pleska

You might be able to get around this limitation by filling your selection in a solid color and then making a square selection rectangle around it and then using the gradient mask color to only gradient fill the color you put in the selection. Paul

Interesting, well ok. I was just hoping to do some things that don't fit well into the effect model since they are not a single step. But I understand your issues. Paul

Is there any plans to make the toolinfo/tool classes work like the effect classes and support plug-ins? It seems today there is a hard coded list of tools that get created vs. using that Assembly.Load technique and a tools plug-in directory like the effects one. Just curious, Would like to create some plug-inable (is that a word?) tools vs. just effects. Thanks, Paul

You're still clipping to the selection area though, right? Yep, I just use the rectanglular bounds of the selection region as a guide as to where to start the x and y repeating of the image. Although you only see the image in the selection area or the masked part of the selection area. Paul

Hi all, I just wrote another plug-in effect. This one allows you to take an image and "flood-fill" it into the selection region repeating it over and over. If you have a repeating texture or other image this fill will load that texture. Options are included to change the origin of the image both positive and negative in both the X and Y. Also, stealing code from my gradient fill plug-in you can restrict the fill to a single masking color within the selection area. If you use non-rectanglular selections this effect should work fine with the understanding that the the entire selection is actually bounded in a rectangle surrounding it. The image fill will be based on this imaginary bounding rectangle. Play with it and let me know if there are any issues or questions on using it. As with most effect plug-ins, download the binary zip file, and put the single DLL inside the zip into the effects directory of Paint.Net and then relaunch the application. The new effect should appear on the effects menu. Enjoy, Paul MODERATORS NOTE: This effect is incompatible with Paint.NET 4.0x Effect DLL (Binary) http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/PhotoFloodFillPlugIn.zip Effect Source Code http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/PhotoFloodFillPlugInSource.zip

Hi thanks, 1. The use mask color allows you to apply the gradient only to pixels with the specified RGB color within your selection rectangle. I use this often to draw some really complex region in one color and then have the gradient fill only that color, this is nice when making buttons. 2. To use the alpha channel only thing you need to specify two different (assuming you want a fade) transparency levels on your primary/secondary colors. The gradient will then only change the alpha channel (or transparency) of the selected rectangle pixels in the gradient and not the actual color. This should allow some cool fade in/out effects between layers. Hope this helps. Paul

Hi all, Back from my vacation and did a little update to the gradient plug in. I have updated the source and binary zip files. Lets call this version 1.2. Changes: 1. I normalized all the fill directions to Vertical, Horizontal, Radial, Diagonal (Upper-Left -> Lower Right ) and Diagonal (Lower-Left -> Upper Right ). If you notice, the last one is a new direction the "up-hill version" of the diagonal fill. 2. I added a reverse colors check-box so that all these gradients could go the other way without needing to go back to the source colors and swap them. (This allows the original reverse-diagonal to be done from the dialog box). 3. After reading the discussion I added the ability to do a "Alpha-Channel Only" version of the gradient. It will follow all the same settings of the gradient fill but only modify the "alpha channel" or the transparency of the pixels in the selection based on the primary/secondary color transparency values. Hopefully this will be useful. Thanks, Paul Binary to replace DLL in effects directory: http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/GradientPlugIn.zip Source code for version 1.2 of the plug-in: http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/GradientPlugInSource.zip

Hi all quick note. I just updated the Zip file on the server and fixed the radial gradient, it was way messed up. In a week I will get back and hopefully can add the other directions. Just get the new zip and replace the DLL in the zip with the bad one already in your effects directory and relaunch PDN. http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/GradientPlugIn.zip Thanks for finding the bug. Paul

Hi all, Glad you like the gradient plug in. When I get back from vacation in a week I will look at adding the up-slope gradients in addition to the two that currently are in there. I really just ran out of time. Also, yes, I did mean to indicate that I built it against that version of Paint.Net. Wasn't sure how backwards compatible the plug-in model was so I thought I would mention it. Regarding gradients, the plug-in basically looks at the rectangle that encloses the selection, or the entire image if no selection is available. It then uses that rectangle for the basis (i.e. the start, end and increment of color to use across that rectangle). In the case of the radial gradient, which I might have messed up, I divide that rectangle by 2 and start going out from there, going from the primary color to the secondary color. If you have masking turned on make sure your selection rectangle is centered over the general area you want to make your gradient in. Either way, I will look to see if I messed up something in that fill when i add the other two fills in the plug-in in a week or so. Btw. I love this Paint.NET program, I keep thinking of new ideas to add to it. Thanks, Paul Leska

Glad you all like the plug-in. The source is at http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/GradientPlugInSource.zip Enjoy, Paul

Thanks all for the feedback. I updated the zip file with a new DLL that has the OK and cancel button positions changed. I also gave them their correct enter/escape status on the form. Enjoy Paul

Well its not spectacular but it gets the job done. This plug-in produces a gradient fill between your current primary and secondary colors. It uses the overall selected rectangle as the distance for the gradient fills. It supports 5 basic types of gradient fills: Vertical, Horizontal, Radial (from center of rect out), Diagonal and Reverse-Diagonal. If you want the fill to go the other way you reverse the colors. Also it has a special ability to use a mask color. This color will be the only area where the gradient fill will occur within the selected region. I did this after running into lots of math problems with weird regions, if you want to see the weird region problems create a very irregular selection and try some of the fills. Attached is the link to a zip file. Unzip it and put the single DLL that is inside this zip file in your Effects folder and then launch the paint.net app. It should appear on your effects menu as a new effect. btw. This was built with paint.net v2.63 and if you want source let me know here. Thanks, Paul MODERATORS NOTE: This effect is incompatible with Paint.NET 4.0x http://www.sapphireonline.com/Downloads/GradientPlugIn.zip