I have been using the trial version of DXO Photolab 9 for a few weeks to edit landscape photos. I like it. I feel you have to be delicate with masks and brushes but Its a learning experience. My question - brush size is changed through the use of the slider. Its a bit indelicate. Is there any other way of increasing or reducing the size of the brush such as arrows?
Cheers in advance
I work with Windows and prefer to adjust the brush size using Ctrl + mouse wheel while resting over the image.
Since the brush size remains constant relative to the screen for some reason, I zoom in on the image with the mouse wheel and then carefully adjust the brush size with Ctrl + mouse wheel.
As @Wolfgang says, zooming in gets you a lot more fine-control over where your mask goes, but I agree it would be nice to have a numerical value assigned to tools like the brush size. Unfortunately, we have to eyeball it.
The âmouse wheelâ adjustment is a poor alternative to actual keyboard shortcuts. Especially as my Apple Magic Mouse does not work with this.
DxO should bite the bullet and implement [ and ] for size adjustment, along with Shift-[ and Shift-] for feathering adjustment. Itâs the Adobe keys, but Iâve found other software mimicks these.
Check this out at 5:40 (Speeding up workflow - Short Cut Keys)
Of some reasons there has been difficult to understand if there are any shortcuts in Local Adjustments and there are:
Subtract part of mask: Hold down Alt + paint with Brush
Duplicate Layer: Shift + D
Invert Layer: Shift + I
New Layer: Shift + N
Subtract with predefined masks:
Say you need to subtract one or more persons from a gradient mask you just have applied. Then just hold Alt (subtract) while picking the predefined mask for People. It works even with Vehicles, Animals, Flowers (Trees). Then these objects will be exempted from say a gradient mask.
Hereâs a consolidated list of the shortcuts that actually exist for Local Adjustments in DxO PhotoLab 9 (Windows/Mac). DxO doesnât really provide a perfect âall-in-oneâ table specifically for LA, but below are the confirmed shortcuts shown in the in-app help overlay, the manual/guide, and by DxO team members and power-users:
Also note: there are no official single-key shortcuts to select specific LA tools (Brush, Graduated Filter, etc.). Thatâs a long-standing forum request. Choose them via the brush icon/LA toolbar or the right-click carousel in the image.
Iâm perfectly happy to click around the interface for almost all of that, but I constantly need to change the brush and the mouse approach doesnât work with a Magic Mouse. Even if it did, I think it would be impractical. I just want an easy keyboard-only shortcut like every other app.
I know Iâm repeating myself but Iâd expand on that and say that consistency is so important.
Whether itâs brush sizes or colour shifts in the HSL wheel, it irritates me that I canât put in a set of numbers that I know are what Iâve worked to produce, and want to replicate for (this) shot.
Yes I can use presets but thatâs still eyeballing my first edit, refining it, and then having to copy/paste that specific look across, when I could be saying âI know I want to shift yellow tones 10 points towards orange, and the number I put in has done just thatâ.
I know Iâve gotten sidetracked from brush sizes here but⊠let us have numerical values. Theyâre important, and useful.
What is wrong using a mouse with a wheel and Ctrl or Shift or whatever key to change a brush. I am definitely not happy with the interface layout and just canât understand why they separate interface items that really belongs togethet thus forcing us to whisk around with the mouse all over the place which causing us to loose focus and productivity.
I happen to get sick of most Youtube demos when that whisking also normally is transformed by some influencers nervosity. A design like the AI-masking in Photolab makes that even worse.
One I had a tablet attached to my PC that was nice and it had a nice feature letting me adjust even the pensize and fethering on the tablet just by pressing a few buttons. It got incompatible with Win 11 so I ought to get a bew one I guess. Maybe you shall look on something like that. It is very good for especially for photo editing.
What is a Magic Mouse?
Are they blue like the radiated dogs in Chernobyl??
No visible buttons or wheel. Bluetooth, chargeable. Just one. smooth multi-function touch surface - cool 
$3,999 available now on the Apple store 
This talk about an absent wheel as a problem - is that a physical problem or a just a functional problem. Can you mimic a wheel on that mouse with a fingertip? Is it more a tactile issue than a problem to actually affect the size of the brush?
That said I have never really seen the beauty in Apples obsession with minimalistic one button interfaces. I hated it on my old Ipod (I once got one as a give a way when buying XMLSpy XML-tools). I was once forced to use an Iphoe through on of my jobs but have always had Samsung Androids of just these interface reasons.
That said I think the Photolab implementation of using the wheel on the mouse is perfect when using the Local Adjustment-brushes. It is really one of my new favourites since the brushes now are very useful key tools.