CustomBrushesMini v2.2

[luckyniji13]

What version of PdN are you using?

Paint.NET v3.5.11

[david.atwell]

I've merged this with the thread for the specific plugin in question. Simon is much more likely to be watching here. Good luck!

[KellyJ13]

Pixie - I really do appreciate all your help....I'm regretting updating to the latest beta version .

I tried doing what Skullbonz suggested; putting an underscore in front of the brush name, updated again, reloaded the custom brush mini ....but still have the same problem.

Are there any techs or creators of Paint.net out there that can help me? What specific information do I need to look for (would it be on the pdncrash?) to send to you to identify this issue? Or do I need to remove Paint.net and reload the entire program? 

[nitenurse79]

Kelly - You only put an underscore before the name of your brush folder, (that is only if you have them sorted into brush types)  If you just have your brushes in the custom brushes folder you don't need to underscore a brush.

Just an idea here, but is paint.net looking for the brushes in your public documents and not your own named one ? 

[Pixey]

Thank you Kelly - much appreciated . 

 

As @pndnoob mentioned a few posts back, he's got the beta version and had no trouble uploading brushes.  Perhaps you could explain 'exactly' what is happening when you try to upload the brushes.  Does it crash, or give an error message - like @luckyniji mentioned in another post? 

 

Edit:  I see you did mention a pdn crash,  sorry.  I think I will try to update to the Beta version on my laptop and see what happens.  I am now the Guinea pig ......Eeeek

 

2nd Edit:  OK - I've downloaded Beta and I see what you are talking about.  I've got it sorted out (a lot of jumping between files) and I will type out the solution tomorrow, when I have more time.  Basically, the Beta did not recognise any of my saved brushes from using the old version.  And, you need to jump about in the area ' My Documents' to find the 'Paint.net User Files' to find 'Custom Brushes'.  Also, another way is to click : Desktop and in the files you'll see another file called 'Brushes Plugins etc., and also in there are the Custom Brushes as well.  I've had to jump between both to get a brush to load into CustomBrushesMini.  Obviously I'll have to change my old brushes into abr once again.  Anyway, it's quite different from v3.5.8 - so you were not going crazy .......... Oh, and, it did have one 'sole' brush in the system to upload when I began to play.

 

Quick way for now ..... save ABR brushes on desktop.  Open Paint.NET and go to File - Open - navigate to the ABR brush - it will open in Paint - then you can resize and save to My Documents - Paint.NET User Files - Custom Brushes.  Good Luck

Edited February 28, 2014 by Pixey

[KellyJ13]

:mrgreen:Thanks NiteNurse!! A light bulb went off in my head when you said that "Paint.net looks for them in your public folders" that must be the case...

Thanks Pixie! I feel a lot better . I think I will wait to see your solution before I mess around with the files.

[nitenurse79]

I hope it helps Kelly. I can understand your frustration when you know something is there, but you just can't find it. 

I know when I first opened CBM it was searching for a folder that was in the public one and not where I had placed them, (in my own documents) after a lot of head scratching I managed to solve it.

I use V4 of pdn and have had no issue with CBM (so far), but I now only store my brushes in the 'public' folder anyway

[Pixey]

I could not get my saved brushes from v.3.5.8 to work in Beta, as the brushes were saved in .png and Beta didn't recognise them.  Obviously, now that Beta has CustomBrushesMini (CBM) incorporated in v4, there is no need to use the abrViewer anymore.

 

1.  Brushes have to be in ABR form like this:

 

 

2.  Make a file on desktop and call it, say, ABR brushes – upload them from the web and unzip if required.

 

3. Open Paint.NET – go to CBM and hit "Add brush" – navigate to the above file on desktop and click on the brush:

(The brush will automatically be added to your Custom Brushes File in Documents – Paint.NET User Files – Custom Brushes.  Which can be found here:

 

as you can see, I played around and made more files (public, etc.,) but it was best to use the file highlighted here.

 

 

Another way :    If you have any brushes in png form, you can do this:

 

      Have the file on desktop with the png’s.

1. Open PDN – Go to – File – Open – and navigate to the file on desktop.  Click on the brush, or brushes, to upload.  The brush will appear on a transparent BG.  Then go to File – Save as -  navigate to Documents –Paint.NET User Files – Custom Brushes – and Save –  Save as type: Photoshop brush (*.abr) and Save.

 

If multiple brushes load on separate layers, untick each layer and then “save as” as above. 

 

When uploading the brushes this way to CBM - I’m getting an error message – but it loads the brush anyway  

 

I do hope this will be of help and that it's clearer than mud .

 

[MarkB]

I am sure I am missing something but under 4.0 beta I can not get CMB to work.   I had used CMB in PDN 3+

I am running windows 8.1

Tried moving brushes to my desktop. Downloaded new abr files from the web.

Tried to rename the folders with a leading underscore.

The issue is when I go to CMB (version 2.1) I can go to tools, custom mini brushes and Add brushes, but it does not find brushes.

[Pixey]

Hello MarkB & Welcome to PDN.

 

Please read the post above yours - it explains why you are having this trouble.  Good luck - it takes a little extra work I'm afraid

Edited March 1, 2014 by Pixey

[MarkB]

Thanks for the reply. 

I read the post. I tried both abr and png files in my publics documents folder.  CMB could not find it.

 

I have the latest version of PDN beta and it does not allow me to save files to abr.

[Pixey]

Hi Mark - Please try to find the folder in:

 

My Documents:

C:\Users\Mark\Documents

 

instead of in Public documents.

 

You can see here where mine is situated in this clip:

 

see the blue 'highlight' on Paint.NET User files ..... click on that and then you will see Custom brushes inside there.

 

I tried to do it in Public Documents and it would not work.

[MarkB]

[MarkB]

Thank you very much for the help.

 

I posted 4 screen captures above that might give more infomation.  I should have done the text and images in one post but learning to navigate the forum.

[Pixey]

Hi Mark - In your last two screen shots, the paint.net files look wrong - I guess you made them?  The correct location will have it in proper caps; i.e. Paint.NET User Files and inside there will be Custom Brushes.  This is the format that will be the 'default' file area.  You just need to find it.  I have Windows 7, so mine will look a bit different.

 

In your last shot, I can see Libraries. I have highlighed it in Pink.  Hit on that, then Documents, and see if the User Files/Custom brushes are in there.

 

 

See here, when I look at my locations -

 

  it shows where the default is saved

Edited March 2, 2014 by Pixey

[MarkB]

Again thanks for your patience - I have these paint.net files everywhere to know avail. 

 

 

On a side note: I upgraded my computers to Windows 8.1 as I was inspired by Rick Brewster's work. I find paint.net the most effcient tool for editing even thought I can afford other programs, and we know what "other programs" means.   So would love to get CMB working, if not I can use pixlr, mypaint or Gimp etc for the brush work.

[Pixey]

Mark - it must be so frustrating for you trying to find the right file area.  I tied myself in knots for a couple of hours myself, until I found them in C:  All I would suggest now, is to "delete" all the files with the lower case: i.e. paint.net User Files and start again to look for the User Files in C: and My Documents until you find: Paint.NET User Files.

 

Good Luck .

[pdnnoob]

You don't have to manually put the brushes in the folder. Make sure they are .png files, put them on the desktop, and browse for them with the "add brush" button. Once you open them, CBM will automatically put a copy of them in the right folder for you.

 

EDIT: I looks to me like you can use any file paint.net can open, so if you have the .abr filetype plugin installed, those will work too.

[MarkB]

Lesson learned  - Custom Mini Brushes needs the abr file type plugin to work with 4.0, not the case with 3.511.

 

For example, if you uninstall all your plugins (delete all your filetype/effects) and do a fresh install of paint.net 4.0 on Windows 8.1, it will not work (don't believe me try it). Most people are paint.net geeks and I mean that in a good way - Thus -  I think you all have lots of plugins and may not realize that CMB will not work without the abr plugin. 

 

In the other versions of paint.net - I did not need that plugin as I opened it with another program.

 

I got it to work after many hours, thanks all for the help. Really on many forums people dump on the new guy, as the new guy does things that are obviously wrong. But here on paint.net you all really did not give up.

Edited March 2, 2014 by MarkB

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I got it to work after many hours, thanks all for the help. Really on many forums people dump on the new guy, as the new guy does things that are obviously wrong. But here on paint.net you all really did not give up.

Glad you got it working Mark. Thanks for the compliment. We are, after all, Paint.NET users just like you and we like to help where we can.

[pdnnoob]

Custom Mini Brushes needs the abr file type plugin to work

...I have inadvertently stumbled on the solution once again xD

 

It has always been this way. Paint.net has never recognized .abr files by default. My guess is you had the filetype plugin installed before and it didn't get transferred.

 

Anyhow, glad to be of help!

[MarkB]

This makes perfect sense now.  I was inspired by my liking of paint.net speed to upgrade all my laptops to Windows to 8.1 when PDN 4 came out. So I formatted my hardrives and did clean installs.  I must have had a filetype plugin installed I long had forgotton about.

[Pixey]

Yay @Mark - at last you are up and running .  Now you can join us on here, open a Gallery in the Pictorium and we can see your work.  Especially Kasia   ...... looks like (from one of your desk top shots) that you do portraits.  I love doing them too.

[KellyJ13]

Hello again

 

I did install the ABRFileType plugin but am still having issues.

Also I noticed that it being a dll file you may have to go into the properties and unblock it, but after I unblocked this plugin I found that it became blocked again.

 

 Plus at this time Paint.Net isn't letting me post any of my screen captures (?): I click on the insert image icon, put in the URL from my Photobucket on the line and it just freezes up/ the box doesn't go away. I will do my best to get these pictures posted....I think that the screen captures will really help decipher what's going wrong.

BTW is the forum having technical issues right now?

I've been up all night trying to figure out how to fix my cbm issue.

[Pixey]

Hi Kelly - I'm not having trouble getting into Paint.NET - it seems to be working normally.

 

Another way to insert an IMG into your post - you just copy and paste the IMG code directly into the post.

 

The URL can be used when you want to insert a link (the chain thingy in above toolbar).

 

Where did you put the ABRFiletype plugin?  It does not go into the Effects Folder.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Pixey