Background Replacement/Masking?

[brad]

Ok.. I have this odd desire to do something I've never really done before (well, not seriously, anyway).. knock out the background and replace it with something else... I have a green background that somewhat resembles chroma key, although lighting it so that it has a uniform color is a PITA...

Anyway.. anyone know a good tutorial on how to create the masks, whatever, that are needed to strip the background? I know I could do it by painstakingly selecting the edges .. or using the "magic wand" tool to select most of it... but that doesn't solve things like hair where you can see the background in and around it.

Advice? Give up? LOL

I want a relatively easy way to do it... so I can train a 15 year old on how to do it quickly, so even a plug in suggestion is decent advice at this point.

[Jake]

I have used Corel knockOut2. It works pretty well with hair.
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...=1047022702205

[brad]

Rats.. they don't have a free trial... looks like what I want/need, though.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

Rats.. they don't have a free trial... looks like what I want/need, though.

It's true...they do not have a free trial, but here's a place that sells it pretty darn cheap. $38.95 + shipping. Apply coupon code "knockout" and the price falls to $36. Ordered mine last week and received it yesterday! OEM version...all I got was a CD, product key and install instructions.

http://dealmac.com/deals/Corel-Knock...-36/94762.html

[brad]

Is that the Windows version or just the Mac?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

Is that the Windows version or just the Mac?

It's for both operating systems

[brad]

Ok, I was hesitant to purchase this software (yet another piece of software), but I bit the bullet today and went to find it at Fry's (I need it for this weekend)... so I ended up paying the regular retail of $99.95

Worth every freaking penny. Hardly cracking the manual, I have already gotten incredible results on photos that took me an hour to do the old fashioned way.. simply draw a line around your subject that you want to keep, tell the software to automatically choose an outside line (everything in between is "transition").. make a couple minor adjustments and tell it to "go" ... wow.

It doesn't work properly with Paint Shop Pro 9.. instead of applying it directly to the image within PSP, you have to save it as a mask and then load it when you return to PSP.. but for the job it does, I'll take that slightly difficult procedure.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

Ok, I was hesitant to purchase this software (yet another piece of software), but I bit the bullet today and went to find it at Fry's (I need it for this weekend)... so I ended up paying the regular retail of $99.95

Worth every freaking penny. Hardly cracking the manual, I have already gotten incredible results on photos that took me an hour to do the old fashioned way.. simply draw a line around your subject that you want to keep, tell the software to automatically choose an outside line (everything in between is "transition").. make a couple minor adjustments and tell it to "go" ... wow.

It doesn't work properly with Paint Shop Pro 9.. instead of applying it directly to the image within PSP, you have to save it as a mask and then load it when you return to PSP.. but for the job it does, I'll take that slightly difficult procedure.

Glad you liked it
How in depth is the manual? Is the manual on CD or a booklet?

[Abel]

brad... show us a sample... im interested in this software as well.

[brad]

The manual sucks.. there is a PDF manual that is better that gets installed with it.

Here are some samples.. the original picture isn't great, there was no post processing done on it.. I chose it because it had lots of hair flying around.

It does work with complicated backgrounds, too.. but it takes much longer.

Original image:


After KnockOut:


Details (before and after):


With a completely unrelated background added:


Total time to create this and all the examples: 10 minutes.. if I was simply heading for the final product, probably more like 5.

Model: Megan

[Redmouse]

Wow...I might have to pick up a copy of this...

[Sonny]

Hey Brad,

Are you using a mouse or something like a Wacom pad? Using Corel Knokout 2, I find it very difficult to keep my hand steady by using a mouse while outlining my subjects.

[Silvernic]

I always change the pencil thingy (whatever you use to draw the outline) to polygon mode. that way you can go point to point and click every time you want a new straight line. Probably takes longer than freehanding it, but I screw up on the border a lot less.

[brad]

What Silvernic said... I switched to polygon mode. I couldn't get the regular pen to work with satisfactory results... my hands are too shaky.

[CaptainTom]

I was impressed with your samples.

I just ordered it from Purplus.com and the total including Priority USPS was $38.95
If Brad says it was worth the full price, then I am sure I will be happy with my copy.