Vector Brushes?

[Richard S.]

Hi,

I have a layer consisting of a vector shape (curves layer), which I exported as a png file, and then used that png file to create a new intensity brush in Affinity Photo - so I now have that shape in raster brush format.

I would now like to convert that same vector shape (curves layer) into a vector brush, but the tutorials I have seen do not actually make any sense.

The videos say you need to export as a png, and then use that. If I export as a png - how can it be a vector brush if the png format is obviously raster???  I just need to be able to take a vector layer (curves layer), and convert that into a vector brush so I can scale it as much as I need to.

Any clarification would be much appreciated.

 

 

[Gear maker]

Richard, the current vector brush creates a vector path upon which the raster brush shape follows.  There is no truly vector brush yet in AD.

[Richard S.]

Thanks. I'm a bit confused regarding your answer though. Does that mean that my shape will still be able to be scaled up without pixellation?

[Gear maker]

I can't say I have tried to enlarge a vector brush by much.  But my guess is that the path will enlarge to any extreme but the brush stoke would suffer pixellation.  You'd probably have to run some tests if you intend on scaling up to a large extent.

[Oval]

On 4/23/2020 at 3:28 PM, Richard S. said:

I would now like to convert that same vector shape (curves layer) into a vector brush

to be able to take a vector layer […] convert that into a vector brush

scaled up without pixellation?

Not possible! Sorry, Serif still claims “all the tools you need” but only Serif knows if this will be possible in some weeks or years:

On 10/12/2015 at 1:29 PM, MEB said:

This is something that will be improved later.

 

[ashf]

Not possible though It was possible in DrawPlus - predecessor of Affinity Designer.

 

[Oval]

12 minutes ago, ashf said:

though It was possible in DrawPlus

Yes and it is still possible there and in other apps. But as we should know, DrawPlus shares no code with Affinity.

[firstdefence]

You have to stop thinking of the Affinity Designer draw persona brushes as vector brushes, they are a curve adjustable raster brush.

They should make them so they use .afdesign files not PNG.

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, firstdefence said:

They should make them so they use .afdesign files not PNG.

That would mean supporting multi-layer 'vector' brushes, including those with text, pixel, image, & adjustment layers, & since the format of all native Affinity format files are the same, even ones with APub document & Master pages!

Not totally impossible, I suppose, but that would require a computer with massive hardware resources to draw them in anything even remotely close to realtime.

The developers have mentioned from time to time that they do plan on improving the vector brush engine eventually so it can draw with true vector objects, but I doubt very much that it will support anything other than simple vector shape objects.

[firstdefence]

I think common sense would dictate how complex a brush should be, well one would hope so.

 

[R C-R]

49 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

I think common sense would dictate how complex a brush should be, well one would hope so.

The problem with common sense is it is not very common! 😛