BCC+ Beauty Studio

Category: BCC Image Restoration

Effect Name: BCC+ Beauty Studio

The BCC+ Beauty Studio effect, part of the BCC Image Restoration category, is a digital makeup tool designed to enhance facial close-ups by smoothing skin tones and removing unwanted imperfections such as wrinkles, blemishes, and pores. This advanced filter builds on the original Beauty Studio filter and includes a streamlined workflow for isolating and treating facial features with high precision. Additionally Pixel Chooser with integrated Mocha includes tools to generate geometric shapes, gradient mattes, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model. Integrated Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, use advanced machine learning to generate and track masks.

The effect operates in two main stages:

1. Matte Generation – Create an isolation mask that targets skin tones.
2. Skin Smoothing – Apply multi-level smoothing to refine the skin surface while maintaining natural texture.

Optional integrated color correction tools allow you to fine-tune hue, saturation, and brightness, either globally or restricted to the isolated skin-tone matte.

Quick Start Guide to Using the Effect

Step 1: Create the Matte

• Begin by isolating skin tones using the Matte controls, which are color-based by default.
• Use the Color A and Color B parameters to sample typical mid-range skin tones. Avoid highlights and shadows.
• Fine-tune the matte using the Hue Softness, Saturation Softness, and Luma Softness parameters.
• Use the Matte view mode for accurate visualization while refining.

Step 2: Apply Smoothing

• Adjust the Master Amount and individual detail levels to control smoothing across five levels of image detail.
• Use lower smoothing for small details (e.g., pores) to prevent an overly airbrushed appearance.
• Apply higher smoothing to large details to reduce blotches and highlight inconsistencies.
• Use Preserve Contrast to maintain definition and avoid flattening facial features.

Working with the Filter

FX Editor and Presets

• Use the FX Editor to load or save presets for reuse.
• To load a preset: Open the FX Editor, select a preset from the Presets panel, and click Apply to return to the host application.
• To save a custom preset: While in the FX Editor, click the Create Custom Preset icon in the parameter list, enter a preset name, and click Done. Additionally, a custom preset can be saved from the main menu bar by selecting File->Save Preset.
• To import custom presets from another drive: While in the FX Editor, select File->Import Preset from the main menu bar.

Effect Controls

Mocha Mask and Track

Continuum effects include integrated masking and matte tools that allow you to restrict the effect to specific regions of the image.

• Mocha masks: used to create custom spline masks. Mocha also includes Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, which use machine learning to generate and track masks.
• Pixel Chooser: used to generate geometric shapes, gradients, or mattes based on channel, luma, or color-based selections. Additionally, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model allow for precise control of masks and mattes.

For more information, see Mocha and Pixel Chooser.

Compare Mode

The Compare Mode is used to view the filtered result alongside the original source layer. Several split-screen and side-by-side display options are available.

For more information, see Compare Mode.

• View Sets the viewer to display different aspects of the filter.
  • Output: Displays the final result of the effect.
  • Matte: Displays the matte for refinement.

  Smoothing Group

  Controls the application of smoothing across multiple detail levels:

  • Master AmountGlobal smoothing intensity (100–200 recommended for aggressive smoothing).
  • Smooth Smallest DetailsAffects 1x1 pixel areas (preserve fine features).
  • Smooth Small / Medium / Large / Largest DetailsGradually affects broader image features.
  • QualityChoose Fast for quick previews or Precise for final output.
  • Details LevelSets how many detail layers are used.
  • Preserve ContrastRetains original contrast in smoothed regions.
  • Detail ScaleAdjusts smoothing scale, useful for controlling shine.

  Color Matte Group

  Used to define the isolation matte based on color keying:

  • Enable MatteActivates the matte and related controls.
  • Color A / Color BSelect representative mid-tone skin colors.
  • Hue / Saturation / Luma SoftnessRefine matte range.
  • Clip Black / Clip White / GammaModify matte contrast.
  • Choke:Chokes the edges of the matte.
  • BlurBlur the matte.
  • Invert MatteInverts the matte selection.

  Face ML Group

  The AI powered BCC+ Face ML feature automatically finds faces in the filtered source and generates segmented mask shapes for common facial features such as lips, eyes, etc. Individual mask shapes are tracked for segmented facial features without the need for any user input.

  • Enable:Used to enable/disable the Face ML feature.
  • Model:Used to select the AI / ML model
  • All: generates a mask for the entire face
  • Skin: generates a mask for the skin (only on the face)
  • Eyebrow Left: generates a mask for the left eyebrow
  • Eyebrow Right: generates a mask for the right eyebrow
  • Eye Left: generates a mask for the left eye
  • Eye Right: generates a mask for the right eye
  • Lip Top: generates a mask for the top lip
  • Lip Bottom: generates a mask for the bottom lip
  • Mouth: generates a mask for the mouth interior
  • Teeth: generates a mask for the teeth
  • Beard: generates a mask for the beard and/or mustache

  Matte Tools

  These parameters control the edge of the returned mask shapes.

  • Enable:Use to enable the parameters that are in this group.
  • Feather:Use to feather the edge of the mask shapes.
  • Feather Bias:Use to set the center point of the feathering along the edge of the mask. A negative value pushes the feather toward the outside of the mask, thereby expanding the mask shape. A positive value pushes the feather toward the inside of the mask shape, causing the mask to contract.
  • Choke:Use the Choke parameter to expand or contract the mask. Note that this option will eat into the mask feather.
  • Dilation Quality:Use to set the quality of the mask dilation.
    • Fast
    • High
  • Dilation:Use the Dilation parameter to expand or contract the mask while preserving the feathered edge.
  • Post Blur:A final optional blur pass for the mask shapes applied after the other matte adjustments.
  • Invert Matte:Click to invert the mask shapes.

  Color Correct Group

  Controls an optional color correction pass which can be applied either before or after the masking.

  • Enable:Used to enable/disable the Color Correction parameter controls.
  • Use Matte:When enabled, confines the color correction to within the skin-tone matte.
  • Hue:Used rotate the hue of the image.
  • Saturation:Used to increase or decrease the color saturation of the image.
  • Brightness:Used to increase or decrease the brightness of the image.
  • Contrast:Used to increase or decrease the contrast of the image.
  • Gamma:Adjusts the gamma of the image. The gamma adjustment leaves the white and black points the same and only modifies the values in-between. Positive values lighten the midtones, negative values darken the midtones.
  • Temperature:Sets the color of the image to be either warmer or cooler. Dragging the slider to the right makes the image cooler (bluer) and dragging the slider to the left makes the image warmer (redder).
  • Cyan/Magenta:Adds either Cyan or Magenta to the image. Dragging the slider to the right makes the image more magenta and dragging the slider to the left makes the image more cyan.
  • Red:Adds or subtracts red from the image.
  • Green:Adds or subtracts green from the image.
  • Blue:Adds or subtracts blue from the image.

  Glow Group

  • Enable:Used to enable/disable the Glow parameter controls.
  • Use Matte:When enabled, confines the glow to within the skin-tone matte.
  • Blend:Determines the blend mode to be used to create the glow effect.
    • Add: The glow is added to your image.
    • Screen: The glow is combined with the image using a Screen blend mode. This looks kind of like the Add blend mode, but highlights are retained.
  • Brightness:Sets the intensity of the glow.
  • Color:The Color parameter sets the color of the glow through the use of a standard color picker. The default color is white.
  • Blur:Sets the softness of the glow.
  • Threshold:Set the pixel values that are affected by the glow.
  • Mix with Original: Blends the source and filtered images. Use this parameter to animate the effect from the unfiltered to the filtered image without adjusting other settings, or to reduce the effect of the filter by mixing it with the source image.
  • GPU Rendering:Specifies how the effect is rendered.
    • Default: Uses product-wide default of 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
    • 16 Bit Float: Manually force 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
    • 32 Bit Float: Manually force 32 bit full-float GPU rendering.
    • Disabled: Forces CPU rendering.