Focus Depth Editor
Choose which focus slice supplies each part of your photo, with a live composite as you edit.
Get started
Select one complete focus bracket in Lightroom Classic, then choose Merge Raw Files. Pick No Alignment - Tripod for a fixed camera, or Auto Align if the camera moved. Both correct focus breathing; the slices you see in the editor already share the merge's alignment.
- Focus Stacking - Automatic Depth Map: merge immediately using the estimated depth.
- Focus Stacking - Custom Depth Map: open the depth editor after alignment and automatic depth estimation, make corrections, then finish the merge.
Both options retain extra fine detail in the final DNG. The editor previews the depth blend without that final detail pass. It is useful for judging focus choices and boundaries, but the finished DNG can show more fine texture.
Shoot a continuous near-to-far bracket, covering everything you want sharp. Moving subjects and regions that were never in focus may still need retouching. Pixel Shift alignment also supports both focus options for a bracket made from complete pixel-shift sequences.
Compare views
The Visualize section controls what you see, independently of the editing tool.
- Side-by-side: keep the live composite on one side and your chosen overlay on the other. Zoom and pan stay linked.
- Overlay: work in a single image pane. Switching layouts preserves your zoom.
- Depth Map: white represents the nearest focus and black the farthest. Look for isolated holes or a boundary that crosses the subject.
- Source Slice: compare the aligned source selected beside Paint slice with the composite.
Opacity blends the depth map or source slice over the composite. Press Q to hide it, then press Q again to restore its previous opacity. The underlying composite updates as you edit.
The slider beside Paint slice controls both the source you view and the source you paint. Dragging it switches the visualization to Source Slice. Use Z / X, or , / ., to cycle backward / forward; the selection wraps at either end.
Edit depth
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Paint slice · B | Paint the selected captured slice into a problem area. Find a sharp source with the adjacent slider, then paint where that source should contribute. This brush always has a hard edge. |
| Smooth · S | Soften local variations in depth. Use sparingly at a real near/far boundary, where smoothing can mix an out-of-focus neighbor into the result. |
| Flatten · A | Fill holes by moving depth toward the most common value under the first brush dab. That target stays fixed for the stroke; start on the surface you want to extend. |
| Snap to nearest slice · E | Move intermediate depths toward the nearest captured slice. At full strength this selects a single slice, useful for small stacks where blending between widely spaced planes looks soft. |
| Restore original depth · R | Move an area back toward the automatic depth map. |
Start with a small correction and compare the result with Q. For holes within one surface, try Flatten. For a stubborn misplaced edge, find a sharp source and use Paint slice.
Hold Shift to smooth temporarily with any editing tool. Hold Option / Alt to restore the original depth temporarily.
Brush & preview
Size sets the brush radius. Hardness controls its edge, except for Paint slice, which is always hard. Strength works as flow: passing over the same spot repeatedly builds up the effect, even within one stroke. Reset brush restores the default size, hardness and 100% strength.
The Preview exposure and contrast sliders help reveal shadow detail or subtle transitions. They change only the displayed photo, not the depth map, final DNG or Lightroom develop settings. The starting preview approximates the source's white balance, exposure and contrast; Lightroom's final rendering may differ.
The preview uses reduced-resolution images for responsive editing. Inspect the completed DNG at full resolution in Lightroom before judging fine detail.
Navigate & save
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| [ / ] | Decrease / increase brush size. |
| Space + drag | Pan the image. |
| F / 0 | Fit the image / show 100% zoom. |
| Cmd / Ctrl + Z | Undo. Add Shift to redo. Clear all edits is also undoable. |
| Enter or Cmd / Ctrl + S | Save the map and let MergeRAW finish the DNG. |
| Esc | Cancel the merge without producing a new DNG. |
After a successful merge, the edited map is saved beside the original as <name>_MergeRawDepthMap.TIF. A new Custom Depth Map merge starts with a fresh automatic map; it does not silently reuse this file, because the selected frames or slice order may have changed. Advanced reuse is available through the command-line map options.