Painting Patterns

Related Information

Patterns Palette

Accessing Patterns

Editing Patterns

Examining Patterns

Close-up View

Color Palette

Color Fill

Gradient Fill

Painting Patterns

A color well and small set of painting tools are provided for detail painting and modification of the master pattern image. These are located to the lower left of the close-up pixel view.

The color that will be used in a painting operation is managed with the lower color well. You need to establish a working link between this color well and the system color picker to work with this color well. A double click on the color well is the easiest way to do this. When selected and linked a darkened border is shown around the color well.

The color provided by the painting color well is used for actions with the painting tools, even if the painting color well is not selected, highlighted and linked to the color picker.

Click on a tool to select it for an action. After the action is complete the tool selection will return to the default arrow tool. Double click to "stick" the tool selection, then the tool will remain in effect after initial use. You then need to overtly click the arrow tool to return to the default arrow tool action.

The arrow tool can be used to select focus pixel. Click on a pixel rectangle on the close-up view and that pixel will be selected and focused for inspection. If the Control key is held down while a pixel is clicked the "eye-dropper" action is applied, the color of the target pixel is loaded to the painting color well.

The hand tool is used to move the pixels on the image field. The movement is loss-less, no pixels are erased by moving. Pixel colors are moved in a rotating fashion, off one side of the image field and onto the opposite side.

The pencil tool is used to color individual pixels. Each pixel touched with the tool will be painted the color from the painting color well. You may just click pixels or click and drag to color several pixels with a single motion. If the command key is held down, the painting will have a "pour" effect, all adjacent pixels of the same color will be changed to the new color. This has the effect of filling closed regions with the new color.

The rectangular fill tool (lower right tool) is used to paint approximate rectangular regions on the bit map. The painting is done with a click and drag motion. The initial clicked pixel becomes the anchor or pivot for filling a rectangular region of pixels. Drag the mouse to encompass the pixels desired for coloring. If the command key is held down, all pixels of the same color, anywhere on the image will be changed to the new color.

To remove a portion of the bit-map, first move the region of pixels to be retained to the top left corner of the image, with the hand tool. Then decrease the size of the bit map with the size controls located just below the close-up view.

You may also drag and drop a color, from any color well or color swatch, directly to a pixel. This action can take place independent of the color present in the painting color well. The drop action also changes the focus pixel.