Symmetry tool for creative painting

[veronica]

Hi people!

 

I believe that for all those people who are developing characters, the symmetry tool it's really useful. To get the same result in Photoshop we have to copy and do an horizontal flip, but for creative developing it's not enough, and it's not a difficult feature to program.

 

Thank you!

[hevonen]

I don't know if this is targeted towards AD or AP, but symmetry tools are very useful for murals and engravings. Especially in game graphics.

 

Artists can create seals (not the animal), floor tile designs, engraved doorframes and stuff like that very quickly in 2d software and then convert these to normal maps or actual displacements in 3d app.

 

As an extension to typical x/y symmetry it would be quite useful to have user-defined radial symmetry (either by angles or by extra axes running through symmetry origo), so when symmetry mode is active all drawing actions are mirrored on all axes. Would be great!

[MEB]

Hi veronica,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Thanks for your suggestions.

Yes, it's a useful feature, and eventually it will be implemented at some point.

Currently we are focused on completing our roadmap but then we can move on with other features.

Hope you're enjoying the software!

 

@hevonen,

Thanks for your feedback too. That would be a great addition.

[Ben]

This is something we have talked about in the team.  It will be looked into at a later time.  There are other more pressing things on our roadmap.

[Peregrin]

Artrage has quite a useful tool for symmetry that allows you to set the number of segments, although as Artrage is an app for realistic painting I don't use their symmetry much.  A symmetry tool in Affinity Designer, however, would make it far easier to create perfect vector shapes.  Therefore I think it would be a great feature to have.

[PixelPest]

Symmetry painting please for AD or AP wherever you like to put it. I can´t live without.  :D

 

Cheers

P.

[Alfred]

Symmetry painting please for AD or AP wherever you like to put it. I can´t live without.  :D

 

Cheers

P.

 

Symbols in AD 1.5 work pretty well for creating mirrored brush strokes. :)

[PixelPest]

I have no clue what you´re talking about.

So you´re saying we don´t need a symmetry plane for painting purposes? Thanks.

[Alfred]

I have no clue what you´re talking about.

 

Here's an example on YouTube: How to Draw a Mandala.

[LilleG]

Thanks, Alfred.  That's a very helpful and encouraging video.  I know how to do most of the things I want to do in Photo but my copy of Designer has been neglected till now.  This (along with the workbook!) is even more reason to dig in and really learn how to use this fantastic app.

[PixelPest]

It´s a neat feature - no question but no replacement for a dedicated symmetry painting implementation in my humble opinion.

(I´m used to work with SketchBookPro/ArtRage/Krita and a few more :D )

[Peter Werner]

I've tried using Symbols for these kinds of things in the past – symmetry painting, seamless textures etc., but I found that this workflow is still fairly buggy in the current state and that vector brushes are more reliable than raster layers inside symbols right now.

 

For instance, if the instance of a symbol is created after the raster layer is created (i.e. if you don't create the symbol and instances first, then the raster layer within it), the contents of the raster layer in the new symbol instance is frozen at that state and won't be updated. I also remember having some issues with the transformation of raster layers being off inside symbols when I had to create a kaleidoscope effect for a client.

[nezumi]

A bit of a reminder - I was shocked to see Adobe finally implementing symmetry (along with "lazy mouse") in latest Photoshop. I am staying with Affinity, but its probably last professional software now without this super useful option. Hope it will make it to both Designer and Photo one day. I mean it was in 1993 Deluxe Paint on Amiga so... Keep up great job!