Problem when editing in Lightroom Mask

[Guardwiz]

Hi Community, I am a new user and I got this problem when editing using Lightroom Mask. Let say I had finished editing using Radial Gradient, if I add another Radial Gradient, it will inherit whatever values of the previous one. So, whatever editing I am doing to the newly added Radial Gradient, it will also affect the previous one. And if I select the 1st Radial Gradient, it will affect the new one.

It does not let me edit as seperate "standalone" Radial Gradient under 1 Mask. This happen to other tools, not just when using Radial Gradient. How could I edit them as separate editing effects under the same Mask? Thanks.

[Rob_Cullen]

Not quite sure I understand your question, but my experience is this-

To have independent radial masks that I can adjust differently, I must click on the blue circle 'New Mask (+)' icon.

If I 'add to' the one mask with the add button, (+)  , then yes all adjustments within the one mask (of multiple gradients) will be altered the same.

Another consideration is the option to preseve or reset all the slider settings you have made so each new mask will start with 'zeroed' settings.

[Guardwiz]

Hi Rob_Cullen, you understood my question correctly. This is what I experienced when I am learning to use this editing tool. I find creating new Mask for each different spots i.e. while editing Sky to the effect I would like it, it could grow (many Masks) and become difficult to track. I just hope that multiple gradients (or any of the tools) under one Mask can be edited independently, that would be great!

Thank you for helping me know more about Lightroom. Appreciate it.

[Rob_Cullen]

@Guardwiz  As a follow-up:

EDIT: My suggested KB shortcuts below are for Lightroom-Classic. Lightroom uses different KB shortcuts.- Modify accordingly. I forgot we were talking "Lightroom". 😞

The requirement to create a new Mask (layer?) is very similar to the way Local Adjustments have always worked in Lightroom-Classic. 

eg. In the past, If you wanted two Brush areas with different settings you had to exit the Brush then re-enter the Brush for the second, different (adjust sliders), effect. That required two keyboard shortcut clicks [K] [K]. However the local adjustments were only obvious by 'Pins' on the image when the tool was active.

In fact the new masking interface now only requires one Keyboard shortcut click to create a new (Brush) mask. [K]. And the Masking panel gives you a visible representation of the adjustment.

Easier, better!

In your case a Radial Gradient can be opened with [SHIFT+M] , make adjustments, Repeat [SHIFT+M]  for each new adjustment.

What has changed is the option to [Reset Sliders Automatically], so you can uncheck this to make the slider settings 'sticky' for each new mask (as in the past), or reset to zero all settings with each new mask created by a keyboard key press.

Make Keyboard Shortcuts your friend 🙂

[Guardwiz]

Hi Rob_Cullen, thanks for your explanation, it helped me a lot. Much appreciated. As I am a new user to Lightroom, I am still learning keyboard shortcuts as well as other editing tools. I had tried the Reset Sliders Automatically, it seems to apply only to new Mask but not whatever editing tools under that Mask. I guess this is the learning curve.

[Rob_Cullen]

"Reset Sliders Automatically, it seems to apply only to new Mask but not whatever editing tools under that Mask"

Correct. One Mask 'family' of adjustments (Brush + Gradient, or more) will all have the same slider adjustments. If you want different adjustments in other locations on an image, then a new Mask is required for each different adjustment. It is the [New Mask] creation that uses the [Reset Sliders Automatically] option.