[PHOTOSHOP] Clone layer mask??

melviso

Is it possible to make a clone of a layer mask and add this layer mask to another layer such that whatever edit u make to that layer mask or clone, the update shows on the clone or layers involved?
I am wondering if this is possible in Krita as well

gvii

There is no instanced layer masks in photoshop. If you want a mask to affect diferent layers with their own layers clipped and such, you are better off putting them all inside a group and applying a mask to the group.

gnoop

it's possible in Phtoshop   but not as layer mask exactly ,  rather as a clipping group containing smart object.

If you copy same group to be clipping another layer it would be in fact a cloned mask  since you could edit smart object only in one place and it would be changing everywhere.   It rather a pain to un-clone them.  No "make unique"  option in Photoshop beside making a copy of  same document and bring same layer back from this other doc.

 

it's not black and white values of what you stacked in the clipping group that works as a mask  but rather  alpha values.   "Blend If" also works . I used "blend if" sliders to turn darker pixels into more transparency.

With clipping groups and smart objects you could do whatever Substance Designer does;  height blending etc.   But it would make Photoshop slow as hell  GPU accelerated or not

gnoop

Here is mask stack example  where two depth images having  "Lighten" blending   and Group2  turning the sum of them into alpha values by "Blend if" sliders

melviso

Thanks @gvii and @gnoop

gnoop

There is also Affinity Photo where you could use "embedded" doc as a layer mask.  Without any grouping,  more like regular Photoshop mask.

And this embedded doc doesn't have to be saved to update changes as smart object need to in Photoshop.   You just paint inside it and evrything is updating in evry layer using it as a mask on the fly.   

  The only nuance is that you have to keep such embedded doc as a regular layer somewhere in the  layer stack since it's only there where you see "edit" or "replace" buttons. Once you put it in the mask  the buttons disappear while the thing still staying fully linked.

Necessity to save 16 or 32 bit height maps and then wait while they will be updated through Photoshop "smart" objects is a torture there.

melviso

Thanks gnoop