New Perspective Module & Nondestructive Editing for Lightroom Users
Review by Erik Vlietinck
The newest Nik Collection version 3 from DxO works with Affinity Photo, has a newly designed Nik Selective Tool, and new Quick Edit tools. It also offers a nondestructive workflow for Adobe Lightroom Classic users. And, last but not least, the suite now has a perspective plug-in, Perspective Efex.
The Nik Selective Tool is a dedicated palette that gives users direct access to the suite’s various plug-ins from Adobe Photoshop. The latest version simplifies the suite and provides faster access to editing features. To optimize workspace in Adobe Photoshop, the palette can be automatically collapsed. The tool is also fully compatible with HiDPI screens and can be used in dual-monitor mode.
The Selective Tool has a new Last Edit feature that reapplies the last edits, which is especially useful for editing a batch of images or when users want to create a preset after editing a photo. Very useful, too, is the Quick Edit option that lets you edit images by applying the last action you used without having to launch the plug-in interface.
Adobe Lightroom Classic users can now freely edit their files nondestructively within the same plug-in using a technology based on the TIFF multipage file format, which combines the input image, the saved editing parameters, and the results, all in the same file. This workflow, however, doesn’t apply to RAW files.
Perspective Efex is a new geometric correction plug-in that resembles the capabilities found in DxO Photolab, but with the typical Nik Collection interface design. Perspective Efex also offers automatic shape-distortion correction. It can even automatically correct fisheye distortion. In addition, Perspective Efex can also be used creatively to simulate a shallow depth-of-field effect, the so-called miniature effect, or used to simulate wide-aperture settings. ■
