Global Shortcut for Brushsize?

[DarkClown]

Hi Folks

Is there any way to assign the same keys for decreasing and increasing brush size for all tools in the photo persona? I'm aware I can assign them the same keys for each persona, but by the looks of it EVERY tool in the photo persone has it's own and different brush size setting ... aside the fact thats it's a nightmare to assign the same functionality to all tools it seems some of them do not seem to remember the assigned keystroke. I was trying to assign "w" to increasing brush size but it keeps on selecting the area selection tool when pressing the "w" key - despite the fact in the keyboard shortcut setting a "w" is assigend.

Cheers,

Timo

[dominik]

Is there any way to assign the same keys for decreasing and increasing brush size for all tools in the photo persona?

 

Hi DarkClown,

 

what works with all brush sizes is to first press ALT then left mouse button and then additionally right mouse button.

 

Dragging the mouse left and right decreases/increases the size of the brush.

Dragging the mouse up and down decreases/increases the feathering of the brush.

 

This is not a key but 'mouse acrobatics'   ;)   ... and needs a litte training but works very well, once you get used to it.

 

d.

[Alfred]

what works with all brush sizes is to first press ALT then left mouse button and then additionally right mouse button.

 

On this laptop, the left and right mouse buttons cannot both be pressed at the same time, so I don't have that option unless I plug in an external pointing device. :(

[SrPx]

Alfred -and please, excuse everyone else if I have posted this link too much...-  I came up with a solution using certain great utility. I have it set this way permanently for my beta, to change size and smoothness very easily. You might want to give it a try, I explain even the exact settings for the case.

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/27858-brush-resize-and-hardness-with-ctrl-alt/?p=135888

But I strongly recommend that if you want to try it, first read my other post, for another shortcut issue, where I explain it step by step, the usage of this utility (there's no way to get lost :D, even trying. ) :

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/27990-zoom-like-a-photoshop/?p=135701

Is just a very nice workaround, for a lot of possible shortcut preferences, that combined with the flexibility of an intuos or similar tablet, of having a mouse button or key combination configured in any of your 3 pen buttons, one of the 8 tablet buttons (in an intuos pro), and/or the ring and its options... the possibilities are amazing, and it has made my workflow much more comfortable, otherwise I wouldn't be mentioning it...

[dominik]

On this laptop, the left and right mouse buttons cannot both be pressed at the same time, so I don't have that option unless I plug in an external pointing device. :(

 

I couldn't do this on my laptop, either. But I am used to use a mouse so that is not a problem (for me).

 

d.

[dominik]

On ‎14‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 11:06 PM, SrPx said:

Alfred -and please, excuse everyone else if I have posted this link too much...-  I came up with a solution using certain great utility. I have it set this way permanently for my beta, to change size and smoothness very easily. You might want to give it a try, I explain even the exact settings for the case.

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/27858-brush-resize-and-hardness-with-ctrl-alt/?p=135888

But I strongly recommend that if you want to try it, first read my other post, for another shortcut issue, where I explain it step by step, the usage of this utility (there's no way to get lost :D, even trying. ) :

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/27990-zoom-like-a-photoshop/?p=135701

Is just a very nice workaround, for a lot of possible shortcut preferences, that combined with the flexibility of an intuos or similar tablet, of having a mouse button or key combination configured in any of your 3 pen buttons, one of the 8 tablet buttons (in an intuos pro), and/or the ring and its options... the possibilities are amazing, and it has made my workflow much more comfortable, otherwise I wouldn't be mentioning it...

 

Hi SrPx,

I took a look at this utility but I do not quite understand how to use it. Thanks for the link, anyway. I'll try it again some time later.

d.

[DarkClown]

Hi Dominik and SrPx,

thanks for your answers, but theses are just workarounds and they do not solve my question.
Feels like it's a bug within the keyboard assignment. Maybe this can be clarified by some AP staff member.

Cheers, Timo

[Chris_K]

Hi Timo

 

There is no method to globally assign the shortcut keys for all tools. With your example in your first post, W is also assigned to two of the selection tool. This is done to allow you to cycle between different tools with the same key. To get this working for brush size instead you need to remove the shortcut for the other tool so this just operates the brush size. The keyboard shortcuts section should inform you if a shortcut key is being used for multiple items

[DarkClown]

Hi Chris,

thanks for your answer. Despite the fact that it doesn't make me happy it clarifies the issue. I was acutally assuming that reassigning a letter to another tool would automatically disconnect the previous assignment. Interestingly enough it seems to work with some tools - and doesn't with some others ...
Cheers, Timo

[Michail]

Hi DarkClown,

 

what works with all brush sizes is to first press ALT then left mouse button and then additionally right mouse button.

 

Dragging the mouse left and right decreases/increases the size of the brush.

Dragging the mouse up and down decreases/increases the feathering of the brush.

 

This is not a key but 'mouse acrobatics'   ;)   ... and needs a litte training but works very well, once you get used to it.

 

d.

 

You can press the right mouse button first ;)

You can get used to everything. But why not only the right mouse button, but both buttons (like PS)?

[jcd]

I'd like to second DarkClown's wish for a global shortcut for brush sizes. The default shortcuts [ and ] are unusable on German keyboards. I always like to have the brush sizes on the , and . keys. From a usability standpoint, there is also no reason the tools should have seperate shortcuts for brush size, the user expects these to be consistent for all tools.

[dominik]

 

You can press the right mouse button first ;)

 

 

Interesting. I didn't realise that. I'll try if this makes it easier.

 

 

 

You can get used to everything. But why not only the right mouse button, but both buttons (like PS)?

 

 

I think this is because the developers want to keep feature parity with the Mac version of AP.

Mark explains it in this thread.

 

Cheers,

 

d.

 

 

 

You can press the right mouse button first  ;)

You can get used to everything. But why not only the right mouse button, but both buttons (like PS)?

 

[SrPx]

Hi Dominik and SrPx,

thanks for your answers, but theses are just workarounds and they do not solve my question.

Feels like it's a bug within the keyboard assignment. Maybe this can be clarified by some AP staff member.

Cheers, Timo

 

It's a workaround that I have applied even with the big names tools, and I bring (or download) this tiny utility everywhere (like I do with Irfan and Notepad++). The fact is that here you have the great benefit of been able to interact with the developers. With older, established high end applications, you can't or is much harder to get an answer. And rarely those applications do match from one to another in their keys, even among the same suite apps. For example, even zooming and panning between the vector and the raster application do differ in other suites (although they are trying to make it more similar in each modern version). I know here a lot of people are photographers, but when one is a general graphic worker, needs the vector tool (like A. Designer) to be used in a daily basis. With this small utility, I have basic functions assigned to equal shortcut/buttons (also combined with Intuos buttons assignments) to most of my main applications. And if you get creative, the number of combinations is amazing. Before having using it extensively I also thought it'd be kind of an over complexity. But the reality is that am much more comfortable now.

 

Even so, I've spent decades just adapting to each app manners, workflows and specific key shortcuts. IMO, lately the tendency is unify them among programs, but is harder to fight old habits in people working with A or B application during years. Anyway, IMHO it is a very, very small matter in what really counts for the handling and mastering of any application, is a detail, in my opinion, only relevant when all and every option to use one feature (by mouse or key/mouse shortcut) is really crazy. I mean, I would have zero issues in adapting to the default key-mouse combos here. The core features, and their issues (more than expected in a beta) is what I mostly care about. Although I understand your wish of having the keyboard shortcuts in your best preference.

[DarkClown]

SrPx, will the utility be of help when you're using a wacom tablet (I don't even have a mouse connected to my computer any more)? As you mentioned it's always a challenge to change old habbits, but I'm open for new approaches.

[SrPx]

Yes, I know it requires an effort... And kind of there's a previous fear of it not resulting natural in your every day work... But hey, one can always try ! :)

 

yes, Wacom works with this greatly. I have it configured now my Wancom Intuos PRO XL this way :

 

1) I have the Affinity Photo added as custom application in my general Wacom Panel (the one that is at Control Panel in Windows).

2) One of the pen side buttons, with ctrl+z for undo. Indeed, the one nearer the tip as I use it a lot (not only while painting).

3) The second side button of the pen, with just "mouse Right click".

 

Then, the configuration in X-Mouse utility (double click the icon in tray, or right click and "setup") is how I explain there: I add here too the A. Photo application. Then, I hit its Right Click mouse button entry. And proceed as explained in that thread. (you might need to read the one of the zoom shortcut substitution, as the procedure is explained step by step there)

 

And it works PERFECT :) with Wacom. I have the utility since long time, is modifying all my shortcuts. No worries on having to use some of my main tools again without it, as I have the habit of doing so from decades before, wouldn't be an issue. Like I could be back working with my Pentium 4, if needed. But hey, while I can work better and faster, I opt for it... :)

 

You need a bit of getting the grip of it, but once you do is easy, natural and very convenient. I have not noticed any performance or response loss. (when I notice some performance issue, I deactivate it, noticing zero difference, so, there you have it, this must be like some Kbs, and non intrusive... Is open source, also.  )

 

Edit: I often switch my wacom panel key shortcuts (in wacom panel). So, if I am doing a line art, like for comic, or ink only illustration, I might have there instead, in that second side pen button the eraser (I dislike flipping the pen and erasing so), as anyway, the inking brush needs to be always the same, configured at the beginning of the project.  In a project where I'm like oil/acrylics painting, I set the second side button to select color from the painting (I also have an x-mouse configuration for that in AP), in a 3D application I may go changing from rotating to scaling, and so on. In my experience it pays to adapt -using some seconds- to the project or project stage, rather than fighting during hours... :)

 

Then I also configure too the brush change of size to the ring Wacom has in the tablet, just configuring my two custom keys I have in each software to increase and decrease size, and often, in the other tablet buttons, b for brush, e for eraser (quite standard across painting apps) , and leave always one for precision mode; There where stabilization or just my improving firm hand (you know that no tablet is as good/accurate/firm as traditional pencil and paper) brush painting wouldn't be enough. But use it rarely.