Luminar NEO: How to use the Structure AI Tool (2025 Update)

luminar neo Oct 11, 2022

🔄 2025 Update: This post has been updated with a brand-new video tutorial using the latest version of Luminar NEO. Watch the updated video below to learn how the Structure AI tool works today.

The beauty of a photo is often in the details. Therefore, we want to make sure to bring out the correct details and clarity, and add texture to our photos only where it is necessary. Luminar NEO comes with a powerful tool to help you decide which points to enhance to bring more clarity to your photo. Keep reading this blog post to learn all you need about the Structure AI tool.

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What is Structure AI?

The Structure AI tool allows you to adjust the detail and clarity of an image. You can use this tool to reveal a lot of detail or get a smoother picture with less detail. Structure AI is the primary tool for increasing the contrast of an image and visualizing more details. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, Structure AI is content-aware and can adjust areas variably based on the subject. It is also human-aware, so it doesn’t overprocess people in your images. As a result, faces and skin look natural, while the objects around them look detailed.

Introducing Structure AI sliders

Amount

This slider selects the strength of the StructureAI effect. Moving it to the right increases the amount of visible detail in the image. Moving it to the left removes detail and flattens the image. This tool is soft and produces natural results.

Boost

This slider adjusts the overall display of details. Moving it to the right accentuates details. Compared to Amount, Boost emphasizes more small details and is a bit more aggressive. It offers an HDR-like look.

TIP: You can use a negative amount of Structure AI to create a blur effect. Consider using the Basic local masking adjustment to easily mask with brush strokes for precise control. For a heavier blur effect, use multiple instances for a heavier blur effect. Just pull the slider to the left for a negative effect that creates a blur.

Getting started with Structure AI

The Structure AI tool offers a perfect way to add structure and details to your images. It can be used in any part of photo-processing. However, due to its character, it is usually used right after the initial development in Develop (RAW) tool. It is important to remember that the Structure AI tool has a human-aware function built-in, and therefore it will not be applied to humans.

Structure AI:

Open the image in Luminar NEO using the Add Photos button (Cmd/Ctrl + O) in the Catalog module (L).
Move to the Edit module (E).
Open the Structure AI tool and use the Amount slider to add or remove the structure effect from your photo.
If you require an even more powerful structured effect, set your Amount slider and then use the Boost slider to increase the effect.
Like with any tools in Luminar NEO, you can use the masking tool to apply the effect locally.

Structure AI video tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial covering all sliders in this tool.

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