Editing Layers

You can edit a layer's content by applying effects to it, transforming its dimensions, or painting on it. You can also move layer content to change the overall image layout.

About Brush Methods

The Natural-Media environment enables brush strokes on different layers to interact with each other. However, mixing brush strokes that use the Cover and Buildup methods on the same layer can produce unexpected results. This is caused by a conflict between the brush method and the layer's composite method.

• Brushes that use the Buildup method-such as those in the Felt Pens or Pencils category-work best on layers that use the Gel composite method. In fact, when you paint on a blank layer using the Buildup method, Corel Painter automatically sets the layer's composite method to Gel.
• Brushes that use the Cover method work best on layers using the Default composite method.

For more information about layer composite methods, refer to "Blending Layers Using Composite Methods".

For more information about brush methods, refer to "Methods and Subcategories".

Preserving Layer Transparency

Areas of a layer that don't contain imagery are transparent. You can preserve the transparent areas of a layer with the Preserve Transparency check box on the Layers palette. This option affects what areas of a layer you can create imagery on. It also affects the results of erasing or deleting imagery on a layer.

By default, the Preserve Transparency check box is disabled, which lets you paint anywhere on the layer. When Preserve Transparency is enabled, the transparent areas are preserved, and you are confined to painting on areas of the layer that already contain imagery.

The results of painting on a layer with the Preserve Transparency option disabled and enabled

A good way to think about the Preserve Transparency option is in terms of a layer mask. As described in "Working with Layer Masks", a layer mask defines the visible areas of a layer.

Preserve Transparency provides a powerful selective editing capability for altering the strokes you've already applied and creating interesting effects. For example, enable Preserve Transparency to fill a set of hand-drawn letters with a pattern, a color gradient, or other brush strokes.

Preserve Transparency also affects the results of cutting or erasing on a layer.

• When Preserve Transparency is disabled, erasing or deleting imagery restores transparency to the area-revealing the underlying image.
• When Preserve Transparency is enabled, erasing or deleting imagery reveals the document's paper color. In effect, erasing or deleting with Preserve Transparency enabled is the same as painting or filling with the document's paper color.

Erasing part of a layer with the Preserve Transparency option disabled restores transparency (top). When the option is enabled, erasing reveals the paper color (bottom).

To preserve layer transparency

• On the Layers palette, enable the Preserve Transparency check box.

• You can also load a layer's transparency to a selection. On the Layers palette, Control+click the layer (Mac OS) or right-click the layer (Windows), and choose Select Layer Transparency. For more information about selections, refer to "Working with Selections".

Painting on Layers

When a layer is selected, you can use the brushes to paint, draw, erase, or clone in a layer. When painting on layers, keep the following points in mind:

• Water Color brushes can be used only on Water Color layers; on a Water Color layer, you can paint only with Water Color brushes.
• Liquid Ink brushes can be used only on Liquid Ink layers; on a Liquid Ink layer, you can paint only with Liquid Ink brushes.
• You can't paint across grouped layers-you must collapse the group first.
• Before painting on a shape, you must commit it to a pixel-based layer. Corel Painter prompts you to commit a shape if you attempt to paint on it. Once committed, you cannot re-access the shape's vector controls.
• You can protect areas of a layer from painting by creating a selection. For more information, refer to "Creating Selections".
• You can control what parts of a layer are visible and hidden by creating a layer mask. For more information, refer to "Working with Layer Masks".

To paint on a layer

1. Select a layer.
2. On the Brush selector bar, choose a brush category and variant.
3. Paint on the layer in the document window.

The Preserve Transparency option affects what areas of a layer you can paint on. Refer to "Preserving Layer Transparency" for more information.

Working with Floating Objects

You can make a selection on a layer using the Rectangular Selection, Oval Selection, Lasso, or Magic Wand tool. Selections on layers function in the same way as selections on the canvas-you can use them to constrain brush strokes, to isolate an area of the layer for applying an effect, or to choose an area of the layer to cut or copy.

By default, when you move a selection, only the selection marquee moves, not the imagery. To move selected imagery on a layer, you must "float" the selection. In effect, this turns the selected area of the layer into a floating object. You can move floating objects around a layer to create new compositions.

Each layer in a document can have only one floating object at a time. You can drop a floating object to merge it with the layer. Many operations automatically drop (or merge) the floating object back to its parent layer.

When you save a document to RIFF format, Corel Painter preserves all floating objects. However, saving a document to a non-RIFF file format automatically drops floating objects onto their parent layers.

To create a floating object

1. Make a selection on a layer using a selection tool.
2. Do one of the following:

• Click the selection with the Layer Adjuster tool .
• Choose Select menu > Float.

The floating object appears as an item below the parent layer on the Layers palette.

To reposition a floating object

1. On the Layers palette, select the floating object.
2. Do one of the following:

• In the document window, drag the floating object to the new location with the Layer Adjuster tool.
• Press the arrow keys to move the floating object one pixel at a time.

To drop a floating object

1. On the Layers palette, select the floating object.
2. Click the Layer Commands button , and choose Drop.

Adding Drop Shadows

Adding shadows to a layer's content can enhance the appearance of an image. You can add a drop shadow to a single layer or to a group.

Drop shadows are also helpful for developing Image Hose nozzles. For more information, refer to "Preparing Images".

When you add a drop shadow, Corel Painter creates a new layer for the shadow and groups it with the original. This enables you to select and modify the drop shadow layer independently from the original layer.

To add a drop shadow

1. Select a layer (or group).
2. Choose Effects menu > Objects > Create Drop Shadow.
3. In the Drop Shadow dialog box, type values in the following boxes:

• X-Offset and Y-Offset-the distance, in pixels, from the center of the layer image to the shadow.
• Opacity-the degree to which the shadow covers underlying imagery. Setting opacity to 100% obscures underlying imagery; lower values create a more transparent shadow.
• Radius-the amount of blur at the edge of the shadow. The radius is half the distance across the blurred region. If you set Radius to zero, you create a sharp-edged shadow.
• Angle-the direction of the blur.
• Thinness-the amount of blur applied perpendicular to the Angle. If a blur shows streaks, increase Thinness to soften it.

If you want to merge the drop shadow layer with the image layer, enable the Collapse to One Layer check box.

Creating Patterns on Layers

You can use the same pattern-making techniques on layers as you do on the canvas. However, a pattern's wrap-around features do not apply to layers. This is because the canvas has edges, but layers do not-they are unlimited in size. If you shift a pattern on a layer, the pattern does not wrap around.

Refer to "Using Patterns" for more information.

Moving Layers

When a layer is selected, you can move its content anywhere in the document to create a new image layout.

Repositioning layer content helps you achieve the optimal image composition quickly and easily.

Think of a layer's content as being contained by an invisible bounding box. This bounding box is a rectangle that marks the left, right, top, and bottom edges of the layer's content. When you move or align a layer, you work with the dimensions and position of this bounding box, not the entire area of the layer. This allows you to easily position the contents of a layer in relation to the canvas.

This layer contains a brush stroke. The content area is defined by an invisible bounding box.

The layer indicators provide a visual representation of the bounding box. Refer to "Showing Layer Indicators" for more information.

To move a layer

1. On the Layers palette, select the layer (or group) you want to move.
2. Choose the Layer Adjuster tool from the toolbox.
3. In the document window, drag the selected layer.

To nudge a layer

1. On the Layers palette, select the layer (or group) you want to move.
2. Press the arrow keys to move the selected layer one pixel at a time.

To move a layer to a specific location

1. On the Layers palette, select a layer or group.
2. Do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Layer Attributes.
• For pixel-based layers and reference layers, double-click the item on the Layers palette, or select an item and press Return (Mac OS) or Enter (Windows).

3. In the Layer Attributes dialog box, type values in the following boxes:

• Top-distance in pixels from the top edge of the canvas to the top edge of the layer's content. Increase to move the layer down, or decrease to move the layer up.
• Left-distance in pixels from the left edge of the canvas to the left edge of the layer's content. Increase to move the layer to the right, or decrease to move the layer to the left.

• If you use negative values, or values larger than the canvas dimensions, the layer is placed partially or wholly outside the canvas.

Aligning Layers

You can align layers horizontally or vertically.

To align layers, the following steps are performed:

• Corel Painter calculates the "destination" point for the alignment procedure.

For example, if you align layers to the left, the destination is the left-most point of all selected layers. If you align horizontally to the center, the destination is the midpoint between the left-most edge and the right-most edge of the selected layers.

• Corel Painter aligns the corresponding edge of each selected layer's bounding box to the destination point.

For example, if you align layers to the left, Corel Painter moves each layer so that the left edge of its bounding box lines up with the destination point. If you align horizontally to the center, Corel Painter moves each layer so that the horizontal midpoint of its bounding box lines up with the destination point.

The left edge of the square is the left-most point of all the layers (top). The layers are aligned horizontally to the left so that all the layers line up with the left-most point (bottom).

To align layers

1. Select the layers (or groups) you want to align.
2. Choose Effects menu > Objects > Align.
3. In the Align Shapes dialog box, enable any of the following Horizontal options:

• Left aligns the left edges of the layers' content.
• Center aligns the midpoints of the layers' content horizontally.
• Right aligns the right edges of the layers' content.
• None preserves the existing horizontal alignment.

4. Enable any of the following Vertical options:

• Top aligns the top edges of the layers' content.
• Middle aligns the midpoints of the layers' content vertically.
• Bottom aligns the bottom edges of the layers' content.
• None preserves the existing vertical alignment.

Working with Reference Layers

Reference layers get their image content from an external source-either a pixel-based layer in the current document or a separate file. They provide a low resolution representation of the original image that you can quickly manipulate in ways that would otherwise take longer.

Working with a reference layer allows you to transform (resize, rotate, slant) a layer onscreen by dragging its handles. You can adjust various options. Transformations display in the document window immediately.

When you've finished applying transformations, commit the reference layer back to a standard layer. Corel Painter examines the source image to restore the original resolution.

You cannot edit the image data in a reference layer. If you try to paint on or apply effects to a reference layer, Corel Painter prompts you to commit it back to a pixel-based layer.

You can create a reference layer based on an existing layer or by placing an image. Refer to "Placing Files" for more information about placing images.

To create a reference layer

1. Select a layer.
2. Choose Effects menu > Orientation >Free Transform.

The layer's icon on the Layers palette changes and an eight-handled box marks the boundary of the layer's contents in the document window.

To resize a reference layer

1. Select a reference layer.
2. Do one of the following:

• Drag a corner handle to resize the layer in two directions at once. If you want to maintain the layer proportions, hold down Shift as you drag. The pointer changes as you position it over a handle .
• Drag a side handle to resize the layer in one direction only.

To rotate a reference layer

1. Select a reference layer.
2. Hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows), and drag a corner handle. The pointer changes as you position it over a corner handle .

To skew a reference layer

1. Select a reference layer.
2. Hold down Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows), and drag a side handle. The pointer changes as you position it over a side handle .

To set reference layer options

1. Select a reference layer.
2. Choose Effects menu > Orientation > Set Transform.
3. In the Set Transform dialog box, adjust any of the following settings:

• Retain Alpha-works with placed images to retain the file's alpha channel. When the image is placed, the channel becomes the layer mask. Disable this option to discard the channel.
• Horizontal and Vertical-the scaling relationship between the reference layer and the source layer. If the scaling is low, 33% for example, and you increase it, Corel Painter refers to the source layer to get more pixel data.
• Constrain Aspect Ratio-maintains the proportions of the image. Disable this option to distort the image proportions.
• Rotation and Slant-rotate or slant the layer based on an original position of 0°. Enter positive values to rotate/slant the layer counter-clockwise; enter negative values to rotate/slant the layer clockwise.
• Fast-sets a high sampling ratio to produce a low resolution reference layer. A low resolution reference layer contains less information, so it can be transformed quickly.
• Clean-sets the sampling ratio at 1 to 1 to produce a reference layer of the highest possible resolution-up to that of the source. This shows a better image as you work, but takes much longer to calculate transformations.

• The Quality setting (Fast or Clean) applies only to the quality of the reference layer. When you convert a reference layer to a pixel-based layer, Corel Painter resamples the original image to produce the best possible resolution.
• Reference Image shows the pixel dimensions of the original image. This is static information-you can't change the Reference Image values.

To commit a reference layer

1. Select a reference layer.
2. Choose Effects menu > Orientation > Commit Transform.

The conversion process might take a few seconds, depending on the size and quality of the layer.