OMATOOLS/OmaRAW guide

Guide / Retouch and AI cleanup

Retouch and object removal

Choose a repair tool, inspect the source and review the result.

Read the full reference ↓ · All tools

On this page · full reference

Film recorded with an earlier version; the written reference is current.

Where it is

Develop → Retouch · Prepare → AI object removal

Quick overview

  • Retouch offers clone and heal spots. Place the repair over a small distraction, then inspect or reposition its source.
  • Use feathering and opacity to blend a correction. Zoom in to check texture and zoom out to judge whether it draws attention.
  • Retouch Reset clears the spots; Undo restores them. Keep changes proportionate to the photograph.
  • AI object removal saves editable repairs on the current photo. Save rendered DNG is a separate, optional baked copy.
  • The film shows the ordinary Retouch controls. It does not claim an AI-generated repair or download has been performed.

In this film

Read the transcript · Download captions

  1. Open RetouchClone and heal are useful for small distractions.
  2. Choose the spot toolAdjust size and feather to suit the area.
  3. Place a spot, then inspect its sourceA repair should blend with the surrounding texture.
  4. Place a small repair on the tabletopInspect its source and edges; reposition it if needed.
  5. Review at 100%AI removal saves editable repairs on this photo; its optional DNG copy is baked.
  6. Return to FitJudge the whole image as well as the close detail.

Choose the repair method by the problem

Tool What it does Useful for Main limitation
Heal Blends source texture into the target's surroundings Blemishes and small marks in otherwise similar texture A poor source still gives poor texture
Clone Copies the source pixels directly Repeated texture or a controlled replacement edge Colour and brightness differences can expose the boundary
Blur Softens the selected area A local softening repair It cannot replace missing texture
Fill Fills the area with a chosen brightness Simple uniform corrections Complex texture will look flat
AI object removal Generates a replacement for a selected distraction Small objects and their shadows/reflections Generated content needs inspection and is not recovered scene detail

Start with Heal for a tiny blemish and Clone when you need direct source control. Use AI removal when copying a nearby source is impractical. Each method has editable controls; the AI draft and an ordinary retouch spot use different acceptance and Undo workflows.

A careful spot repair

Choose Circle, select Heal, set Size just beyond the mark and use a gentle Feather. Turn on Place spots and click the mark. Inspect the source circle, then drag it to clean texture if necessary. Opacity blends the repair's contribution, while Feather blends its boundary. Check at 100%, then Fit: a technically smooth patch can still look repetitive in the whole picture.

The reference below covers brush and polygon repairs and frequency separation. Layer preview is a diagnostic view, not an export effect. Avoid judging the finest frequency layers in a small fitted image, where their detail may not be visible.

Retouch

Remove blemishes, sensor dust and small distractions.

AI object removal

Open Prepare, or use the AI object removal shortcut here.

Choose AI object removal. Its models and tools are included and work offline. Click an object, right-click to exclude, or drag a box. Switch to Brush to include shadows, reflections or missed parts; right-drag erases. You can also brush a removal without first selecting an object. Undo selection restores the previous draft. Choose Preview removal, compare with Show removal preview, then Apply removal. Stay on the same photo and select another object, or continue editing. Each removal has its own Undo step. Existing adjustments remain editable, and later colour, crop and perspective changes also affect repaired areas. Object removals switches all repairs off/on; Reset removals clears them with Undo available.

Save rendered DNG… optionally creates a separate DNG with the current look included. Keep editing the original for editable repairs. Repairs are saved with the catalogue and included in its full backups; they are not cache files.

Best for small distractions. Generated pixels come from an 8-bit model with a 512-pixel working size, so inspect the preview. The adjustable Edge coverage margin covers edges and blends into the surroundings. Multiple removals can overlap. Generated areas cannot recover the original scene behind an object. Removal uses CPU on every GPU vendor. Photos stay local; no assistant login is needed. Reconnect the original/full offline copy if only a Smart Preview is available.

Heal, clone, blur and fill

  1. Pick a tool: Heal blends the source's texture into the spot's surroundings; Clone copies the source as it is; Blur softens the spot; Fill paints it with a brightness.
  2. Set a Size and a Feather.
  3. Press Place spots and click a blemish.

Heal and clone read their pixels from a source circle that starts beside the spot; drag either circle on the picture. Every spot stays in the list, editable: tool, size, feather, opacity, and blur radius or fill brightness. Spots ride in snapshots and appear in History under Retouch.

You can leave Place spots enabled while moving an existing spot or its source. Click elsewhere to add another spot. Each drag updates the outline immediately and applies one undoable edit on release. Use the zoom strip or Ctrl + wheel while these tools are open.

Brush and polygon shapes

Choose Circle, Brush stroke or Polygon path above the tool buttons. Brush strokes follow a drag. For polygons, click corners and double-click to close; right-click cancels the unfinished polygon. Heal and clone have a draggable source anchor. Dragging a shape or source shows its outline immediately and applies the edit on release. Shapes, source positions, algorithms, opacity and layers are retained in snapshots and Retouch presets.

Switching away from Retouch or changing photos discards an unfinished stroke or polygon. The guides remain responsive at high zoom.

Frequency separation

Set Frequency layers above zero, then choose which layer receives new shapes. Detail layer 1 contains the finest texture; higher layers hold broader detail. Residual tone holds the broad colour and lighting. Each shape can be assigned to a different layer in its settings. Whole image edits affect the combined image.

Preview selected layer shows the selected layer at fitted-preview resolution. The finest layers may be invisible at that scale. Toggle it off to see the complete image. This diagnostic preview never changes exports.

Keeping the original after AI

Apply removal adds an editable repair to the current photo. It keeps your adjustments and prepares the next selection. No new photo is needed.

Save rendered DNG… creates a separate version with the displayed appearance baked in. Photo versions opens that copy or returns to its original. Keep using the original to revise editable repairs and grading. Nothing is deleted when you switch. If using both AI tools, apply denoise before object removal.