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pixlart
08-27-2006, 06:32 PM
Shapes 1: Vector Tools in Corel Painter

The world of digital painting and illustration speaks in two primary languages: raster and vector. Raster graphics are composed of pixels; vector graphics are composed of mathematical data. Pixels are great for creating expressive natural-media style brushes; vectors are great for creating precisely controlled imagery. Painter is primarily a pixel-based application, but it also contains a subset of vector-based tools called Shapes. Within the Painter environment, Shapes occupy the role of swiss army knife. Shapes can be used in a wide variety of situations—even for pixel-centric work. This installment will provide an overview of Shapes' controls. In the next installment, we'll cover the various ways Shapes can be employed within Painter's crazy world of pixels.


Raster vs. Vector

No, this is not an advertisement for an upcoming heavyweight fight. Raster and vector are merely descriptive terms for two basic types of computer-based image-making, each with its own particular strengths.

The pixel is a basic unit of digital image-making. A generic pixel contains position-specific color and transparency (alpha channel) information within the context of an image made up of a massive array of pixels. A pixel-based image is akin to a mosaic of millions of colored tiles arranged to produce a recognizable image. In is only under extreme enlargement that individual pixels are obvious within an image. For the most part, Painter users do not deal with pixels on an individual basis. Painter handles all of the heavy lifting required to paint with millions of pixels in real-time to produce the illusion of oils, chalks, watercolors, and so on.

Vector graphics are made up of lines, curves, objects, and fills that are all calculated mathematically. Vector graphics enable both high precision as well as high resolution imagery. Vector graphics are particularly well-suited to the creation of crisp graphic shape, line work, and text. Pixel-based tools such as brushes cannot interact with Shapes.


The Shapes Layer

In Painter, a Shapes object exists on its own layer type: the Shapes layer. A Shapes layer is created when any of the Shapes Tools are used to create an object. Shapes behave much like the vector tools found in such applications as CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator. The resulting point and curve segments—referred to as a path—are then selectively adjusted with the Shape Selection tools to distort or alter the Shape. A Shape can be an individual line or an enclosed shape. To retain Shapes layer information, save the file in Painter's native RIF format. Saving in another format, such as Photoshop, will convert the Shapes data into pixel-based layers.


Shapes Tools

Shapes are edited by adjusting points and curve segments with the Shape Selection tools. Shapes are created using the Pen, Quick Curve, and Rectangular and Oval Shape tools. All of the the vector layer types can be converted to a pixel layer for enhancement with Painter's pixel-based tools. Shape layers can be converted to a selection via the Convert to Selection command (Shapes menu). This is particularly useful for using the Pen tool as a highly controllable selecting tool to extract a complex element from a pixel-based image, such as a photograph. We'll cover this in greater detail in the next installment.


Shapes Tools Property Bar

When any of the Shapes tools are selected from the Tool palette, the Property Bar provides a set of convenient adjustments. Fill and Stroke attributes can be toggled on and off; their colors can be edited. Close Shape, Convert to Layer, Convert to Selection and Open Shape Attributes commands are available.


Shapes Tools Contextual Menu

When any of the Shapes tools are active, either the right mouse button or Control key (Macintosh) can be used to pop up a context-specific menu at the cursor location. This menu contains a set of adjustments: Delete Last Point, Close Shape, Convert to Layer, Convert to Selection and Open Shape Attributes buttons are provided.


Shapes Preferences (Corel Painter Menu > Preferences)

The Shapes Preferences dialog provides options for Shapes' default behavior, as well as path and handle appearance.


Shapes Attributes Dialog

A Shape has editable Stroke and Fill attributes available via the Set Shape Attributes dialog (either the Shapes menu or Shapes Tools Property Bar), or by double-clicking on the Shapes layer entry in the Layers palette. The visual appearance of Shapes layers can be modified in the Layers palette via the Compositing Methods and Opacity control.


Shapes Visual States

A Shapes object can be viewed via one of two alternate visual states. With the Layer Adjuster tool (Tool palette) active, a Shapes object is surrounded by six adjustment handles. These handles are used to manipulate the Shape. Alternatively, with a Shapes Tool (Tool palette) active, the selected Shape displays its path and point segments, which can be edited with the various Shapes Tools.


Shapes Transformation Adjustments via the Layer Adjuster Tool

Shapes can be transformed (scaled, stretched, rotated, or slanted) via the Layer Adjuster tool. When Shape elements are selected with the Layer Adjuster, a set of handles appear at the corners and sides of the selected Shape(s). When the Layer Adjuster cursor is positioned over the control handles, the cursor changes to indicate its transformation adjustment function at that control handle. Scale, Vertical Stretch, and Horizontal Stretch cursor adjustments are available by default. Holding down the CTRL (Win) / CMD (Mac) key toggles the cursor to make Rotate, Vertical Slant, and Horizontal Slant adjustments to the selected Shape.


More To Follow

This installment provides you with a map of Painter's vector-based Shapes tools. In the next installment, we'll use this map to explore how these tools occupy a swiss army knife-like role within Painter.

Viva la Painter!

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/8066/shapes1ea4.th.jpg (http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shapes1ea4.jpg)
Jinbrown
08-27-2006, 08:38 PM
Hi John,

I'm going to post this here since this forum is more active and members are more likely, here, to be using this tutorial than in some of the other forums where you're posting it:

Thanks to your nice tutorial, I took time to check some methods I don't use since I do the same things another way. In the process, I discovered something that doesn't work (at least in Painter IX.5 using WinXP Home SP2) and wonder if it works for you and for others reading this thread:

Shape Tools Property Bar and Shapes Attributes Dialog

1. Click the Rectangular Shape tool and draw a rectangle.

2. On the Property Bar, click the Open Set Shape Attributes Dialog.

3. Try to change the Stroke and Fill colors. Nothing happens.

4. In the Shapes menu, click Set Shape Attributes and you can change the Stroke and Fill colors as expected. This is how I normally adjust Shape attributes and why I'd never noticed the Property Bar/Open Set Shapes Dialog method didn't work. Double-clicking the Shape Layer to open the Set Shape Attributes dialog and adjusting Stroke and Fill colors also works as expected.

NOTE: I didn't take time to see if other Shape attributes can be adjusted using the Property Bar/Open Set Shapes Dialog method, just Stroke and Fill, so maybe someone else will take time to check the other adjustments too.


Shape Tools Contextual Menu

Using the Contextual menu I found some things that need to be understood better to avoid surprises.

1. Click the Pen tool and draw a Shape with multiple control points and leave the Shape open.

2. Click the Rectangular Shape tool and draw a rectangle.

3. Highlight the Shape created with the Pen tool in Step 1.

4. With the Rectangular Shape tool still active, right-click or Control-click (Mac) to open the contextual menu and there are only three commands:



Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
5. With the Shape created with the Pen tool in Step 1 still highlighted, choose either the Pen tool or Quick Curve tool, and right-click or Control-click to open the contextual menu. Now there are five commands:

Delete Last Point
Close
Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
6. Choose Delete Last Point. The entire Shape is deleted. When I did this, I figured the entire Shape was deleted because all points were active, so I used the Shape Selection tool to make only the actual last point active and tried again. This time, when I opened the contextual menu, it had only three commands again:

Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
So, without taking time to test any further, my conclusion is that to delete the last point one has to do it immediately, before working on other Shapes or moving on to other work on the image.

Or....

The last point has to be deleted using the Remove Point tool instead (which is how I normally do it).


If you have time to give me some feedback on this, it'll be appreciated, John.


Thanks again for the tutorial!
pixlart
08-28-2006, 12:11 AM
Shape Tools Property Bar and Shapes Attributes Dialog

1. Click the Rectangular Shape tool and draw a rectangle.

2. On the Property Bar, click the Open Set Shape Attributes Dialog.

3. Try to change the Stroke and Fill colors. Nothing happens.

4. In the Shapes menu, click Set Shape Attributes and you can change the Stroke and Fill colors as expected. This is how I normally adjust Shape attributes and why I'd never noticed the Property Bar/Open Set Shapes Dialog method didn't work. Double-clicking the Shape Layer to open the Set Shape Attributes dialog and adjusting Stroke and Fill colors also works as expected.

NOTE: I didn't take time to see if other Shape attributes can be adjusted using the Property Bar/Open Set Shapes Dialog method, just Stroke and Fill, so maybe someone else will take time to check the other adjustments too.There is indeed a bug with respect to the Rectangular and Oval Shapes tools. When these 2 tools are currently selected, the active path and line/curve segments are not made available (they are not visible around the boundary of the current Shape) as in other Shapes tools. You can confirm this bug by following your first 3 steps, then switching to the Pen tool. The point/segments will become correctly highlighted and they will be editable via the Property Bar retrieval of the Shapes Attributes dialog. The currently selected entry in the Layer list does not impact a contextual menu; the currently selected tool does.



Shape Tools Contextual Menu

Using the Contextual menu I found some things that need to be understood better to avoid surprises.

1. Click the Pen tool and draw a Shape with multiple control points and leave the Shape open.

2. Click the Rectangular Shape tool and draw a rectangle.

3. Highlight the Shape created with the Pen tool in Step 1.

4. With the Rectangular Shape tool still active, right-click or Control-click (Mac) to open the contextual menu and there are only three commands:
Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
Both the Rectangular and Oval Shapes tools create closed Shapes. Hence, when this tool is active, its contextual menu does not provide commands for closing shapes or deleting points.

5. With the Shape created with the Pen tool in Step 1 still highlighted, choose either the Pen tool or Quick Curve tool, and right-click or Control-click to open the contextual menu. Now there are five commands:

Delete Last Point
Close
Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
The Pen and Quick Curve tools are capable of of open-ended Shapes, therefore their contextual menus do display commands for closing shapes and deleting points.


6. Choose Delete Last Point. The entire Shape is deleted. When I did this, I figured the entire Shape was deleted because all points were active, so I used the Shape Selection tool to make only the actual last point active and tried again. This time, when I opened the contextual menu, it had only three commands again:

Convert to Selection (greyed out)
Convert to Layer
Set Shape Attributes
So, without taking time to test any further, my conclusion is that to delete the last point one has to do it immediately, before working on other Shapes or moving on to other work on the image.

Or....

The last point has to be deleted using the Remove Point tool instead (which is how I normally do it).The Delete Last Point command is designed to be used to immediately delete a point. It does not retain data about which point on an open-ended Shape is the last one. Hence, it will either not work or delete all currently selected points when invoked.

I would categorize some of these examples as a bit pathological; you need to utilize the tools a bit out of their scope to produce your results. But the failure of the Rectangular/Oval Shape tools to display the active point/line/curve segments is a bug.

Viva la Painter!
Jinbrown
08-28-2006, 01:20 AM
There is indeed a bug with respect to the Rectangular and Oval Shapes tools. When these 2 tools are currently selected, the active path and line/curve segments are not made available (they are not visible around the boundary of the current Shape) as in other Shapes tools. You can confirm this bug by following your first 3 steps, then switching to the Pen tool. The point/segments will become correctly highlighted and they will be editable via the Property Bar retrieval of the Shapes Attributes dialog.


Odd that even though the control points are not available, Shapes > Set Shape Attributes can be used to adjust Stroke and Fill color while the Property Bar's Open Set Shape Attributes Dialog doesn't work. This, even when the control points are still not available.


The currently selected entry in the Layer list does not impact a contextual menu; the currently selected tool does.


Both the Rectangular and Oval Shapes tools create closed Shapes. Hence, when this tool is active, its contextual menu does not provide commands for closing shapes or deleting points.

The Pen and Quick Curve tools are capable of of open-ended Shapes, therefore their contextual menus do display commands for closing shapes and deleting points.


Yes, logical or not, that's the case.


The Delete Last Point command is designed to be used to immediately delete a point. It does not retain data about which point on an open-ended Shape is the last one. Hence, it will either not work or delete all currently selected points when invoked.


Not something a person would know automatically.


I would categorize some of these examples as a bit pathological; you need to utilize the tools a bit out of their scope to produce your results.


And that's exactly what people do when they're learning.

Notice that below Shape Tools Contextual Menus I said:

"Using the Contextual menu I found some things that need to be understood better to avoid surprises", not that I thought any of these things were bugs.


But the failure of the Rectangular/Oval Shape tools to display the active point/line/curve segments is a bug.


Shapes > Set Shape Attributes doesn't seem to care, nor does double-clicking the Shape Layer to use Set Shape Attributes care if the active point/line/curve segments are displayed. They both work anyway.

Though you're right, the contextual menus relate to the active tool, it seems logical the contextual menu commands would relate to the currently highlighted Shape since it's the Shape to which those commands would be applied (i.e. Convert to Selection, Convert to Layer, Close, etc. all apply to the Shape). Logical, just as Layer contextual menu commands apply to the Layer no matter what tool is currently active (i.e. Duplicate, Select Layer Transparency, Commit, whatever commands are appropriate to the Layer type).


Logic to one is pathologic(al) to another and a bug to one is a challenge to another. ;)

The Painter team isn't going to run out of work very soon in any case.


Thanks for your feedback, John
Cris-Palomino
08-28-2006, 07:17 AM
Hi, Jin. Hi, John.

From the Mac side, I found that Jin's first example was correct. Also, once I had selected the stroke and fill on the property bar, any subsequent shapes were created with these assigned attributes.

In the second example, my point six showed the same attributes as in your point five list and was able to delete the last point when selected (which is what I was expecting it to do either by hitting the delete button or by using the contextual menu - though I would normally just hit the delete button).

Thanks for the tutorial, John, and for pointing out what you encountered, Jin.

Cris
Jinbrown
08-28-2006, 08:26 PM
Hi Chris,

Thanks for the feedback. It's always good to compare notes, especially when we're on different platforms (I'm using WinXP Home SP 2 Painter IX.5).

Cheers!
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