I'm starting this thread to answer a few questions a user recently asked me about the paint synthesizer.
Question: Please how do i setup the paint synthesizer correctly or what specific parameters should i change in order to have smooth brush nib edges for png files.
It's easy to build image brushes. let's make one using a PNG image that contains an alpha channel that masks a shape. The image we'll use is the Arrowsred.png image, which ships with Studio Artist 5 in the Brush/Mosaic Image Folders/Wing Dings folder.
I've attached a preset below called PNG_AlphaImageNibEx1 below for this example.
The easiest way to start a new paint preset from scratch is to use the paint synth macro edits and start with an re-initialized paint synthesizer. To do this, i went into the integrated Help Browser, clicked Index button, then clicked Paint Synth Macro Editing link, then clicked the Reinitialize active link.
This resets all of the paint synthesizer editable parameters to default values.
Now, i want to make an image brush. So i use the File : Paint Synthesizer : New Image Brush... menu command. I then select the Arrowsred.png image in the Brush/Mosaic Image Folders/Wing Dings folder.
I then goto the paint Fill Setup control panel, and set the Fill From parameter to Brush Image. I leave the Fill To parameter at it's default Canvas Image setting.
Now, i want the fillfrom-fillto characteristics of the brush to be built off of the alpha channel of the image brush, as opposed to the rgb luminance. So, i need to got the Brush Type control panel and change the Brush Type to Source Alpha Brush.
At this point, we're essentially done. I set the Max Path Length in the Path Shape control panel to 1 so that auto-paiting will lay down single brush nibs for each paint path as opposed to longer paint paths.
The paint preset nows draws an alpha masked double arrow derived from the png image we used to build the image brush.
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Question: I'm working on a project using the region fill as brush pen mode but anytime i draw to fill with the brush image i see a color fill not an image. Could please help me on how to setup the paint synthesizer when using the region fill as brush pen mode.
The first alpha masked image brush paint preset we built above used a normal interactive pen mode. So suppose you want to use region fill as brush pen mode, but you still want to work with an image brush.
We can start with the paint preset built in the first example, PNG_AlphaImageNibEx1. There is a handy paint synth macro edit called Region Pen.
I used that to turn that first paint preset into a region fill as brush pen mode paint preset.
I then went to the Region as Brush Mode control panel, and changed the Brush Option to Mask Alpha Only. I did this so that the alpha channel of the image brush was used to mask the drawn region shape. I also changed the Generator parameter to Rectangle so that i always get the entire alpha masked double arrow shape when a region is drawn.
At this point we're done. When you draw a lasso shape, the boundary of the lasso drawn shape will be used to define a rectangle that then gets filled in by the alpha masked image brush.
I've attached a paint preset below that is the region fill alpha masked image brush we generated in this example. It's called PNG_AlphaImageRegionFillEx1.
PNG_AlphaImageRegionFillEx1.zip
There is a new feature in V5 you can use to add a cast shadow relief effect to raster region fill as brush paint effects. I modified the PNG_AlphaImageRegionFillEx1 preset discussed above to add a cast shadow to the alpha masked image brush nib.
To modify the original paint preset all you have to do is goto the Region as Brush Mode control panel in the paint synthesizer, and set the Shadow Opt parameter from None to Raster Cast Shadow.
I'll post some additional tips here later that discuss bevel and cast shadow vector paint effects. V5 has a ton of new vector paint features, including extensive editable options for bevel and adjustable cast show features. The V5 factory paint presets how off those features in many different ways. They are very customizable, unlike the Raster Cast Shadow option we just discussed, which is kind of a 1 trick pony. But it is an easy way to add a simple drop shadow to an alpha masked brush nib.
Another approach to generating drop shadow or potentially bevel effects for raster paints involves using the path application control panel repeat feature. There are Repeat Stroke Index and Repeat Stroke Index Inv modulators in several places in the paint synthesizer. Including Displacement Mod in Path Regionize control panel, path Gradient in paint Color Modulate control panel and Blend Mod in paint Fill Apply control panel. So you can modulate a paint path's offset, coloring, and blend as a function of the path application index. You can use this modulation over subsequent path applications to create cast show or bevel effects.