Question about Sharpening/denoising

[DarkT]

Sharpening can only sharpen what's "there", yes?

Let's say we got a somewhat noisy source, we denoise it jsut a bit, then we sharpen it, then denoise it a bit more, then sharpen it a bit more, then denoise it a bit more.

Now, the idea is that, denoising lightly would kill the noise, while sharpening would enhace what remains, but since sharpening also enhace noise which was not previously there, we denoise it again, and then sharpen a bit more.

Now, from there, could a "mask" of sorts be constructed for the sharpener, so that it knows what exactly to sharpen and what not to sharpen, so that it doesn't sharpen the noise?

Then the original clip is sharpened to the wanted degree, and denoised.

Am I making any sense guys? Is it possible to do something like that? Maybe it's already being done?

Edit:

The need to create a mask and then use it for sharpening in the "real" clip would probably arise as the more you sharpen, even if by small steps, the more "halos" you'd get... I thinkz... The main idea is to somehow arrive at a "mask" which would be a better depiction for the sharpener of what it should sharpen...

Edit2:

I'm guessing here this would be more effective for anime than for real life footage, as anime has more "flat" places...

[Adub]

...but since sharpening also enhace noise which was not previously there...
Impossible. Sharpening enhances noise that is there but may not be immediately apparent without close inspection.

As to all of your steps (masks and such), it's been done. And it's been in circulation for years. It's called LimitedSharpenFaster. Or LaTo's mod, LSFmod. Just run a search.

The brilliant genius who came up with this main technique was none other than our very own Dideé.

[DarkT]

What I meant with "noise which was not there" was "noise which was not previously visible"...

Yeah, I use LSF/LSFMOD all the time... So it does all of that already? Here's the thing though, often times I find myself using LSF twice... Like, LSF, denoise, LSF, denoise - like that...

But I guess if Didee already made the LSF like that...

Anyway, thanks ;).

[LaTo]

try preblur=true in LSFmod

[DarkT]

Oooh! Interesting! Thanks LaTo! (wondes if LaTo is a reference to Dune...)