Hello all, Over from the Rhino forum, working with PhotoShop and MeshCam to convert an image into g-code for engraving/carving. The attached image has a very heavy shadow on the right side, I need to remove this so the image looks like the left side overall. I've been playing for the past week to get it removed. But cant come up with anything satisfying. I use a program called "MeshCam" to convert JPEG's and BMP files to G-code so my CNC machine can carve or engrave to image into tile or wood. Meshcam will make a it's surface height based on the level of grey. So if you can understand that. You can see that the right side of the image is going to be really flat. If I can remove the shadow. I can successfully invert the image and create my MeshCam file.

This is what a file in MeshCam looks like after a conversion.

You can try: Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Hightlight Click the Show More Options to tweak it the way you want.

I don't have "IMAGE>Adjustments> Shadow/Highlight. I have Image>> Adjust> Brightness/Contrast. This isn't working either. I think I'm going to have to lightn'en these area's by hand. Previous attempts useing the hand method were proofing to be very tedious and extremely time consuming. Peace Neil

Awwww I think Shadow/Highlight was new in Photoshop CS. You could also give a try with Image > Adjustments > Levels or Curves.

You could also try to mirror the left side of the image. In the photo that will be rather obvious to people who know the beatiful girl, but after the conversion I think it would have a better result. And once it has been engraved I think it will work out for the better, because of the more natural evenness (is that a word?) of the face. I think, by the way, you really have to lighten the lips so that they are a lit lighter than the face, while you are at hand-correcting the file. And the eyes require attention to. I think the eyes will have to be without much of the original color (it will look creepy) to prevent large holes. A grey area (a little lighter in the middle) with a small line for the iris and a slightly darker dot for the pupil. That machine sounds very interesting. Will you please post the resulting piece here?

I'm beginning to think that perhaps I should attempt another method of creating this coded work. One of the fella's over @ the Meshcam group suggested I'd never see a nicely done coin of other such work as a full front on carving. And because of the depth it would be very difficult. I'll see my daughter at lunch today perhaps another photo or two is in order. Not giving up on this one though. Peace Neil Here are a couple of links, one to the meshcam group, and the other to my photo location for my machine. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meshcam http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thuffner3/album?.dir=c3dd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Hey Hoof, Dreamer, Today I had lunch with my daughter and talked her into letting me take a couple of photo's. There are two images, one is a screen capture of the prelimnary results, the other is the starting image. Right from the start I pretty please with the MeshCam surface. After a little tweeking I should be able to machine this. First test carving with be in foam, If it turns out then I will cast it in Aluminum.

Inverted greyscale image,as starting point.

I used a soft edge dodge brush set very low. With more time invested I'm sure you can get a cleaner look than I did.

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Ockham's razor- It's that simple

That's what I was using ICM, Yes and it was going to take an extremely long time. I'm not giving up on it, but I am going to use the newer image right now though. Simply because I'm eager to see what results I'm going to get casting this piece. Peace Neil

There was a post not so far back where someone was using a particular brush (History? I can't recall) to remove facial blemishes. If you can find it it might be what you need. I'm sorry i can't recall more detail, but I wasn't paying that much attention at the time.

Talent is God's gift to you. Using it is your gift to God.

Perhaps I don't understand but couldn't you just extract the model all together from the background using the pen tool for more accuracy then convert the path to a selection and place the model on a neutral background color with no shadows at all? Or is it that you want to capture the background as well?

The background isn't whats getting me into trouble right now. The right side of my daughters face is highly shadowed. And I need it to be lighted like the left. It's coming along in the second image. Peace Neil