Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

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toshiyori
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Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by toshiyori »

Anime Studio Pro 10, Using the "Freehand" tool to draw a cartoon character face, having already selected skin color the face would not fill, using the "Add Points" tool it would fill.
Have I missed something ? Is there an update I missed ? What's wrong with the "Freehand" Tool ?
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Greenlaw
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Re: Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by Greenlaw »

Yes, I know what you mean: The Paint Bucket tool isn't always working consistently with the Freehand shapes. It's probably because Freehand can sometimes create shapes that appear closed but really aren't, or the 'auto close' code for the Paint Bucket tool isn't always predicting a freehand shape area to accurately enough to close it. There may be something else going on too. I know the developers are aware of these issues and working on it.

In the meantime I've been using the Blob Brush to 'fill' the shapes when the Paint Bucket tool fails. This is mainly when I'm using FBF. Using Blob to 'fill' is slower than using the Paint Bucket but it's usually not too bad.

When I'm drawing regular vector art (i.e., non-FBF), I'll usually take the time go over the shape, find the error and fix it. It can be annoying but this is still faster than drawing the same complex shapes point-by-point. Usually, it's just a matter of closing a gap or moving the end points closer together if I don't really want the shape closed. Paint Bucket may then work correctly with the Freehand drawn path.

But every now and then, I run into a situation where I'm not sure why Paint Bucket won't create a closed shape. In this case, I'll just trace over the 'bad' Freehand path, replace it, and move on.

I think all the drawing tools are generally working much better than they used to but, yeah, these occasional hiccups can take the fun out of the process. Hopefully this will get fixed soon.
toshiyori
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Re: Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by toshiyori »

I just completed an update for Pro 10 to 10.1.3 nothing changed regarding the Freehand Tool. Thanks for your reply, I have not used the "Paint Bucket" after I upgraded to Pro 10.
You mentioned: "Blob Brush", I'll have to look this one up ! Never used it.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by Greenlaw »

Ah, sorry, I forgot as I was writing and thought you were using 12.0. I think the biggest improvements for Freehand, Blob and Paint Bucket came with 11 and they continued into 12. The main thing is that the drawing tools create more optimal and more accurate paths now. They generally work much better in 12.0 but can sometimes still produce an unexpected result.

I believe ASP 10 did introduce the Blob Brush. It will probably draw less optimal shapes but I think you can otherwise use it the same way. Just be sure the enable 'Draw Behind Strokes'.

If there are too many points in the 'blob', I think 10 also had the Delete Edge tool which can work in Point Mode so you might use that to selectively reduce the points as needed. There is also the Point Reduction Tool--it works well too but the reduction can be more arbitrary than using Delete Edge in Point Mode. Either one should help in slightly different ways.

Hope this helps.
toshiyori
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Re: Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by toshiyori »

Greenlaw, It appears ASP 10 has "Blob Brush" from the attached blog: NEW! Updated Drawing Tools
New tools mean more ways to create and achieve awesome results. The Paint Bucket Tool has been enhanced. Now when you fill in an outline, the created shape will remain independent of the original outline and control points, allowing you to use that outline as a template for future shapes. Additionally, objects no longer have to be weld shut in order to fill them in. As long as an area is enclosed by lines, it can be filled with the enhanced Paint Bucket Tool. The new Blob Brush Tool allows you to easily create shapes by freehand drawing anything you desire. Upon release of the mouse button, Anime Studio will create an outlined shape for you to further enhance and tweak. The Eraser Tool, a much requested addition to the software, is like the Blob Brush Tool, except now whichever area you paint over will see a removal or shift in points. This is great for creating gaps or missing pieces in your objects with very little effort. Finally, the new Reduce Points Tool gives you control over how many points an object has. Instead of trying to manually delete points to make an object less complicated, you can use this tool to reduce excess points while retaining the shape of the object. You can even adjust the tolerance to get the exact results you need!

Now, I just have to get used to using its, any suggestions ?
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Greenlaw
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Re: Can't Fill Using "Freehand " Tool

Post by Greenlaw »

It basically behaves like a 'paint brush'. If you have Merge Strokes enabled, it adds to the shape with each overlapping stroke rather than adding individual strokes to the layer like the Freehand tool does. When you enable Draw Behind Strokes, it will draw behind strokes-only shapes (outlines.) If you down Alt and drag, you can resize the brush. Ctrl will erase from the shape.

For 'filling' purposes, you probably want Auto-stroke off, Merge Strokes on, and Draw Behind Strokes on. You'll probably want Pen Pressure on if you're using a stylus.

Note: I learned from another user that other day that if you have a shape that has a fill in the layer, Draw Behind Strokes may not work as expected.

Hope this helps.
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