How Do You Get Thse Paint Strokes?

[Nora Laiken]

I enjoy the "Contour Paint" method of application of paint strokes and would like to apply this to some other impasto presets. What types of settings that Contour Paint has need to be transferred to modify the other presets ?

[Synthetik]

Just so i'm clear which specific preset you are referring to, would you mind posting it here. Or you can point me at the collection/category it is in. I have multiple versions of different presets named 'contour paint' on my machine, so i'm unclear which specific one you are referring to. thanks.

[Nora Laiken]

Here is the File !

contour paint

[Synthetik]

Studio Artist paint presets are edited by adjusting the individual parameters in the different paint synthesizer control panels (in the Editor palette). Some of the control panels are associated with how automatic paint strokes are generated. Others are associated with how color is generated off of a source image, or randomized. Other are associated with how a digital brush is generated. Others with how digital 'paint' is generated, placed on the brush, and then applied to the canvas. Others are associated with more esoteric things, like control of time particle behavior in animations for example.

...

The control panels with Path in their names ( Path Start, Path Shape, Path Angle, Path Application, and Path Randomization) are associated with how automatic paths are generated.

The Pen Mode parameter in the Pen Mode control panel is also a factor, and depending on which pen mode is active, there may be specific additional control panels devoted to additional controls for that particular pen mode.

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Fortunately, there are specific paint synthesizer memories that only record and playback the paint parameter settings associated with the automatic path generation part of the paint synthesizer. They are the 2 Path Memories. You can find and access them under the Edit : Paint Synthesizer : Path Memory menus. There are Record and Play menu commands there for both Path Memory 1 and Path Memory 2.

Record records the paint synthesizer control panel parameters associated with automatic path generation into the Path Memory.

Play plays back the recorded control panel parameter settings associated with automatic path generation that are stored in the Path Memory back into the paint synthesizer control panel parameters.

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There are also memory buttons located at the bottom of the Editor when in paint synthesizer operation mode.

They are shown in the screen snap below.

Like all memory buttons in Studio Artist, clicking them plays back what is stored in them. Option clicking them records what is currently in the interface into the memory button. What is played back and recorded depends on the particular type of memory button.

You can see that i have the mouse cursor over the memory button labeled 'Pa1'. This is the Path Memory 1 memory discussed above.

So, if you import the Contour Paint preset, and then option click the Pa1 memory button, then the parameter settings associated with automatic path generation used in that paint preset will be recorded into Path Memory 1.

You can then import another paint preset you want to use for the color, paint and brush characteristics. You mentioned impasto presets, so load one of those.

Then click on the Pa1 memory button. The path generation parameter settings you recorded from the Contour Paint preset (which are now stored inside of Path Memory 1), will be loaded into the paint synthesizer. So the impasto paint preset will now paint automatically the same way Contour Paint does.

You can now export your new edited paint preset by using the File : Export : Export Paint Preset menu command.

[Synthetik]

Here's an effects blog tutorial on working with the paint synthesizer memories. f you would like some more information on what they are all about, and how they could be used.

[Nora Laiken]

Thank you for the extensive reply. However, here is what happens.

Attempt A.

1. I go to contour paint
2. I then go to Edit->Paint Synthesizer->Path Memory1->record

3. I then go to a different Preset, say an impasto.

4. I go to Edit->Paint Synthesizer->Path Memory 1->play

5. I then hit autopaint on the impasto.

6. The result: a complete duplication of the contour paint result !

If I take contour paint and click the PA1 button at the bottom of the preset, then go to a different preset, and hit the PA1 button, the same thing happens- I get contourpaint again.

Obviously, there is something I am doing wrong that is not evident to me in the tutorial or description above.

Could you please write out a step by step procedure, with any unusual terms defined*, so that I could reproduce

what should be occurring, as it sounds very exciting !
*for example, the term"import" is used above in a puzzling way (to me)

[Synthetik]

Looks like a bug. You are correct, it appears to not be working correctly. I'll get on fixing it right away.

It's an extremely useful tool, so it needs to be working correctly.

So we'll hold up the 4.05 update release and try to get the fix for this in 4.05.

[Nora Laiken]

Thank you John. I hope I did not "rock the boat", but this does indeed sound like a very exciting feature which should be a part of the next release.

[Synthetik]

Not at all. Everyone is so apologetic when they find a bug and tell us about it. But actually we want people to tell us about any bugs or unusual behavior that they run into right away, so that we can quickly fix the problem.

[Synthetik]

Ok, we fixed the bug. So it will be in the next 4.05 beta build, which will hopefully happen today.

Nora, i'll include you in the distribution list for that beta build application, so then you should be able to try the path memories and have them work correctly.