Billboard content removal help

[waynezworld]

I work for a billboard company as photogrpher, I'm try to find an easy way to remove the creative on it and replace it with white. (easy) My problem is adding back the wires and pole that may run acrossed it. Ive tried PS Beta but can't figure it out. We have to show a potential client any obstructions.

[Trevor.Dennis]

The Remove tool recently had exactly what you need added as a feature.

Remove Tool > Find Distractions > Wires and Cables

This is the result directly after using the remove tool, with no further editing.  It's good with People as well.

[davescm]

It's a bit of a pain, but the only way I could think of, to reintroduce the wires and obstructions, was to use the pen tool and create a vector mask.


Dave

[waynezworld · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your reply, I need to make the billboard white and reintroduce the wires to show potential clients of the obstructions.

I think this video is getting close to what I need.

https://youtu.be/ZJdmZ10I4H4?si=nHtRWwabME-lN06Y

[Trevor.Dennis]

Hi again Wayne (I loved your movie btw)

I came back to this after my lunch, and started fixing som eof the issues left behind by the remove tool.

The heavy fonts are not too bad.  Copy characters, or parts of characters from elsewhere, sort of thing.

But the light wide font was a lot more difficult.  You have to be more accurate with such fine graphics.

So it then comes down to rebuilding. Online Booking was the worst area.  Futura PT was the closest font I found. The capital 'O' is about right but the 'B' is a little too wide or narrow (I can't remember which).  You can get close by adjusting the kerning, which you'd have to do anyway, but I'd spend more time finding a better match.  If I dared suggest changing individual character aspect ratio, there'd be hell to pay, and quite rightly too!

But there is another option, althought it would need you to use the 'Shoot it again' filter.

Find any angle that does not have the cables, or least minimises them.  Don't worry 'too much' about distortion.

Even if it looks like this

Then use Perspective Crop to straighten it.

Align the corner points to the billboard and OK it. 

Note You can drag the side handles out before committing, but that would make the entire image square, which you don't want.

Make this layer a Smart Object (important)

You can now use this uncluttered layer to paste over the best angle of the entire scene, and use Free Transform while Ctrl dragging the corner handles to align.  You will need to use some light sharpening because of how much the raster layer has been distorted.

Perspective Crop is one of my favourite Photoshop tools.

BTW  If you find a better font match, then please share.  You can never know too much about fonts!

[waynezworld]

Thanks for your reply, I need to make the billboard white and reintroduce the wires to show potential clients of the obstructions.

I think this video is getting close to what I need.

https://youtu.be/ZJdmZ10I4H4?si=nHtRWwabME-lN06Y