How To Stop Brushes Changing When Working On More Than One Image

[Tar]

Hi folks,

Wasn't sure how to search for this or even how to word the title for my query ...

I don't often have more than one image open in AP, but I was recently working back and forth between two images and I noticed that if I select a new brush or brush category while working on one image, when I go back to the other one the brush there has also changed to that brush selection, and I have to waste time trying to reselect the original brush I was using on that one ...

Is there any way to stop the brush changing when I go from image to image?

Thanks.

 

[walt.farrell]

15 hours ago, Tar said:

I was recently working back and forth between two images and I noticed that if I select a new brush or brush category while working on one image, when I go back to the other one the brush there has also changed to that brush selection, and I have to waste time trying to reselect the original brush I was using on that one ...

That's not how it works for me (at least in Photo).

When I switch between images it keeps using the last brush I selected for that image.

It's confusing, though, because the Brushes panel will have the wrong brush highlighted. That is:

1. I select brush 1 in image 1 and use it.
2. I switch to image 2 and use brush 2.
3. I switch back to the image 1 tab, and the Brushes panel still shows brush 2 highlighted. However, if I paint, it's using brush 1 as it should.

So there is a problem, but it seems to just be with the highlighting in the Brushes panel showing the wrong brush and brush category.

[Tar]

Checked it out and for me it's not the same as yours - when I choose a brush in image 1, that brush will automatically be selected when I move to image 2.

I've also noticed that if I've chosen a brush in a new category, that new category will also now be showing in the brushes panel for image 2, and the brush will be highlighted in pink.

However, the pink highlighting will only remain visible if the category in question is one of Affinity Photo's standard ones. If it's in a self-created category - for instance, if I've imported a set of brushes - the pink highlighting doesn't work when I switch from image to image, or even if I switch tools from, say brush to clone stamp then back to brush.

As you'll see in the second image here, the imported one doesn't highlight, which makes it hard to instantly see the brush I've chosen, especially if I'm returning after a break.

Small problems I know, but a bit of a nuisance.

 

 

[walt.farrell]

On 9/30/2022 at 6:29 PM, Tar said:

when I choose a brush in image 1, that brush will automatically be selected when I move to image 2.

I've also noticed that if I've chosen a brush in a new category, that new category will also now be showing in the brushes panel for image 2, and the brush will be highlighted in pink.

You need to be careful about the scenarios, because immediately after you start the application it will have a default Brushes category and brush. And that will be the last category and brush you used the previous time you ran the application. I can't tell from your most recent description if that's what you're seeing.

If you have two documents open, and you switch to the Brush Tool in one of them, and choose a category and brush, then when you switch to the other document it will probably use that category and brush. But what happens if, in document 2, you choose a new category and brush, paint, and then you switch back to document 1?

At that point, if you look in the Brushes panel it probably shows the category and brush you used in document 2. But what happens if you paint in document 1? I think it will still paint with the actual brush you previously used in that document (document 1), even if the Brushes panel is showing a different category/brush.

This is all part of the design and the ongoing set of complaints that the Brushes panel doesn't actually show you what brush is being used, I think. This is especially true if you make any changes, such as changing the brush width or hardness/opacity/flow, which causes the Brushes panel to lose the highlighting of the active brush. I think you're just talking about kind of the reverse case, where it shows a highlighting that is no longer accurate.

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

This is all part of the design and the ongoing set of complaints that the Brushes panel doesn't actually show you what brush is being used, I think.

The panel only highlights brush presets, so the moment you change any brush attribute to something other than the one in that preset, you are no longer using that brush preset & the highlight turns off.

There has to be a better way to handle that!

[Tar]

12 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

You need to be careful about the scenarios, because immediately after you start the application it will have a default Brushes category and brush. And that will be the last category and brush you used the previous time you ran the application. I can't tell from your most recent description if that's what you're seeing.

If you have two documents open, and you switch to the Brush Tool in one of them, and choose a category and brush, then when you switch to the other document it will probably use that category and brush. But what happens if, in document 2, you choose a new category and brush, paint, and then you switch back to document 1?

At that point, if you look in the Brushes panel it probably shows the category and brush you used in document 2. But what happens if you paint in document 1? I think it will still paint with the actual brush you previously used in that document (document 1), even if the Brushes panel is showing a different category/brush.

This is all part of the design and the ongoing set of complaints that the Brushes panel doesn't actually show you what brush is being used, I think. This is especially true if you make any changes, such as changing the brush width or hardness/opacity/flow, which causes the Brushes panel to lose the highlighting of the active brush. I think you're just talking about kind of the reverse case, where it shows a highlighting that is no longer accurate.

 

Thanks Walt and R C-R

I tried out your suggestion with two documents, using one of Affinity's included brush categories to see if that made a difference ...

I set up one doc with Brush A and blue paint, and then a second one also with Brush A and blue paint ... I painted some strokes in Doc 1 using Brush A and blue paint, then selected Brush B and mad some more strokes but this time with orange paint ... when I switched to Doc 2 the brush had changed to Brush B but the paint was still the blue originally chosen ... so the brush changes but not the colour ...

I also tried it using an imported set of brushes, and confirmed that when I use Affinity's preset categories the brush chosen remains highlighted, but when using the imported brushes it isn't highlighted ... as I said before, it's not a major problem, just an inconvenience, especially if the category contains lots of brushes that have a similar appearance ...

 

 

 

[Tar]

12 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

At that point, if you look in the Brushes panel it probably shows the category and brush you used in document 2. But what happens if you paint in document 1? I think it will still paint with the actual brush you previously used in that document (document 1), even if the Brushes panel is showing a different category/brush.

This is all part of the design and the ongoing set of complaints that the Brushes panel doesn't actually show you what brush is being used, I think. This is especially true if you make any changes, such as changing the brush width or hardness/opacity/flow, which causes the Brushes panel to lose the highlighting of the active brush. I think you're just talking about kind of the reverse case, where it shows a highlighting that is no longer accurate.

 

No, with me when I switch to Doc 2 it now shows the brush chosen in Doc 1 and also paints with that one ...

 

 

[carl123]

@Tar

I am also not seeing the behaviour you describe

Can you upload a (full-screen) video of what you see, as sometimes a video can highlight stuff that is not apparent without one

[Old Bruce]

@Tar

I think you should check look at this in the Preferences > Tools

[Tar]

10 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

@Tar

I think you should check look at this in the Preferences > Tools

 

As you suggested, I unchecked the box and, sure enough, when I change the brush in Doc 1 it no longer affects the brush selected in Doc 2 when I switch back, so that's good ...

However ...

As walt suggests below, the brush and its stroke has stayed the same as it was in Doc 2, but the brush panel is now showing the category that I switched to in Doc 1 ...

For instance ...

1) I open two Docs with same brush and colour, say Blue using Brush 1 in the Oil Category selected

2) Make Blue stroke in Doc 1, then switch to Doc 2 and make the same stroke

3) Still in Doc 2, I switch to Watercolour brush category, choose Brush 1 and Orange and make a stroke

4) Switch back to Doc 1 and the category has also changed to Watercolour, but the brush is still the original one chosen from the Oil category and the colour is still blue

 

Therefore, no matter if I check or uncheck the synchronise tools between documents box, something strange is going on, and I always have to make some kind of adjustment when I switch between documents ...

 

On 10/2/2022 at 1:22 PM, walt.farrell said:

But what happens if, in document 2, you choose a new category and brush, paint, and then you switch back to document 1?

At that point, if you look in the Brushes panel it probably shows the category and brush you used in document 2. But what happens if you paint in document 1? I think it will still paint with the actual brush you previously used in that document (document 1), even if the Brushes panel is showing a different category/brush.

This is all part of the design and the ongoing set of complaints that the Brushes panel doesn't actually show you what brush is being used, I think. This is especially true if you make any changes, such as changing the brush width or hardness/opacity/flow, which causes the Brushes panel to lose the highlighting of the active brush. I think you're just talking about kind of the reverse case, where it shows a highlighting that is no longer accurate.

 

 

[walt.farrell]

9 hours ago, Tar said:

Therefore, no matter if I check or uncheck the synchronise tools between documents box, something strange is going on, and I always have to make some kind of adjustment when I switch between documents ...

As I mentioned, the Brushes panel does not tell you what brush you're actually using, once you have made any changes. For example, if you selected a brush, and then changed its width, hardness, opacity, or flow and immediately looked in the Brushes panel, that Brush Preset would no longer show as selected.

I am surprised that the panel is not maintaining the brush category when you switch documents, change categories, and then return to the original document. But even if it did keep the category, it is extremely unlikely you'd be able to tell what Brush preset you were using.

[PaulEC]

I really don't see why the selected brush can't stay highlighted in the brush panel, regardless of changing it's properties (such as size, opacity etc). I understand that these are just pre-sets, nevertheless it is still the "same" brush in the list, it has just been modified. IMHO,  It should stay highlighted until you actually select another bush in the brush panel. 

[walt.farrell]

9 minutes ago, PaulEC said:

I really don't see why the selected brush can't stay highlighted in the brush panel, regardless of changing it's properties (such as size, opacity etc). I understand that these are just pre-sets, nevertheless it is still the "same" brush in the list, it has just been modified. IMHO,  It should stay highlighted until you actually select another bush in the brush panel. 

I agree with you. 

The Developers apparently don't, or haven't yet been convinced. Maybe someday.

[carl123]

13 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

nevertheless it is still the "same" brush in the list

No, it's not

If I select a 64px basic brush and change it to 32px it is then effectively the previous brush in the list

Likewise, if I just change the 64px brush's hardness from 100% to 25% it then matches the characteristics of a brush further down in the list

I would therefore have to agree with the developers that changing any aspect of the brush means it is no longer the brush you selected.

 

Now, there is an argument that if you change a brush's settings so that it matches the settings of another existing brush, then that new brush should be highlighted.

But that is an argument for another day and probably for a much later release of the Affinity apps

[PaulEC]

35 minutes ago, carl123 said:

If I select a 64px basic brush and change it to 32px it is then effectively the previous brush in the list

Sorry, I have to disagree. It may have the same characteristics as another brush in the set, but it has not suddenly become another brush. Some brush sets may have several brushes that only differ by size or hardness etc, but many don't. (I would add that, while I think the brush you selected should stay highlighted, if you click on that selected brush again I think it should reset it to it's default settings.)

[PaulEC]

8 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

No, only if you switched to another brush.
It should highlight the current brush no matter what setting.
I think it should remain per session.
I think it also should be saved with document.

But, after you have modified it, don't you think there should be an easy way to reset the brush to it's default (original) settings if you want to?

[walt.farrell]

26 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

It should have an auto modified name in the brushes panel to be found again

So, if I start with some brush, and change it's width to 50 px, there should be a new brush added to the panel. And then if I update it to 55 px, there should be another one, and so on?

That would get messy very fast.

[R C-R]

The Brush Tool has only one brush. The "Brushes" panel actually shows lists of various preset properties for that tool, which is why the moment any brush property has been changed from the one in that preset, the preset is no longer highlighted in the list.

Functionally, one thing that would be useful in that panel is a "go to last preset" button or something similar that if pressed would automatically change to the appropriate category & select that preset.

[walt.farrell]

Just now, N.P.M. said:

just like it is now implemented

But as it is now, it's your choice when to save a new Brush Preset. You seemed to be suggesting it should be automatic whenever the user makes a change.

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, N.P.M. said:

Also not user-friendly and with no naming convention it would unusable.

Considering that there can be thousands of different brush presets, I am not sure what kind of naming conventions for them would be practical.

[R C-R]

35 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

maybe something like the history panel with a sub brush to choose from.

Not sure what you mean by "sub-brush." Can you explain more about that & how it would work? 

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, N.P.M. said:

Perhaps something like this, just an idea though:

How would it work if the brush category was something other than the one with the brush preset in it?

[R C-R]

19 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

You have the main brush selected.

I am not sure what you mean by "main brush." Regardless, what I was asking about was what happens if say I change to a different brush category but do not actually select or use any brush preset in it? In you example, you are showing a "1-Basic" category, but if I have selected a different category, how would it show the last used main brush preset or any of its 'child' versions?

Aside from that, consider that by using a stylus & pressure sensitive brush settings, there could be a near infinite number of variations just in width & hardness alone, depending on how the brush preset was set up.

[R C-R]

14 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

So you could have 5 child brushes of the same brush in the dropdown to choose from when in usage.

But couldn't I also have hundreds of child brushes, depending on how many brush attributes I changed after selecting any one brush preset?

21 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

Close the dropdown and one can choose another brush from another category and have the proces repeated.
When returning to that first "modified" brush again, the child brushes are still there and usable.

I have about 25 different pixel brush categories but I know that some users have many more than that. So between the many possible 'child' variations & all the different categories they could be in, it seems to me that the lists of modified presets could easily become so enormous that it would be very hard to keep track of which one is which or which category it came from.

[Tar]

2 hours ago, N.P.M. said:

I will try to explain it one last time:
Choose any brush from any category.
Change the settings for flow/opacity/hardness/size(The other settings are for the brush editor to take care of)
When you put the pointer on the canvas the settings are committed.
This parent brush has the "modified" stamp on it.
Now a child brush is created with current settings.
A dropdown is there to choose from the child brushes, with the current settings in the child brush window.

 

 

I'm trying what you suggest here, modifying the brush settings several times, but I can't find these new child brushes in the Edit Brush dropdown ... can you point me to it in more detail, please?