Nik Collection/Photoshop and Smart Objects

[pflower]

Am I missing something - quite probably.

When sending an image from Lightroom to Photoshop as a Smart Object and then engaging one of the Nik Collection filters, the result is that the Nik Collection filter is positioned below the original image and not above it as when using a normal file.

The problem with that is that with the Nik Collection filter positioned above the background layer one can add a layer mask and then paint out the opacity of the filter locally - which is something I do quite often.  This seems impossible when using a smart object, but then again I missed the little button to the right of the filter in smart objects which allows one to change blend mode and overall opacity.  So possibly there is a work around this problem which I have missed.

Any thoughts?

[Jeffrey Saldinger]

There's some flexibility in being able to paint the smart object's mask, and to adjust the properties of that mask. Is that what you're looking for?

As for changing the blend mode, when the raw file is opened as smart object and thus becomes the PSD's background layer, then if there is no layer below it there's nothing for that layer to blend with. You could duplicate that background layer and change that new layer's blend mode.

[David Eckels]

You can create a mask for the smart filter or you can "stamp" (ctrl-alt-shift-e) the SO, convert in NIK and put a mask on that layer. The problem with masking smart filters is that within an SO, the smart filter mask applied to all the filters, at least AFAIK. You could open a SO from LR, stamp it, mask it, then create a new SO from those two layers, and you could still get back to your original LR adjustments by opening the nested SO. First two options above are easier.