OpenColor IO or other methods.

[PeterJackson]

Hi guys,
I am into CG now for few years and with time passes, I learnd to use now 16/32 Bit images for compositing.
I use Blender for my workflow and want to use the Filmic OpenColorIO configuration but I noticed - there is no option in Photoshop.

The basic sRGB EOTF was never designed for rendering and should be avoided. This configuration is a step towards providing imagers with a reliable View transform and a Look set useful for modern raytracing engine CGI, animation, and visual effects work with real-world cameras.
-GitHub - sobotka/filmic-blender: Filmic View and Look Transformations for Blender

Is there a way to accomplish this task in Photoshop? Krita is able to do it, Affinity Photo and even Gimp is almost capable.
What is your workflow in Photoshop to composite 16/32 Bit Footage? Other Color Profiles?

Thanks for your help!

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Hi Peter

Photoshop color management , based on ICC profiles does not work directly with OpenColor IO. So it depends how you are using the output.

If you want to bring your files across and immediately have them look the same as you saw in Blender's viewport then you may struggle.

The link below gives tools to build LUTs but that will not be straightforward.

OpenColorIO

This site has plug ins for After Effects fnord software blog: OpenColorIO for After Effects   and for Photoshop fnord software blog: OpenColorIO for Photoshop (but users comment on issues with the Photoshop plug in) .

You asked what others do with 32 bits:

Me - I don't use the Filmic configuration in Blender at the moment. Nothing against it I've just not got around to trying it.

At the moment I just try and get the best default render I can in Blender's viewport (using Default View setting and checking the scene in Log - knowing that I will do a 32 bit - to 16 bit conversion later). I then save the render in Blender as 32 bit EXR Full Floating Point . I then open it in Photoshop assigning sRGB (which is only assigning the primaries - the 32 bit file remains in a linear space) and convert to my Working Space (again it keeps the linear gamma) and finish it using Camera Raw to convert to 16 bit. If that is a one off conversion that is it.  If a smart object is needed it is a bit more convoluted since the Adobe Camera Raw filter no longer works in 32 bit..

For a smart object I open the 32bit EXR in Photoshop and assign sRGB (which keeps the linear gamma) . I save that as a flattened TIFF file in 32 bit floating point. I then go to Lightroom and convert that file to DNG which I then open in Photoshop as a smart object. This opens a 16 bit file but with the 32 bit DNG as a smart object . Double clicking on the smart object opens it with Camera Raw - where I can make it look right for my display and save it as 16 bit PSD (still containing the 32 bit smart object).

Dave

[PeterJackson]

Hi Dave,
thanks for your long answer and it's to bad the solution is that complex. As I said before, I am pretty new to color management and on the first hand its very hard to understand. The principle behind the linear workflow is pretty easy, but going deeper is a bit harder.

The Blender and Nuke/ Fusion/ Natron solution seems fairly easy to me. There is the render, take it as an (in this case Fimlic Log) profile and convert it for the viewport to sRGB - and in the background the values are stored.

Photoshop solution - convert here, assign this and jump from profile to profil and format to format. Pretty complex  😕 The plugins you've posted are very destructive. too.

I think Affinity Photo is worth a look. Anyway - thanks for your great help!

[davescm]

As I said I've not used that Filmic configuration so I will try it over the next week or so and see if I can find a better way. I am interested to see what the direct output to a 16 bit file from Blender comes out as and what could be built and assigned.

For Photoshop you could raise a feature request here :Photoshop Family Customer Community  I did a quick search and did not see an existing request.

Dave

[PeterJackson]

Done and I think this will take a long time to be get accomplished.
Scrolled through the ideas and there was a 6 years old, very simple one with a scalable UI on bigger screens, and it got finally implemented. I'm looking forward to your workflow. Thanks!