Divide Blend Mode for VEGAS Pro

alifftudm95 wrote on 3/28/2020, 10:47 AM

I learn something amazing today about the math behind "Divide Blending" mode from and how it can be used to remove color cast on the video. (Maybe this can fix VEGAS Pro sluggish inaccurate WB tools)

This should be universal across entire editing software, as devide blending only devided the RGB value of the color

underneath the "devide" layer.

The way this method work is to create a solid color and pick a color from the images/videos that have a cast on it. (Color that supposed to be white but arent), then simply blend the solid layer with devide blending mode.

256 " 8 bit color " ( A ÷ B )

= R G B Value

This straight away remove color cast on the images/videos & make what supposed to be white, to be an actual white (WB corrected I shall say?). Sadly, VEGAS Pro don't have any divide blending mode and this should be add on future VEGAS Pro 18.

Luckily, I own a VEGAS POST product and I remembered VEGAS Effects have bunches of blending mode option to choose from. It does works, but sadly I dont have the ability to tweak Brightness to regain back the highlight detail as in videos. I tried to use Fill color FX in VE but the FX is very simple and it doesnt offer any small tweak control for hue, saturation & brightness.

This small control (Hue/brightness/Saturation) can be founded on After Effects (Both Solid layer & Fill FX) & in Premiere Pro too.

Comments

frmax wrote on 3/29/2020, 8:22 AM

Afaik there is no native plug-in in Vegas itself, but take a look at graide color curves, there you will find this possibility to edit brightness, saturation and hue.

https://www.semw-software.com/de/colorcurves

j-v wrote on 3/29/2020, 9:15 AM

Thanks to SeMW since many years I don't use other grading tools within Vegas software. Before that and still there is the levels FX that does a litle of wat SeMW can do.

j-v wrote on 3/29/2020, 10:47 AM

No that's a task for the developpers, most of your suggested things I don't use because I'm satisfied with what I can do with the program.

fr0sty wrote on 3/29/2020, 11:44 AM

Why can't you use hsl adjustments present in the vegas color grading panel after doing the divide blend in VE?

alifftudm95 wrote on 3/30/2020, 2:07 AM

No that's a task for the developpers, most of your suggested things I don't use because I'm satisfied with what I can do with the program.

Well idk what kind of editing you're doing but I've been getting involved with a bigger projects and most of the time I found myself stuck and can't able to execute simple visuals with VEGAS Pro. The WB tools for an example that are supposed to fix WB aren't really fixing any WB, so an alternative way is to use this simple trick devide blend mode. But if VEGAS cant even give that an option as a professional editing software, seems like VEGAS is far left behind. Not to mention the ability to blend the clip instead of blending the layer only. You can see this features in Pr and other NLE too.

I don't think this is a request. Its a features that must have for a "professional" editing software. vegas pro miss that point alot.

alifftudm95 wrote on 3/30/2020, 2:09 AM

Afaik there is no native plug-in in Vegas itself, but take a look at graide color curves, there you will find this possibility to edit brightness, saturation and hue.

https://www.semw-software.com/de/colorcurves

Another Plugins, another money. VEGAS Pro should have all of this ability as standards. Premiere Pro have way more features & FX and you don't even need Plugins to do it.

alifftudm95 wrote on 3/30/2020, 2:19 AM

Why can't you use hsl adjustments present in the vegas color grading panel after doing the divide blend in VE?

I do this seperately in VP & VE. VP don't have any devide blend mode, so I launch VE and import the same clip and give it a try. It works. It does remove color cast. But as stated in Pixim Perfect video, Divide blend mode will reduce the highlight detail, so you can fix that by bringing down the brightness. I don't even have a control for Saturation, Brightness & Hue in VE Fill color FX.

So in conclusion, It does remove cast, but in will remove detail as well. Its not the same if you add Brightness Contrast FX after on, it wont bring back any detail.

lan-mLMC wrote on 6/24/2020, 6:11 AM

@alifftudm95

VEGAS Pro native blend mode is sparse. However, you can use custom composite mode with plugins to realize it, such as BCC Composite, Sapphire_MathOps.

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 6:36 AM

@alifftudm95

Are you really unable to collor corect footage with what you have in Vegas, like, really unable?

alifftudm95 wrote on 6/24/2020, 6:39 AM

@alifftudm95

Are you really unable to collor corect footage with what you have in Vegas, like, really unable?

hahahahahahahahaha. You seems happy whatever VEGAS have. Cool.

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 7:01 AM

@alifftudm95

Are you really unable to collor corect footage with what you have in Vegas, like, really unable?

hahahahahahahahaha. You seems happy whatever VEGAS have. Cool.

I'm serious.

Do you use scopes when whitebalancing? Or do you do it by eyeballing?

alifftudm95 wrote on 6/24/2020, 7:17 AM

off course I use the video scopes when balancing the WB, but the time taken to balance out the color would be super quick using this divide blend method. Its accurate for sure.

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:14 AM

off course I use the video scopes when balancing the WB, but the time taken to balance out the color would be super quick using this divide blend method. Its accurate for sure.

Aha, ok.

How would you balance footage that is intentionally shot under red light, for example? Using scopes? Auto WB?

alifftudm95 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:26 AM

off course I use the video scopes when balancing the WB, but the time taken to balance out the color would be super quick using this divide blend method. Its accurate for sure.

Aha, ok.

How would you balance footage that is intentionally shot under red light, for example? Using scopes? Auto WB?

Hahaha idk why you sounds like you're investigating me but yeah, I would use the RGB parade to balance out the color. I Would also use Histogram and set to Luminance/RGB . I even make tutorial how to correct & grade with VP17 on YouTube

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:30 AM

off course I use the video scopes when balancing the WB, but the time taken to balance out the color would be super quick using this divide blend method. Its accurate for sure.

Aha, ok.

How would you balance footage that is intentionally shot under red light, for example? Using scopes? Auto WB?

Hahaha idk why you sounds like you're investigating me but yeah, I would use the RGB parade to balance out the color. I Would also use Histogram and set to Luminance/RGB . I even make tutorial how to correct & grade with VP17 on YouTube

Could you color correct this for me, please?

You're free to use scopes, divide blend...whatever you want. 😛

alifftudm95 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:34 AM

off course I use the video scopes when balancing the WB, but the time taken to balance out the color would be super quick using this divide blend method. Its accurate for sure.

Aha, ok.

How would you balance footage that is intentionally shot under red light, for example? Using scopes? Auto WB?

Hahaha idk why you sounds like you're investigating me but yeah, I would use the RGB parade to balance out the color. I Would also use Histogram and set to Luminance/RGB . I even make tutorial how to correct & grade with VP17 on YouTube

Could you color correct this for me, please?

You're free to use scopes, divide blend...whatever you want. 😛

I can tell you missing the main point here hahahahaah. Funny guy

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 1:48 PM

So no? Not surprised at all. Maybe you should ask Mr. Dinda for his opinion, he's the Great color wizard of internetses. 😛

RogerS wrote on 6/24/2020, 7:52 PM

You can't color correct something with data mainly in the red channel back to neutral with any technique. You can adjust its hue, saturation and brightness to taste.

This conversation is pointless.

adis-a3097 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:18 PM

Not even with auto wb, or divide blend? Dang, I was about to switch o Resolve...😆

Thank you, RogerS!

alifftudm95 wrote on 6/24/2020, 8:29 PM

Not even with auto wb, or divide blend? Dang, I was about to switch o Resolve...😆

Thank you, RogerS!

hahahahahhahahahahahahaha.

The main point of this post here was about removing some small cast, The tutorial video show what kind of image he is working with. And I expected that kind of cast image.

then come mr curious and show me a red picture and ask if I can correct it.

here, some raw footage that I'm currently editing for local artist. Yeah, how do I color correct this????? legit I dunnow :p

Yelandkeil wrote on 6/25/2020, 1:33 AM

Could you please tell me what does the hump mean in the area of 128 in Histogram?

Marco. wrote on 6/25/2020, 3:02 AM

It's the blue-cyan water on the right which is almost completely in a narrow midtone range around 130.

Yelandkeil wrote on 6/25/2020, 4:59 AM

The distributed pixels that build the water surface have very narrow grayscale values and/even in huge amount, thus a hump-like peak comes into the distribution.
It has nothing to do with chroma or midtone: my Histogram setting->Luma. (Ich hab Dich in die Falle gelockt, M****)

With this sample I would say, the guy who shows in his video how great the divide-method is, is possibly useful in photograph or he just praises it for his show business.
He splurges to correct color cast which should be white (note this is not the term of White-Balance) and "divided" into this result --

Is that snow-white, milch-white or Indien-white?

If we use layers or patterns to neutralize (or change) color cast, all of them do the same thing: replace the cast completely.
Can you tell me which completion is more accurate?

Marco. wrote on 6/25/2020, 6:28 AM

With "midtone" I meant the middle range of the luma scale. The range between shadow and highlight. I think this is common wording in video color correction.