1. Import a depth map and select a layer
Open the editor on a desktop-sized screen. Use New for a new project and import your depth-map image. Keep an original copy so you can compare edits and return to the source.
Select the layer you want to edit. Adjustments affect the selected layer; they are not global settings for every image in the project. If you need AI to infer shape from a photo, generate a depth map first.
Inspect the image and 3D surface before changing parameters. Decide whether the problem is noise, height range, a local defect or composition: each needs a different control.
2. Arrange the layers and correct the background
Move, resize, rotate and crop layers to compose the depth map. Use text and artwork layers when adding lettering or decorative elements. Check layer order: what is below a translucent layer changes the final grayscale image.
Use background removal when unwanted background should become transparent. This differs from making a background black: transparency reveals the layer or canvas below, while black is a grayscale height value.
Inspect thin edges and lettering after composition changes. The eventual raised or recessed direction depends on the 3D height mapping and Invert settings, so confirm it in the preview.
3. Adjustments — Cleanup: Smart Denoise and Detail Protection
Start with the Cleanup controls when the relief has small speckles or an uneven surface. Increase Smart Denoise gradually and compare the same area in 2D and 3D.
Use the two controls together: Smart Denoise controls the amount of smoothing, while Detail Protection controls how much edge structure survives. High smoothing can remove fine lettering or texture; strong protection can leave unwanted noise around edges.
| Control / range | What it changes | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Denoise — 0–200 | Reduces speckles and surface noise. 0 disables this smoothing; higher values apply stronger smoothing. | Increase until distracting noise is reduced, then stop before intended surface texture disappears. |
| Detail Protection — 0–100 | Protects relief edges and small features during Smart Denoise. 0 uses full-surface smoothing; higher values preserve more structure. | Increase when letter edges or facial features become too soft. It is not a separate sharpening control and does not smooth by itself when Smart Denoise is 0. |
Adjustments — Tone: Black point, White point, Midtone and Contrast
Black point and White point define the input grayscale range to remap. Values below the black point become black; values above the white point become white before later adjustments. Keep the white point above the black point.
Midtone reshapes the levels between these endpoints. Contrast expands or compresses differences around the middle level. Make small changes and inspect slopes: greater tonal separation may also make a relief more abrupt.
Normalize protection can rescale the adjusted result, so the final brightness may differ from a simple levels-only comparison. Keep its state consistent while comparing settings.
| Control / UI range | Effect | Use / tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Black point — 0–0.95 | Raising it darkens the mapped image and clips more low input levels to black. | Useful for lowering unwanted shallow background variation; too high can flatten recessed detail. |
| White point — 0.05–1 | Lowering it brightens the mapped image and clips more high input levels to white. | Useful for expanding a limited source range; too low can flatten bright detail. |
| Midtone — 0.1–4 | 1 is neutral. Values above 1 brighten intermediate levels; values below 1 darken them before later processing. | Reshape the middle of the height distribution without changing the levels endpoints directly. |
| Contrast — −100–100 | 0 is neutral. Positive values increase separation; negative values compress it. | Increase for weak separation, decrease for overly abrupt transitions. Clipping can erase fine height differences. |
Adjustments — Invert, Normalize protection and Opacity
These controls change how the adjusted image is mapped or combined. Invert changes height direction; Opacity changes the layer’s contribution. Neither is equivalent to changing the physical thickness of the whole relief.
| Control | Effect | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Invert | Reverses the adjusted grayscale values before normalization. | Use when the light/dark height direction is opposite to your intended relief. Check the 3D result and avoid unintentionally inverting again in the 3D tool. |
| Normalize protection | Rescales the adjusted visible range toward a protected near-white maximum rather than full white. For 8-bit grayscale the protected maximum is 254/255. | Useful when keeping the output normalization convention matters. Turn it off for direct tone output; it can counteract a brightness change and is not a geometry repair tool. |
| Opacity — 0–100% | Blends the selected layer with the layers or canvas below it. 100% is fully opaque; 0% hides its contribution. | Use for layered compositions and transitions. It is not a direct relief-depth slider. |
4. Local Edit, Reset and before/after comparison
For a defect confined to one area, select an unlocked raster image layer and choose Local Edit. Select the area in Local Adjustments and refine it there, then send the changes back to the main editor. Local Edit is unavailable for a locked layer or a vector layer.
Use Reset to restore the selected layer’s adjustment defaults, and Undo or Redo to step through edits. Hold for before temporarily shows the before view while you hold the button; release it to return to the adjusted view.
For a noisy portrait, first balance Smart Denoise and Detail Protection across the layer, then correct any remaining problem areas locally. For weak lettering, check Black point, White point and Midtone before increasing Contrast. For overly steep transitions, reduce Contrast and inspect the shape before adding smoothing.
5. Review the edited relief in 3D
Open the 3D preview and inspect the surface from several angles. Recheck fine features, background height and transitions after changing the depth map. Wait for the updated surface before judging the latest edit.
Check the workspace save status and keep an exported copy before leaving. Cloud saving depends on your account and connection; do not assume a failed cloud-save status means the project is safely stored.
Set physical width and thickness in the 3D workflow and check the eventual model in your CAM application or slicer. A shaded preview alone cannot establish manufacturing suitability.
6. Export a grayscale depth image or 3D relief
Choose an image format supported by the next application, or Export 3D when you need relief geometry. Grayscale and color content have different export options. The editor’s STL and OBJ export requires an active membership and uses the current 3D Preview settings.
Higher-bit-depth export does not recover detail absent from the source. After export, inspect dimensions and height in CAM or a slicer before preparing the final job.
| Format | Use |
|---|---|
| 8-bit PNG | Broad compatibility; 256 representable grayscale levels. |
| 16-bit PNG | Lossless grayscale output for software that supports 16-bit images. |
| 16-bit TIFF | Height-field workflows in compatible CAM or image software. |
| 32-bit EXR | Floating-point height data for compatible 3D applications. |
| Export 3D — STL / OBJ | Relief geometry for a mesh-based workflow. Check the selected format and model dimensions after export. |
Common questions
How do I smooth a depth map without losing lettering?
Increase Smart Denoise gradually and use Detail Protection to retain letter edges. Compare the 3D surface after each change. If only one area needs correction, use Local Edit rather than smoothing the entire layer.
Why do Black point and White point remove detail?
They remap the selected input range. Input levels outside that range are clipped to the endpoints before later adjustments, so distinct depth values can become identical. Widen the range and compare again.
What is the difference between Midtone and Contrast in a depth map?
Midtone reshapes intermediate grayscale levels through a curve. Contrast expands or compresses differences around the middle level. Both change relative relief heights, but neither sets a physical depth in millimetres.
Why does a tone change look different with Normalize protection enabled?
Normalize protection rescales the adjusted visible range toward a protected near-white maximum. This can offset a brightness change. Keep the switch consistent when comparing settings or turn it off to examine the direct tone result.
Does lowering layer Opacity lower the whole relief uniformly?
No. Opacity blends the layer with what is below it. The resulting heights depend on both layers or the canvas, rather than on a single uniform depth offset.
Can I prepare a depth map for CNC carving, laser engraving or 3D printing?
Yes, you can edit the image and export a depth image or relief mesh. Prepare CNC toolpaths in CAM, laser process settings in your laser software, or a print job in a slicer; the editor does not generate those machine-specific instructions.