kevincrans Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) Dear reader, My name is Kevin Crans and I would like to merge 2 layers down based of the average between the two. Apart from the whole variety of Blending Modes in the Layer Properties, it looks like Average is not included while it would become really useful if it was. You see, when you take the average of 2 layers and merge them by average, it doesn't matter which is on top, so you don't have to worry about that. The Formula would be:"((red of layer a + 1)+(red of layer b + 1))/ 2 - 1", and so for green, blue and alpha (and also for the opacity of the layer properties). The only problems there could be is that if you want to merge multiple layers, the most details that get lost are the one of the first merge, because you can just merge 2 layers at the time. However I think it's reasonable and a necessary function so I decided to Create a new topic at this forum. It would be great if this feature could be possible, if not native than in a plugin that does the same thing. Thank you for your attention and I hope I'll hear from you soon. Sincerely, Kevin Crans Edited October 21, 2018 by kevincrans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorOutlaw Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 For now, use this plug-in by @toe_head2001 1 Quote Paint.NET Gallery | Remove Foreground Object Tutorial | Dispersion Effect Tutorial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltBait Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Paint.NET may eventually support the Average blend mode. But, for now, the only way to use the Average blend mode is to use the Blend Mode+ plugin. 1 Quote Download: BoltBait's Plugin Pack | CodeLab | and a Free Computer Dominos Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 Hello guys, Thank you for your responses! I have previously already seen this plugin, the plugin uses a different menu, but according to your recommendations I'll sure give it a try. It's nice to know that there's a chance the feature will be implemented in the future, so thanks for giving an update about that. For now, I hope this Plug-In will do the job. Have a nice day. Sincerely, Kevin Crans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorOutlaw Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 @kevincrans, here's a hint on how to work in BlendModes+. Copy Layer A to clipboard (Ctrl+A to select all, then Ctrl+C to copy to clipboard), then on Layer B, run BlendModes+ and choose "Copy From Clipboard" and select your blend mode. I have been waiting very patiently for Rick to expand PDN's default blend mode library to incorporate the other blend modes since v 3.5.11. 1 Quote Paint.NET Gallery | Remove Foreground Object Tutorial | Dispersion Effect Tutorial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) Dear Trevor, Thanks for the tip! Taking it from the clipboard is actually a really good feature, but I'm not planning to merge it yet, first I'd like to save it as a pdn, and have Average selected in the Blending Mode as preview, so I have later the possibility to add layers and then decide which I wanna blend first, but it does what I needed and I'm happy with that for now. But some of these blending modes especially Average are essential, especially with the fact that there are already so many options in the Blending Mode menu makes it worth waiting for, so that makes two of us. I hope that this idea will be thought trough and have a nice day! Sincerely, Kevin Crans Edited August 7, 2019 by kevincrans more accurate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted August 7, 2019 Author Share Posted August 7, 2019 Dear Community of the Paint.Net Forums, I really like the new updates, but there is still one issue concerning me. The Average Blend Mode still hasn't been implemented yet, it's so obvious, still it isn't there yet. I really respect the time of progress, but this is a standard thing. I don't care about the rounding of the values. This is so easy in my head, so please do this. Thank you for your time and interest, I look forward to your answer. Sincerely, Kevin Crans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ego Eram Reputo Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 Hello @kevincrans Welcome to the forum Blendmodes Plus has the Average Blend Mode. Its a third-party plugin which needs to be downloaded and installed (not hard). For help installing plugins - see: https://forums.getpaint.net/forum/36-how-to-install-pluginsgeneral-plugin-troubleshooting/ 1 Quote ebook: Mastering Paint.NET | resources: Plugin Index | Stereogram Tut | proud supporter of Codelab plugins: EER's Plugin Pack | Planetoid | StickMan | WhichSymbol+ | Dr Scott's Markup Renderer | CSV Filetype | dwarf horde plugins: Plugin Browser | ShapeMaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorOutlaw Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 6 hours ago, kevincrans said: I really like the new updates, but there is still one issue concerning me. The Average Blend Mode still hasn't been implemented yet, it's so obvious, still it isn't there yet. From what @Rick Brewster explained when I inquired about expanding PDN's blending mode, he said that some of the blending modes' algorithm would revert to Normal blending mode on older version of PDN (yes, apparently there is a group of hardcore 3.5.11 users, don't ask why). IIRC, he said this was investigated by one of the contributing programmers. My solution has been the same as before and @Ego Eram Reputo has repeated it. 1 Quote Paint.NET Gallery | Remove Foreground Object Tutorial | Dispersion Effect Tutorial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reptillian Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) There could be legacy pdn export mode as a option. At each layer, new blending mode will instead be a flattened copy then remove the blending mode layer. Normal mode is not gonna solve everything. Also for the OP, doing something in head and programming is different. Very different. Source - I coded over 20 blending modes for Krita like XNOR, OR, Modulo, Reflect, IFS Illusion modes. Edited August 8, 2019 by Reptillian 1 Quote G'MIC Filter Developer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 Dear Community of the Paint.NET Forums, Thank you very much for replying to me😊. Eram, I really like the plugin for what it does, but it doesn't work the same, thus slows the progress a bit down if you have to use very much. Trevor, I understand that, since I also use old Windows in Virtual Machine and respect there are some issues, but I'm happy thet opening new files with old pograms doesn't crash and i need it mainly for merging layers, however, u can always call it an experimental feature because supporting it is a little standard. Reptillian, that is an interesting point, again the displaying of pdn files with the new blend mode is a thing, I do understand that the programming of the blend mode is very different than I may think. I am a beginner programmer after all. I wanna point out again, my only purpose is merging, so if it is saved as a pdn, I wouldn't mind the average blend mode being set to default, this is the friendliest way of adding new experimental blend modes anyway. Thank you all for giving me some insight and tips. Sincerely, Kevin Crans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 (edited) Sorry for the Necrobump, but when I compare technical aspects to time, I just see an image editor that's to stubborn (aren't we all stubborn sometimes) to add a usual average blend mode. Designing a file format that has no room for renewing seems like a dead end (but if selected blend mode reverts to normal while saving to pdn, that problem is already solved). Can't see what's weird about an average blending mode. Should I stop hoping for this? Thank you for your reading, have a nice day! Edited October 14, 2020 by kevincrans the word 'normal' is confusing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brewster Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 This isn't about being too stubborn to add this feature. I don't think I even saw this thread, for one. But mostly there has just been a lot of other stuff being implemented, fixed, and optimized. It would help if you explain the scenario for your request: what type of imaging work are you doing that makes use of average? Examples, pictures, screenshots, links, that sort of thing. What types of things are made possible with it, and what is impossible without it? 1 Quote The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/ Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevincrans Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 Thank you for being clear that it's about something else. I just wanna use it for creating games (I usually work with Unreal Engine). Of course I can work around it, but when you have to repeat steps with multiple layers, it becomes annoying. I'm not a leader of a team so don't know what it is like to decide which changes will and will not come in the final product. I can't provide screenshots why I want it, it just seems logical, it works both ways. I also want to apologize if it seems like I'm in a hurry, you have probably a lot more on your shoulders. Thank you for your official response, have a nice day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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