying a gradient fill style to a shape, place in underneath an image layer, and use the shape as a clipping mask - on which the gradient can be adjusted to your hearts content.
I realize you are probably aware of the methods I described. I included them only to show I was aware of these methods. None are as flexible and efficient as what is available for image layers. So, I would like to be able to apply effects to masks on Effect or Color Adjustment layers, and better still to be able to use shape layers as clipping layers for such layers.