Feature Request: Improvement for Eraser Tool

[Tanel]

Is it possible to add the "Normal Blending / Overwrite" option to Eraser tool (same as Paintbrush has)?

I have found semi-transparent Eraser to be handy in some situations, and I would like it to apply equal amount of transparency in both one-click and moving mode. Currently Eraser seems to use Normal Blending mode only, therefore moving eraser applies much different effect than single click. This makes it complicated to use for large work.

This is my problem:

I want moving eraser to add same effect as single click. I guess Overwrite mode would solve it.

[david.atwell]

You could choose the area you want to be like that and use the Transparency Plugin ( http://searchpaint.net to find it).

Does that help?

[Crazy Man Dan]

I believe this is a deficiency in the current point-to-point system used by the brush tools. The vertices along the path the brush follows end up being drawn twice, once on the line as it moves to that point, and again as it moves from that point to the next. If you use the Paintbrush with a transparent color, you'll notice this as well.

You could get around this right now by creating a Mask using a white background with a gray line. To get the proper gray, you can first use the eraser to erase the point as in your top example, then use BoltBait's Alpha to Grayscale plugin to get the gray for that opacity level. Undo twice to cancel the grayscale and the eraser for later.

Use the eyedropper to select that gray, make a new layer, fill it with white, and use the gray to draw the path of the line on the white layer. Then save that image to your desktop and use Illnab's Alpha Mask Importer to import that image as a mask for the layer you want to be semitransparent.

It's convoluted, yes, but right now there's not much else one could do. I believe Rick is planning to change this behavior when the brush system is rewritten for post 4.0.

[david.atwell]

I believe Rick is planning to change this behavior when the brush system is rewritten for post 4.0.

I realize that there will be "major plumbing changes" in 4.0, but has anyone heard how much will actually be rewritten when 4.0 comes around? Will it use any extant code? Will it still have XP support? Do you want me to start a new thread, rather than hijacking this one? :-)

Anyway, another workaround would be to duplicate the layer, dial the opacity down on one, and then erase it completely on the opaque layer.

[Tanel]

I believe this is a deficiency in the current point-to-point system used by the brush tools. The vertices along the path the brush follows end up being drawn twice, once on the line as it moves to that point, and again as it moves from that point to the next. If you use the Paintbrush with a transparent color, you'll notice this as well.

Paintbrush with a transparent color draws evenly when switched to overwrite mode & antialias off. That's what I want from eraser too.

BTW I found a bug related to Paintbrush.

Anyway, I can work around the eraser issue now by turning transparency way down (to few % only). Then I can "paint" semi-transparency, but clicking then gives almost no effect. :?

[Bob]

I believe Rick is planning to change this behavior when the brush system is rewritten for post 4.0.

I realize that there will be "major plumbing changes" in 4.0, but has anyone heard how much will actually be rewritten when 4.0 comes around? :-)

Anyway, another workaround would be to duplicate the layer, dial the opacity down on one, and then erase it completely on the opaque layer.

v4.00 is still in the planning stages, even Rick doesn't completely know what will be in it, but:

has anyone heard how much will actually be rewritten when 4.0 comes around?

I think, I THINK, that this will be near 100%.

See

The goals for this release will be almost a complete rewrite of many parts of Paint.NET.

If you read what's planned for v4, the only thing which will last will be... the effects' algorithms and the gorgeous UI.

Will it use any extant code?

You mean add another third-party plugins? I don't think it's this release's goal, but why not...

Will it still have XP support?

Rick stated several times that XP support will not be dropped before a long long time. But mid 2009 still a long way, though.

Do you want me to start a new thread, rather than hijacking this one?

I love hijacking threads :twisted: .