Paint Tool
The paint tool is a powerful surface placement tool extension allowing users to "paint" meshes onto the surface of other meshes. Useful for painting trees, grass, and debris the Paint Tool makes quick work of the controlled scattering of meshes on surfaces.
Using the Paint Tool
The Paint tool has two main interface panels. The Paint Library is used for creating new and selecting existing brushes. The Paint Settings allows fine tune adjustment to your currently selected brushes.
Setting | Description |
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Paint Library | Opens Paint Library Panel |
Paint Settings | Opens Paint Settings Panel |
Paint Library Panel
The Paint library acts as your quick access palette for brushes you have created and saved. Simply select a brush and paint.
Setting | Description |
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1. Plus (+) | Opens dialogue to create new brush and give name. |
2. Search | Enter text to refine brush list contextually. |
3. X | Clears the Search Criteria. |
4. Category List | Refines brush list based on category. |
5. Brush List | Brushes listed based on category/search refinement with thumbnails. |
6.Thumbnail Size | Drag slider to increase and decrease the size of the thumbnails. |
Paint Settings Panel
Setting | Description |
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1. Drop Down List | Allows creation of new or selection of loaded brushes. |
2. Paint Mode | Sets the mode of the current brush to add points/prims based on brush parameters. |
3. Erase Mode | Sets the Mode of the current brush to remove points/prims based on brush parameters. |
4. Type | Displays currently selected brush type. Note: Currently, only scatter type is available. |
5. Apply To | Shows what the current brush is able to paint/erase on. All: Activating mode with nothing selected in stage allows all assets to be affected by brush tool. Selected: Activating mode while one or more prims are selected locks brush tool to selected prims. |
6. Name | Displays the name of the currently selected. |
7. Flood | Activates flooding using the currently selected brush settings on apply to conditions. |
8. Plus (+) | Opens dialogue to create new brush and give name. |
9. Save | Saves the brush to the users documents folder. |
10. Gear | Rename Brush: Allows renaming the currently selected brush. Clone Brush: Makes a copy of the current brush. Remove Brush: Deletes the current brush from disk. This is permanent.Go-To Brush: Opens browser window to the stored location of the currently selected brush. |
Modes allow brushes to take the form of an "eraser" (removing brushed content) or a "brush" (adding brushed content).
Paint Mode
The Paint Mode allows users to brush randomly scattered assets or point instances on surfaces based on the brush parameters.
Erase Mode
The Erase Tool allows users to use a brush interface to delete selected assets.
Flood Button
The flood button covers the all surfaces of apply-to designation using the brush parameters of selected brush. Flood can be used with both Paint and Erase modesAssets
The assets portion of the paint tool allows users to select 1 or more assets to be used in the paint operation.
Setting | Description |
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1. Add Asset | Adds an asset to be placed by the brush. |
2. Remove Asset | Removes an asset from the brush. |
3. Enable Toggle | Enables/Disables the asset. |
4. Select Asset | Opens browse dialogue to select an asset to be used in the brush. |
5. Eye Drop | Allows selection of stage/viewport asset to be used in the brush. |
6. Weight | Controls the amount/chance the asset is selected during placement. |
Thumbnail | Displays a preview of the brush asset. |
Parameters
Setting | Description |
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Brush Size | The radius of the brush in centimeters. |
Brush Falloff | Allows selection of several pre-configured falloff types. |
Density | Determines the number of placed assets, higher numbers place more assets. |
Stamp Spacing | Used when dragging the brush, controls the distance between each stamp. |
Object Padding | Controls the spacing between assets, used to reduce overlap. |
Vertical Offset | Offsets placed assets on the z axis. |
Conform to Surface | Rotate painted meshes/instances to match the surface geometries normal facing direction. |
Physics | Enable Zero Gravity placement If vertical offset > 0, and this switch enabled, assets will "drop" onto Marked surface. |
Gravity | Enables generic gravity when placing. |
Instancing | Allows the user to replicate meshes in a variety of ways. Point Instance: Places point markers which are then populated by instances Instance Asset: Places instanced assets directly in the scene. None: Places assets directly and does not use instancing. |
Align to Stroke | Aligns the rotation of the placed assets to the stroke. Overrides Rotation Parameters. |
Rotation | Randomly rotate placed assets within low/high range parameters. (Applied to the Z axis) |
Scale | Toggles Scaling on/off for the selected brush. |
Bias | Controls the favor of scale factors. Towards Min: Values Less than 1 Towards Max: Values Greater than 11: No favor is given, disables bias |
Min | The minimum scale permitted during distribution |
Max | The maximum scale permitted during distribution |
Weight | Controls the curve of scale factors used in distribution Lower numbers sharpen the distribution curve Greater numbers flatten the distribution curve |