Brush panel improvements

[Ash]

Apps: Designer and Photo
Platforms: Windows and macOS

A few improvements have been made to the brush panel on desktop...

1. You can now choose to show brush names

In the brush panel burger menu you can now optionally choose to display the brush name in the panel. 

2. Alt-drag now duplicates a brush

3. Brush panel now always highlights the current brush

Previously when you first selected a brush it would be highlighted in the panel, but as soon as you made any change to the brush from its default settings (e.g. change the width) then it would no longer be highlighted. The new behaviour is as follows:

1. When you first select a brush it should be highlighted blue
2. If you change any temporary settings for the brush (e.g. width, hardness, etc.) the brush will remain highlighted but highlight colour changed to red
3. If you change brush tools (e.g. between paint brush and eraser) which have different brushes selected, the panel will now automatically switch categories if needed, meaning you can immediately see your selected brush for the tool you have just switched to.
4. If you have changed any of the temporary properties of a brush you can choose to update the brush to use those as the default settings of that brush. This is available from a right-click on the brush -> Update Brush.
5. Alternatively if you want to reset the brush back to default settings you can choose Reset Brush.

4. Nozzle preview visibility improved

In V2 we added the ability to view your brushes as a grid of nozzle thumbnails without the preview of the stroke (panel burger menu -> uncheck "Show as List"). However, the contrast of the nozzle preview in this view could sometimes be very low, depending on the nozzle itself. We've made some tweaks in 2.1 to hopefully improve things.

Please note: These are mostly just desktop only improvements, although iPad versions do now show a brush as being modified with highlight colour changed to red. While it's not available yet, iPad versions will also have the ability to update a modified brush (from t left swipe menu on the brush) in a future build.
 

[Patrick Connor]

Known Issues

• AFP-6125 - Brush Highlights do not trigger after app restart until new brush is selected.

Further known issues will be added to this list as they are reported to us by customers in this thread.

Fixed Issues

• PD-315 - Brush Panel - Light UI contrast issues
• AFD-6393- Show as list/Show Brush Names missing from Designer on Windows
• AFD-6395 - Pixel brush in use highlight, loses focus when resized using ctrl alt L click drag
• AFD-6414 - MacOS - When a brush is deleted the blue highlight moves to the unselected brush below
• PD-338- Brush names are not aligned to the left on Windows
• AFD-6427 - Mac/iOS: Deleted brushes reappear in brush panel when app is restarted.
• AFP-5999- Windows: Brush duplicated via Alt + Left Click is incorrectly highlighted when original brush is resized
• AFD-6494 - [iPad] Auto-Switch category does not trigger when swapping between Personas
• AFP-6084 - Cannot adjust pixel brush size using CTRL + ALT/Option + Left Click

[Frozen Death Knight]

On Windows the connection to the brushes on the list still breaks. The new feature works when using the keyboard keys to resize your brush, but when using ctrl+alt+L click drag to change your brushes it no longer works.

[StuartRc]

I like the new brush panel Structure. It is a welcome improvement. It would be useful for some connection between the 'used brushes' in the layers panel and the brushes panel. Such that if you switch between brushes in the active layers panel they also get highlighted in the brush panel

[StuartRc]

Had a strange issue with the loss of current nozzles (i.e Nozzles contained in existing brushes) and their disappearance in a large number of brushes in any particular category.. bit weird.. but apparently fixed with a restart!

Process (vague!)
Deleting | Renaming older brush categories and importing recent modified ones (These were updated for version 2 to take into consideration distance dynamics). I sort of decided to clean up the list as per previous active beta and test with some of the newer versions

During the process a large number of the brushes in the categories became broken. Nozzle samples not displaying in the panel and unable to use brush. Name was still visible.. list was still complete but number of brushes available varied according to category! In the the dynamics (Nozzles)..the brush nozzles were showing as blank (White)..will investigate!😀
 

[Bryan Rieger]

One suggestion with regards to the brush names. Left align them please, as it makes them far easier to visually scan.

[Michail]

Long awaited - thank you! 
Unfortunately it doesn't work via keyboard shortcut (as @Frozen Death Knight had already mentioned). But Ctrl+Alt+L is the way I do it most of the time.

[jmwellborn]

I really like the new Brushes Panel with light UI.   And having the ability to show the Brush names is Genius!!!!  Now if we could just somehow have the Brush selection suggestion from @StuartRc implemented.  It would be so nice, when brushes from more than one brush category have been used on a single pixel layer, to be able not only to highlight one brush (as we can now) but to have the Brush Panel switch to that category.   

[MxHeppa]

showing brush names is indeed nice addon.
and i loaded one brush changed it settings in window. not get reset working imagined puts brush its original settings what they come from manufacturer. i wanted this is hard remember when i edit brush editing window brush all values are stored at least earlier they stored. then if i undetstand this reset thing wrong tell how meaned work?

 

[walt.farrell]

19 minutes ago, MxHeppa said:

then if i undetstand this reset thing wrong tell how meaned work?

If I understand your question, I think the Reset button restores the brush to the settings it had when you opened the dialog. If you need to restore to the original brush settings, you need to make a copy of the brush before you start editing it.

[Hangman]

On 2/15/2023 at 12:15 PM, StuartRc said:

It would be useful for some connection between the 'used brushes' in the layers panel and the brushes panel. Such that if you switch between brushes in the active layers panel they also get highlighted in the brush panel.

110% agree that when selecting a brush from the layers panel, it needs to automatically switch to the relevant brush panel... With that in mind, there appears to be a small glitch affecting the highlighting of basic brushes when selecting them from the layers panel...

Steps to Reproduce

1. Select a brush from the basic brush category, the brush correctly shows its blue highlight to indicate it's selected
2. Add a paint stroke on the canvas
3. Switch to a different brush category, select a brush, the new brush again correctly has its blue highlight to show it's selected
4. Add a second stroke to the canvas
5. Because selecting the brush via the layers panel doesn't currently auto switch the brush category, switch the brush category back to the basic category in the brushes panel
6. Select the basic brush used in Step 1 from the layers panel
7. Result - the basic brush incorrectly has no blue highlight in the basic brush panel
8. Switch the brush category in the brushes panel to the one used in Step 3
9. Select the second brush used in Step 3 from the layers panel
10. This time the selected brush does correctly show its blue highlight in that particular brush panel

This only appears to affect the basic brush selection...

[Hangman]

Duplicating a brush using a right mouse click places the duplicated brush at the bottom of the brushes list, it would be nice if the duplicated brush appeared directly below the source brush. I realise you can achieve this by Alt dragging the source brush to create the duplicate but see no immediate reason, logic or benefit to the right mouse click method adding the duplicated brush to the bottom of the list, even though it can also be dragged to a new position in the brush list.

Odd brush behaviour

1. Select a brush from the brushes panel and it correctly shows its blue highlight in the brushes panel
2. Right mouse click the brush in the brush panel and select duplicate brush
3. Drag the newly duplicated brush from the bottom of the brush panel so it sits directly below the source brush (for visual ease)
4. Edit the duplicated brush in some way and use the brush on the canvas
5. Select another brush from further down the list of brushes in the same brush catergory, use this brush on the canvas
6. Select the duplicated brush from Step 2 in the layers panel and it correctly shows its blue highlight in the brushes panel
7. Delete the duplicated brush
8. The brush below the now deleted, duplicated brush shows a blue highlight despite not having been previously used or selected
9. The now deleted, duplicated brush is still the selected brush used if a brush stroke is added to the canvas and is also still shown as an available brush in the layers panel despite now having been deleted

Questions

1. Should a deleted brush still be available in the layers panel as a brush selection that can be used on the canvas even though it technically no longer exists and can't be selected from or added to the brushes panel - assumption, probably but unsure
    
2. On deleting a duplicated brush, should the brush now showing a blue highlight be the brush below the deleted brush in the brushes panel even though this isn't the brush used when painting on the canvas and also may be a brush that hasn't previously been selected - assumption, no
    
3. Should using Alt drag to create a duplicate brush in the brushes panel create a new brush with no name at all rather than a duplicate brush with a numerical suffix added to the brush name in the same way duplicating a brush using a right mouse click does - assumption, no
    
4. Should renaming a duplicate brush created using Alt drag apply the name to the duplicate brush - assumption yes, in practice it only does so if the duplicated brush is duplicated again

 

Issues when using Alt Drag to create a duplicate brush in Photo, the Pixel Persona of Designer and the Photo Persona of Publisher

• Duplicate brush is unnamed, unlike when duplicating using a Right Mouse click. If this duplicate brush is then duplicated again using a right mouse click, the second duplicate brush will just be named '2', '3' etc., i.e., the second or third copy of a brush with no name
   
• Renaming the duplicate brush using Rename Brush results in the name entered not being applied to the duplicate brush
   
• Alt Drag the first instance of the previously Alt Dragged brush to create a second duplicate results in no name being applied to the second duplicate but the name previously added using Rename Brush, but not shown, being added to the first duplicate brush

 

Note: These are UI only issues and don't affect performance or usability of the apps.

[walt.farrell]

19 minutes ago, Hangman said:

The now delected, duplicated brush is still the selected brush used if a brush stroke is added to the canvas and is also still shown as an available brush in the layers panel despite now having been deleted

How do you know that it's the deleted copy that's being shown, and not the original? 

 

[Hangman]

24 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

How do you know that it's the deleted copy that's being shown, and not the original?

See Step 4...

[walt.farrell]

13 minutes ago, Hangman said:

See Step 4...

Thanks. 

I have never considered the brush indicator on a layer to be an inspection of a specific brush, but rather of a generic brush with a certain set of characteristics.  

And in some ways the behavior you've described seems to match that.

[Hangman]

7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

I have never considered the brush indicator on a layer to be an inspection of a specific brush, but rather of a generic brush with a certain set of characteristics.

Not sure I entirely follow but if you say select a brush and make three duplicates of said brush, make a small (but visually obvious) adjustment to each duplicate and then use each of your duplicate brushes on the canvas, each duplicate brush will appear in the layers panel as a unique brush, which I would say is expected since each brush is unique and subsequently selecting any one of the three duplicates in the layers panel will, with the new behaviour, now highlight the respective brush in the brushes panel...

Deleting a duplicate brush following the steps listed above still results in the incorrect brush showing a blue highlight which I would assume is not expected behaviour, as in, no brush should now show a blue highlight because the brush in question no longer exists...

[Ronbo]

I love being able to show brush names, but when doing so I would prefer not having the names also pop up as before when moving the cursor along the brush stroke list. This seems redundant and the pop-up just tends to block the displayed name.

[Ash]

8 hours ago, Ronbo said:

I love being able to show brush names, but when doing so I would prefer not having the names also pop up as before when moving the cursor along the brush stroke list. This seems redundant and the pop-up just tends to block the displayed name.

Good point, we'll disable the pop-up if you have brush names being displayed.

On 2/17/2023 at 4:46 PM, Hangman said:

it would be nice if the duplicated brush appeared directly below the source brush

Agreed

On 2/17/2023 at 4:46 PM, Hangman said:

• The brush below the now deleted, duplicated brush shows a blue highlight despite not having been previously used or selected
•  

There are two options here I guess. As you have deleted what was your currently active brush we should either allow you to continue to use that brush (it's cached) but nothing is highlighted in the panel. Or the next brush in the panel is highlighted (as now) but is also made your currently active brush.

 

On 2/17/2023 at 4:46 PM, Hangman said:

Should a deleted brush still be available in the layers panel as a brush selection that can be used on the canvas even though it technically no longer exists and can't be selected from or added to the brushes panel - assumption, probably but unsure

Yes - brushes in the layer panel are effectively saved duplicates of the brush with the settings as they were when you used the brush. There is no link to the brush in layers panel to the brush in your assets so doesn't have any knowledge as such you have now deleted that brush from your assets.

On 2/17/2023 at 4:46 PM, Hangman said:

Should using Alt drag to create a duplicate brush in the brushes panel create a new brush with no name at all rather than a duplicate brush with a numerical suffix added to the brush name in the same way duplicating a brush using a right mouse click does - assumption, no

Yes - a new name should be created with a number suffix as per right click duplicate.

[Frozen Death Knight]

5 hours ago, Ash said:

There are two options here I guess. As you have deleted what was your currently active brush we should either allow you to continue to use that brush (it's cached) but nothing is highlighted in the panel. Or the next brush in the panel is highlighted (as now) but is also made your currently active brush.

Personally I prefer the cached option. Sometimes you delete stuff by accident while working on new brushes, so being able to recover it for a brief time would be appreciated. If I wanted to select the next brush on the list I can just select it on my own.

[Frozen Death Knight]

Anyway, regarding brush management, a pet peeve of mine when duplicating existing brushes has to do with them being put at the very bottom of the list instead of just below the original. I like sorting my brushes based on similarity, so when I make alternate versions of a brush type I don't want to drag it from the bottom stack to wherever its brush copies are positioned.

[Hangman]

5 minutes ago, Frozen Death Knight said:

Anyway, regarding brush management, a pet peeve of mine when duplicating existing brushes has to do with them being put at the very bottom of the list instead of just below the original. I like sorting my brushes based on similarity, so when I make alternate versions of a brush type I don't want to drag it from the bottom stack to wherever its brush copies are positioned.

@Frozen Death Knight, already mentioned above... as an alternative, you can Alt Drag to create a duplicate brush and position it directly above or below (or anywhere) though currently on macOS the duplicate brush remains unnamed, even after renaming it, until you Alt Drag another copy of the first duplicated brush at which point the invisible name applied to the first duplicate is now visible...

[Ash]

Hi All - an updated beta build (1709) is now available to download. This includes various improvements / fixes to the improved brush panel. More details included in this post.

[GRAFKOM]

In the Beta beta (1709) version of Windows Publisher Photo Persona, brush names are still centered.

 

[walt.farrell]

17 minutes ago, GRAFKOM said:

In the Beta beta (1709) version of Windows Publisher Photo Persona, brush names are still centered.

I see that, too. All 3 apps.

[GRAFKOM]

8 minutes ago, anto said:

"Show as list" cannot be disabled in Designer and Designer Persona in 2.1.0.1709 beta.

Exactly.