Hue is Creative Force's desktop application for internal photo retouching. With Hue integrated into internal retouching processes, teams are better able to manage their post-production workflows. Hue has two components: a standalone desktop app, where you can manage all of your tasks, and a Photoshop extension that allows you to manage the images while editing.
Getting Started
Once a task has been initiated from Hue, each related file will be opened in Photoshop. If at first you dont see the Task Panel, head to Plugins → Hue → then make sure the task panel is enabled.
Customize Panel
How the Task Panel appears can be customized via two different methods. To modify the physical dimensions of the panel, hover over the corner, then drag the selection horizontally and vertically to resize. The panel can also be dragged to float anywhere within your active screen.
Additionally, the panel can be customized via Hue Settings → Interface.
📗 Learn more: To learn more about the interface settings, please see our dedicated article on HUE settings found here.
Panel Components
In Hue, a section only renders on the task panel when that task carries the relevant data. This means that even if you have all components enabled, they may not necessarily appear for each task you are working on.
Component | Description |
Preset | The shooting/processing preset applied to the task |
Ghost Mannequin | Reference images/guidance for invisible mannequin shots. |
Resource Files | Supporting files attached to the task for the artist to use. |
Outfit Details | Details about the outfit/product being worked on. |
Color References | Reference images showing the correct product colors. |
Instructions | Written instructions for how the task should be completed. |
Color Change | Information for color-variant/recolor work. |
Rejection | Feedback and reasons when a task has been rejected in QC. |
Retouching Brief | The retouching guidelines/brief for the task. |
Creative Brief | The overall creative direction for the shoot/project. |
Good Examples | Reference images showing desired, on-target results. |
Bad Examples | Reference images showing what to avoid. |
📗 Learn more: To learn more and see examples of how the task panel changes when there is relevant data connected to each of the above components, see our related article here.
Panel Header
The top-most section of the panel is the panel header. Here, you can see information about all of your currently open tasks and more detailed information for the currently active task. Use the drop-down menu to switch between your currently open tasks.
Panel Actions
At the top right of the panel header is a 3-dot action menu that contains various functions. Each function is outlined in the table below.
Task Action | Function |
Check Reference Images | Prompt Hue to re-scan and surface any reference images tied to the task. |
Open All Files | Downloads (if needed) and opens every input file across the task's assets. |
Reveal in Finder | Opens the task's input folder on disk. |
Reveal in Bridge | Opens the output folder in Adobe Bridge (if installed) |
Re-start All Images | Wipes existing post-production work and re-downloads inputs to create fresh work files. Fires a destructive-action warning first ("cannot be undone"). |
Manage Permission | Clears the workspace folder access token (re-triggers folder permission). |
Flow Control | Opens the Flow Control pop-up to choose the task's next step in the workflow. |
Reject Task | Rejects the task back to the destination Step specified in the Workflow (if set in Workflow). |
Task Files
Below the Panel Header is the Task Files component, which shows all distinct files sent along with the task. Selecting a file here will switch to the respective image in Photoshop and change the 'Current File' component to reflect that it is actively selected.
Current Files
As mentioned above, the Current Files component is dynamic to what has been selected in the Task Files section. When a task file is selected as active, the options in this panel will change to be associated with that image.
File Actions
At the top right of the Current Files section is a 3-dot action menu that contains its own unique functions. Each potential function is outlined in the tables below.
The first two actions are static and will appear for all task files.
File Action | Function |
Copy Variant Output Name | Copies the expected output filename for this variant to your clipboard, so you can match the naming exactly elsewhere. |
Re-start Image | Wipes the specific asset's post-production work and restarts it from fresh inputs. Destructive– fires a "cannot be undone" warning before proceeding. |
The actions listed in the next table are dynamic and only appear when there is relevant information associated with the file.
File Action | Function |
Open Original Files | Opens the asset's original final-selection files (the assets chosen as selects) for reference or use. |
Open External Post Outputs | Opens the finished files returned from an external/vendor post-production house, so you can review or bring them into your workflow. |
Open Rejected Files | Opens the internal post-production files that were rejected in QC, so the retoucher can see exactly what was turned back. |
Open Input Files | Opens the raw input files, feeding this image (the source material to work from). |
Open Work Files | Opens the active working file (e.g. the layered PSD) so the artist can continue editing. |
Open Output Files | Opens the exported, finished output for this variant. |
Run Auto QA | Runs Creative Force's automated quality checks against the exported output (dimensions, color profile, naming, etc.) and flags issues without a manual pass. |
Reveal Rejected Files in Finder | Opens the folder containing the rejected files directly on disk (label swaps: Finder on Mac, Explorer on Windows). |
Fan-Out
When a task has images associated with Presets and the fan-out step is set for Internal Post in the Workflow, there will be options present in the Current Files component to Fan-Out your images.
These buttons exist to auto-generate the variant work files for an asset from one "main" work file, so an artist doesn't have to build each variant by hand.
Fan-Out Option | Function |
Variant Fan-Out | Fans out variants for just the actively selected file. |
Fan-Out All | A bulk action that fans out across multiple open tasks/assets at once. |
When creating variants, an option on how to proceed will be presented:
Fan-Out Mode | Function |
Duplicates | Copies the main file into each variant as the starting work file (carrying over the artwork). |
Blanks | Creates a fresh, empty canvas per variant, sized to the variant's spec dimensions (or the main file's size if the spec has no fixed size). |
📗 Learn more: A more in-depth look at the details on the Fan-Out option present here can be found in the Fan Out section of the Bulk Actions article, here.
Auto QA
Presets include specifications like file format, DPI, and dimensions. Hue’s Auto Quality Assurance uses them to evaluate your files after export.
Auto QA will be able to check your files against the recommended or required specifications, such as: file format, file extension, DPI, color profile, bits per channel, dimensions, background color & more.
Flag | Function |
✅ | Meets the requirements for the specification set in the Preset. |
⚠️ | Does not meet the requirements for the specification set in the Preset. |
📗 Learn more: To learn more about how Auto QA data is checked against image specifications, see our article here.
Export
When you are done working on an image, you can export it in the appropriate format or make any adjustments that are needed. These output requirements are set according to your presets, and HUE will show all the relevant information.
Once an image has been exported, a green or range bar will appear under it, indicating that it has been exported successfully. Green means the variant meets all of the required specifications according to Auto QA, while Orange means it does not.
📗 Learn more: A more in-depth look at the details on the Export options present here can be found in the Export section of the Bulk Actions article, here.
Export Shortcuts
Mac Keybind | Window Keybind | Executes |
Shift+⌥+E | Shift+Ctrl+E | Export a single selected image. |
⌘+Shift+⌥+E | Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E | Export all images associated with the task. |
Upload
Once the whole set of images has been fanned out and exported, you will see a green Upload button appear, and you can then upload the full set.
⚠️ Important: The upload button only appears once all conditions for the upload have been met. If any are not meant, the button will not appear or be greyed out and will be unable to be selected.
Fan-Out → | Passes Auto QA → | Exported → | Upload ✨ |
All required workfiles have been created via fan-out if applicable. | If Auto QA Enforced has been enabled in the Workflow, the file must meet the QA requirements. | Once the first two requirements are met, each workfile must be exported. | Once all applicable prior requirements have been met, the upload button can be triggered. |
📗 Learn more: A more in-depth look at the Upload options present here can be found in the Upload section of the Bulk Actions article, here.