Magic Wand doesn`t always remove

[bluerose]

Hi! I`ve downloaded the trial version, as I thought this  would be a good tool to remove background in photo`s around hair. I do the initial selection like it shows in the manual and the tut using Mark Object, then Mark color for erasing. I then use the Magic Wand, with strength around 40. The initial remove works. Then I move the Magic wand over other areas, sometimes it works, sometimes not -no bar going across the bottom. Sometimes it crashes PSP and have to start all over again. Using PSPX2, have WinsXP, with 4GB memory.

Other times, I get to point where have most of the background removed, then using the Defringe Brush, like in example shows brushing over hair area, I do the samething and doesn`t remove the background colors under the hair, like it does in the manual/tut. example. I can`t see where it`s done anything with removing the color under/around the hair. I`ve tried using various settings, and samething.
Appreciate any advice you can give me with using this. I would like to purchase the plugin, once I`ve tried it out.

Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! I must be doing something wrong. I don`t understand why the Magic Wand stops working. Seems like allowed certain no. of clicks to select areas to remove, then the next area, it stops and won`t work anymore. It selects the area, but won`t remove it.
I also have Photoshop Elements 5 and I tried it in there, samething happens.
Plus the Defringe, select area over hair and nothing happens, like it does in the manual/tutorial with removing background around/behind hair.
Any ideas of why this happens?

Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! Another thing I forgot to mention. I have problems connecting to the http://www.imageskill.com website. Sometimes it opens, sometimes get Page cannot be diplayed. Takes 3-4 tries to get to site. Then samething getting into forum.

Take care
Lloyd

[ImageSkill]

Hi Lloyd,

Thank you for your interest to our plug-in Background Remover (BR) and your questions concerning working with it.

Let me answer to your last question first. We are getting a detailed weekly report from a specific service about our site activity and they have not informed us about any problems to get our page for a long time. It is difficult for me to advise you to do something in this situation except trying to open our page again. If nothing happens please write all your questions or requests to support@imageskill.com

Now I will try to specify the problem with BR you described above. To be honest you are the first user who crashes PSPX2 using BR v.3.0. So we would be very appreciated to you to inform us how you can do it. I mean we need to know what image you processed (image format, size) and supply us a detailed scenario of your processing (sequence of operations with BR).

I am personally working with PSPX2 Ultimate now but I have not found any problems working with Magic Wand yet. May be if you send us an image and write where some problems happen to be reproduced them here we can get you some specific advice.

You are right that sometimes you can get not always appropriate result working with the Defringe Brush. From our experience it happens when hair and surrounding background have nearly the same color. But if their colors are quite different the BR removes background nearly perfectly. In this situation we need to look at image you are working with. We are always trying to improve our software and we are very appreciated to you for your valuable questions and remarks.

We are waiting for your image example and some additional information we mentioned above.

Best wishes,
Mikhail

[bluerose]

Hi! Thank-you for your reply and suggestions. I`m not quite sure if this will work, trying to post screenshot of working with the photo here, from Photobucket, so you can see what happens. If the image doesn`t post here in the Reply, I`ll check through support for e-mail addy to send you the screenshot.

With this image, I`ll workaround, using the Magic Wand on left side to clearup areas. Then I go to right side or top, to do the same, Magic wand marks the area, but then nothing happens. Hoping you can see the little red selections being made on right side.


If the image in the reply doesn`t post, I`ll try replying again, attaching the image.

Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! The image did post.
This is where, a couple times, where the Plugin and PSPX2, crashed, trying to firgureout why Magic Wand stops removing the background, after selecting next areas.

Couple times, when I get to that point instead of using Magic Wand, I then use the Defringe. When I select the area with the Defringe, the original background that had been removed by the Magic Wand appears. However it doesn`t stay. But then looks like the Defringe tool doesn`t remove anything. Just thought, somewhere, should I be changing the background with solid colour, instead of leaving transparent? Although this is what trying to do, so that end result just have the image of girl on transparent background, so I can paste her image into another background.



Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! A screenshot showing, I`ve worked along removing areas. That one spot inside hair area, I just click once with Magic Wand and it removed that area. Then I move onto other areas, and select area and nothing happens ie: right side.



AS I mentioned at beginning, there`s probably something I`m not doing right in selecting the area.

Thanks for your help.
Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! I`ve gone through from initial steps, taking screenshot along the way.







Cont.

Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Next:
Magic wand stops doing it`s thing, removing selected area.






Cont.

[bluerose]

Hope this gives you better idea of what I have been doing.

What I`m not sure about to, once I do the marker selection with green, then red, I then go around same red area again, marking with Magic wand (initial selection) Do I need to be doing that?

Take care
Lloyd

[ImageSkill]

Hi Lloyd,

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation of all your steps. We reproduced all of them here using both demo and standard version of Background Remover. First of all we have not found that Magic wand stopped working in the process of additional marking of background areas even if we marked only one pixel. Look at the example below (original image size 1600x1200). We marked the object and background areas like you



And used Magic wand then.




Marking additional areas on the left side of the image we cleaned up them from background.



Moving then on the right side we cleaned up additional areas there. Note that here we marked additional objectТs area (by green line) since girlТs shoulder has similar color to neighboring background area.



The result of cleaning up is good enough.

Doing that further we have not met any problems working with Magic wand. We could not crush neither plug-in nor PSPX2 as well. Nothing happen only in that case if you marked the area that was entirely cleaned up before (chess-board here).

Now I would like to say a few words about methodology of working. There are two ways of background removing with Magic wand:

1.   You marked an object (by green) and a background (by red) and then click Magic wand. To get a result you need to change any of Magic wand settings. Then you can additionally mark any backgrounds areas and Magic wand automatically gives you a result.
2.   You marked an object (by green) and then click Magic wand. To get a result you need to mark a background (by red).

Following the first way you do not need to duplicate the initial selection after clicking Magic wand. If you are going to work with Magic wand only choose the second way.

Defringe is usually used for semi-transparent object extraction like flying hair. In marked area color unmixing is performed, i.e. background color is extracted from object color. It is done for getting an appropriate result when you put an extracted object on different background. It should be noted that if, for example, hair has nearly the same color as background the final result may be not so good. In such a case may be better to smooth some details using such options of Refine mask as Contract, Feathering and Boundary Smoothing. 

To avoid appearance of new defringe spots under holding left mouse button you need to uncheck Defringe button clicking on any other button.

If you send us your original image we can try BR with it and send our results to you with detailed description.

Best wishes,
Mikhail

[bluerose]

Hi! Thank-you for clarifying/giving additional instructions; this sure has helped. I was using Mark Object (green), then Mark color for erasing (red), then outlining area again with Magic Wand.
With the screenshot below, I used the 2nd step you mentioned, just to use the Mark Object then Magic Wand, then carried on marking smaller areas.
Not getting the defringe to work right, although I need some practicing, to get it right and what works with what for best settings.
The other times I was working on this photo, it was 3072x2304, I reduced the size to 1600x1200 to work on it this time.



I came across this plugin, by Corel mentioning that it comes with PSPX2 Ultimate. I don`t need the other extra`s that come with the Ultimate version; unless there are actual improvements to the program itself; having Painter might be okay. So I may just purchase this plugin directly through your website.

Thanks for all your help, now I need to practice
Take care
Lloyd

[bluerose]

Hi! I`m going to try to attach original image here. It has been resized down 124kb, to fit within the limitations of attaching here.

Take care
Lloyd

[ImageSkill]

Hi Lloyd,

I am happy to hear that you make an appreciable progress working on your photo. I wish you further success and hope to see your results after some practicing.

Mikhail