Paint Stroke tool controls in the HUD

Paint Stroke tool controls in the HUD

The Paint Stroke Tool HUD appears when you select the Paint Stroke tool in the toolbar, before you draw a stroke. Use this HUD to specify stroke-drawing settings before you draw.

The Paint Stroke Tool HUD contains the following controls:

Paint Stroke Tool HUD

  • Brush Color: Color controls that set the color of the brush. For more information on using these controls, see Basic color controls.

  • Width: A slider that defines the width of the paint stroke.

  • Pen Pressure: A pop-up menu that sets stroke properties derived from the pressure of your pen before creating the stroke. This parameter is not available for solid brush types. Only strokes drawn using a stylus and tablet will have recorded pressure variations. Choose from one of the following:

    • Nothing: Pen pressure is ignored.

    • Width: The harder the pen pressure, the wider the stroke. To adjust the width of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the width and brush scale controls in the Style and Stroke panes of the Shape Inspector.

    • Opacity: The harder the pen pressure, the more opaque the stroke. To adjust the opacity of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the opacity controls in the Style or Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Spacing: The harder the pen pressure, the greater the spacing between stroke dabs. To adjust the spacing of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the spacing controls in the Style or Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Angle: The harder the pen pressure, the greater the angle of the stroke dabs. To adjust the angle of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the angle controls in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Jitter: The harder the pen pressure, the larger the amount of jitter on the stroke. Jitter randomizes the position of the paint dabs, giving the dabs a particle-like appearance. To adjust the jitter of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the jitter controls in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    Note: You can affect multiple parameters to a single stroke so that, for example, pressure affects both opacity and spacing. Choose an option, such as Opacity, before the stroke is created. After you create the stroke, apply a pen shape behavior to the stroke and apply the action to another parameter, such as Spacing. For more information on the pen shape behaviors, see Shape behaviors overview.

  • Pen Speed: A pop-up menu that sets the stroke’s width, opacity, spacing, angle, and jitter based on the speed recorded when drawing the stroke with the Paint Stroke tool. These settings can be applied to paint strokes created using a stylus and graphics tablet or a mouse. This parameter is not available for solid brush types. Choose from one of the following:

    • Nothing: Pen speed is ignored.

    • Width: The faster you move the pen, the more narrow the stroke; the slower you move the pen, the wider the stroke. To adjust the width of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the width and brush scale controls in the Style and Stroke panes of the Shape Inspector.

    • Opacity: The faster you move the pen, the less opaque the stroke. To adjust the opacity of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the opacity controls in the Style or Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Spacing: The faster you move the pen, the greater the spacing between the dabs of the stroke. To adjust the spacing of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the spacing controls in the Style or Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Angle: The faster you move the pen, the greater the angle of the stroke dabs. To adjust the angle of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the angle controls in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

    • Jitter: The faster you move the pen, the larger the amount of jitter on the stroke. Jitter randomizes the position of the paint dabs so they appear more like particles. To adjust the jitter of the dabs after the stroke is created, use the jitter controls in the Stroke pane of the Shape Inspector.

  • Write On: A checkbox that, when selected, allows a stroke to be “painted” on the Canvas over time. For more information, see Write On.

  • Smoothing: A checkbox that, when selected, creates a smoother stroke with fewer control points. Paint strokes drawn with smoothing on are created as Bezier shapes. Paint strokes drawn with smoothing off are created as linear shapes.

  • Shape Style: A pop-up menu that specifies a preset shape style (from the Library) to the selected shape. You can also save any custom shape style to the Library using this pop-up menu. Any stroke (shape) presets you have saved to the Library also appear in this list.

  • Sketch area: An empty field where you can preview brush styles in combination with the current Paint Stroke Tool HUD settings.