Hi Jim As a brand ambassador, you've created the go-to channel for all things Neo. As such, I really appreciate your honesty in pointing out what's missing or not functioning correctly. For what it's worth, I really think Skylum needs to change what they're currently calling "Layers" to "Overlays" and add true layer functionality to what's in "Edits". The ability to rename, reorder, merge and change blend modes would be a great start in making the "Edits" feature perform more like layers, which is what we're all wanting. Thanks for posting this video!
thanks much Tom, I appreciate it and yes it's pretty limited right now - and I agree with you on what we need, lots more functionality to make it a true layers tool
Thanks Jim for this video on Layers. It confirms that as of now they are not true layers as we know. Skylum has released this version 1 of NEO with so much missing.
Thanks Jim. And, YES, let's hope they continue to improve by adding more features and "cleaning up" what's currently needed. Hope they are reading everyone's replies, and give their customers what they want.
Thank you so much -- I've been so tired of laborious how-to-videos, with every software change. This answered several questions quickly and efficiently. I will be watching the rest of them as I learn to manipulate this new program. Thanks again!
Hey Jim, glad to see you see the potential of compositing in Neo (if we had some decent masking tools) most of the other youtubers are saying it is only for adding textures and have not dug deeper. Regarding you dilemma of not being able to create a stamped layer to continue with global adjustments, go back to catalog and you will see that the thumbnail of your base photo now shows the composite image. Right click and export to another folder. Open this new composite image and continue with your edit. It's an extra step but it works. Darryl.
So thankful for your videos that explain the functionality/limitations of the new Neo software, Jim. I don’t know if I should see Neo as a failure at launch or a genius marketing campaign, as they are keeping us waiting and expecting what most of us thought would be functional at launch. I have always enjoyed Skylum products and have no doubt that I will love Neo when it is completed, but I have to say I am underwhelmed at present. Keep posting and updating us, Jim. Be well my friend.
cheers bud and yes I can understand you feeling underwhelmed - hopefully they add back the basics we need and get the new stuff in there soon too, so it can be all that it is promised to be - we will see, meanwhile I will educate on what I can for Neo - and of course I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I haven't seen *ANY* assurance by Skylum that adjustment layers will be added in the future to the current version of NEO (though, as you pointed out, they were there in L4, using the old engine). I am suspicious that this will be held back for Neo2 (unless they call it L5, if Neo1 customers complain), which will be announced sometime this Fall/Winter as a new purchase.
Hi Bill and I do not know if adjustment layers will be coming or not, but I sure hope so as I said here. We do need them for this sort of use, as well as others. We will see. As I learn more I will be sharing here of course. Thanks.
I’m sorry to say Jim that Neo is underdeveloped, under whelming and oversold. I do hope that a fully functional version containing what most would reasonably expect as standard features, including layers as we have traditionally known them, comes in later versions but without additional cost.
Hi Edward and yes I agree, it needs more stuff in it as I have mentioned in a few videos. It's not yet close to what we expected of it. As I learn more, I will be sharing here. Thanks.
Hi Bruce and for sure you can do that, but I would expect to be able to do it all here in one go, so to speak. I hope this is corrected in a future update. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Jim, I am so sorry to inform you that I finally have decided to do all my editing in On1 Photoraw 2022 and not get envolved anymore with Luminar. Because Luminar still has not finalised their Neo version as you also show in this video with layers... I am disappointed that Luminar confirmed that they will NOT develop a plugin for On1, which comes on top of several other missing aspects of their software which make it difficult to base all the editing work on Luminar be it Neo or AI or L4.... I would like to stress though that I do appreciate all the work that you do with your video's: please continue that excellent work which I hope you will also continue to do in On1 Photoraw. So sorry for this difficult message....
Hi Karel, thanks for the feedback and the kind words, and yes for sure I will continue to make videos about On1. It's a great product and I will continue to use it. I am sorry to see you go but I do understand. This Neo launch could have been better. Regarding your comment about not allowing a plugin for On1, where did you see that? That is news to me. I would like to read that if you have a link or something? Thanks so much.
@@JimNix Jim, I have sent an email to Skylum last week, to which they have replied that they would not develop any plugin for On1. I will forward their reply to you. Strange because there are plugins for Lum 4 and for Lum AI…. A bit upsetting, but with the many versions of Luminar, no of minimal cataloques, catalogues incompatible with the different version, perfomance issues in the past etcetera etcetera, to me Skylum does not give me any confidence for the futur anymore…. But you do give me confidence and I learnt a lot from you. Thanks for that!
@@karelvanpelt9785 ok thanks for forwarding me that email. I just replied. Perhaps it will work in the future but I am not sure. I will also play around and see if I can discover anything useful. Thanks much for watching my videos, I appreciate that!
Thanks so much Jim for demonstrating the folly of blocking adjustment layers and why they are so crucial. You may recall our previous conversation in comments a few weeks ago where I explained how the ability to apply tools multiple times could not replace the functionality of adjustment layers for the reasons you demonstrated very well. I'm very disappointed in Skylum.
Thanks for explaining layers in Neo, as being a Photoshop layers user, couldn't make out how it was supposed to work in this program. It seems strange that there is no user manual that you can download for this program. As you say, at the moment it is really only a texture tool but hoping in the not too distant future, develops as a true layers feature. I agree with all the comments about Skylum releasing this product too early and would have been prepared to wait until it had a bit more functionality built in. However, I do believe that given time, it will become a very good product.
thanks much Carl and I am optimistic about Neo's future while being a bit unhappy with it's present state - for sure layers needs some extra functionality and I truly hope this product gets to where it could be because if it does it will really be something - thank you for watching
I'm also hopeful layers and masking will get better soon in Neo. Admittedly, until then, I'll continue using my other tool for this task. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Jim, for your explanation. Skylum has really performed a disservice by releasing this beta as the initial-release product. I'm sure we'll eventually get a more robust layers function, but who knows when? This is one of the reasons why I'm using Neo as a plug-in and Photos extension only. It works much better there, leaving the heavy lifting up to superior photo editors.
thanks much Ron and yes it's quite limited at this time, sadly, and I hope that it gets enhanced significantly in the future so we can really use that power to our advantage
thanks for watching John, I appreciate it and yes happy to share the ups and downs of Neo right now - hopefully a lot of this can be addressed in future updates - thank you
Thanks for that Jim but so far I have to say I feel frustrated and disappointed with Neo which has a number of missing AI features. This is an incomplete half baked product and doesn't bode well to retain future customers. For now, I will revert back to AI and please Skylum do not release again in one year another new version of the software.
Good intro on layers in Neo. I hope to see much progress in this area as the program matures so I can do pencil sketches and paintbrush effects like in Photoshop. Thanks Jim.
Thanks, Jim. I always enjoy & learn from your videos. I've been using Luminar for about 4 years. At this time, though, I think it's fair to ask if Luminar/Skylum has the resources to finish the current Neo version properly. The previous version. of Luminar (AI) added some features but took others away. The same thing has happened with Neo. I am a little concerned. Do I start to seriously look at other editing software?
@@JimNix Skylum has an interactive demo on their Luminar Neo page that seems to demo exactly that feature with a moon object. Not only is the object’s background is transparent but it automatically slides behind objects, i.e. branch when moved. Can you provide some insights on this? Thx in advance.
Anyone accustomed to how layers works in previous versions of Luminar, or any version of Lightroom, will be disappointed in the current layers function in Neo. However, the ability to reuse each individual tools is very much like applying layers via each individual tool. It requires a much different workflow methodology than what went before, but much of the capabilities of "image layers" can be achieved by the "tool layers".
Hi Dan and thanks and for sure it is different than in Luminar 4. I hope it gets there though, because it worked well in L4. If we have that capability plus Mask AI, we could really be onto something. Thanks much.
I'm pretty sure Skylum is going to a subscription model on NEO, and I've made the difficult decision to bail. I asked for a refund. L-AI and L-4 work just fine for my needs (I don't do portraits, and I have Photoshop CS6 for removing dust spots and wires and replacing backgrounds). We'll see what the future brings, but I prefer to own software, not rent it. I may take another look at NEO in the future, but I'm out for now.
Other reviewers are hammering Neo hard. They have many negative things to say about it.Matt Suess is the biggest detractor. When I first bought 4 and AI, they did not include Canon R5 support for raw and I was upset. They fixed the issue but it took some time. I believe Neo was released too early. They over promised and under delivered. They promised layers and what they call layers is a joke at this point. I hope it gets better. Actually, I am pretty sure it will get better. Matt in his video was having some huge lag and wait times (Performance issues with M1)on his video that I do not have on my 3 year old 4 core intel laptop. He was using an apple M1. What are you using? I am curious because it may be that Neo is not M1 native and that is causing his slowness.
I do believe it will get better but regardless I am getting a lot of questions about layers, and wanted to show how they work and of course I pointed out what we are missing in layers. It is definitely very limited at this time. It's basically an overlay function and that's all. I am using an Intel-based Mac from a year or so ago, and honestly Neo is working really well on it. But I have heard of others having performance issues.
@@JimNix Hi Jim thanks again for your informative video on layers. For information It’s not performance issues I.m having but memory issues. It’s behaving like the original and version 4 on my 2017 MBPro 15” with 16 gigs of memory. I get notifications from Clean my Mac X that memory is almost full. Never got this for the AI version. And on V4 the fans where on most of the time but no fans on Neo. Weird! Will let Skylum know if it continues, meanwhile Neo is much nicer to use then all the other versions. Cheers
@@victorcarmelo8606 ok thanks and good to know, and limited fans in Neo for me too (although I didn't realize that until you said it ha) and glad you are enjoying Neo so far
Thanks for demonstrating layers in Neo. I can see I deleted Luminar 4 too soon. I did an image of multiple images of my grandson sitting around the living room using layers in L4. I don't think I can do that in Neo yet.
hi Geoff, thanks much for watching, and yeah doing that in Neo at this time would be really hard, if not impossible - I am hopeful this tool gets better functionality so it gives us true creative freedom
Many are assuming Skylum will eventually add adjustments layering functionality like in Luminar 4, but considering Skylum’s history of giving us a feature in one version then taking it away in the next, it wouldn’t surprise me for them to release a completely new product for layering adjustments as either an adjunct or charge for the next Luminar AI+(or whatever they call it). Of course that product will be missing features from previous products too! Do I sound disappointed? No, I am downright disgusted with their marketing practices!
Hi Markham and thanks for the feedback. Yes, this launch could have been better. And yes the product should have more of the basic features in it. I know they are working on an update that will make up some of that, but I am not sure what and when. As I learn more, I will share here.
Great video Jim. Neo is coming along nicely. It’s a great stand alone product now and will only get better. Looking forward to the day that Neo will actually host plug-ins too.
Hi Jim, really loving your videos. Just purchased Neo, so I am finding your new video series a great help. Any chance you could do a video on a Ansel Adams style black and white?
Hi Jim thanks for your series of enlightening ,easily absorbing and helpful tutorials on Luminar Ai and Neo. I have really learnt a lot on how to use the applications. Please can you help me on how to use Luminar Neo to switch on light bulbs and give it a natural glowing spread. Thanks in advance.
Thanks Kareem and I appreciate it. For switching on lights, I would use the Sunrays filter and then adjust to taste. Unfortunately you cannot duplicate it so you have to recreate for each light you want to turn on. Hope that helps.
So disappointed with the layers function or lack thereof. However your videos remain great and always gives me another perspective on how to edit with NEO, and all past Luminar versions. Many thanks Jim!
thanks much Mark and yes layers is not what we want or need, so I am hoping that gets addressed in an update so we can really use it more flexibly - thank you for watching!
nice explanation thanks. One year later and still no adjustment layers 😞 If I could at least copy adjustments. It's rellay dumb if I start out with a effects preset, insert a layer to create or modify e.g. a person in the picture, it looks totally different and there seems to be no way to adjust the new layer except to copy each and every effect and its settings.
This is why I have recently started using Luminar as a plugin to ON1 Photo Raw. It has layers with all the whistles and bells. What I was hopping for from Luminar Neo was the ability to have multiple instances of adjustments which it has. Unfortunately this is a extremely bad user interface. I want to see the adjustment history stack at the adjustment layer including the ability to add a new instance at the adjustment level instead of needing to jump the the history. The real power that Luminar as a plugin to ON1 is the adjustments that deal with depth awareness.
Thanks Craig and yep layers in Neo is really limited. On1 is fantastic, and I use that one too. I am hopeful they improve this functionality in Neo so we can get more done with it. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed this one.
Hi JB and thanks. Right now you can send files over to Aurora, but when finished there you have to export and re-import to Neo to further edit the file. I have asked about true plugin functionality for Aurora HDR but no clear answers yet. I also suspect they may be trying to reimagine how these two work together in some interesting fashion, but that is just a guess. So, not sure how this is going to shake out. Thanks.
As always great review. I only heard about AI and NEO when I stumbled upon your channel a year ago. I bought both products and coming from Photoshop. It feels underwhelming right now but I am hopeful it gets better in next update.
Hi Andre and thanks, and yes it's a little underwhelming right now but I agree, once updates are out etc it will hopefully be much more robust. thanks!
Hey TC, yeah it is working well for me honestly, although I agree it is unfinished. My first look video pointed out everything that is missing, and in this video I show what we are missing with layers. So depending on what you need, you may want to wait and download later. Thanks for watching.
@@JimNix I think we all need layers and I wouldn’t call what Neo has “layers.” Honestly, I think Luminar AI is the better product. When I need layers I switch to Photoshop anyway. And I will give you credit for staying positive regarding Luminar Neo (I’m guessing it’s more because you are an affiliate.) Thanks Jim, my dismay is not at all directed at you, however, you are a sounding board by default. 😎👍🏻😎
@@TC_Conner yes as it stands this is a basic overlay function. I am positive about the direction of Neo (and yes I am positive by nature). If they can fulfill the promises, it will be amazing. But I am unhappy that the product is missing so much. It's not about being an affiliate. I'm not even asking people to buy in my videos. I'm not trying to convince anyone. I'm not saying it's amazing. I'm just trying to educate. There are a lot of questions and I am trying to show what is possible and what is not, due to missing features.
@@JimNix Do you reckon Skylum is hearing any of this dissatisfaction? What feedback have you given them? Are you blunt with them? “Hey guys, your release of Neo stinks!” 😂😎😂
Thanks Jim. I do wonder how much testing Skylum do before releasing a product. I tried adding a layer and it didn't work. No texture, just the placeholder showing. I didn't want to make any adjustments to the original image but I made a minor change and then tried adding a layer. That worked! Just basic principals software testing should have discovered that bug
Hmm that is odd and yeah you shouldn't have to adjust it first to get a layer to work. Although I just tried it and I could add a layer just fine without any adjustments to the base photo. Thanks for sharing.
Buenos dia Jim para el problema que comentas sobre la rasterizacion de las capas una vez terminado de realizar los ajustes deseados, prueba a volver en ese instante al catalogo, ahi te saldra una version rasterizada, ademas se soluciona el problema de la exportacion de la foto que en editar no puedes hacerlo y una vez en el catalogo si que te deja hacerlo. Espero que éste en lo cierto por lo menos es lo que yo he podido investigar enredeando un poco. Un saudo desde España
Great video controls look limiting as you said but still more logical than ps. One thing I don't like is the way the highlighted photo in catalogues an edit screen shows through round the edges what's wrong with a neutral grey background this is distracting and no good for colour accuracy ? If luminar want to be thought of as serious editing tool then the basics have to right first it seems they like to run before they can walk this program seems very raw to me .
Thanks, Jim! I’m starting to use NEO a bit more now because of your helpful videos. I still use L4 more. Has Skylum updated the layers capabilities yet? Thanks!
no adjustment layers?? uh oh. this feels VERY early. In addition to adjustment layers we will also want to see grouped layers and a way to link adjustment layers to specific layers/layer groups.
Yep it's missing quite a lot unfortunately. Hopefully they add lots more capability to layers so it can really be a powerful tool for us. Thanks for watching.
just watched this one 6/3/2022 neo has really updated since this video (2/20/2022)! can you possibly make a new one with all the new stuff with texture layers?
Thanks for the video. Very excited about the updated layers and the background removal tool. Just wondering. Any idea when or how long we will have to wait for updates?
hi Frank and thanks for watching, but no I do not have any idea when we will be getting an update to Neo - as soon as I learn more I will share it here of course - thank you
Jim thanks for the video. I have a problem with loading the same raw image in the layers. I load the base layer but when hitting the plus to add layer it takes me to the folder on my desktop but the raw file used does not show. How do i get more than 1 in the my images. Thanks for all your videos
Hi Kris and thanks, and right now it does not accept raw files, so that is why it does not show. I believe that will be added in a future update but not entirely sure, but sure seems reasonable. Thanks.
Jim another great tutorial - not sure how easy this would be - is it be possible to come up with a NEO equivilent for Lightroom? I am not a heavy Lr user but do watch Lr editing video's (eg. Kenneth Hines) on how photographers tweak their photo's. example: Lr Texture, Clarity etc. what's the equiv in NEO? Big ask I know but just a thought
hi Jim, i am having a hard time using layers on luminar neo, i have an image i am editing when i click to add a layer nothing happen. any explanation why please?
Hi there and sorry, I am not sure why this would happen. Your best bet is to check with support and see if they can help. Sounds like an odd error is happening.
Thank you for the update on layers Jim. Can we merge layers by exporting the layers as a Tiff and then bringing the merged picture back into Neo to edit?
Hi Craig and thanks, and sure you could export the photo and then reimport to keep working on it. But my hope is that this all gets fixed so we don't have to do that sort of thing etc. I appreciate it.
Hi Jam, I got this video "NEO Layers" but for me, I think Luminar 4 layers better than that. because the Luminar 4 layers clear , you can edit many things on it, Now NEO layer already had some patten on it. then will NEO Layer can do as Luminar 4 layers? Thank you for your note, and waiting for new lessons.
Hi John and thanks, and yes layers in Luminar 4 is more advanced. I hope they enhance the feature in Neo because we really need full layers control and capability. We will learn more soon. Thanks!
Thanks for listing the gotchas, Jim. I suspect it was the layers functionality that held up the release of Neo. Something must be going on since they had all the capabilities in L4. So are you saying that there is no Neo equivalent of the Adjustment Layer in Luminar AI?
Hi Carl and correct, there is not an equivalent to that in Neo, at least at this time. I suspect they will need to add it. It just makes sense to have it, and we need it too.
hey Jim,nice explanation,like you,i hope they will update to a all tool working model in the future,otherwise my 2 seats i bought are dissapointing at least,lucky i have affinity photo,and even for the creative tools i still have topaz studio 2 but i thought that neo ould have it all,for the moment it has (significantly) less
hi Ronny and thanks and yes I agree I am hopeful that Neo gets all the updates and features it needs so we can really take advantage of the power - I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for all of your clear and helpful videos. I'm trying to figure out a way to add a white border to a photo within Neo. One way (I think) would be to create an all white image and use it as the base layer, then bring in my actual photo on top of that and resize it until I had the desired sized border showing from underneath. Would this work? Is there an easier way? I don't have Photoshop. Thanks!
Hi Judy and thanks for watching, and yes I think your idea would work just fine. Seems logical to me. There are also some frames you can buy or find for free online that you could use as an overlay in the layers panel. thanks!
Thank you Jim for your video. In Luminar AI I have added many textures of my own.. Can you tell us how we can import such textures into Luminar NEO ? Thanks
Thanks. Excellent video. A problem I face with layer is when I try to use the "same image" as a layer for background or foreground adjustments I am unable to add the "same image in RAW format" as new layer. The image I can add as layer is a JPEG or TIFF. Is this is another problem in NEO or am I missing something? Will be great to hear your advice.
Thanks Jim. As usual, great explanation. I would assume you can export as PSD to merge layers and then edit the entire flattened image without losing control of the layers permanently?
Thanks James and yes you could export and then import again to continue editing if you wanted to. Your original image would still have the layers (assuming you are using the catalog) but your image that you exported/re-imported would just be a flat image, no layers. It would just be the combined image. And then you could edit from there. Thanks.
Thank you for the info - I am hoping that either Neo, 4 or Aurora will have something so that I can stack exposures and do those amazing multi long exposure star trails. I don't use LR or photoshop at all so I need my Skylum software to be all encompassing :)
Hi Jim, thanks for this tutorial. I am not all that enthusiastic about Neo's layers as is, I don't have much use for it. Am I right in assuming, that using one (or more) of the tools multiple times, e.g. the light tool, is leaning much more to layering as Neo's current layers?
Hi Hans and thanks and yes the layers function needs more capability to make it more useful. The ability to reuse a tool multiple times is sort of like an adjustment layer in my mind, albeit an adjustment layer with just one tool on it. Thanks.
Hi William and for me I just right click on it, and have the option to delete a layer. Perhaps check with support if that is not an option for you. Thanks.
Is Luminar Neo useful for those who are already quite familiar with Photoshop? I am one of such and was told (more like ordered) to try this and seeing too many dead ends. So far, I've seen NOTHING better than Photoshop.
I guess it depends on what you want/need from an editor. Luminar Neo is powerful and fun, and using AI makes some more complex edits easier. It is a much shorter learning curve than PS, which wouldn't matter to you though. But it could save you time on certain things. You could always download a trial and test it out. It does not do everything that PS does though. It's not really aimed at the same audience.
@@JimNix Thanks for the reply. I got bombarded with background removal of women's complex hair images. PS is doing a good job, but it takes so much time. Another use is I work on images that require print then adjust, repeat on 100s of images. I must be able to adjust how much effect is applied after a few days. I hope I can stay with PS.... lol.
@@cpprinting8590 yeah the portrait background removal is coming and it looks great but I don't have my hands on it yet. And yeah if you are happy with PS, no need to move. The best way to compare is to trial Neo of course, if you are interested.
@@JimNix Ah, we already have purchased Luminar Neo. It was a very frustrating experience to me, but boss has belief it would speed up the process. I strongly disagree. Thanks for the help.
@@cpprinting8590 oh I see. I guess it depends on what you are trying to speed up vs how you do that in PS now (which it sounds you obviously know well).
No stacking options. Neo is not meant for that kind of work. If you are not using any Adobe products, I suggest Affinity Photo. It has many stacking features.
Hi Lysander. No offense but by marketing Neo with layers capabilities, the assumption would be that it is indeed meant for that kind of work. It's yet another reason why so many who've purchased this software are disappointed. And you're absolutely correct about Affinity Photo. It's a great piece of software given the price and the fact that as yet, there's no ongoing subscription fees.
@@tompatton2086 Cool. I agree. Skylum seems to have problems with product definition and implementation. I am a long-time user and every release seems to be chaotic. If you need layers then Neo is not it right now/ I really wish they kept developing Creative Kit plugins. They would have more success.
@@JimNix Its really usefull for example in wild life photography where u end up taking number of shots of subject while everything else remains the same.
Thank you for your explanations I notice you applied a preset. Now this is my question I edited a photo with develop and so on I have luminar 4 so I thought to add a preset and lost All my edits, extremely frustrating. Then obviously need to learn how to add my own layers. Thank you for all you do without your tutorials i would send it back in a heartbeat and just be happy with luminar 4 and Affinity Photo. Thanks again.
If I recall correctly in various comments for Jim's tutorials and some others it seems that presets have to be done before other edits. I also don't think one can edit a preset. I have done an uninstall of the program as we Windows users are still left in the cold. Creating a Library is hopeless for a large number of images and so far I have not been able to find a method of doing an edit of an image in the Explorer file structure. Still hoping that a Windows user will advise of a method or comment that it can't be done.
Hi Jim, When we add a custom layer, where does it gets saved inside the Mac folders? Reason is, after I added a layer file, the Luminar Neo keeps crashing. Unable to start it.
Hey, Jim… Is it just me or are several of the sliders sluggish in Luminar Neo? Enhance, structure, and many others are very very sluggish. I’m assuming this will be corrected in future updates.
Hi Ed, for me Neo has been quicker overall. Every now and then I notice a slider is a little slower, but it never lasts long. I would say it is quicker than AI overall in my experience thus far.
I feel like the only real layering tool that's done right was in Luminar 4. The layering is so basic that it can't even layer other raw images... just JPEG.
Hi JIm. Great video! I am brand new to using neo. I have a question. As a workaround, can these overlayed two images be exported back into Lightroom (I use neo as a plug-in) as a single image, and then send that new image back into neo to be able to make additional edits to the entire merged image? Does this make sense?
Hi Scott and thanks, and that should work (haven't tried it, but that's how a plugin works so it's logical). My point here is that we need to be able to do that in Luminar without another round trip. But for sure there are ways around it, even if they aren't ideal. Thanks for watching.
@@JimNix thanks Jim. Always love your educational and instructive videos. Yes, agree that being able to have those additional functions within Luminar Neo will make it much much better!
I preordered my own copy in December. Having been said there were going to be 2 main updates after the release date I pressumed the final release on the day would be final. It seems like it is still on the trial version and those 2 updates will be the repairs. Shame on Skylum. Anyway, it's not bad app, but worth 29.99 whatever currency you might think of. Layers look like those in Photoshop ver.2 . Why should I struggle with aligning blending etc when I can do bracketing with 1 click in Lightroom? !
Hi there and yep the layer function is missing some key features. I know there are updates coming but I am not sure if any of it will impact layers. The upcoming releases they talk about include new features like Mask AI etc. And for sure, if it's easier and more complete elsewhere, no need to use layers here.
@@marioplus321 same here Mario,if they dont make their app useable,and still keep boasting its the best,then i will rather buy corel paintshop pro,they also have begun with AI,they were the ones that started with the red removal line,wich blended pixels from all around the line,we shall see
@@ronnyb5890 hi Ronny! It's a joke what they are doing. Cheating, I'd say. I'm questioning myself: what do I need luminar for if I'm a regular user of Lightroom?
Hey Jim. I'm very disappointed with this release of Luminar Neo. Skylum has two winners, albeit different programs, in Luminar 4 and Luminar AI and I was hoping Neo would be a culmination of the two programs with AI taking the lead. This release is nowhere close to that and is IMHO very underwhelming given all the hype since last fall. I hope they get Neo sorted out quickly as right now it is a bit of a dud.
Hi Stephen, thanks for the feedback and you are not alone. Neo, at launch, isn't what I hoped it would be, sadly. It's missing some basic stuff that we really need. I am hopeful that they can get us an update so it really can fulfill its promise, because I think it has the possibility to be amazing. thank you for watching!
Hi Jim, I realise that there is a commercial connection between eg USA and Kviv Ukraine for Skylum for Luminar Neo. The issue that concerns me, is should the unexpected arrive and Kviv falls to the Russian army, what happens to personal accounts including fees for Luminar from credit cards? I look forward to your reply, Thanks and Regards Joe
Hi Joe and not to worry, they have infrastructure and people already set up and working in other countries, so things will continue forward normally in that regard. There will likely be delays on new features etc but I would not worry about fees paid, credit cards, etc. Thanks.
In reality this should not be called layers. It's a texture tool, nothing more, nothing less. Adjustment layers, Luminosity masks, Color masks are all missing, so all you can do is an overlay at the moment. That software misses more than it provides at the moment.
hi Jens, thanks for watching and yes it is very limited as I show here - I am hopeful this gets corrected because as it stands it is not a full layer tool
It looks like they have a great product but not a very good business plan given that they have to release products in stages before they are ready to keep the cash flow positive. I wish them the best and pray they can keep ahead of the cash flow monster. I really, really like their products. I would hate for them to go insolvent.
thanks Frank and while I do not think there are any cash flow problems, I do wish this release would have had more of the basics included - hopefully the first update covers a lot of that for us
This half-baked release just makes your job more difficult. It's going to be hard to develop a good workflow if NEO keeps changing. Matt Suess has done a devastating review.
Hi Robert and yes it's been a challenging release for sure. Hopefully they provide an update that adds in lots of missing features etc. Yep Matt and I have talked about it a few times already. 😀
Hi Jim
As a brand ambassador, you've created the go-to channel for all things Neo. As such, I really appreciate your honesty in pointing out what's missing or not functioning correctly. For what it's worth, I really think Skylum needs to change what they're currently calling "Layers" to "Overlays" and add true layer functionality to what's in "Edits". The ability to rename, reorder, merge and change blend modes would be a great start in making the "Edits" feature perform more like layers, which is what we're all wanting. Thanks for posting this video!
thanks much Tom, I appreciate it and yes it's pretty limited right now - and I agree with you on what we need, lots more functionality to make it a true layers tool
Thanks Jim for this video on Layers. It confirms that as of now they are not true layers as we know. Skylum has released this version 1 of NEO with so much missing.
thanks Ken and yep the layers function is really basic right now - I appreciate you watching
Thanks Jim. And, YES, let's hope they continue to improve by adding more features and "cleaning up" what's currently needed. Hope they are reading everyone's replies, and give their customers what they want.
thanks much Phyllis and yes I hope so!
Thank you so much -- I've been so tired of laborious how-to-videos, with every software change. This answered several questions quickly and efficiently. I will be watching the rest of them as I learn to manipulate this new program. Thanks again!
I am glad that this helped, and thanks for watching!
Hey Jim, glad to see you see the potential of compositing in Neo (if we had some decent masking tools) most of the other youtubers are saying it is only for adding textures and have not dug deeper. Regarding you dilemma of not being able to create a stamped layer to continue with global adjustments, go back to catalog and you will see that the thumbnail of your base photo now shows the composite image. Right click and export to another folder. Open this new composite image and continue with your edit. It's an extra step but it works. Darryl.
So thankful for your videos that explain the functionality/limitations of the new Neo software, Jim. I don’t know if I should see Neo as a failure at launch or a genius marketing campaign, as they are keeping us waiting and expecting what most of us thought would be functional at launch. I have always enjoyed Skylum products and have no doubt that I will love Neo when it is completed, but I have to say I am underwhelmed at present. Keep posting and updating us, Jim. Be well my friend.
cheers bud and yes I can understand you feeling underwhelmed - hopefully they add back the basics we need and get the new stuff in there soon too, so it can be all that it is promised to be - we will see, meanwhile I will educate on what I can for Neo - and of course I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I haven't seen *ANY* assurance by Skylum that adjustment layers will be added in the future to the current version of NEO (though, as you pointed out, they were there in L4, using the old engine). I am suspicious that this will be held back for Neo2 (unless they call it L5, if Neo1 customers complain), which will be announced sometime this Fall/Winter as a new purchase.
How did you guess that? 😂😂😂
Hi Bill and I do not know if adjustment layers will be coming or not, but I sure hope so as I said here. We do need them for this sort of use, as well as others. We will see. As I learn more I will be sharing here of course. Thanks.
I’m sorry to say Jim that Neo is underdeveloped, under whelming and oversold. I do hope that a fully functional version containing what most would reasonably expect as standard features, including layers as we have traditionally known them, comes in later versions but without additional cost.
Hi Edward and yes I agree, it needs more stuff in it as I have mentioned in a few videos. It's not yet close to what we expected of it. As I learn more, I will be sharing here. Thanks.
Presumably you could do an 'Export' then work on the new image to get around the lack of any merge ability. Bit of a workflow pain but …
Hi Bruce and for sure you can do that, but I would expect to be able to do it all here in one go, so to speak. I hope this is corrected in a future update. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Jim, I am so sorry to inform you that I finally have decided to do all my editing in On1 Photoraw 2022 and not get envolved anymore with Luminar. Because Luminar still has not finalised their Neo version as you also show in this video with layers... I am disappointed that Luminar confirmed that they will NOT develop a plugin for On1, which comes on top of several other missing aspects of their software which make it difficult to base all the editing work on Luminar be it Neo or AI or L4.... I would like to stress though that I do appreciate all the work that you do with your video's: please continue that excellent work which I hope you will also continue to do in On1 Photoraw. So sorry for this difficult message....
Hi Karel, thanks for the feedback and the kind words, and yes for sure I will continue to make videos about On1. It's a great product and I will continue to use it. I am sorry to see you go but I do understand. This Neo launch could have been better. Regarding your comment about not allowing a plugin for On1, where did you see that? That is news to me. I would like to read that if you have a link or something? Thanks so much.
@@JimNix Jim, I have sent an email to Skylum last week, to which they have replied that they would not develop any plugin for On1. I will forward their reply to you. Strange because there are plugins for Lum 4 and for Lum AI…. A bit upsetting, but with the many versions of Luminar, no of minimal cataloques, catalogues incompatible with the different version, perfomance issues in the past etcetera etcetera, to me Skylum does not give me any confidence for the futur anymore…. But you do give me confidence and I learnt a lot from you. Thanks for that!
@@karelvanpelt9785 ok thanks for forwarding me that email. I just replied. Perhaps it will work in the future but I am not sure. I will also play around and see if I can discover anything useful. Thanks much for watching my videos, I appreciate that!
Thanks so much Jim for demonstrating the folly of blocking adjustment layers and why they are so crucial. You may recall our previous conversation in comments a few weeks ago where I explained how the ability to apply tools multiple times could not replace the functionality of adjustment layers for the reasons you demonstrated very well. I'm very disappointed in Skylum.
Hi William, thanks for watching and yes I hope they can reconsider this so we have better control over our images. I appreciate you watching.
Thanks for explaining layers in Neo, as being a Photoshop layers user, couldn't make out how it was supposed to work in this program. It seems strange that there is no user manual that you can download for this program. As you say, at the moment it is really only a texture tool but hoping in the not too distant future, develops as a true layers feature. I agree with all the comments about Skylum releasing this product too early and would have been prepared to wait until it had a bit more functionality built in. However, I do believe that given time, it will become a very good product.
thanks much Carl and I am optimistic about Neo's future while being a bit unhappy with it's present state - for sure layers needs some extra functionality and I truly hope this product gets to where it could be because if it does it will really be something - thank you for watching
I'm also hopeful layers and masking will get better soon in Neo. Admittedly, until then, I'll continue using my other tool for this task. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Frederic and that makes total sense to me. I appreciate you watching!
The best luminar Neo tutorial, thank you!
thank you for watching
Thanks, Jim, for your explanation. Skylum has really performed a disservice by releasing this beta as the initial-release product. I'm sure we'll eventually get a more robust layers function, but who knows when? This is one of the reasons why I'm using Neo as a plug-in and Photos extension only. It works much better there, leaving the heavy lifting up to superior photo editors.
thanks Bob and yes your approach makes sense, and I am hopeful that we get an updated version with all the necessary functions as soon as possible
Adjustment layers have NOT been listed among the features added by future updates.
@@billzigrang7005 correct, they have not, but I hope they can incorporate them in some way as it would be useful in some situations
Thanks Jim very helpful as always.
thank you for watching Malc
Great video Jim, keep them coming because they're very much appreciated.
thank you for watching Tony and glad you liked this one
The new layers features looks cool at first, but a bit limited in what you can do with it. Great video Jim, and thanks for sharing.
thanks much Ron and yes it's quite limited at this time, sadly, and I hope that it gets enhanced significantly in the future so we can really use that power to our advantage
Many thanks, Jim. I really appreciate your pointing out the advantage and limitations of layers as it exists at present.
thanks for watching John, I appreciate it and yes happy to share the ups and downs of Neo right now - hopefully a lot of this can be addressed in future updates - thank you
@@JimNix Jim, I know your followers appreciate your telling it like it is.
@@johna.benigno4172 thanks, and I'm trying 🙏🏻
Thanks for that Jim but so far I have to say I feel frustrated and disappointed with Neo which has a number of missing AI features. This is an incomplete half baked product and doesn't bode well to retain future customers. For now, I will revert back to AI and please Skylum do not release again in one year another new version of the software.
Good intro on layers in Neo. I hope to see much progress in this area as the program matures so I can do pencil sketches and paintbrush effects like in Photoshop. Thanks Jim.
thanks for watching Mike, I appreciate it and hope for improvements here as well!
Thanks, Jim. I always enjoy & learn from your videos. I've been using Luminar for about 4 years. At this time, though, I think it's fair to ask if Luminar/Skylum has the resources to finish the current Neo version properly. The previous version. of Luminar (AI) added some features but took others away. The same thing has happened with Neo. I am a little concerned. Do I start to seriously look at other editing software?
Luminar AI has a very useful dodging and burning tool that seems to be missing in NEO. That's one feature I'll miss!
I am sure they will bring it back. It should have been in the release version, but surprisingly it is not. We definitely need it.
Can’t believe we still don’t have support for PNG. This was one of the reasons I bought Neo. I certainly hope they will add this functionality ASAP!
hi Michel and yep I hope so too, it's used so often and I hope they can add it soon
@@JimNix this feature is now a must, especially since Skylum removed sky enhancements. Cheers Jim. Really appreciate your videos.
@@Mimiclobster yes I hope it comes back too 🤞🏻
@@JimNix Skylum has an interactive demo on their Luminar Neo page that seems to demo exactly that feature with a moon object. Not only is the object’s background is transparent but it automatically slides behind objects, i.e. branch when moved. Can you provide some insights on this? Thx in advance.
@@Mimiclobster haha yep I noticed that too, so I suspect they will support this in the future but I don't have any info at this time
So thankful for this and all your videos. Really explained well howw little you can do at the present. Lets hope this improves with further updates
thanks much for watching Kris!
Anyone accustomed to how layers works in previous versions of Luminar, or any version of Lightroom, will be disappointed in the current layers function in Neo. However, the ability to reuse each individual tools is very much like applying layers via each individual tool. It requires a much different workflow methodology than what went before, but much of the capabilities of "image layers" can be achieved by the "tool layers".
Hi Dan and thanks and for sure it is different than in Luminar 4. I hope it gets there though, because it worked well in L4. If we have that capability plus Mask AI, we could really be onto something. Thanks much.
@@JimNix Thanks Jim. I really appreciate your insight and all your videos.
@@danahrens7314 thanks so much for watching them
I would like to see a tutorial on blending layers and flattening imagen in Luminar Neo 1.14.0. Greetings Felipe
Ok thanks. I will do more with Layers in future videos. But right now there is no way to flatten them. The layers functionality needs more controls.
Another great video myfriend have a good sunday, adios.
haha thanks much Pedro!
Nice sharing 👍🏻
thanks for watching
Thanks Jim for the clear explanation
thank you for watching Barry!
Thanks Jim!
thank you for watching
I'm pretty sure Skylum is going to a subscription model on NEO, and I've made the difficult decision to bail. I asked for a refund. L-AI and L-4 work just fine for my needs (I don't do portraits, and I have Photoshop CS6 for removing dust spots and wires and replacing backgrounds). We'll see what the future brings, but I prefer to own software, not rent it. I may take another look at NEO in the future, but I'm out for now.
Hi Theo, I totally get that and hate to see you go. But I understand. Thanks for following along all this time and wishing you well.
Thanks for your work Jim.
thank you for watching
Other reviewers are hammering Neo hard. They have many negative things to say about it.Matt Suess is the biggest detractor. When I first bought 4 and AI, they did not include Canon R5 support for raw and I was upset. They fixed the issue but it took some time. I believe Neo was released too early. They over promised and under delivered. They promised layers and what they call layers is a joke at this point. I hope it gets better. Actually, I am pretty sure it will get better. Matt in his video was having some huge lag and wait times (Performance issues with M1)on his video that I do not have on my 3 year old 4 core intel laptop. He was using an apple M1. What are you using? I am curious because it may be that Neo is not M1 native and that is causing his slowness.
I do believe it will get better but regardless I am getting a lot of questions about layers, and wanted to show how they work and of course I pointed out what we are missing in layers. It is definitely very limited at this time. It's basically an overlay function and that's all. I am using an Intel-based Mac from a year or so ago, and honestly Neo is working really well on it. But I have heard of others having performance issues.
@@JimNix Hi Jim thanks again for your informative video on layers. For information It’s not performance issues I.m having but memory issues. It’s behaving like the original and version 4 on my 2017 MBPro 15” with 16 gigs of memory. I get notifications from Clean my Mac X that memory is almost full. Never got this for the AI version. And on V4 the fans where on most of the time but no fans on Neo. Weird! Will let Skylum know if it continues, meanwhile Neo is much nicer to use then all the other versions. Cheers
@@victorcarmelo8606 ok thanks and good to know, and limited fans in Neo for me too (although I didn't realize that until you said it ha) and glad you are enjoying Neo so far
that is awesome!! thank you jim .explained it very well.
thanks so much Patrick
Currently, the only way I did was to export the merged picture into Tif format and tune it in Luminar 4.
yep for sure works, although we really need to be able to do all that in Neo without exporting
Thanks for demonstrating layers in Neo. I can see I deleted Luminar 4 too soon. I did an image of multiple images of my grandson sitting around the living room using layers in L4. I don't think I can do that in Neo yet.
hi Geoff, thanks much for watching, and yeah doing that in Neo at this time would be really hard, if not impossible - I am hopeful this tool gets better functionality so it gives us true creative freedom
Many are assuming Skylum will eventually add adjustments layering functionality like in Luminar 4, but considering Skylum’s history of giving us a feature in one version then taking it away in the next, it wouldn’t surprise me for them to release a completely new product for layering adjustments as either an adjunct or charge for the next Luminar AI+(or whatever they call it). Of course that product will be missing features from previous products too! Do I sound disappointed? No, I am downright disgusted with their marketing practices!
Hi Markham and thanks for the feedback. Yes, this launch could have been better. And yes the product should have more of the basic features in it. I know they are working on an update that will make up some of that, but I am not sure what and when. As I learn more, I will share here.
Great video Jim. Neo is coming along nicely. It’s a great stand alone product now and will only get better. Looking forward to the day that Neo will actually host plug-ins too.
thanks much Kevin and yes hosting plugins will be a huge win once we get there - thanks!
Great review .... they really have to get the "merge layer" into the program soon. But I do like this program .....
thanks much and yes we need a lot more functions to make it a true layer tool
Hi Jim, really loving your videos. Just purchased Neo, so I am finding your new video series a great help. Any chance you could do a video on a Ansel Adams style black and white?
Thanks Andrew and yes I will be doing that for sure. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jim thanks for your series of enlightening ,easily absorbing and helpful tutorials on Luminar Ai and Neo. I have really learnt a lot on how to use the applications. Please can you help me on how to use Luminar Neo to switch on light bulbs and give it a natural glowing spread. Thanks in advance.
Thanks Kareem and I appreciate it. For switching on lights, I would use the Sunrays filter and then adjust to taste. Unfortunately you cannot duplicate it so you have to recreate for each light you want to turn on. Hope that helps.
So disappointed with the layers function or lack thereof. However your videos remain great and always gives me another perspective on how to edit with NEO, and all past Luminar versions. Many thanks Jim!
thanks much Mark and yes layers is not what we want or need, so I am hoping that gets addressed in an update so we can really use it more flexibly - thank you for watching!
"Hey guys, thanks for stopping by, and if you're new here I'm Jim."
What if I'm not new here? Who are you?
LOL, I guess I'm still Jim. Or you can call me Rocco.
nice explanation thanks. One year later and still no adjustment layers 😞 If I could at least copy adjustments. It's rellay dumb if I start out with a effects preset, insert a layer to create or modify e.g. a person in the picture, it looks totally different and there seems to be no way to adjust the new layer except to copy each and every effect and its settings.
This is why I have recently started using Luminar as a plugin to ON1 Photo Raw. It has layers with all the whistles and bells. What I was hopping for from Luminar Neo was the ability to have multiple instances of adjustments which it has. Unfortunately this is a extremely bad user interface. I want to see the adjustment history stack at the adjustment layer including the ability to add a new instance at the adjustment level instead of needing to jump the the history. The real power that Luminar as a plugin to ON1 is the adjustments that deal with depth awareness.
BTW great video!
Thanks Craig and yep layers in Neo is really limited. On1 is fantastic, and I use that one too. I am hopeful they improve this functionality in Neo so we can get more done with it. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed this one.
Hi Jim, does Aurora HDR work with Luminar Neo please? Am so glad you are providing your usual in depth excellent tuition. Thanks and Regards JB
Hi JB and thanks. Right now you can send files over to Aurora, but when finished there you have to export and re-import to Neo to further edit the file. I have asked about true plugin functionality for Aurora HDR but no clear answers yet. I also suspect they may be trying to reimagine how these two work together in some interesting fashion, but that is just a guess. So, not sure how this is going to shake out. Thanks.
As always great review. I only heard about AI and NEO when I stumbled upon your channel a year ago. I bought both products and coming from Photoshop. It feels underwhelming right now but I am hopeful it gets better in next update.
Hi Andre and thanks, and yes it's a little underwhelming right now but I agree, once updates are out etc it will hopefully be much more robust. thanks!
I’m still puzzled with Skylum’s release of an unfinished product and I’ve yet to download my copy of Neo for that very reason.
Hey TC, yeah it is working well for me honestly, although I agree it is unfinished. My first look video pointed out everything that is missing, and in this video I show what we are missing with layers. So depending on what you need, you may want to wait and download later. Thanks for watching.
@@JimNix I think we all need layers and I wouldn’t call what Neo has “layers.” Honestly, I think Luminar AI is the better product. When I need layers I switch to Photoshop anyway. And I will give you credit for staying positive regarding Luminar Neo (I’m guessing it’s more because you are an affiliate.) Thanks Jim, my dismay is not at all directed at you, however, you are a sounding board by default. 😎👍🏻😎
@@TC_Conner yes as it stands this is a basic overlay function. I am positive about the direction of Neo (and yes I am positive by nature). If they can fulfill the promises, it will be amazing. But I am unhappy that the product is missing so much. It's not about being an affiliate. I'm not even asking people to buy in my videos. I'm not trying to convince anyone. I'm not saying it's amazing. I'm just trying to educate. There are a lot of questions and I am trying to show what is possible and what is not, due to missing features.
@@JimNix Do you reckon Skylum is hearing any of this dissatisfaction? What feedback have you given them? Are you blunt with them? “Hey guys, your release of Neo stinks!” 😂😎😂
@@TC_Conner haha I think they are well aware and yes we are all blunt with them. Lots of feedback about missing features etc.
Thanks Jim. I do wonder how much testing Skylum do before releasing a product. I tried adding a layer and it didn't work. No texture, just the placeholder showing. I didn't want to make any adjustments to the original image but I made a minor change and then tried adding a layer. That worked! Just basic principals software testing should have discovered that bug
Hmm that is odd and yeah you shouldn't have to adjust it first to get a layer to work. Although I just tried it and I could add a layer just fine without any adjustments to the base photo. Thanks for sharing.
Buenos dia Jim para el problema que comentas sobre la rasterizacion de las capas una vez terminado de realizar los ajustes deseados, prueba a volver en ese instante al catalogo, ahi te saldra una version rasterizada, ademas se soluciona el problema de la exportacion de la foto que en editar no puedes hacerlo y una vez en el catalogo si que te deja hacerlo. Espero que éste en lo cierto por lo menos es lo que yo he podido investigar enredeando un poco. Un saudo desde España
Great video controls look limiting as you said but still more logical than ps. One thing I don't like is the way the highlighted photo in catalogues an edit screen shows through round the edges what's wrong with a neutral grey background this is distracting and no good for colour accuracy ? If luminar want to be thought of as serious editing tool then the basics have to right first it seems they like to run before they can walk this program seems very raw to me .
Thanks, Jim! I’m starting to use NEO a bit more now because of your helpful videos. I still use L4 more. Has Skylum updated the layers capabilities yet? Thanks!
no adjustment layers?? uh oh. this feels VERY early. In addition to adjustment layers we will also want to see grouped layers and a way to link adjustment layers to specific layers/layer groups.
Yep it's missing quite a lot unfortunately. Hopefully they add lots more capability to layers so it can really be a powerful tool for us. Thanks for watching.
just watched this one 6/3/2022 neo has really updated since this video (2/20/2022)! can you possibly make a new one with all the new stuff with texture layers?
Thanks much Adrian and I am looking into some new layers videos. I appreciate the suggestion!
@@JimNix yay! cant wait!
Thanks for the video. Very excited about the updated layers and the background removal tool. Just wondering. Any idea when or how long we will have to wait for updates?
hi Frank and thanks for watching, but no I do not have any idea when we will be getting an update to Neo - as soon as I learn more I will share it here of course - thank you
Jim thanks for the video. I have a problem with loading the same raw image in the layers. I load the base layer but when hitting the plus to add layer it takes me to the folder on my desktop but the raw file used does not show. How do i get more than 1 in the my images. Thanks for all your videos
Hi Kris and thanks, and right now it does not accept raw files, so that is why it does not show. I believe that will be added in a future update but not entirely sure, but sure seems reasonable. Thanks.
Jim another great tutorial - not sure how easy this would be - is it be possible to come up with a NEO equivilent for Lightroom? I am not a heavy Lr user but do watch Lr editing video's (eg. Kenneth Hines) on how photographers tweak their photo's. example: Lr Texture, Clarity etc. what's the equiv in NEO? Big ask I know but just a thought
where did "fast fix" preset come from ?
It is included in Neo, in the Scenery category on the presets tab.
hi Jim, i am having a hard time using layers on luminar neo, i have an image i am editing when i click to add a layer nothing happen. any explanation why please?
Hi there and sorry, I am not sure why this would happen. Your best bet is to check with support and see if they can help. Sounds like an odd error is happening.
Thank you for the update on layers Jim. Can we merge layers by exporting the layers as a Tiff and then bringing the merged picture back into Neo to edit?
Hi Craig and thanks, and sure you could export the photo and then reimport to keep working on it. But my hope is that this all gets fixed so we don't have to do that sort of thing etc. I appreciate it.
I can't use overlays panel before upscale luminar neo to 1.10.0 version.
Hi Jam, I got this video "NEO Layers" but for me, I think Luminar 4 layers better than that. because the Luminar 4 layers clear , you can edit many things on it, Now NEO layer already had some patten on it. then will NEO Layer can do as Luminar 4 layers?
Thank you for your note, and waiting for new lessons.
Hi John and thanks, and yes layers in Luminar 4 is more advanced. I hope they enhance the feature in Neo because we really need full layers control and capability. We will learn more soon. Thanks!
Brilliant
thanks for watching!
Thanks for listing the gotchas, Jim. I suspect it was the layers functionality that held up the release of Neo. Something must be going on since they had all the capabilities in L4. So are you saying that there is no Neo equivalent of the Adjustment Layer in Luminar AI?
Hi Carl and correct, there is not an equivalent to that in Neo, at least at this time. I suspect they will need to add it. It just makes sense to have it, and we need it too.
Could you use the Relight tool to do this?
Can you add an image say of a person to your photo using the layers?
Yes, but it would need to be a transparent PNG in order to blend out the background easily. Thanks.
hey Jim,nice explanation,like you,i hope they will update to a all tool working model in the future,otherwise my 2 seats i bought are dissapointing at least,lucky i have affinity photo,and even for the creative tools i still have topaz studio 2
but i thought that neo ould have it all,for the moment it has (significantly) less
hi Ronny and thanks and yes I agree I am hopeful that Neo gets all the updates and features it needs so we can really take advantage of the power - I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for all of your clear and helpful videos. I'm trying to figure out a way to add a white border to a photo within Neo. One way (I think) would be to create an all white image and use it as the base layer, then bring in my actual photo on top of that and resize it until I had the desired sized border showing from underneath. Would this work? Is there an easier way? I don't have Photoshop. Thanks!
Hi Judy and thanks for watching, and yes I think your idea would work just fine. Seems logical to me. There are also some frames you can buy or find for free online that you could use as an overlay in the layers panel. thanks!
Another words ... WHAT A MESS!!!! What happened to inserting objects?! That was PRECIOUS!!!!
You can insert an object via layers now, so that tool didn't come over from Luminar AI.
Thank you Jim for your video. In Luminar AI I have added many textures of my own.. Can you tell us how we can import such textures into Luminar NEO ? Thanks
Thanks. Excellent video. A problem I face with layer is when I try to use the "same image" as a layer for background or foreground adjustments I am unable to add the "same image in RAW format" as new layer. The image I can add as layer is a JPEG or TIFF. Is this is another problem in NEO or am I missing something? Will be great to hear your advice.
You are correct, it does not accept raw files right now. But I believe it will at some point, but I don't know when.
Thanks Jim. As usual, great explanation. I would assume you can export as PSD to merge layers and then edit the entire flattened image without losing control of the layers permanently?
Thanks James and yes you could export and then import again to continue editing if you wanted to. Your original image would still have the layers (assuming you are using the catalog) but your image that you exported/re-imported would just be a flat image, no layers. It would just be the combined image. And then you could edit from there. Thanks.
Thank you for the info - I am hoping that either Neo, 4 or Aurora will have something so that I can stack exposures and do those amazing multi long exposure star trails. I don't use LR or photoshop at all so I need my Skylum software to be all encompassing :)
thanks for watching Leah and yeah that would be great if we could do that in Neo someday
Hi Jim, thanks for this tutorial. I am not all that enthusiastic about Neo's layers as is, I don't have much use for it. Am I right in assuming, that using one (or more) of the tools multiple times, e.g. the light tool, is leaning much more to layering as Neo's current layers?
Hi Hans and thanks and yes the layers function needs more capability to make it more useful. The ability to reuse a tool multiple times is sort of like an adjustment layer in my mind, albeit an adjustment layer with just one tool on it. Thanks.
I can't get the presets in Luminar Neo work. please can you give a tutorial on how to use presets in Luminar Neo
how do you remove/delete a layer. Right clicking on layer does nothing Thanks for the help
Hi William and for me I just right click on it, and have the option to delete a layer. Perhaps check with support if that is not an option for you. Thanks.
@@JimNix Does work. Seem like others are having same issue. thanks for quick reply
should have said, does not work, sorry
@@wwishman hmm ok then I guess check with support bc it works just fine here
Is Luminar Neo useful for those who are already quite familiar with Photoshop? I am one of such and was told (more like ordered) to try this and seeing too many dead ends. So far, I've seen NOTHING better than Photoshop.
I guess it depends on what you want/need from an editor. Luminar Neo is powerful and fun, and using AI makes some more complex edits easier. It is a much shorter learning curve than PS, which wouldn't matter to you though. But it could save you time on certain things. You could always download a trial and test it out. It does not do everything that PS does though. It's not really aimed at the same audience.
@@JimNix Thanks for the reply. I got bombarded with background removal of women's complex hair images. PS is doing a good job, but it takes so much time. Another use is I work on images that require print then adjust, repeat on 100s of images. I must be able to adjust how much effect is applied after a few days. I hope I can stay with PS.... lol.
@@cpprinting8590 yeah the portrait background removal is coming and it looks great but I don't have my hands on it yet. And yeah if you are happy with PS, no need to move. The best way to compare is to trial Neo of course, if you are interested.
@@JimNix Ah, we already have purchased Luminar Neo. It was a very frustrating experience to me, but boss has belief it would speed up the process. I strongly disagree. Thanks for the help.
@@cpprinting8590 oh I see. I guess it depends on what you are trying to speed up vs how you do that in PS now (which it sounds you obviously know well).
No stacking options. Neo is not meant for that kind of work. If you are not using any Adobe products, I suggest Affinity Photo. It has many stacking features.
Yep as I say here, layers is really limited. For sure Affinity is good for this as in On1 and others. Thanks.
Hi Lysander. No offense but by marketing Neo with layers capabilities, the assumption would be that it is indeed meant for that kind of work. It's yet another reason why so many who've purchased this software are disappointed. And you're absolutely correct about Affinity Photo. It's a great piece of software given the price and the fact that as yet, there's no ongoing subscription fees.
@@tompatton2086 Cool. I agree. Skylum seems to have problems with product definition and implementation. I am a long-time user and every release seems to be chaotic. If you need layers then Neo is not it right now/ I really wish they kept developing Creative Kit plugins. They would have more success.
Can the composite be exported as a TIF, then brought back in to do adjustments on?
Looks like Copy adjustment feature is miussing in Neo.
yes it is, and I mentioned that in my first look video but for sure we need that added in
@@JimNix Its really usefull for example in wild life photography where u end up taking number of shots of subject while everything else remains the same.
@@YogeshKolte yep that makes perfect sense
My question is. If I create three layers to work on the effects, when I finish which one I export.
If all 3 are turned on, the export should include the combined product.
Thank you for your explanations I notice you applied a preset. Now this is my question I edited a photo with develop and so on I have luminar 4 so I thought to add a preset and lost All my edits, extremely frustrating. Then obviously need to learn how to add my own layers. Thank you for all you do without your tutorials i would send it back in a heartbeat and just be happy with luminar 4 and Affinity Photo. Thanks again.
If I recall correctly in various comments for Jim's tutorials and some others it seems that presets have to be done before other edits. I also don't think one can edit a preset. I have done an uninstall of the program as we Windows users are still left in the cold. Creating a Library is hopeless for a large number of images and so far I have not been able to find a method of doing an edit of an image in the Explorer file structure. Still hoping that a Windows user will advise of a method or comment that it can't be done.
Hi Jim, When we add a custom layer, where does it gets saved inside the Mac folders? Reason is, after I added a layer file, the Luminar Neo keeps crashing. Unable to start it.
You should be able to right click on the layer and "show in finder". Thanks.
Plus, at this time you cannot add RAW layers .
Yep, that's correct.
For now I suppose I can do an export add then import the exported image as a layers
So Templates have been renamed Presets, and our previously purchased Templates are not compatible with Neo, I'm understanding this correctly?
I am unable to remove layers when practicing. I've right clicked on the layer but it does nothing. I'm using a mac, can you tell what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Linton and that is odd, because I can right click and get the option to remove them. I am not sure what to suggest, sorry.
Hey, Jim… Is it just me or are several of the sliders sluggish in Luminar Neo? Enhance, structure, and many others are very very sluggish. I’m assuming this will be corrected in future updates.
Hi Ed, for me Neo has been quicker overall. Every now and then I notice a slider is a little slower, but it never lasts long. I would say it is quicker than AI overall in my experience thus far.
@@JimNix Have you been told when the next update will become available?
@@edrambeau1534 I have seen some mention of March but nothing official yet
Where is fast fix preset?
well, once again fancy functions but not essential ones ! So I continue ti stick to Luminar 4 !
totally understand that Pierre and I am hopeful that Neo gets updated to make it all it is capable of being
I feel like the only real layering tool that's done right was in Luminar 4. The layering is so basic that it can't even layer other raw images... just JPEG.
Yes it was better in L4 for sure. Hopefully they fix that in Neo so we get a real layers tool. We will see. Thanks for watching!
Hi JIm. Great video! I am brand new to using neo. I have a question. As a workaround, can these overlayed two images be exported back into Lightroom (I use neo as a plug-in) as a single image, and then send that new image back into neo to be able to make additional edits to the entire merged image? Does this make sense?
Hi Scott and thanks, and that should work (haven't tried it, but that's how a plugin works so it's logical). My point here is that we need to be able to do that in Luminar without another round trip. But for sure there are ways around it, even if they aren't ideal. Thanks for watching.
@@JimNix thanks Jim. Always love your educational and instructive videos. Yes, agree that being able to have those additional functions within Luminar Neo will make it much much better!
@@scott16151 thanks much for watching
I preordered my own copy in December. Having been said there were going to be 2 main updates after the release date I pressumed the final release on the day would be final. It seems like it is still on the trial version and those 2 updates will be the repairs. Shame on Skylum. Anyway, it's not bad app, but worth 29.99 whatever currency you might think of. Layers look like those in Photoshop ver.2 . Why should I struggle with aligning blending etc when I can do bracketing with 1 click in Lightroom? !
Hi there and yep the layer function is missing some key features. I know there are updates coming but I am not sure if any of it will impact layers. The upcoming releases they talk about include new features like Mask AI etc. And for sure, if it's easier and more complete elsewhere, no need to use layers here.
@@JimNix I owned luminar 2018/ 3/ 4 and now NEO. And I say NO MORE.
@@marioplus321 same here Mario,if they dont make their app useable,and still keep boasting its the best,then i will rather buy corel paintshop pro,they also have begun with AI,they were the ones that started with the red removal line,wich blended pixels from all around the line,we shall see
@@marioplus321 totally get that
@@ronnyb5890 hi Ronny! It's a joke what they are doing. Cheating, I'd say. I'm questioning myself: what do I need luminar for if I'm a regular user of Lightroom?
Hey Jim. I'm very disappointed with this release of Luminar Neo. Skylum has two winners, albeit different programs, in Luminar 4 and Luminar AI and I was hoping Neo would be a culmination of the two programs with AI taking the lead. This release is nowhere close to that and is IMHO very underwhelming given all the hype since last fall. I hope they get Neo sorted out quickly as right now it is a bit of a dud.
Hi Stephen, thanks for the feedback and you are not alone. Neo, at launch, isn't what I hoped it would be, sadly. It's missing some basic stuff that we really need. I am hopeful that they can get us an update so it really can fulfill its promise, because I think it has the possibility to be amazing. thank you for watching!
Hi Jim,
I realise that there is a commercial connection between eg USA and Kviv Ukraine for Skylum for Luminar Neo. The issue that concerns me, is should the unexpected arrive and Kviv falls to the Russian army, what happens to personal accounts including fees for Luminar from credit cards?
I look forward to your reply, Thanks and Regards Joe
Hi Joe and not to worry, they have infrastructure and people already set up and working in other countries, so things will continue forward normally in that regard. There will likely be delays on new features etc but I would not worry about fees paid, credit cards, etc. Thanks.
@Jim Nix thanks Jim. It also occurred to my wife and me, that we can buy through Microsoft store hence avoiding risk yet still buying Skylum products.
@@JoeB_BSc oh right that is another way to do it thanks
In reality this should not be called layers. It's a texture tool, nothing more, nothing less. Adjustment layers, Luminosity masks, Color masks are all missing, so all you can do is an overlay at the moment. That software misses more than it provides at the moment.
hi Jens, thanks for watching and yes it is very limited as I show here - I am hopeful this gets corrected because as it stands it is not a full layer tool
luminar neo database open failed
help mi sair
You will have to email their support team for assistance. I don't know how to fix that. Thanks.
It looks like they have a great product but not a very good business plan given that they have to release products in stages before they are ready to keep the cash flow positive. I wish them the best and pray they can keep ahead of the cash flow monster. I really, really like their products. I would hate for them to go insolvent.
thanks Frank and while I do not think there are any cash flow problems, I do wish this release would have had more of the basics included - hopefully the first update covers a lot of that for us
This half-baked release just makes your job more difficult. It's going to be hard to develop a good workflow if NEO keeps changing. Matt Suess has done a devastating review.
Hi Robert and yes it's been a challenging release for sure. Hopefully they provide an update that adds in lots of missing features etc. Yep Matt and I have talked about it a few times already. 😀
@@JimNix Thanks Jim !!
@@robertmeyerson1618 thank you