Bring back Curves

Forum|Forum|2 months ago
May 8, 2026
2 replies
73 views

You have given us a bunch of simple tools. And while you have used the math of a curve in the tools, you have also required me to use five tools to get the effect I could get in seconds with a curve. Why not just let us have a curve tool in the color panel? Simple and fast. Most of the time, that is all I need for an adjustment.

Simon36101826f0wd

Participant

Yes please! I’ve been using the beta exposure and contrast wheels for a while now but unless I’m mistaken they actually don’t provide the level of control of a simple RGB curve, for example the ability to change the contrast only within a specific tonal range. There’s also a limit to the black point, which there isn’t on curves. Curves just feel so much more direct, logical and above all faster to use, and are a staple of all image editing. Removing them feels like a massive unnecessary step backwards, which is a shame because there’s so much that’s great about the colour update.

R Neil Haugen

Legend

Contrast is both contrast and pivot, I hope you’ve noted? So you have tremendous control over where the contrast both compresses and where it expands in one control. Which is why that control is to the left of the Exposure control.

Contrast is vertical movement, but where the change occurs from is the pivot point set by the horizontal movement of the mouse. Simultaneously.

Exposure is both a black and white-point/gain control rolled into one. Again, controlled simultaneously.

Realistically, after I got used to using the new contrast/pivot control quickly … I’ve not even needed the Exposure control’s black/white point stuff so many clips I never touch that.

But after setting Contrast/Pivot you need to fine tune your ‘ends’ then a quick touch of the Exposure will do both ends for you.

And have you tried the Contrast Kit palette? With its own Compression, Range, and Highlight (rolloff) controls? Plus the Flare section … which is low-end rolloff?

Everyone's mileage always varies ...

Simon36101826f0wd

Participant

I’m aware of the pivot feature, but it still seems to provide a lot less controls than a curve.

To give a couple of examples:

Lifting the midtones of a shot but keeping the black and white points where they are: this is one click on a curve. Unless I’m missing something it’s not even possible with Exposure and contrast because lifting the exposure moves the white point and clips the whites. You can move the pivot as low as possible and increase contrast, but this will still push down some blacks.
increasing contrast within a specific tonal range eg sky texture. with curves you can create a ‘p’ shape with full control over exactly where and how strong that upper pivot is, while locking the midtowns and shadows where they are. The contrast tool would darken everything below the pivot point (most of the image)

I was not aware of the contrast kit, thank you. I’ve just had a quick look and it seems to offer a bit more control, but it’s still essentially controlling the curve using multiple indirect controls which is much slower. Why not just let us control it directly? Surely there's no reason both tools can’t be available.

R Neil Haugen

Legend

As one of the first beta testers, I can confidently say you haven’t yet understood the massive difference in how this works, and how it is designed to be faster than the “ancient and approved tools from the dinosaur age”.

And yea, I’ve worked in Premiere and Resolve daily for a decade, and use a full Tangent Elements panel.

If you’ve noted, many of the tools combine at least two functions ... the Contrast tool is also a pivot tool. Simply click/drag and you can completely change the image with one mouse movement. Exposure is actually whites and black points. The Hue controls are all double action also, with horizontal movement setting a parameter like width affected or movement of the hues selected, and vertical is the amount of change.

Once you get that down it’s amazingly fast and incredibly powerful ... compared to anything I’ve ever used.

Also ... didn’t you notice that some of the hue and tonal tools give you a curve as the HUD? And those are vastly superior to any curves I’ve used, Pr, Ae, or Resolve ... as they have both click-drag of a selected point, but ... in the same action! ... by going left or righty you are moving a bezier curve to shape the change you’re making on both sides of the point.

So ... actaully, you do have curves. Just diffrerently accessed, and faster and more precise than before.

Everyone's mileage always varies ...

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