Masks & Zoom Window

[Chazzy]

Just been looking though your 'Popular Feature Requests' thread. Really like some of your proposed updates. Especially the Adjustment layers and Custom brushes.

Do you have any plans to include an active zoom window, masks, and clipping masks? Most of these are standard in other programs and it would be a shame to see them omitted from paint.net.

Active zoom windows are great for detailed editing as it displays the whole image in its own window, with a zoom slider at the bottom. When you drag the slider, a small box shows up in the active zoom window to show the area you have zoomed into, and allows you to move that box any where within the window itself to edit that certain area.

Masks need no explanation as most people know about them.

And clipping masks are the ability to sort of link two layers together. One could be a shape and the other a texture. And by clipping them together you add that texture just to the shape layer solely, and none of the other layers are affected. Both layers are fully intact as no real cutting has occurred so it is non-destructive so you can come back to it later and move the image you have clipped to the different position; be it the shape or texture layer.

Clipping masks;

Chazzy

[Chazzy]

Forgot to ask... will the custom brushes also allow you to change its angle? It would be so helpful to turn a brush around to suit the type of image you are editing!

[nitenurse79]

Forgot to ask... will the custom brushes also allow you to change its angle? It would be so helpful to turn a brush around to suit the type of image you are editing!

So long as you use a custom brush on a new layer you can move / maipulate / flip in any direction you want to See enclosed screenshot

[Chazzy]

So long as you use a custom brush on a new layer you can move / maipulate / flip in any direstion you want to See enclosed screenshot

Thank you!

[nitenurse79]

Happy to help out

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I recently asked if Masks could be added to the list of layer Blend Modes - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/24961-the-new-layer-styles-request-topic-for-paintnet-40/#entry376960

The answer was no as changing the current model has far reaching consequences.

The workaround is the Alpha Mask Import plugin, or just filling the upper layer with an opaque shape/hole to reveal the underlying layer (as per your demo image).

[Chazzy]

I recently asked if Masks could be added to the list of layer Blend Modes - http://forums.getpai...40/#entry376960

The answer was no as changing the current model has far reaching consequences.

The workaround is the Alpha Mask Import plugin, or just filling the upper layer with an opaque shape/hole to reveal the underlying layer (as per your demo image).

It would be a real shame if masks are not added to Paint.net. I don't know any program, other than paint.net, that don't use masks now. But there is always workarounds for anything, so I'll just change my way of working with this program... I've got the Alpha Mask Import plugin installed since yesterday so I'll play around with that. And I'll almost certainly play around with your other suggestion.

Thanks!

[Rick Brewster]

Adding masks as a blend mode would not compose very well (in the mathematical sense). You need to be able to tie a mask to 1 layer, and not have it affect all the layers below it.

Masks won't be in 4.0, and I don't know when I'll be able to do them, but rest assured they are towards the top of the list. There's a lot you just can't do without them. Order of events will probably be ... finish 4.0, ramp up plugin stuff in 4.1, and then after that I'll be willing to take a look at things which affect the PDN file format (blend modes, layer folders, masks, etc.).

[Chazzy]

Thank you!