Layers

Layers in Eduard

Add, delete, duplicate and order layers

Add a layer with Shading > Add Layer or click the plus button in the top-right corner of a document window.

To delete a layer do one of the following:

Select a layer and click the bin button.
Select a layer and press the delete key.
Right-click on a layer and choose Delete Layer.

Duplicate a layer with Shading > Duplicate Layer, or right-click on a layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

To change the order of layers, click and drag a layer in the list, or use the to two arrow buttons to move the selected layer.

Show and hide layers

Show or hide layers by clicking on the eye icon. If a layer is hidden by a fully opaque layer above it, the eye icon includes a small warning symbol and an additional warning icon where you adjust layer settings.

Hint : Click on an eye icon and drag the mouse pointer over the eye icons of other layers to quickly show or hide multiple layers.

Layer name

Double-click a layer name to change it, or right-click on a layer and choose Change Layer Name.

Layer blending and opacity

Layer blending combines layers starting with the bottom-most layer and ending with the top-most layer. Click on the half-filled circle icon to adjust the blend mode and opacity of a layer.

Curve

Adjust the curve for controlling brightness and contrast of a layer. Click on the s-shaped icon, then add, remove and move curve points. The curve only affects the image created by a layer. To adjust multiple layers, add a curve layer .

Add a point by clicking near the curve.

Move a point by dragging it, or click the point and type input and output values for the point. Dragging a point upwards increases the brightness, and vice versa.

Hint : On macOS 14 and later, press the arrow keys to move the selected blue point. Press the shift key for fast movement. Press the tab key to select the next point, and press the shift and tab keys to select the preceding point.

To delete a point, do one of the following:

Drag the point outside the curve area and release the mouse pointer.
Select a point, then press the delete key. This requires macOS 14.
Select a point, then right-click and choose Delete Selected Point.
Select a point, then choose Delete Selected Point in the menu under the button with three dots in the lower-left corner.

Reset the curve by right-clicking and choosing Reset Curve. The Reset Curve command is also available in the menu shown when clicking on the button with three dots in the lower-left corner.

The histogram shows the distribution of the gray values of the image created by the layer.

Save or load a curve with the button showing three dots in the lower-left corner. Eduard supports the ACV file format for exchanging curves with Adobe Photoshop and other apps.

Hint : When the pointer is over the shaded image, the value of the position at the pointer location is indicated by a circle on the curve.

Masks

Add one or multiple masks to vary the effect of a layer with terrain elevation or slope. Choose Shading > Add Mask or click on a square-circle icon in the list of layers. Eduard can mask layers by elevation or slope. Elevation and slope masks can be inverted.

In the example below, two masks have been added. The pointer is over the first Slope mask, which shows two buttons.

Enable or disable a mask with the eye button.
Remove a mask with the minus button.

When multiple masks are added, the order of masks does not influence the total masking effect.

Click on a mask name or the the filled mask icon to the left of the name to open the dialog below.

Toggle the Show button to see fully masked areas in black, and unmasked areas in white.

Blur the mask with a Gaussian blur filter.

Adjust the values with a mask curve . The curve works in the same way as the curve for layers (see above), but affects the mask. The mask created in the example below results in the layer not having any effect in flat areas, and full effect in steep areas.

The histogram shows the distribution of terrain slope or elevation values, depending on the type of the mask. The range of possible slope or elevation values is displayed below the histogram. The range for slope masks is between 0° and 90°. The range for elevation masks is between the lowest elevation and the highest elevation in the grid. The slope or elevation of the location under the mouse pointer is displayed below the histogram.