Looking back at Silver Efex settings on an image?

[momoka]

In Photoshop CS6, is there a way too look back and see what specific Silver Efex settings were applied when a layer was processed using Silver Efex? So, the layer is still available in PS but can I see the settings any way?

 

[Ozei]

No, once you've clicked 'OK' in Silver Efex and gone back to Photoshop you can't recall the settings.

To remember what settings were applied I usually take a screenshot of the Silver Efex interface and stick it in the Photoshop file as an unused layer.

 

[momoka]

No, once you've clicked 'OK' in Silver Efex and gone back to Photoshop you can't recall the settings.

To remember what settings were applied I usually take a screenshot of the Silver Efex interface and stick it in the Photoshop file as an unused layer.

Thanks you, I had hope it would be recorded in the History Log but it doesn't even reference the step as Silver Efex at all, only a File reference that makes no sense to me

I like your screenshot idea, I might use it.

 

[ianmarsh]

I don't do this so could be wrong but if you use the silver efex pro layer as a smart layer can't you go back in and see the settings?

 

[momoka]

I don't do this so could be wrong but if you use the silver efex pro layer as a smart layer can't you go back in and see the settings?

This doesn't help with my current problems of looking back at quick mock-ups I have done but it solves the problem for future mock-ups and has changed my workflows. Thanks so much for this. I have just gaven this a try and it works, with the exception of the 'brush' function being disabled which I can live with I think.

You need to make sure and name the layer with the preset you have used if you need that info also, it is not clear when you open the smart filter again which preset you used initially at the beginning.

 

[Ozei]

Thanks you, I had hope it would be recorded in the History Log but it doesn't even reference the step as Silver Efex at all, only a File reference that makes no sense to me

I like your screenshot idea, I might use it.

Yes, the history log produces gobbledegook like this:

Silver Efex Pro 2 5103
“PFNpbHZlckVmZXhQcm8yX2ZpbHRlcj4KCTxmaWx0ZXIgbmFtZT0iTGVvbmlzRmlsdGVyIj4KCQk8cGFyYW1ldGVyIG5hbWU9ImZpbG1UeXBlc1ByZXNldHMiIHZhbHVlPSIwIiB2YWx1ZVR5cGU9ImludCIvPgoJCTxwYXJhbWV0ZXIgbmFtZT0iZmlsbVR5cGVzUHJlc2V0c19pbnRlcm4iIHZhbHVlPSIwIiB2YWx1ZVR5cGU9ImludC...

Really useful!

I only take a screenshot if I tweak the Nik preset (i.e. change the settings on the right). If I use a preset without tweaking it all I do is rename the layer as it goes into Photoshop - e.g. 'SEP005' for Silver Efex Pro's "High Structure (harsh)".

 

[Ozei]

This doesn't help with my current problems of looking back at quick mock-ups I have done but it solves the problem for future mock-ups and has changed my workflows. Thanks so much for this. I have just gaven this a try and it works, with the exception of the 'brush' function being disabled which I can live with I think.

You need to make sure and name the layer with the preset you have used if you need that info also, it is not clear when you open the smart filter again which preset you used initially at the beginning.

How did you get it to work? I can't get the smart layer to reopen the Nik interface or tell me what the settings were.

e.g. if I go to SEP from Photoshop (Filter>Nik>SEP), select a plugin and click OK, a new SEP layer goes into Photoshop - but converting it to a smart object at this point doesn't help because it doesn't link back to the SEP interface. All it does is open a new Photoshop file containing the SEP layer.

 

[Ozei]

How did you get it to work?

Aha, you converted the layer to a smart object before launching SEP. Silly me!

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=silver efex pro 2 smart object

Well spotted Ian.

 

[momoka]

How did you get it to work? I can't get the smart layer to reopen the Nik interface or tell me what the settings were.

e.g. if I go to SEP from Photoshop (Filter>Nik>SEP), select a plugin and click OK, a new SEP layer goes into Photoshop - but converting it to a smart object at this point doesn't help because it doesn't link back to the SEP interface. All it does is open a new Photoshop file containing the SEP layer.

Yes that is what I had tried previously and couldn't work it but Ian's comment made me look again so I tried the conversion before hand. This is going to be really useful for me now. It's a shame that Silver Efex Pro doesn't name the layer properly like Color Efex does. I wonder if we will ever get that in an update? I wonder if we will ever get another update?

 

[momoka]

Yes, the history log produces gobbledegook like this:

Silver Efex Pro 2 5103
“PFNpbHZlckVmZXhQcm8yX2ZpbHRlcj4KCTxmaWx0ZXIgbmFtZT0iTGVvbmlzRmlsdGVyIj4KCQk8cGFyYW1ldGVyIG5hbWU9ImZpbG1UeXBlc1ByZXNldHMiIHZhbHVlPSIwIiB2YWx1ZVR5cGU9ImludCIvPgoJCTxwYXJhbWV0ZXIgbmFtZT0iZmlsbVR5cGVzUHJlc2V0c19pbnRlcm4iIHZhbHVlPSIwIiB2YWx1ZVR5cGU9ImludC...

Really useful!

I only take a screenshot if I tweak the Nik preset (i.e. change the settings on the right). If I use a preset without tweaking it all I do is rename the layer as it goes into Photoshop - e.g. 'SEP005' for Silver Efex Pro's "High Structure (harsh)".

I only get that type of reference if I use it as a smart filter. I get no reference to Silver Efex if I just used it as a layer.
All I seem to get is this -
File F:\PSAutoRecover\momoka\__MMC_03245CEA0FA56B1F018CEBCB761C56719E63.psb saved

 

[momoka]

Double post

 

[Ozei]

... It's a shame that Silver Efex Pro doesn't name the layer properly like Color Efex does.

On my setup the SEP and CEP layers both have the full name of the plug-in - i.e. like this:

Are you getting something different?

 

[Ozei]

I only get that type of reference if I use it as a smart filter. I get no reference to Silver Efex if I just used it as a layer.
All I seem to get is this -
File F:\PSAutoRecover\momoka\__MMC_03245CEA0FA56B1F018CEBCB761C56719E63.psb saved

I think it depends on the settings in Edit>Preferences>General. I used 'Detailed' to get the full gobbledegook shown in post 6.

I get the same level of detail (as post 6) with both smart object layers and ordinary layers.

 

[momoka]

On my setup the SEP and CEP layers both have the full name of the plug-in - i.e. like this:

Are you getting something different?

I get something different if I just apply Color Efex to a layer, the layer name will be like Bleach Bypass (CEP4). I thought this might have carried over on to the smart layer as well but I just tried this for the first time and it is named the same as yours.

Both CEP and SEP act the same when used in Smart Filters but differently when used in normal layers.

 

[momoka]

I think it depends on the settings in Edit>Preferences>General. I used 'Detailed' to get the full gobbledegook shown in post 6.

I get the same level of detail (as post 6) with both smart object layers and ordinary layers.

Yes I am set to Detailed also. It is not a concern now that I can apply as a Smart Filter.

 

[Ozei]

I get something different if I just apply Color Efex to a layer, the layer name will be like Bleach Bypass (CEP4). ....
Both CEP and SEP act the same when used in Smart Filters but differently when used in normal layers.

Ah, we're getting the same then. Here's what I get when SEP and CEP are used on ordinary layers (not smart):

CEP4 gives the name of the preset, SEP2 doesn't.

As you said perhaps they'll change it in SEP3 (if there ever is one).