AI Background Removal
What is it?
AI background removal uses AI (artificial intelligence) to automatically remove the background from a photo or video (aka "green screen without the green screen"). The background can be removed using the built in Local AI, or via Cloud based AI.
In this Guide
Examples
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Difference Between Local & Cloud Background Removal
The built in (local) Background Removal is free to use as part of your Breeze Booth subscription. It can be applied to the Live View, photos, burst GIFs and videos. Local Background Removal processes almost instantly and does not require an internet connection (video will take a little longer to process).
Cloud based Background Removal requires an active internet connection, and a subscription to remove.bg. It can only be applied to individual photos, but offers the benefit of a higher quality result over Local processing.
You can combine both options by using Local AI for your Live View, burst GIFs, and Video, but send photos to the Cloud for optimal results.
How it works
From the General Tab in the Event Editor, enable "Remove background" and then click on the "Settings..." button to adjust the settings.
You can choose between using the Local built in Background Removal or Cloud (web service) by seleting the option from the "Background removal method" drop down list. Please also see the section on remove.bg for further setup details.
Remove Background in Live View
Select "Remove background in live view" to apply AI background removal to live view images. This uses the built-in AI background removal to remove the background in real time.
Please note: a fast device such as the 2022 iPad Pro M2, 2021 iPad Pro M1, 2022 iPad Air M1, 2022 iPad 10.9" or 2022 iPhone SE or newer is recommended
Transparent Background
Select "Transparent background" to make the removed background transparent.
When this option is selected a background image can be added to the print layout, slideshow GIF, burst GIF or video. To remove the background for burst GIFs and Video you need to select "Remove background in live view".
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| background.jpg | print layout background image |
slideshow_gif_background.jpg slideshow_gif_background<n>.jpg |
background image or images for slideshow GIFs |
gif_background.jpg gif_background<n>.jpg |
background image or images for burst GIFs |
video_background.jpg video_background.mp4 video_background.mov |
background image or video for Videos |
See the user guides on Print Layout Editor | GIF Layout Editor | Video Settings for more details
Modifying the Background
When the "Transparent background" option is not selected the background is kept and can be modified e.g. blurred, tinted or desaturated to B&W.
Please note: This option is only available when using Local background removal.
Color Wash
Select "Apply color wash to background" to apply a color layer to the background areas. Choose the color by clicking on the "..." button to the right of the color preview and then select the opacity.
The opacity setting controls the opacity of the color layer that is placed over the background. Set the opacity to 1 (fully opaque) to replace the background with a solid color.
Set the opacity to a lower value, e.g. 0.2, to make the color layer semi-transparent to apply a color tint to the background.
The color wash effect works best if the background is desaturated to B&W by setting the background saturation to 0.
Background Blur
The background can be blurred by selecting "Blur background". The amount of blurring is controlled using the "blur radius" setting. The default setting for the blur radius is 10. Increase the blur radius to increase the amount of blurring or reduce it to reduce the amount of blurring.
Background Saturation
The "Background saturation" setting can be used to change the saturation of the background areas. Setting this to 0 will desaturate the colors completely and make the background B&W. Setting the saturation to 1 will leave the colors unchanged. Setting the saturation to more than 1 will increase the saturation of the background colors and make them more vivid.
Background Contrast
The "Background contrast" setting can be used to change the contrast of the background areas. Setting this to values less than 1 will reduce the contrast of the background. Setting the contrast to 1 will leave the contrast unchanged.
ScrapBook Effect
A scrapbooking style outline or a dropshadow effect can be added by selecting "Add outline" in the "Remove Background Settings". The color, size and opacity of the outline is configurable. The outline size is specified as a percentage of the width of the photo (this is so it has the same proportions for different sized images). A good starting point is use the default settings of a white outline with a size of 1% and opacity of 1 (fully opaque).
A dropshadow effect can be obtained by setting the color to black, the size to 0.1% and the opacity to 0.5 (semi-transparent). Then apply an x offset of 2% and a y offset of 2%. This effect looks best when used with a flat backdrop or background image.
Live View Overlays & Backgrounds
Optional overlay and background images can be added to live view images and to the photos in the print layout (if capturing a photo). To do this place the relevant files in the screen assets folder:
aibg_overlay.png |
Overlay used for all captured photos |
aibg_overlay<n>.png |
Overlay used for specific photos eg: aibg_overlay1.png for the first photo, aibg_overlay2.png for the second photo etc |
aibg_background.jpg |
Background used for all captured photos |
aibg_background<n>.jpg |
Background used for specific photos eg: aibg_background1.jpg for the first photo, aibg_background2.jpg for the second photo etc |
gif_aibg_overlay.png |
Overlay used for burst GIFs |
video_aibg_overlay.png |
Overlay used for Videos |
Remove.bg
Web based AI background removal services provide the highest quality when removing the background from photos and slideshow GIFs but require an internet connection and a subscription to one of the services listed below. To select web based AI background removal, first select "Transparent background" then set the "Background removal method" to "web service - preview size (< 0.25M pixels)" or "web service - full size".
If the "Remove background in live view" option is selected with web based background removal the live view images will use the built-in background removal and the web based background removal will be applied to the individual photos.
At the time of writing remove.bg provides 50 free preview credits per month and options for buying "Pay as you go" or subscription based credits. You can use the 50 free preview credits for testing without having to enter any payment details.
Once you have created an account with remove.bg you need to copy the API key into the App Settings screen. You can check that the API key has been entered correctly and check the number of credits you have remaining by tapping "Check background removal API key and credits" in the app settings screen.
The preview option limits the size of the image to no more than 250,000 pixels e.g. 600x416 pixels. This option is available using the 50 free credits each month or using paid for credits: each preview uses up 1/4 of a paid credit. It has the advantage that it is faster than full size option because a smaller image needs to be uploaded to remove.bg and a smaller image is returned.
The full size option allows images of up to 25 megapixels and is only available using credits purchased by "Pay as you go" or a subscription. Each full size background removal uses up one credit.