The Autodesk Control Surface > Extracting Keys >

# Extracting Keys using the Diamond Keyer

Use the Navigation panel to:

- Enable the Diamond Keyer.
- Select a secondary layer.
- Sample the image.
- Extract a key.

Use the Function panel to adjust the key by setting softness and tolerance ranges, modify key edges, invert the key, and link layers.

To enable the Diamond Keyer in the Navigation panel:

1. Press the Key button once to activate the Key menu, and then press F2 to select the Diamond Keyer.

   The Diamond Keyer is enabled.

   NoteTo hide/show the hue cube, press Alt+Show.

To select a secondary layer in the Navigation panel:

1. Use the numeric keys to select and enable a secondary layer. Press the number key once to select the layer, and then double-press to enable it. To enable layer 10, press the minus button (-). To enable layer 11, press 0. To enable layer 12, press the C button.

To sample the image in the Navigation panel:

1. Press F3 (pick). The trackball on the Navigation panel is activated as a picker, allowing you to move through the image. Press F3 again to pick the current pixel for the sample. To sample an area of the image, hold down the ALT button while in picker mode and draw, with the trackball, a rectangular area of the image, and then release the ALT button.

To extract a key in the Navigation panel:

1. To extract a key after input primary grading has been performed and the input LUT has been applied, press F4. To switch back to the primary-graded result, press F4 again.

To adjust a key in the Function panel:

1. Use the following controls listed in the table below to adjust the key for the sampled colour.

   Use: | To:
   --- | ---
   Wheels | Adjust tolerance, softness, and sharpness around the picked colour. Zoom in (left) and zoom out (right). Wheel 1=Tolerance Wheel 2=Softness Wheel 3=Sharpness Wheel 4=Zoom in/out
   Knobs at top left | Scale, skew, or translate (move) the chrominance Softness and chrominance Tolerance Diamonds. Knob 1=Scale Knob 2=Skew Knob 3=Translate
   Upper left F2 and F5 buttons | Skew the chrominance Tolerance or chrominance Softness Diamonds horizontally and vertically. F2=Horizontal skew F5=Vertical skew
   Upper left F3 and F6 buttons | Move the Softness Diamond or Tolerance Diamond left or right, up or down. F3=X-axis (left or right) F6=Y-axis (up or down)
   Buttons in centre column | Enable master luminance for tolerance and softness and minimum/maximum luminance levels for tolerance and softness. F1=Master luminance for tolerance F2=Minimum/maximum for luminance for tolerance F4=Master luminance for softness F5=Minimum/maximum luminance for softness
   Knobs at top right | Modify key edges and remove stray pixels from a key. Reduce image grain and noise, and keep edges intact prior to keyer input processing. Knob 4=Cleanup/Soften toggle Knob 5=Shrink Knob 6=Blur
   Upper right buttons | Press F1 to enable cleanup (Key-out filter), shrink, and blur. Press F4 to enable soften (Key-in filter). F1=Cleanup F2=Shrink F3=Blur F4=Soften Single-press F2 and F3 to reset shrink and blur, respectively. Double-press F1 and F4 to reset cleanup and soften, respectively.
   Upper right F6 button | F6=Invert the key
   First row of buttons at bottom right | Press F1 to cycle through add, intersect, subtract, or link layers. F1=Add, intersect, subtract, or link F3=Invert link F5=Log to Lin F7=GPU Compatibility (G/C)
   Second row of buttons at bottom right | Add softness/tolerance and remove softness/tolerance. F2=Tolerance F4=Softness F6=Add softness/tolerance F8=Remove softness/tolerance Press F3 on the Navigation panel to change the cursor into a picker prior to using any of the above buttons. When done defining tolerance and softness, press F3 again.
   ALT+SHOW buttons | Toggle the hue cube on or off.

#### Topics in this section

- Toggling the Diamond Keyer Button On and Off