SOFTWARE User's Manual En
Notices © 2008 Nik Software, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form, by any means, without Nik Software, Inc.’s prior written permission. Nikon reserves the right to change the specifications of the hardware and software described in these manuals at any time and without any prior notice. Neither Nik Software, Inc.
Chapter 2 Chapters at a Glance Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Notices & Trademark Information Chapters at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Chapter 2 — Chapters at a Glance
Chapter 3 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Notices & Trademark Information Notices Trademark Information Chapter 2 Chapters at a Glance Chapter 3 Table of Contents Chapter 4 Introduction RAW File Format Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Camera Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 U Point® Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Chapter 5 System Requirements & Installation System Requirements . . . . . . . . .
Cache Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Browsing Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Editing Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 XMP/IPTC Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Available Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Field Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 New .
Managing XMP/IPTC Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Chapter 12 Activity Toolbar Workspace Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Launch Nikon Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Chapter 13 Selection Gradient Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Linear Gradient Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sample Size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 Chapter 17 The Color Picker Color Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Color Triangle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 RGB Selection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 HSB Selection Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 LAB Selection Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Blue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Color > Color Booster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Protect Skin Tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compare in Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Compare with Original . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Chapter 24 Window Menu Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Reset Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4 Introduction Capture NX 2 contains a wide range of improvements designed to make it an even more complete and powerful photo editing application specifically designed for photography. The interface and tools in Capture NX 2 provide you with a new intuitive approach to the art and science of image editing that saves you valuable time and effort. Capture NX 2 is the latest version in a long line of quality tools from Nikon designed to speed up workflow for photographers.
Camera Relationship Capture NX 2 was designed to support JPEG and TIFF files and to provide unique features that fully support Nikon digital cameras, allowing you to change many of the settings selected in your camera. After opening a NEF RAW file within Capture NX 2, you can view the shooting, camera, and exposure information of the file within the Metadata palette. U Point® Technology A key feature in Capture NX 2 is U Point technology.
Chapter 5 System Requirements & Installation System Requirements Windows OS Preinstalled versions of Windows Vista 32-bit Home Basic/Home Premium/ Business/Enterprise/Ultimate editions (Service Pack 1) or Windows XP Home Edition/Professional (Service Pack 2) Processor Pentium 4 or better RAM 768 MB minimum (1 GB recommended) Hard-disk space 200 MB required for installation Screen resolution 1024 × 768 pixels (1280 × 1024 or higher recommended) with 16-bit color (32-bit color recommended) Macintos
Installation Windows To install Capture NX 2 into the Windows operating system, follow these steps: 1 Place the Capture NX 2 setup CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive. Open the CD through the My Computer icon on your desktop, and double-click on the setup icon that appears within the window that is displayed to begin the setup wizard. If you downloaded Capture NX 2, locate and double-click on the setup file that was saved to your computer to begin the setup wizard.
Color Management Options Once the setup wizard has installed the files onto your computer, you will be provided with options to set up your color management preferences. The color management settings provided within the setup wizard enables you to set the default functionality for Capture NX 2 and can be later changed within the “Preferences” dialog.
Upgrading From Capture NX Version 1 When upgrading from Capture NX version 1, follow the installation instructions as listed previously in this chapter. Both Capture NX version 1 and Capture NX 2 can be installed on the same computer at the same time. When activating an upgrade version, your Capture NX version 1 product key will be requested. First, enter your name, company (optional), and Capture NX 2 product key. You will then be prompted to enter your Capture NX version 1 product key.
Chapter 6 Getting Started Launching Capture NX 2 In the Windows operating system, Capture NX 2 can be opened by navigating to the start menu, selecting the programs menu, rolling over the Capture NX 2 menu item, and selecting Capture NX 2. In the Macintosh operating system, double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on your desktop and navigate to the “Applications” folder. Double-click on the Capture NX 2 folder, and then double-click on the Capture NX 2 application icon.
Welcome Screen Upon launching, Capture NX 2 will display the “Welcome” screen, which lists the last files and folders that you accessed. Windows q Macintosh w q w r e e q Open Recent Image The Open Recent Image section contains a list of the most recent images that were opened within Capture NX 2. The last image edited can be found at the top of the list, with the remaining images you have edited listed in chronological order. Click on the image name to open the image within Capture NX 2.
Browsing and Opening Images Capture NX 2 provides you with a number of ways of locating and opening images in order to enhance them. Using the Browser To open an image using the browser, follow these steps: 1 2 Open the Folders palette, the Browser palette will automatically open. Click on the folder within the Folders palette that you wish to display within the browser. Locate and double-click on the image that you wish to open.
2 Within the dialog that is displayed, locate an image to open, and click on the Open button. Using ViewNX To open an image from ViewNX, follow these steps: 1 2 Select one or more images to open into Capture NX 2. Click on the Open with Capture NX button within the ViewNX interface. Using Nikon Transfer To open a folder of images transferred to your computer using Nikon Transfer, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Within Nikon Transfer, navigate to the “Preferences” tab.
File Format Differences Capture NX 2 supports three different file formats: NEF, TIFF, and JPEG. NEF The NEF, or Nikon Electronic Format, was designed as the archive file format for your images. The NEF file format saves the complete contents of the Edit List palette along with the original image. All changes made to the image are stored separately within the file, enabling a non-destructive image editing workflow. NEF allows for relatively small file sizes with no loss in image quality.
JPEG The JPEG file format is one of the most widely used file formats. This file format enables you to save a greater number of images using the same amount of hard disk space as the other file formats. To create such a small file size, a form of compression is used that irreversibly affects the quality of the image. Because of this compression, it is recommended that you only use the JPEG file format when a small file size is required.
2 Next, modify elements that affect only localized areas, such as blemishes and small distracting elements. 3 Then, apply effects that add a style or mood to the image. 4 Finally, prepare the image for output by resizing and sharpening. Following these simple guidelines can help improve the quality of your images and provide a more structured approach to enhancing your images.
Printing Capture NX 2 provides you with a full range of printing options. The print function is both easy and powerful, enabling you to create high quality, fully color managed prints. You can select Print… from the File menu at any time to print the current image, or you can select multiple images from within the Browser palette to create a print package. Print packages are essentially a collection of images printed at the same time, often with more than one image appearing on the same page.
3 4 5 Click on the Select Layout option and choose 1 Photo on Page. If the image’s orientation is different from the paper you will print to (such as when you print a landscape oriented picture), check the Rotate to Fit option. If desired, check the Crop Photos to Fit option to ensure the entire printable surface is utilized. If the image’s aspect ratio is different from that of the paper, some image detail may be cropped away.
6 Review the settings within the “Color Management” tab and then click Print. Printing an Image Using the Settings Found Within the Size / Resolution Dialog To print an image using the size and resolution settings made with the Size / Resolution tool, follow these steps: 1 2 Ensure that the appropriate size and resolution are set for the image by navigating to the Edit menu and selecting Size / Resolution…. If necessary, modify the settings and click OK. Navigate to the File menu and select Print….
3 4 5 Check the Use Output Resolution option. If the image is larger than the page, click on the Page Setup button and select the appropriate paper size that the image will fit upon. If the image’s orientation is different from the paper you will print to (such as when you print a landscape oriented picture), check the Rotate to Fit option. Review the settings within the “Color Management” tab and then click Print.
Printing contact sheets To print a series of images as a contact sheet, follow these steps: 1 Open the Browser palette and select the images you would like to print. To select multiple files, hold either the Shift key and click on the first and last images of a range, or hold the Ctrl (Windows) or command (Macintosh) keys while single-clicking on each additional file you want to add.
4 5 6 7 Click on the Select Layout option, and then in the provided pull-down menu, choose the number of images you would like to display on a single page. Alternatively, you can use the Select Picture Size option and select the size of each picture. Capture NX 2 will automatically tile the available images to fit onto one or more pages. Click on the page backward or page forward buttons to review the available pages.
Batch Processing Batch processing is the automatic application of one or more enhancements to a series of images. Typically, a photographer will use a batch process to apply a predefined series of adjustments to several images at once. Capture NX 2 contains even more methods of batch processing than before.
4 5 6 Navigate to the Batch menu and select Run Batch Process…. You will then be presented with the Batch Process dialog. Click on the Browse… button in the Source section and locate the folder of images you wish to process. Check the Apply Settings checkbox, ensure that Use Settings File is selected, and click on the Browse… button. Locate the settings file created in step 3 and click OK.
7 Check the Rename box if you would like to change the name of the processed files. Click on the Edit… button to call up the File Naming dialog and determine the naming convention for the processed images. 8 Use the Select File Format pull-down menu to select the file format for the processed images. 9 In the Destination section, select the folder that the processed images should be placed in and click OK. The Processing Queue will be displayed and the batch process will start.
Adding XMP/IPTC data to a series of images using an XMP/IPTC preset 1 2 Open an image within Capture NX 2, open the Metadata palette, and add the desired XMP/IPTC data to an image. Navigate to the Batch menu and select Save XMP/ IPTC Preset…. Within the dialog that is displayed, select the checkboxes for each of the XMP/IPTC fields that you would like to apply to additional images, add a name for the XMP/IPTC preset, and click OK.
3 4 Open the Browser palette and select the images you would like to apply the XMP/IPTC information to. To select all of the images in the current folder, navigate to the Edit menu and choose Select All. Navigate to the Batch menu, click on the Load XMP/ IPTC Preset menu, and then locate the XMP/IPTC preset that you saved in step 2. The XMP/IPTC information you added to the XMP/IPTC preset will then be added to all of the selected images.
Converting NEF RAW files into JPEG or TIFF files Capture NX 2 can quickly and easily convert NEF RAW files that are produced by your Nikon digital camera into JPEG or TIFF files, which can then be opened and used by other applications. To convert your NEF RAW files into JPEG or TIFF files, follow these steps: To convert a folder of files from NEF RAW to JPEG or TIFF 1 2 3 4 Navigate to the Batch menu and select Run Batch Process….
5 6 7 8 From the Select File Format pull-down menu, select the file format to convert the images to, either TIFF or JPEG. Click on the Advanced show/hide triangle to control the options for the selected file format. For the Destination option, choose where the new JPEG or TIFF files should be placed by using the Select folder option to place them in a new folder or using the Use source folder option to place them in the same folder as the original NEF files.
To convert selected files from the Browser 1 2 3 Open the Browser palette and select the files you want to convert from NEF RAW to JPEG or TIFF. To select multiple files, either hold the Shift key and click on the first and last images of a range, or hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or command key (Macintosh) while single-clicking on each additional file you want to add. Navigate to the File menu and select Save As….
4 In the File name section, select the file format to convert the images to, either TIFF or JPEG. 5 The Advanced section provides you with options for the selected file format. Click Start to begin converting the files.
Chapter 7 Preferences Preferences modify the default behavior of Capture NX 2. Preferences can be found either under the Edit menu in Windows or the Capture NX 2 menu in Macintosh. There are nine different categories of preferences: • General • Color Management • Levels & Sampling • Display • Cache Settings • XMP/IPTC Presets • Labels • Manage Settings • Workspaces Shortcut Ctrl + K (Windows) command + K (Macintosh) If Capture NX 2 displays unexpected behavior, the preferences may be damaged.
General Open With Application Choose this option to select the application you wish to use when opening files with the Open With… command in the File menu. Place Open With TIFF File In The Place Open With TIFF file in option allows you to determine where to place the TIFF files created by the Open With… command in the File menu. Check the Same as File checkbox to place the TIFF file created by the Open With… command in the same folder as the source file.
Default Save As Use this option to determine the default file type in the “Save As…” dialog. The following options are available: • Same as original file Select the Same as original file option to set the default file type in the “Save As” dialog to the file type of the image being saved. • Previous file format Select the Previous file format option to set the default file type in the “Save As” dialog to the file type of the image that was last saved.
Color Management Default RGB Color Space Use this option to set the default RGB space that is used for your images. Use This Instead of Embedded Profile This option causes Capture NX 2 to automatically convert the image from the embedded profile to the profile as defined in the Default RGB Color Space option. This option is automatically enabled if you selected the Always use the default RGB color space as the working color space option during installation.
Intent Use this preference to set the default rendering intent for the various color management features throughout Capture NX 2. The different rendering intents control how colors from your image are made to fit into the colors that your printer can produce as indicated by the printer profile. A Please note: different printer and paper combinations, as well as the different software used to create printer profiles, benefit from different rendering intents.
Levels & Sampling Levels & Curves The options within the “Levels & Curves” section enable you to set the default values for controls found within the “Levels & Curves” step. Set Black Point Use this option to set the black point to a different color other than the default of 0, 0, 0 when setting a black point within the “Levels & Curves” step.
Dropper Sample Size Use this option to set the sample size of the droppers used within the “Color Picker”, “Levels & Curves”, and “Watch Point” elements of Capture NX 2. When Point Sample is selected, a single pixel will be sampled when a dropper is used. With the 3 x 3 Average and 5 x 5 Average options, the average of the pixels sampled will be used. Choosing a large sample size reduces precision, but also minimizes the effects of noise; choosing a small sample size has the opposite effect.
Display Grid The options within the “Grid” section enable you to control what is displayed when the Show Grid option is turned on from the View menu. Grid Color Click on the color patch to bring up the color picker and select the color for the gridlines displayed on top of the image when the Show Grid option is enabled. Gridline Every Use this option to set the frequency of and the unit of frequency of the gridlines when the Show Grid option is enabled.
Selection Overlay The options within the “Selection Overlay” section enable you to control the appearance of the overlay displayed when Selection Display > Show Overlay is selected in the View menu. The options selected within this section will determine how the current step’s selection is superimposed on top of the image. Color Click on the color patch to bring up the color picker and select the color of the overlay that is used to represent the current step’s selection.
Cache Settings Capture NX 2 utilizes two caching systems: a browsing cache and an editing cache. Both cache systems speed up the interaction of Capture NX 2 by storing processed information on the hard disk, enabling Capture NX 2 to use the cached information instead of reprocessing the files. The browsing cache is used for the thumbnails created and displayed in the Browser palette, while the editing cache is used for NEF files saved during editing.
With the default settings, Capture NX 2 will utilize up to 2 gigabytes of hard disk space to store cache files. If all 2 gigabytes of allocated space are utilized by cache files, Capture NX 2 will begin to replace the oldest cache files with new cache files. In this manner, the files you interacted with most recently will open the fastest.
XMP/IPTC Presets XMP/IPTC presets enable you to create different sets of XMP/IPTC data that can then be applied to either a single image or to a group of images. Available Presets Presets that you create or save within Capture NX 2 will be displayed within the “Available Presets” window. You can click on any of the available presets to display the contents in the field editor, duplicate the preset using the Duplicate button, or delete the preset using the Delete button.
New The New button creates a new, empty XMP/IPTC preset. After clicking on this button, you will be provided with a dialog to enter the name for the XMP/IPTC preset. This name will be displayed in the Load XMP/IPTC Preset sub-menu of the Batch menu. After creating a new XMP/IPTC preset, enter the values for that preset in the fields displayed in the field editor.
Labels Label Compatibility Use the Label Compatibility pull-down menu if you use another digital asset management software application to tag and sort your images. Capture NX 2 supports a number of digital asset management software applications. If you select the appropriate option from the pull-down menu, Capture NX 2 will be able to read the label and rating information added by that application.
Available Labels The maximum number of labels available depends on the selection in the Label Compatibility pull-down menu. You can choose the number of labels to display by clicking on the radio button next to the desired number of labels. Manage Settings The Manage Settings section enables you to determine which settings are displayed within the Load Adjustments sub-menu of the Batch menu.
Workspaces The “Workspaces” section of the preferences enables you to modify the workspaces provided within Capture NX 2. By default, Capture NX 2 provides you with four different workspaces. Within this tab, additional workspaces can be added or removed and you can determine the shortcuts to assign each available workspace. Default Workspaces The workspaces listed under “Default Workspaces” are the default workspaces provided by Capture NX 2, and are always available.
Delete Clicking the Delete button will remove the highlighted workspace from in the “My Workspaces” section. Please note that, you cannot delete a default workspace.
54 Chapter 7 — Preferences
Chapter 8 Interface Capture NX 2’s interface was designed to put all of the important tools for enhancing a digital photograph right at your fingertips. This section contains a brief overview of each of the main elements that make up the Capture NX 2 interface, as well as information about the new workspaces, working with multiple screens, using the image window, and working with palettes and menus.
r Folders The folders palette provides you with an easy-to-access palette which displays the content of an entire folder in the browser. For more information, please see Chapter 10, “The Folders Palette”. t Metadata The Metadata palette displays information about the image provided automatically by the camera as well as XMP/IPTC data of the image.
Workspaces Workspaces are new in Capture NX 2, enabling you to quickly change tasks while displaying only the palettes and windows necessary for that task. Capture NX 2 comes with four different default workspaces and provides you with the ability to create custom workspaces.
Metadata The metadata workspace is designed to provide you with optimum workspace to review and add metadata to your images. Within this workspace only the Browser and Metadata palettes are displayed. The Metadata palette displays both information about the camera and exposure along with XMP/IPTC information. Use the browser to select the image or group of images you want to review or add XMP/IPTC information to.
To create a custom workspace, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Arrange the palettes and windows according to your taste. Navigate to the Window menu and select the Workspaces sub-menu, then select Save Workspace. Alternatively, click on the workspace selector and select Save Workspace. Type in the name of the new workspace and click OK.
2 In the “Workspaces” tab of the “Preferences” dialog, click on the pull-down menu next to the name of the workspace you created and select the shortcut you would like to use. If you select a shortcut already in use by another workspace, the shortcut for that other workspace will automatically be set to None. To access your custom workspaces, navigate to the Window menu and select the My Workspaces submenu, then select the desired workspace to apply.
A Please note: Only default workspaces can be applied in this manner. Custom workspaces always are applied to all available screens. A Please note: Some workspaces cannot be used in conjunction with another. The following table shows the available combinations.
Image Window Image windows are the frames that contain your images and provide you with important data which can help you enhance the image. Image windows are displayed as long as Capture NX 2 is not in the full screen or presentation modes. Shortcut Cycle through open image windows: Ctrl + Tab q w e r t Each image window displays important information about the image: q Image Name This is the file name you have given the current image.
t Soft Proof The soft proof feature enables you to preview the effect of an output profile on your image, approximating the results you can expect from your printer. The soft proof function provides you with controls to preview the use of different profiles. It also allows you to set different parameters for the color management system to use. To turn soft proofing on, follow these steps: 1 Click on the pull-down menu next to the soft proof status area in the image window.
Soft proof offers the following options: Target Profile Select the color profile from the list to view the result of the color management system and to preview how the different color management settings will affect your image. Intent Choose from four different rendering intents. The different rendering intents control how colors in your image are mapped to the colors that your printer can produce (as indicated by the printer profile).
Window & Palette Functionality Each palette within Capture NX 2 provides you with a number of different controls for that palette. q w e r q Minimizing & Maximizing Palettes w Docking & Undocking Palettes Clicking on the Minimize / Maximize button either expands or collapses a palette. In some situations, the palette cannot be collapsed until the operation within that palette has been completed.
Finding Palettes Undocking many palettes can sometimes make it difficult to locate that palette. All palettes and windows can be located using the Window menu. The most frequently used palettes and windows are listed directly in the Window menu, while less frequently used undocked palettes and windows are listed in the Undocked Palettes section of the Window menu.
Chapter 9 The Browser Browser Overview The browser has been greatly updated for Capture NX 2 to provide even more control over browsing and sorting through your images. The Browser palette now contains enhanced tagging and rating functionality, new filtering and sorting functions, as well as compatibility with other organizational software applications. Additionally, the labels utilized by Capture NX 2 are based on the XMP standard.
Opening a Folder of Images in the Browser The browser provides you with a number of ways of displaying a folder of images. By default, the browser displays the “My Pictures” (Windows) or “Pictures” (Macintosh) folder. To open a folder of images in the browser, double-click the folder icon in the browser or use the Folders palette, the Open Folder in Browser command in the File menu, or Nikon Transfer.
3 Click OK to open the folder in the browser. Using Nikon Transfer You can also use Nikon Transfer to open a folder of images transferred to your computer. To open a folder in the browser after the transfer operation has completed, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Within Nikon Transfer, navigate to the “Preferences” tab. Click on the pull-down menu for the Open destination folder with other application after transfer option. Select Browse….
Navigating Within the Browser At the top-left of the Browser palette are three buttons that help you choose which folder to display within the browser. q we q Previous Folder Click on the “Previous Folder” button to navigate to the last folder that you opened within the browser. You can view the folder history by holding this button down, and can jump to a folder by selecting it. This button is not accessible when viewing the first folder of that editing session.
3 To display all images again, click on the checkmark next to the filter by label tool. Shortcut To show only images with a specific label (multiple shortcuts can be performed): Shift + label number (0 through 9) w Filter by Rating The filter by rating tool lets you choose which images to display within the browser based on the ratings that you applied previously, either within Capture NX 2 or within one of the software applications with which Capture NX 2 provides compatibility.
Sorting Tools The “Sorting Tools” let you choose the order that images are displayed in within the current folder. Sort By The Sort section determines the primary sorting method for the current folder. After selecting the primary sorting method, choose to have the images sorted in either ascending or descending order using the Ascending and Descending options. Then Sort By The Then Sort By section determines the secondary sorting method for the current folder.
Labeling and Rating Toolbar The labeling and rating toolbar can be found at the bottom of the browser palette and provides you with tools to add labels and/or ratings to your images. Add Label The add label section of the labeling and rating toolbar displays the available labels based on the Label Compatibility option of the “Labels” tab in the “Preferences” dialog. To add a label to your image or group of images, follow these steps: 1 2 Select one or more images in the browser.
Browser Header Displayed at the top of the browser is the browser header. This section provides information about the current folder as well as control over the size of the thumbnails displayed within the folder. On the left side of the browser header is the number of images within the current folder and the number of selected images. On the right side of the browser header is the thumbnail size selector, which enables you to determine the size of the thumbnails displayed within the browser.
❏ Name The image’s file name and extension are displayed under the thumbnail. To rename the current file, click once on the file name to highlight it and a second time to change the file name. You will not be able to change the file’s extension in this manner. To change the file’s extension, use the Save As… command in the File menu. To rename more than one file, select multiple files in the browser, right-click (Windows) or control-click (Macintosh) and in the displayed contextual menu, select Rename.
Thumbnail List The thumbnail list places important information about each image in a column and enables you to sort by each of the columns. In thumbnail list view, the thumbnail size selector offers a choice of three thumbnail sizes. The available columns in the thumbnail list are: ❏ Label The Label column displays the label for each image. ❏ Name The Name column displays the image's file name and extension.
❏ Extras The Extras column displays additional information about the image. You cannot sort images by this column. XMP/IPTC Data Icon The XMP/IPTC data icon is displayed whenever the current image has XMP/ IPTC data. Voice Memo Icon The voice memo icon is displayed for images that have a voice memo attached to them. Hi-Speed Crop Icon This icon is displayed on images shot using the camera hi-speed crop option.
Opening Images from the Browser Images in the browser can be opened in the editor either by double-clicking on the desired image, or selecting multiple images and use the Open Image command from the File menu. Alternatively, you can press the enter key on your keyboard to open the selected images. If the Capture NX 2 is open on a single screen, opening an image will cause the browser to automatically minimize.
Chapter 10 The Folders Palette The Folders palette displays the folders on your hard disk in the same manner as the operating system. Capture NX 2’s Folders palette is now split into two sections: the “Favorite Folders” section and the “Folder Structure” section.
Favorite Folders Section The “Favorite Folders” section provides quick access to the most often used folders and enables you to add and remove folders to and from this section. Adding Favorites To add a folder to the “Favorite Folders” section, click and drag a folder from the “Folder Structure” section into the “Favorite Folders” section.
Chapter 11 The Metadata Palette The Metadata palette contains a list of information regarding the current image as well as access to the IPTC information for that image. Use this palette to review the image’s camera and exposure information as well as to add XMP/IPTC information to one or more images.
XMP/IPTC Information Section The “XMP/IPTC Information” section contains a standardized list of text fields that can be used to indicate the copyright and usage requirements of your images. The contents of the “XMP/IPTC Information” section was originally designed to simplify and clarify information needed when sharing photographs with different publications. These fields enable you to add important information by attaching labels such as Creator, Headline, Keywords, Categories, and Origin to the image.
4 Click on the Apply button. When more than one image is selected, information that is shared between images will be displayed while information that is different in each image will be identified with a “–”. You can replace the different contents of each image with the same information by replacing the “–” with the desired text. You can also clear out different information by simply deleting the “–”.
3 4 Select one or more images within the browser or select another image within the editor. Navigate to the Batch menu and select Paste IPTC Info. Alternatively, you can click on the batch menu located to the left of the labeling and rating toolbar and select Paste IPTC Info. A Please note: IPTC information can be copied to multiple images; however, existing IPTC content will be overwritten by the copied IPTC information.
2 3 4 5 Navigate to the Batch menu and select Save XMP/ IPTC Preset. Alternatively, you can click on the batch menu located to the left of the labeling and rating toolbar and select Save XMP/IPTC Preset. In the “Save XMP/IPTC Preset” dialog that appears, type in the name for the new XMP/IPTC Preset. This is the name that will be displayed in the Load XMP/ IPTC Preset sub-menu. Next, review the fields that will be created in the XMP/IPTC preset.
6 Click OK. Loading XMP/IPTC Presets After creating one or more XMP/IPTC presets using the Save XMP/IPTC Preset option, you can load an XMP/IPTC preset to one or more images. To use an XMP/IPTC preset to load XMP/IPTC information to one or more images, follow these steps: 1 2 Select one or more images within the browser. Alternatively, you can add ITPC information to an image open within the editor.
Chapter 12 Activity Toolbar The activity toolbar provides access to three of the most often accessed functions within Capture NX 2: workspaces, importing images, and printing images. Workspace Selector Use the workspace selector to access the different workspaces available within Capture NX 2. For more information on workspaces, please see the Workspaces section of Chapter 8, “Interface”.
Print Click the print button to open the Capture NX 2 “Print Layout” dialog and begin printing your images. For more on the Capture NX 2 “Print Layout” dialog, please see the “Print” section in Chapter 18, “File Menu”.
Chapter 13 The Toolbar Tool Options Bar The tool options bar can be found directly beneath the toolbar and provides access to controls specific to a tool. The crop tool, auto retouch brush, lasso and marquee tools, selection brush, selection gradient, and fill / remove tools all utilize the tool options bar to display additional controls. Direct Select Tool The direct select tool enables you to select many of the different objects within Capture NX 2.
Hand Tool The hand tool enables you to move within an image. Select this tool when viewing an image that does not fit in the image window. Click and drag to reposition the contents of the window. Double-click this tool to fit the current image to the editor so that the entire image fits into the space available. Shortcut H key Temporarily switch to the hand tool when any other tool is active: Spacebar Zoom Tool The zoom tool is used to zoom into and out from an image.
Rotate Tool The rotate tool is used to rotate images 90° clockwise or counter-clockwise. Click on this button to rotate the image 90° in the direction indicated. Hold the Alt key (Windows) or option key (Macintosh) and click on this button to rotate the image 90° other direction. To choose the direction of rotation, click and hold this icon. Multiple images can be rotated simultaneously by selecting multiple images in the browser and then clicking on this button.
To straighten your image using the straighten tool, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 With an image open within the editor, click the straighten tool in the toolbar. Locate a line within the image that should be either vertical or horizontal and click on the start of the line. Holding the mouse button down, draw the entire length of the line, letting go when you have reached the end of that line.
5 If you are satisfied with the straightening effect, continue editing your image using the other tools available within Capture NX 2 or perform a save. The straightening effect is now applied to your image. To cancel the straightening effect, click on the Delete button found at the bottom of the Straighten step within the Edit List palette or click on the Straighten step and press the delete key on your keyboard.
5 Double-click within the crop or press the enter key to apply the crop. This will cause the image information outside of the crop to be hidden and a new Crop step to be added to the Edit List palette. If the image is saved in the NEF format, you will be able to remove the Crop step to display the hidden information again. The hidden information will be discarded if the image is saved in JPEG or TIFF.
Black Control Point The black control point enables you to place a control point directly on your image, and to cause that targeted color to not only become black, but also to neutralize the dark tones of your image. Black control points are normally set on what should be the darkest point of the image and are used to set one end of the dynamic range of the image.
3 Adjust the effect of the black control point by either clicking and dragging the luminosity slider or by entering a value directly into the text box in the black control point sub-step of the B / W / N Control Point step in the Edit List palette.
Advanced Click on the Advanced show/hide triangle to display the additional controls for the black control point. The values set for the selected black control point are displayed enabling you to enter a new value directly to adjust the effect of the control point.
Neutral Control Point Neutral control points enable you to correct a color cast in your photograph by forcing the targeted color to become neutral. In its default operation, the neutral control point will change the color values in the targeted color so that the red, green, and blue values for that color are equal. Equalizing the red, green, and blue values for a specific color causes that color becomes neutral, or without a specific color or hue.
To add a neutral control point to your image, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Click on the neutral control point icon in the toolbar. The cursor will change to a crosshair. Identify an object that should be neutral and click on that object to place a neutral control point. A B / W / N Control Point step will be added to the Edit List palette, with a neutral control point sub-step. You can reposition the neutral control point by clicking and dragging it.
Neutral Control Point Method Use the neutral control point method pull-down menu to switch between controlling only the color balance of the Neutral Control Point or affecting the luminosity, or brightness, as well. RGB Method The RGB method of the neutral control point affects only the color balance within the image while maintaining the same brightness.
Advanced Click on the Advanced show/hide triangle to display the additional controls for the neutral control point. The values set for the selected neutral control point are displayed enabling you to enter a new value directly to adjust the effect of the control point. Click on the Reset button to reset the selected color control point to the default values.
To add a white control point to your image, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Click on the white control point icon in the toolbar. The cursor will change to a crosshair. Identify the object you would like to be the lightest object in the image and click on that object to place a white control point. A B / W / N Control Point step will be added to the Edit List palette, with a white control point sub-step. You can reposition the white control point by clicking and dragging it.
RGB Method The RGB method of the white control point enables you to set the individual red, green, and blue values of the lightest color in the image. This option is helpful if your printer requires a non-neutral white. Within this mode, you are presented with individual red, green, and blue sliders on the white control point and red, green, and blue entries within the white control point sub-step of the Edit List palette.
Each color control point that is placed on an object in your image identifies the characteristics of the color as well as the level of detail of that object, enabling you to make adjustments to the color of that object. With the use of the size slider, you are able to increase the reach or scale of the current color control point so that it affects similar colors of the objects which are farther away from the color control point.
4 Adjust the remaining sliders connected to the color control point to adjust the color and light of the selected object. Additional color control points can be added to the image by repeating the steps listed above. To delete a color control point, click on the color control point in the image or in the Edit List palette and press the delete key on the keyboard.
Show Selection The Show Selection checkbox enables you to see where the current color control point is affecting the image. Areas inked in white are being affected by the color control point, while areas inked in black are not being affected by the color control point. You can quickly access the Show Selection option by rightclicking (Windows) or control-clicking (Macintosh) on the color control point and selecting Show Selection.
Advanced The Advanced method provides superior results when lightening shadows or working with images with a high level of noise or grain. Click on the Advanced show/hide triangle to display the additional controls for the color control point step. The values set for the selected color control point are displayed enabling you to enter a new value directly to adjust the effect of the control point.
Auto Retouch Brush The auto retouch brush enables you to automatically repair unwanted details found within the image. Use this tool to remove dust spots, blemishes, or distracting objects, with a unique blending algorithm that matches the surrounding structure, color, and tonality. To use the auto retouch brush, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Click on the auto retouch brush icon in the toolbar.
The auto retouch brush provides you with the following controls: Size Changing the Size option increases or decreases the size of the brush.
Selection Control Point Selection control points utilize U Point technology to selectively apply the effect of an enhancement. You can use a selection control point to selectively apply any enhancement found in either the Adjust or Filter menus. To use a selection control point, follow these steps: 1 2 Add an enhancement to the image from the Adjust or Filter menus. Use the enhancement’s controls to achieve the desired result. Click on the selection control point icon in the toolbar. a.
Lasso and Marquee Tools The lasso and marquee tools enable you to create a selection on your images that will limit where an enhancement affects your image. The selection created by the lasso and marquee tools will also limit the effect of the selection brush as well as the selection gradient and fill / remove tools. You can use the lasso and marquee tools to limit the placement of any enhancement found within the Adjust or Filter menus, as well as the color, black, neutral, and white control points.
2 3 4 5 6 7 Click and draw a selection around the objects that you want to affect in the active image window. To add to the selection, ensure that the (+) icon is selected and click and draw outside of the selection. To subtract from the selection, select the (–) icon and draw within the selection. To move the selection, ensure the (+) icon is selected and click on the selected area to reposition the selection.
Selection Brush Tool The selection brush enables you to selectively paint in or paint out the enhancements found in the current step. You can use the selection brush to selectively apply any enhancement found within the Adjust or Filter menus, as well as the color, black, neutral, and white control points. A Please note: If you start painting a selection without an enhancement active or in an empty new step, the selection display will automatically be set to overlay mode.
4 5 6 Click and draw within the active image window to add or remove the effect, depending on if you selected the (+) or (–) icon. At any point, switch to the opposite mode by clicking on either (+) or (–) to add to or remove from the selection drawn. You can temporarily switch to the opposite mode by holding down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh).
Opacity Changing the Opacity option increases or decreases the opacity of the brush strokes that are applied. Increase this value and the brush will either add more of the current step’s enhancements to the image when using the (+) mode of the selection brush or it will remove more of the current step’s enhancements from the image when using the (–) mode of the selection brush. Shortcut Each number 0 through 9 sets the brush’s opacity to a 10% increment, i.e. 1 = 10%, 2 = 20%, etc. 0 = 100%.
Selection Gradient Tools The selection gradient tools enable you to gradually blend between applying and removing the current step’s effects on your image. You can use the selection gradient tools to selectively apply any enhancement found within the Adjust or Filter menus, as well as the color, black, neutral, and white control points. A Please note: If you start applying a selection without an enhancement active or in an empty new step, the selection display will automatically be set to overlay mode.
3 4 5 Click and draw a line within the active image window. Depending on if you chose the (+) or the (–) icons, the point where you start the line will either be the part where the effect is added at 100% to the image or where the effect is removed entirely from the image. If you use the linear gradient tool, the enhancement will be applied in a straight line, following the direction of the line you created.
Fill / Remove Tools The fill / remove tools enable you to either fill the current step’s enhancements or clear the selections made by the selection brush, gradient tools, or fill tool, either in the entire image or the area within a selection created by the lasso and marquee tools. To fill or remove the current step’s enhancements, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Click on the fill / remove tools icon within the toolbar.
Chapter 14 Bird’s Eye The Bird’s Eye always displays the entire image, even if the active image window only displays a zoomed-in portion of the image. When zoomed-in, the areas visible within the active image window are shown as a rectangle superimposed on top of the entire image. Drag the rectangle to change what is displayed within the active image window. Displayed to the right of the thumbnail within the Bird’s Eye is a zoom control along with a readout that displays the current zoom ratio.
120 Chapter 14 — Bird’s Eye
Chapter 15 Edit List The Edit List palette is the central location for all of the controls provided within Capture NX 2. The Edit List palette was greatly improved, with the position of many tools and features moved to provide better access. Additionally, the workflow when using the Edit List palette has been updated by improving the interaction with steps and enhancements.
Introduction to the Edit List The Edit List palette stores all of the enhancements that have been applied to your image in chronological order. The Edit List palette can be used as a history that allows you to go back and modify any of the adjustments that you have previously made to your images. Every enhancement that you apply to your images within Capture NX 2 will be recorded within the Edit List palette. The contents of the Edit List palette are saved when you save the file as an NEF file.
q Show/Hide Triangles The show/hide triangle shows and hides the contents of the section or enhancement. Click on the triangle to toggle between showing and hiding the contents of the associated section or enhancement. w Apply Checkbox Apply checkboxes are used to turn enhancements on or off. Adjustments to an enhancement automatically enable the corresponding Apply checkbox; to turn the enhancement off, simply remove the check.
Version The Version menu can now be found at the top of the Edit List palette, providing you with direct control of this powerful feature. Versions represent an advanced way of working with and maintaining a number of different versions of the same image within one image file. Two different types of versions are available, and access to these versions is provided within this menu. The current version is displayed within the Version menu, click on the menu to access one of the other versions.
Batch Menu The batch menu within the Edit List provides you with quick access to tools that can be used to copy and paste adjustments and XMP/IPTC information, and create and load settings files for batch processing.
Develop Section The “Develop” section, formerly the Base Adjustments step in Capture NX version 1, has been greatly improved for Capture NX 2. This section provides you with camera and RAW specific enhancements as well as a new “quick fix” mode that can be used on any file format. A Please note: Enhancements within “Develop” section cannot be deleted or applied selectively.
The “Develop” section provides you with the Camera Settings section, the Quick Fix section, and the Camera & Lens Corrections sections. Camera Settings RAW ONLY The Camera Settings section provides you control over options set within the camera at the time the image was captured. Within this section, you can modify White Balance, Picture Control settings, NonPicture Control settings, and Active D-Lighting settings.
Incandescent Select this value if the lighting in your photograph’s scene was provided by an incandescent or tungsten light source. You can further modify the setting with the Fine Adjustment slider. Select this value if the lighting in your photograph’s scene was provided by the sun. You can further modify this setting with the Daylight sub-menu and the Fine Adjustment slider. • Daylight Sub-Menu This sub-menu enables you to choose from three different daylight situations.
Select this option if your image was shot using a Nikon Speedlight as the light source. You can further modify this setting with the Fine Adjustment slider. If the image was taken with a color filter from a Nikon Color Filter Set attached to the flash, choose from the following options: • None Flash • FL-G1 • FL-G2 Choose FL-G1 or FL-G2 if the image was taken with an FL-G1 or FL-G2 filter for fluorescent light.
❏ Set Gray Point In this mode you can identify an object within your photograph that was neutral gray in the scene and base the white balance off that object, or you can take an average of a section of your photograph and calculate the white balance off that section. By selecting this option and clicking start, you will be able to identify a single point that should be neutral gray. This is best used on an image that contains a Gray card illuminated by the main light source.
Picture Control Images from cameras that use the color mode system can use either the Non-Picture Control mode or the Picture Control mode. Images from cameras that use the Picture Control system can only use the Picture Control mode. The Picture Control options are available for cameras that use both the color mode and Picture Control systems.
❏ Quick Adjust The Quick Adjust slider adjusts the Sharpening, Contrast, and Saturation sliders to recommended values that match the enhancement created by the Picture Control. Move this slider to the left to decrease the Sharpening, Contrast, and Saturation sliders. Move this slider to the right to increase these sliders. The Quick Adjust slider is not available with neutral and monochrome Picture Controls.
The Brightness slider enables you to control the brightness within the image. Move the slider to the left to darken the image or move the slider to the right to brighten the image. ❏ Saturation and Hue Adjustment The Saturation and Hue options enable you to control characteristics of the color of the image. The results of the Saturation and Hue section are also dependent on the Picture Control option selected.
❏ Toning Monochrome ONLY The Toning options enable you to emulate the use of toners found in traditional photography, or to add a tint to the image. Choose from: Black-and-White This toning option will result in a black and white image without any additional tint or tone. Cyanotype The Cyanotype toning option emulates the appearance of images created using the traditional cyanotype process. Images created with the Cyanotype toning option will have a characteristic blue tone.
❏ Sharpening The Sharpening feature enables you to adjust the amount of sharpening that was set in the camera. Choose from the following options: • Unchanged This will revert to the sharpening set in the camera. • None • Low • Medium Low • Normal • Medium High • High ❏ Tone Compensation The Tone Compensation feature enables you to adjust the image contrast that was set in the camera. Choose from the following options: • Unchanged This will revert to the contrast set in the camera.
Active D-Lighting Active D-Lighting, available only for cameras that provide this functionality within the camera itself, was designed for photographing subjects where it is difficult to capture detail in both highlights and shadows. If Active DLighting is enabled ion the camera when a photograph is taken, the image will be underexposed to preserver highlight information.
Quick Fix Tone Curve The Tone Curve tool provides you with a curve editor that controls the tonality of the image. Within the Tone Curve tool, you are presented with a curve that enables you to control the relationship of input luminosity values to output luminosity values. Click anywhere on the curve to add an anchor point. Move the anchor point to alter the relationship of input and output values.
❏ White Point Slider Move the white point slider to the left to set all luminosity values from the point you have selected and to the right to complete white. This will redistribute all of the values to stretch the luminosity range to match the entire possible range of values. It is recommended that you move the white point slider all the way to the left to match up with the right-most information from the displayed histogram.
Camera & Lens Corrections Color Moiré Reduction RAW ONLY The Color Moiré Reduction tool enables you to apply a noise reduction process available only on RAW images. To apply color moiré reduction, click on the show/hide triangle and select one of the options from the pull-down menu. This process can reduce color moiré artifacts (color interference caused by regular overlapping patterns). You can control the strength of this feature from Off, to Low, Medium, or High.
For all other cameras, you will be presented with a folder search window to enable you to locate on your computer’s hard drive a folder that contains an Image Dust Off reference photo. • If Capture NX 2 locates more than one Image Dust Off reference photo within the same folder, you will be presented with an options dialog to select which image to use. It is recommended that you select the image that was taken as close to the time of the current image as possible.
When this lens information is not available, the Intensity slider’s range will be based on default lens characteristics. To determine whether a given combination of lens and camera will record distance information, see the table below. Camera Type G or D lens Any other type of lens D40, D40X, D50, D60, D70, D70S, D80, D100, Distance information D2H, D2HS, D2X, D2XS, D200, D3, D300 recorded Distance Information not recorded D1X/D1H (firmware version 1.
Fisheye Lens The Fisheye Lens tool is only displayed when the active image was shot with either the AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED or AF Fisheye-Nikkor 16mm f/2.8D lenses. This feature enables you to modify an image taken with a compatible fisheye lens to make that image appear to have been taken with a wide-angle rectilinear lens.
Adjust Section e q w r t All enhancements added to the Edit List palette using one of the tools or features from the menus are added as adjustment steps to the “Adjust” section. Each adjustment step can contain the following elements: q Selection Information The selection information area is displayed whenever a step has been selectively applied and provides information and control for selections made to the current adjustment step.
Choose from the following options: ❏ Hide Selection The Hide Selection option prevents the current selection from being displayed in the image window, showing only the image. ❏ Show Overlay The Show Overlay option displays the selection as a semi-transparent color overlay, superimposed on top of your image. Anywhere this color overlay is displayed, the current step’s adjustment is being applied. Anywhere the image is displayed, no enhancement is being applied.
Paint & Fill Mask Section The “Paint & Fill Mask” section controls the effect made by a selection brush, selection gradient, or the fill and remove tools. The effect of the “Paint & Fill Mask” section is considered in combination with the other types of selective control provided within an adjust step. The effect of the “Paint & Fill Mask” section is applied on top of both the Base Mask slider and selection control points.
t Opacity Mixer The opacity mixer provides you with the ability to blend the current enhancement with the rest of the image. The opacity mixer becomes available as soon as you add any features from the Adjust or Filter menus, or a color, black, neutral, or white control point to the image. Click on the Opacity show/hide triangle of the adjustment step to display the opacity mixer controls.
• Opacity (Green Channel) This slider controls the current effect on the green channel of the image. You can move this slider to the left to prevent the current effect from being applied to the green channel, or you can reduce the other two sliders to ensure the current effect is being applied to the green channel only. • Opacity (Blue Channel) This slider controls the current effect on the blue channel of the image.
Working with the Edit List Deleting Steps and Enhancements Steps and enhancements can be deleted independently of each other. Clicking on a step or enhancement will cause it to become highlighted within the Edit List palette. You can then press the delete key on your keyboard or select Delete from the Edit menu to clear that step or enhancement from the image.
Linking Enhancements Linking enhancements within the Edit List palette enables you to apply the selective controls that are used within one step to more than one enhancement. By default, each enhancement is applied to a separate step. By linking two or more enhancements together in the same step, each of those enhancements can benefit from the same selective controls that were applied to that step.
New Step Button Clicking on the New Step button will create a new, empty adjustment step within the “Adjust” section of the Edit List palette. Click on this button if you want to manually generate a new step within the Edit List palette to start a new series of enhancements. A Please note: Capture NX 2 will automatically create a new step whenever an enhancement is selected from the menu or toolbar; the New Step button can be useful in certain situations.
Chapter 16 Photo Info The Photo Info palette display combines the histogram and the watch points functionalities into a single palette. The “Histogram” section shows a live histogram that reflects the statistical makeup of the image. The “Watch Points” section enables you to monitor the effects of the changes you make to the color values in the image. Each section can be hidden or displayed by clicking on the show/hide triangle next to that section.
This “Histogram” section provides you with the following controls: q w e q Channels The channels pull-down menu enables you to select the channel you wish to have displayed within the “Histogram” section. The following channel options are available: RGB The RGB option displays the red, green, and blue histograms, superimposed over one another. Where the individual histograms overlap, secondary colors are displayed. Areas that are white contain pixel values of all three colors at that value.
To use the Double Threshold feature, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Enable the Double Threshold checkbox within the “Histogram” section of the Photo Info palette. If no black pixels appear in the image, slowly drag the shadows slider to the right. Once you notice black pixels appearing, release the mouse button. If large groups of black pixels are displayed, try moving the slider back to the left slightly.
Within the “Watch Points” section, you are provided with the following controls: w q e q Add Watch Point Button By clicking on this button, you can add up to four watch points to your image. When you click on this button, the mouse cursor will change to a crosshair and enable you to place a watch point directly on the image.
Chapter 17 The Color Picker The color picker is available in specific enhancements and provides you with the ability to select any color within the RGB, HSB, or LAB color spaces. The fisheye lens, neutral control point, color control point, distortion control, colorize, and certain Color Efex Pro plug-ins from Nik Software can utilize the color picker for their enhancements. You are also provided with preselected colors that consist of common swatches as well as memory colors.
y u q w o i e r t The color picker provides you with the following controls: q Color Wheel The color wheel enables you to select the targeted hue for the color. When you click within the color wheel, the hue will immediately change to the color that you clicked on. By clicking and dragging on the gripper edge along the outside edge of the wheel, you can precisely rotate the hue to modify the current selected color. The top of the color triangle points to the hue of the color that is selected.
y Last Selected & Previous Picks The Last Selected and Previous Picks color swatches provide you with access to the last five selected colors. The Last Selected color swatch shows you the color that was last selected, while the Previous Picks color swatches show you the four previous colors selected prior to the color shown in the Last Selected swatch. u Color Eyedropper The color eyedropper enables you to select any color from any image currently displayed within the Capture NX 2 editor.
158 Chapter 17 — The Color Picker
Chapter 18 File Menu Open Image… The Open Image… option provides you with a “File Open” dialog, allowing you to locate an image to open and edit. A Please note: Images saved in the Grayscale and CMYK color modes cannot be opened within Capture NX 2. Shortcut Ctrl + O (Windows) command + O (Macintosh) Open With… The Open With… command enables you to open the current image with all of the current enhancements applied to it in a separate application.
Open Folder in Browser… Select this option to locate a folder to open within Capture NX 2’s browser. Shortcut Ctrl + Alt + O (Windows) command + option + O (Macintosh) Open Recent This area displays the most recent ten images opened within Capture NX 2. Simply click on any of the items displayed in this list to open it again within Capture NX 2. Launch Nikon Transfer… Select this option to launch Nikon Transfer.
Embed ICC Profile Check this box if you would like to embed the current profile in your image. It is recommended that you leave this box checked unless your printer requests that you do not embed the color profile in the image. Shortcut Ctrl + S (Windows) command + S (Macintosh) Save As… The Save As… feature enables you to save the current image into a different file, with the ability to change the location, the file name, and the file format.
Compression Choose from two different compression options: ❏ None This option does not compress the image information. ❏ LZW This option employs a lossless compression scheme based on the LZW compression algorithm. Bit Depth Choose to save your image either as an 8 or 16-bit per channel image. A Please note: The 16-bit option is not available for CMYK TIFF images, and you may only save the image as a 16bit image if the original image was 16-bit.
Revert Select the Revert option to remove any changes from the file that were made since the last Save or Save As operation. Protect File Protected images cannot be edited within Capture NX 2. Protection can be turned on within the camera or within another Nikon image editing application. To turn off protection and enable the image to be edited by Capture NX 2, select the Protect File item to uncheck it. Close The Close option closes the current image.
Print… q w e r t y u The “Print Layout” dialog enables you to set all of the necessary parameters in order to print your image. Additionally, a number of options are presented to enable you to create print packages, add metadata, and color manage your prints. You can print the active image by selecting Print from the File menu, or you can select a range of pictures to print by highlighting multiple images within the browser and selecting Print.
r Metadata Clicking on this button will open the “Metadata” dialog, where you can choose the metadata, such as file and camera information, you want printed around the image. Print Information The options within the “Print Information” section place specific information regarding your image beneath each image. You can choose from three different sets of information: ❏ Basic Information The basic information section contains the file name and date shot of the image.
t Page Layout Tab The options within the “Page Layout” tab enable you to identify the size and layout of your image as well as any print package settings that you may want to apply. Use Output Resolution This option will prevent any size or resolution changes from being made to the image due to the settings in the “Print Layout” dialog. This will ensure that the size of the image is determined based on the parameters within the “Size / Resolution” dialog.
y Color Management Tab The “Color Management” tab enables you to set the color management options for the images when they are printed. The settings within the “Color Management” tab default to the settings indicated within the “Preferences” dialog. A Please note: If you assign color management within the print dialog, it is very important that you turn off color management within your printer driver. Refer to your printer's documentation on how to disable color management within your printer.
Use Black Point Compensation Check this box to utilize black point compensation. This ensures that the black point from the image is mapped to the black point of your printer, enabling the full color range of the printer to be used. If your prints contain either gray shadows or too little detail, try turning this option off. Unless you are having problems with a specific print and profile combination, it is recommended that you always use this option.
Chapter 19 Edit Menu Undo The Undo command enables you to take one step backward and remove changes that were made to the image or that were made within the current dialog. You can undo an unlimited number of changes within the same step, and nearly all changes you make on your image are undoable. Due to the non-destructive editing model that Capture NX 2 uses, you can also undo an enhancement by removing it or altering the settings within the Edit List palette without any loss of image quality.
Cut The Cut command clears an object and places it within Capture NX 2’s clipboard, making that object accessible to paste. The Cut command can be used on the following objects: • Text within a text box • Selected control points • Images within the browser Shortcut Ctrl + X (Windows) command + X (Macintosh) Copy The Copy command takes the selected object and places a copy of that selected object within Capture NX 2’s clipboard, making that object accessible to paste.
Duplicate The Duplicate command makes an immediate copy of the currently selected object. The Duplicate command can make a copy of the following objects: • The current image when the image window is active and no control points are selected • Images within the browser • Control points Shortcut Ctrl + D (Windows) command + D (Macintosh) Delete The Delete command removes the currently selected object.
Select All The Select All option highlights all of the objects within the active area. Use Select All within: • A text box to select all of the text • An image to select all of the control points currently displayed on the image • The Edit List palette to select all of the steps • The browser to select all of the images currently displayed Shortcut Ctrl + A (Windows) command + A (Macintosh) Deselect All The Deselect All option deselects the currently active selection.
Flip Use the Flip command to mirror the image across one of two axes: • Choose Horizontal to mirror the image across the vertical axis. • Choose Vertical to mirror the image across the horizontal axis. Original Horizontal Flip Vertical Flip Rotate The Rotate sub-menu provides you with options to rotate your image 90° clockwise or counter-clockwise or to straighten your image.
90 Degrees CW Selecting 90 Degrees CW will cause your image to be rotated 90° clockwise. Shortcut Ctrl + R (Windows) command + R (Macintosh) 90 Degrees CCW Selecting 90 Degrees CCW will cause your image to be rotated 90° counter-clockwise. Shortcut Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) command + shift + R (Macintosh) Straighten Select Straighten to add a straighten step to the Edit List palette.
4 5 By default, Capture NX 2 will automatically crop the image using the same aspect ratio to hide all areas of the image where there is no image information. These areas that lack information are created when the image is rotated, and are represented by pure white pixels. To prevent Capture NX 2 from automatically cropping the image, click on the Include areas without image data checkbox within the Straighten step of the Edit List palette.
Size / Resolution Size / Resolution changes the size of your image, with control over either redistributing the image data or interpolating the image data. Within the “Size / Resolution” dialog, you can choose between one of two resize modes: Resample Image The Resample Image option enables you to change the file to match a specific output size and resolution. Enter the desired Width, Height, and Resolution, or pixel dimensions, and the image will be interpolated using a bicubic interpolation method.
Fit Photo The Fit Photo command enables you to fit a series of images to a maximum size. This is especially helpful if you want to batch resize a number of images that may each have mixed orientations, some portrait and some landscape orientation. The Fit Photo command will ensure that each image is set to the appropriate size, regardless of their orientation.
2 3 Select the appropriate units of measurement. If the images will be printed, it is best to use inches, centimeters, or millimeters. If the images will be displayed on a web page or other electronic display medium, select pixels. Enter the largest value of the image size into both the Width and Height boxes. For example, if you want to resize a folder of images of mixed orientations to 4" × 6", enter 6 inches into both Width and Height boxes.
6 In the “Save Adjustments” dialog, ensure that the Fit Photo step is checked, enter an appropriate name for the new settings file, and click OK. You now have a settings file available that can be used in a batch process to apply the Fit Photo command to a series of images. A Please note: In order to change an image with the Fit Photo command, you must click on the Apply button.
180 Chapter 19 — Edit Menu
Chapter 20 Adjust Menu A Please note: Tools that apply only to RAW images do not appear in the menus. Tools specific to RAW images are available in the Develop step of the Edit List palette. Light > Levels & Curves The Levels & Curves tool combines two of the most often used tonal enhancing features into one easy-touse editor.
To use the Levels & Curves tool to edit your images, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Navigate to the Adjust menu, select the Light submenu, and select Levels & Curves. Select the channels to be adjusted using the channel selector. Typically, the RGB option is used when editing images. Click directly on the curve to add an anchor point that can be moved and adjusted. By increasing the slope of the curve you will increase the contrast in the image.
The Levels & Curves tool provides you with the following controls: q t y u i o !0 !1 !2 !3 e w r q Channel Selector The channel selector lets you select which channel, or portion of colors, you want to affect. The default is to edit all three channels, red, green, and blue, simultaneously. Click on this pull-down menu to select an individual channel to edit.
The luminosity histogram displays a bar graph representing the total number of pixels that appear at different levels of luminosity. The horizontal axis represents the luminosity level, while the vertical axis represents the number of pixels found at each luminosity level within the current image. The left side of the horizontal axis represents the darkest tones in your image, while the right side represents the lightest tones in the image, based on the active channel selected.
White Point Slider Move the white point slider to the left to set all luminosity values from the point you have selected and to the right to complete white (or to the maximum lightness of the channel's color when working on an individual color channel). This will redistribute all of the values to stretch the luminosity range to match the entire possible range of values.
o Set Black Point Clicking on this button will change the mouse cursor into a black point dropper cursor. By then clicking on your image, you will set the black point slider for all three color channels to the value of the color selected by the black point dropper. Use this tool along with the Double Threshold option of the image information overlay control within the Histogram section of the Photo Info palette to identify darkest value in the image that you want to be black.
Brightness The Brightness slider provides you with the ability to either brighten or darken your image without creating unwanted color shifts. Move this slider to the left to darken the image, or move the slider to the right to brighten the image.
Correct Color Cast The Correct Color Cast slider is provided by selecting the Advanced method in the auto levels method pull-down menu. This slider either increases or decreases the degree to which the color cast is reduced within the image. A value of 50 is equivalent to the color cast reduction result of the Auto method.
Color > LCH The LCH tool enables you to individually control the luminosity, color lightness, chroma, and hue of the active image using individual editor dialog. To use the LCH tool to edit your images, follow these steps: 1 Navigate to the Adjust menu, select the Color submenu, and select LCH. 2 Select the first channel to be adjusted using the channel pull-down menu.
3 4 Click directly on the curve for the selected channel to add an anchor point that can be moved and adjusted. Depending on the channel selected, the adjustments made to the curve will have different effects on the image. After making adjustments to the first channel, you may make additional adjustments by selecting another option from the channel pull-down menu. The enhancements made within each editor will remain, enabling you to make adjustments to different channels within the same LCH enhancement.
The Master Lightness channel provides you with the following controls: yu i o !0 !1 t q w e r The curve editor is where the majority of the enhancements are made within the LCH feature. Within the curve editor, you are presented with a histogram that represents the total luminosity values within your image. A luminosity curve superimposed above this histogram enables you to control the relationship of input luminosity values to output luminosity values.
Move the black point slider to the left to set all luminosity values from that point and to the right to complete black, while redistributing all of the values to stretch the luminosity range to match the entire possible range of values. It is w Black Point Slider recommended that you move the black point slider all the way to the right to match up with the left-most information from the displayed histogram.
Color Lightness The Color Lightness channel enables you to control the brightness of colors in the image without affecting chroma or hue. You can use this channel to target and brighten specific colors, such as lightening a person’s skin tone, or darkening the sky of a landscape without affecting other objects.
w Add Anchor Point Clicking on this button will enable you to click on the active image and select a color to place an anchor point on the curve within the hue map. e Reset Current Channel Clicking on this button will reset only the Color Lightness channel to the default values. r Reset All Channels Clicking on this button will reset all channels within the LCH step to their default values. t Temporary Cancel Hold this button down to temporarily hide the effect of the Color Lightness channel.
The hue map represents the full spectrum of colors on the horizontal axis, with the chroma of the colors on the vertical axis. Superimposed on this hue map, you are provided with a chroma curve that can be used to isolate and adjust the chroma of individual colors. q Hue Map Clicking on the curve will create an anchor point. Moving that anchor point upward makes colors in the affected portion of the color range more saturated.
The Hue channel provides you with the following controls: wert q y q Hue Map The hue map represents the full spectrum of colors on a rotated horizontal axis. By default, the hue map is rotated by 60 degrees. Additional rotational values can be selected within the hue map rotation pull-down menu. Superimposed on this hue map, you are provided with a hue curve that can be used to isolate and adjust the hue of individual colors.
Color > Color Balance The Color Balance tool provides you with simple controls for adjusting the overall brightness, contrast, and color balance of the entire image. Move any of the sliders within the Color Balance step to alter that slider’s effect on the image. The Color Balance tool provides you with the following controls: Brightness Adjust the Brightness slider to the left to decrease the brightness of the entire image or to the right to increase the brightness of the entire image.
Color > Color Booster The Color Booster tool you to optimally adjust the saturation, or vividness, of colors. Use the Color Booster tool to increase the saturation of colors of the active image. The Color Booster tool provides you with the following controls: Protect Skin Tones When the Protect Skin Tones checkbox is enabled, you are able to boost the colors in your image without affecting skin tones. Level Move the Level slider to the right to boost the saturation of colors in the active image.
Focus > Gaussian Blur Use the Gaussian Blur tool to dramatically reduce the appearance of detail throughout the image. This enhancement is often used selectively to reduce the visual impact of objects or areas within an image in order to draw the viewer’s eye away from that object or area. Alternatively, you can use it to add a smoothing effect, such as on skin tones, by adjusting the Opacity slider within this enhancement.
Focus > Unsharp Mask The Unsharp Mask tool increases the apparent sharpness of your images by enhancing the edges of objects in your image. The Unsharp Mask tool in Capture NX 2 is unique in that it always applies its sharpening to the luminosity of the image, which prevents any unwanted color shifts. A Please note: It is recommended that you zoom your image to 100% while determining the amount of sharpening to apply.
3 4 5 Adjust the Intensity, Radius, and Threshold sliders to achieve the desired sharpening result. If desired, additional colors can be selected to sharpen with different values. Select a different option from the Color pull-down menu and adjust the Intensity, Radius, and Threshold sliders again to determine the sharpening to apply to the additional color.
Intensity The Intensity slider controls the amount of sharpening that will be applied to the color selected by the Color pull-down menu. The higher the sharpening intensity, the more pronounced the sharpening effect will be on your image. If the intensity setting is set too high, it can create an over-sharpened and artificial looking image. Radius The Radius slider enables you to increase the reach of the sharpening effect.
Fill Color The Fill Color patch enables you to determine the color to use in the areas that lack image detail created when correcting for pincushion distortions. Click on this patch to access the color picker or click on the eye dropper to sample any color within an image open within Capture NX 2’s editor. Correct > Color Aberration Control The Color Aberration Control tool can be used to adjust and control potential color fringes that can occur in photographs.
Noise Reduction The Noise Reduction tool enables you to reduce the effects of digital noise that sometimes appear in images taken with digital cameras. A Please note: It is recommended that you zoom your image to 100% while determining the amount of noise reduction to apply to your image. To use the Noise Reduction tool to reduce noise throughout your image, follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Navigate to the Adjust menu and select Noise Reduction.
Sharpness The Sharpness slider helps counter the loss of detail that can occur at high noise reduction levels. Move this slider to the right to increase the amount of sharpening that is applied to your image. Method Choose between the Faster or Better Quality methods in the Method pull-down menu. Select Faster for faster processing or Better Quality for a more precise noise reduction effect.
Color Profile The Color Profile tool provides you with image-specific color management options within Capture NX 2. Use these options to apply a profile, or convert the current profile to prepare the image for your specific color managed workflow. Capture NX 2 utilizes the default color profile folder for your operating system. If you add or create additional profiles on your system, please ensure that the new profiles are placed in this default location.
Convert to Profile The Convert to Profile method enables you to convert the profile space of the current image to the profile space of the output device. The result is that the actual color values change, but the appearance of those colors does not change on your monitor. This is due to the fact that you have simply changed the values to ensure that the output device will produce the same colors that you see within the limitations of that output device.
Capture NX 2 provides the following intents: Perceptual This rendering intent maintains the relationships of colors so that the printed image appears natural to the human eye. While this intent maintains the relationship of colors, the actual color values will be changed. Saturation This rendering intent produces highly saturated colors, but it may not produce accurate colors in a photograph.
Chapter 21 Filter Menu Photo Effects The Photo Effects tool enables you to take more creative control of your image. With this tool, you can convert your image to a black and white, sepia, or tinted image. You can also control the tonality of the image, enhance dark tones, and control the color balance. The Photo Effects tool provides four different methods, each method providing controls unique to that method.
Cyan — Red The Cyan — Red slider enables you to shift the colors of your image from cyan to red. Moving this slider to the left removes red from the image, which will cause the image to become more cyan. Adjusting this slider to the right adds red to the image, removing cyan from the image. Magenta — Green The Magenta — Green slider enables you to shift the colors of your image from magenta to green.
Magenta — Green The Magenta — Green slider enables you to alter the black and white effect on your image. When you move this slider to the right, objects that contain magenta become lighter, while objects containing green become darker. Moving this slider to the left causes objects that contain magenta to become darker and objects containing green to become brighter. Yellow — Blue The Yellow — Blue slider enables you to alter the black and white effect on your image.
Tinted The Tinted method emulates the effect of printing a black and white negative on color paper, while using different colored filters to change the overall hue of the image. The following controls are provided within the Tinted method: Brightness The Brightness slider enables you to control the tonality throughout your image. Move this slider to the left to darken your image or to the right to brighten the image.
Add Grain / Noise The Add Grain / Noise tool enables you to add the stylistic effect of either grain or noise to your image. The grain feature emulates different sizes of film grain within your image, while the noise feature applies random detail to your image to approximate digital camera noise. The Add Grain / Noise tool provides you with the following controls: Grain Strength Move this slider to the right to increase the amount of grain or noise that is applied to your image.
Brightness The Brightness slider controls the overall luminosity of the image. Move this slider to the left to darken the entire image or move this slider to the right to brighten the entire image. Colorize The Colorize tool enables you to add a color to your image.
To use the Black and White Conversion tool, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Navigate to the Filter menu and select Black and White Conversion. Adjust the Filter Hue and Color Filter Strength sliders to control the relationship of colors throughout the image and provide greater separation of tonal values. Adjust the Brightness and Contrast sliders in order to create the desired tonality of the image.
Contrast Use the Contrast slider to change the contrast of your image. Moving this slider to the left will decrease the contrast throughout the image, while moving the slider to the right will increase contrast. Shortcut Ctrl + Shift + B (Windows) command + shift + B (Macintosh) Third-Party Plug-Ins Capture NX 2 supports third-party plug-ins. After the plug-in is installed, additional entries are available in the Filter menu. Additional information can be found online.
Chapter 22 Batch Menu Run Batch Process Select Run Batch Process to call up the Batch Process dialog in order to begin applying a batch process. Within the Batch Process dialog, you are presented with two different methods of applying a batch process: Batch Process and Watched Folder.
Apply Settings Check this box if you would like to apply a settings file to your image or if you would like to revert any NEF files to their original state. Unchecking this box will ensure that the enhancements found within the image are not changed from their last saved state. ❏ Batch Mode Use Settings File By selecting this option, you will be able to select a settings file to apply to the images identified in the “Source” section.
❏ NEF: Choose a compression setting in the Advanced section. ❏ TIFF: In the Advanced section, choose a color model (RGB or CMYK), bit depth (Always 8 bit or 16 bit if possible), and compression type (None or LZW). ❏ JPEG: Use the pull-down menu to choose from Highest Compression Ratio, Good Compression Ratio, Good Balance, Good Quality, and Excellent Quality, or select the desired balance between image quality and compression using the slider.
❏ Run Process Immediately Select Run Process Immediately to continually monitor the watched folder for new images and process any new images as soon as they are placed within the targeted folder. ❏ Run Process Every Enter a number to determine how frequently, in hours, Capture NX 2 should review the watched folder for new images. Apply Settings Check this box if you would like to apply a settings file to your image or if you would like to revert any NEF files to their original state.
Rename By checking the Rename checkbox, Capture NX 2 will rename the images using the naming system found within the File Naming dialog. Click on the Edit button to display the File Naming dialog. For more information, please see the “File Naming Dialog” section later in this chapter. Select File Format Choose a file format for processed images from the Select File Format pull-down menu. The following options are available: ❏ NEF: Choose a compression setting in the Advanced section.
❏ Original Name This option will place the original file name at the beginning of the new file name. ❏ New Name This option will enable you to type in a new name to enter at the beginning of the new file name. ❏ None This option will prevent a prefix from being added to the beginning of the new file name. Middle The middle section can contain a sequential number, the date the image was shot, or the time and date the image was shot.
Queued The Queued tab shows a list of images that are currently waiting to be processed. If you do not wish a particular image to be processed, uncheck the box for that image. Log The Log tab contains a list of all of the images that have already been processed along with any possible errors that have occurred. Clear From List The Clear From List button enables you to clear the highlighted image from the queue window. This is helpful if you do not want to process an image with the current batch process.
Close When Done Check the Close When Done checkbox to cause the Processing Queue window to close when the batch process has completed. Notify When Complete When this option is selected, a message box will be displayed to notify you that the batch process has completed.
Save Adjustments Select the Save Adjustments command to open the “Save Adjustments” dialog. It is within the “Save Adjustments” dialog that you create settings files that will be used for batch processes in the future. When the “Save Adjustments” dialog opens, you are presented with a representation of the current image’s Edit List palette. It is from this list that you can select and identify which enhancements will be saved into the settings file.
Copy IPTC Info The Copy IPTC Info command will copy only the IPTC fields from the current image that contain entries to Capture NX 2’s clipboard. You will then be able to use the Paste IPTC Info command to add those copied IPTC fields to one or more images. Paste IPTC Info Use the Paste IPTC Info command to apply the IPTC fields copied using the Copy IPTC Info command to one or more images. Selecting Paste IPTC Info while working in the editor adds the copied IPTC fields to the active image.
Chapter 23 View Menu Selection Display The options provided in the Selection Display sub-menu duplicate the selection display control pull-down menu found in a step within the Edit List palette. These options enable you to determine how to display the current selection made within the image window. To show the selection made by Color Control Points, use the Show Selection checkbox found within a color control point step.
Show Overlay The Show Overlay option displays the selection as a semi-transparent color overlay, superimposed on top of your image. Anywhere this color overlay is displayed, the current step’s adjustment is being applied. Anywhere the image is displayed, no enhancement is being applied. You can control the color and opacity of the overlay within the “Preferences” dialog.
Show Grid Select this option to impose a grid pattern over the current image. The color and spacing of the grid can be set within the “Preferences” dialog. Show Focus Point When working with images captured by a Nikon camera, you can display the focus area used when capturing the image by selecting Show Focus Point from the View menu. A Please note: Use Show Focus Point only on images that have not been enhanced.
The resulting image will contain white, primary, and secondary colors only. The following table describes values these colors represent: White This area contains values of 255 for the red, green, and blue channels. Yellow This area contains values of 255 for the red and green channel. Magenta This area contains values of 255 for the red and blue channels. Cyan This area contains values of 255 for the green and blue channels. Red This area contains values of 255 for the red channel.
With Show Lost Shadows enabled, you can modify any enhancements that may make the image too dark. Shortcut Shift + S View at 100% Select this option to set the zoom ratio for the current image to 100%. Shortcut Ctrl + Alt + 0 (Windows) command + option + 0 (Macintosh) Fit to Screen Select this option to set the zoom ratio for the current image so that the entire image fits into the space available on your monitor.
Zoom Out Select this option to zoom one step out of the active image. Shortcut Ctrl + - (Windows) command + - (Macintosh) Full Screen The full screen display mode is useful for maximizing the space used by Capture NX 2. Use this display mode when editing images to minimize distractions and enable you to focus entirely on the image that is being edited.
Hide Palettes Select this feature to quickly hide all of the palettes in the work area.
Compare Images The three different compare images modes of Capture NX 2 provide you with different options for comparing images. The first two options, Compare in Editor and Compare in Browser, are only accessible from within the browser and provide you with the ability to compare two different images. The Compare with Original option is only available while working on an image within the editor and enables you to compare the current state of the image with the original state of that same image.
Compare in Editor Use this option to compare two different images in the editor. Select two different images in the browser and select Compare in Editor from the View menu. This will open both images within the editor and zoom the images so that they fit within the available space of your screen. While you are comparing these two images, you can use the zoom tool or the hand tool to zoom in and pan on one image, creating the identical effect on the other image.
Compare with Original Use this option to compare the original with the current state of the active image within the editor. Select this option from the View menu when you are working on an image in the editor, and Capture NX 2 will automatically open a duplicate window of the same image and resize it so that the two windows fit within the available space of your screen.
Chapter 24 Window Menu Workspace The Workspaces sub-menu provides you with an alternative location to select a workspace to use to arrange Capture NX 2’s palettes and windows. For more information about the different options provided within the Workspaces sub-menu, please see the “Workspaces” section in Chapter 8, “Interface”. Reset Workspace Selecting the Reset Workspace option will reset all of the palettes and windows to their default locations, based on the current active workspace.
Toolbar Selecting the Toolbar option from the Window menu will show the toolbar. Bird’s Eye Selecting the Bird’s Eye option from the Window menu will display the Bird’s Eye palette. Edit List Selecting the Edit List option from the Window menu will display the Edit List palette. Photo Info Selecting the Photo Info option from the Window menu will show the Photo Info palette.
Chapter 25 Help Menu Contents The Contents option brings up the help contents within your default Internet browser. Navigate through the help to access the information from this user’s manual in a searchable format. Shortcut F1 key (Windows) command + ? (Macintosh) Technical Support The Technical Support option will launch your Internet browser and provide you with links to the different technical support options available for Capture NX 2.
Show Welcome Screen Selecting the Show Welcome Screen option from the Help menu will display the welcome screen. This is helpful if you have selected the Don’t show again checkbox and you want to access the welcome screen again. Update Capture NX 2 Use this option to check for updates to Capture NX 2. Selecting this option will open the Nikon Message Center which will automatically check for any available updates and provide you with an option to download that update.
Chapter 26 Appendix: Short-cuts The Browser Tool Windows Macintosh Open Browser Ctrl + Alt + B command + option + B Label image(s) with label 1 1 1 Label image(s) with label 2 2 2 Label image(s) with label 3 3 3 Label image(s) with label 4 4 4 Label image(s) with label 5 5 5 Label image(s) with label 6 6 6 Label image(s) with label 7 7 7 Label image(s) with label 8 8 8 Label image(s) with label 9 9 9 Remove label from image(s) 0 0 Rate image(s) with 1 star Ctrl + 1 com
Tool Windows Macintosh Filter by Rating: 1 Star Ctrl + Shift + 1 control + shift + 1 Filter by Rating: 2 Stars Ctrl + Shift + 2 control + shift + 2 Filter by Rating: 3 Stars Ctrl + Shift + 3 control + shift + 3 Filter by Rating: 4 Stars Ctrl + Shift + 4 control + shift + 4 Filter by Rating: 5 Stars Ctrl + Shift + 5 control + shift + 5 The Toolbar Tool Windows Macintosh Direct Select Tool A A Hand Tool H H Zoom Tool Z Z Temporary Zoom Tool (in) Ctrl + Space command + space Te
File Menu Tool Windows Macintosh Open Image Ctrl + O command + O Open Folder in Browser Ctrl + Alt + O command + option + O Launch Transfer Ctrl + Alt + T command + option + T Save Ctrl + S command + S Save As Ctrl + Shift + S command + shift + S Close Ctrl +W command +W Page Setup Ctrl + Shift + P command + shift + P Print Ctrl + P command + P Exit Ctrl + Q command + Q Edit Menu Tool Windows Macintosh Undo Ctrl + Z command + Z Redo Ctrl + Shift + Z command + shift + Z
Adjust Menu Tool Windows Macintosh Levels & Curves Ctrl + L / Ctrl + M command + L / command + M Contrast / Brightness Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C command + option + shift + C LCH Ctrl + Shift + L command + shift + L Color Balance Ctrl + B command + B Saturation Ctrl + U command + U Filter Menu Tool Black and White Conversion Windows Ctrl + Shift + B Macintosh command + shift + B Batch Menu Tool Run Batch Process Windows Ctrl + Alt + Shift + B Macintosh command + option + shift + B View T
Window Menu Tool Windows Macintosh Browser Workspace Alt + 1 option + 1 Metadata Workspace Alt + 2 option + 2 Muti-purpose Workspace Alt + 3 option + 3 Edit Workspace Alt + 4 option + 4 Cycle between open images Ctrl + Tab control + tab Help Tool Windows F1 Contents Macintosh command + ? Apple Specific Shortcut Tool Hide application Windows — Macintosh control + command + H Chapter 26 — Appendix: Short-cuts | Window Menu 245
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Chapter 27 Appendix: Supplied Color Profiles Standard RGB Profiles Supplied in Capture NX 2 Profiles with a Gamma Value of 1.8 Apple RGB: NKApple.icm (Windows)/ Nikon Apple RGB 4.0.0.3000 (Macintosh) This profile is used in desk-top publishing applications and in Adobe Photoshop versions 4.0 or earlier, and is the typical RGB profile for Macintosh monitors. The corresponding RGB setting in Adobe Photoshop is “Apple RGB”. This profile is suitable for working with images displayed on the Macintosh.
Adobe RGB (1998): NKAdobe.icm (Windows)/ Nikon Adobe RGB (1998) 4.0.0.3000 (Macintosh) A color-space profile defined in Adobe Photoshop 5.0. It has a wider gamut than sRGB and includes the colors found in most CMYK gamuts, making it suitable for users involved in desktop publishing. The corresponding RGB setting in Adobe Photoshop 5.0 is “SMPTE-240M”, the corresponding setting in Adobe Photoshop 5.5 or later “Adobe RGB (1998)”. CIE RGB: NKCIE.icm (Windows)/ Nikon CIE RGB 4.0.0.
Technical Data for RGB Profiles Supplied with Capture NX 2 The following table shows the gamma values for profiles supplied in Capture NX 2, together with the chromaticity values for the white point and for red, green, and blue.
Capture NX 2 and Adobe Photoshop Color Profiles Capture NX 2 output profile Adobe Photoshop profile sRGB (Nikon sRGB 4.0.0.3001) sRGB Apple RGB (Nikon Apple RGB 4.0.0.3000) Apple RGB Color Match RGB (Nikon Color Match RGB 4.0.0.3000) Color Match RGB Bruce RGB (Nikon Bruce RGB 4.0.0.3000) — NTSC (1953) (Nikon NTSC (1953) 4.0.0.3000) NTSC (1953) Adobe RGB (1998) (Nikon Adobe RGB (1998) 4.0.0.3000) Version 5.5 or later: Adobe RGB (1998) Earlier versions: SMPTE-240M CIE RGB (Nikon CIE RGB 4.0.0.
Chapter 28 Appendix: Additional Notices General ❏ Make Backup Copies Make backup copies of important pictures before processing. Nikon will not be held liable for damages or lost profits that may result from product malfunction. C WARNING!:Do not play the Capture NX 2 installer CD on audio CD equipment. Playing a CD-ROM on an audio CD player could cause hearing loss or damage the equipment.
Camera Adjustments ❏ Non-Picture Control Based Adjustments When images taken with D1-series, D2-series, D100, D200, D80, D70S, D70, D60, D50, D40, or D40X cameras are edited with the Non-Picture Control option selected in the Camera settings step in the “Develop” section of the Edit List palette, the sharpening, tone compensation, color mode, and saturation settings in effect at the time the photograph was taken are marked with an asterisk (no asterisk will be displayed if “Auto” was selected for sharpening
Color Mode ❏ Color Mode If Use this instead of embedded profile is selected in the “Color Management” tab of the “Preferences” dialog, the default RGB color profile selected in the “Preferences” dialog will be used as the working color space for all images, regardless of the mode selected. If Use this instead of embedded profile is not selected, Adobe RGB will automatically be chosen as the working color space for Mode II images.
Image Dust Off ❏ Cameras That Support Image Dust-Off The following cameras support Image Dust Off: the D3, D2-series cameras, D300, D1X / D1H (firmware version 1.10 or later), D200, D100, D80, D70S, D70, D60, D50, D40, and D40X. Image Dust Off is not supported with COOLPIX cameras, D1 cameras, or with earlier versions of the camera firmware for the D1X and D1H.
Vignette Control Vignette control cannot be used to correct vignetting caused by PC Nikkor lenses or flash photography. Opening Images ❏ RAW Images Created with the D1X The default size for RAW images created with the D1X when opened in the Capture NX 2 editor can be chosen using the D1X RAW Default option in the “Preferences” dialog. Choose from six megapixels (3,008 × 1,960 pixels) and ten megapixels (4,016 × 2,616).
Saving Images ❏ Images Saved in Capture NX 2 Images saved in Capture NX 2 cannot be viewed on a camera. ❏ NEF Files (Nikon Capture 4 or Earlier) NEF files created with Capture NX 2 cannot be opened in earlier versions of Nikon Capture. Capture NX 2 can however be used to open NEF images created with earlier versions of Nikon Capture. ❏ TIFF CMYK Images Images saved in TIFF format with CMYK image data cannot be reopened in Capture NX 2.
Size / Resolution A Please note: The units for size and resolution are lost when settings are saved using the Save option. Color Management Preferences (Windows) ❏ Multiple Displays In a multiple display environment, choose a single profile suited to all displays. ❏ Supported Color Profiles Capture NX 2 supports only ICC (International Color Consortium) monitor and CMYK profiles.
Levels & Curves ❏ The Levels & Curves and the LCH Tools The Levels & Curves tool controls the distribution of tones in the red, green, and blue channels and in the RGB master channel, and provides visual feedback on the amount of tone information lost through editing. The LCH tool is a better suited to making fine adjustments to luminosity (brightness), color saturation, and hue; note, however, that changes to these settings may produce results that exceed the dynamic range of the RGB channels.
D-Lighting ❏ Digital DEE D-Lighting replaces the Digital DEE tool available in earlier versions of Nikon Capture. Note that Digital DEE settings are ignored when joint settings files created with earlier versions of Nikon Capture 4 are loaded into Capture NX 2, while Digital DEE settings saved with NEF images in earlier versions of Nikon Capture 4 are lost when these images are opened in Capture NX 2. Digital DEE settings files (extension “.ndd”) cannot be loaded into Capture NX 2.
260 Chapter 28 — Appendix: Additional Notices
Chapter 29 Index A About Capture NX 2 240 Active D-Lighting 136 Activity Toolbar 87 Adjust & Filter pull-down menu Adjust Menu 181 Adjust Section 143 Apply Checkbox 123 Auto Color Aberration 140 Auto Levels 187 Auto Red-Eye 140 Auto Retouch Brush 108 145 B Base Mask 144 Batch Menu 125, 217 Batch Process 217 Batch Processing 28 Bird’s Eye 56, 119 Black & White 210 Black & White Conversion 214 Black Control Point 95 Black Point Compensation 41, 64, 168, 208 Blending Mode 147, 214 Browser 55, 57, 67, 68, 7
Fit Photo 177 Fit to Screen 231 Flip 173 Focus Point 229 Folder 68, 160 Folders 56, 237 Full Screen 232 Nikon Message Center Agent Noise 213 Noise Reduction 204 Non-Picture Control 134 O Opacity Mixer 146 Oval Marquee Tool 111 Overlay 45, 228 G Gaussian Blur 199 Gradient Tools 116 Grain 213 Grid 44, 229 Grip Edge 65 P Paint / Fill 145 Paste IPTC Info 226 Photo Effects 209 Photo Info 56, 151, 238 Picture Control 131 Polygon Lasso Tool 111 Preferences 37 Cache Settings 46 Color Management 40 Display 44 Ge
NEF 256 TIFF 256 Save As 161 JPEG 162 NEF 161 TIFF 161 Saving Images 256 Selection Brush Tool 113 Selection Control Point 110 Selection Display 227 Selection Gradient Tools 116 Selection Information 143 Selection Overlay 45 Sepia 211 Shadow 230 Shadow Protection 138 Sharpening 132, 135 Short-cuts 241 Show Active Selection 228 Show Focus Point 229 Show Grid 229 Show Lost Highlights 229 Show Lost Shadows 230 Show Selection 100, 106 Show Welcome Screen 240 Show/Hide Triangles 123 Size / Resolution 24, 176, 256
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