Setting Spacing Controls

When a brush stroke uses a dab-based dab type, Corel Painter creates the stroke with a series of dabs. By adjusting the spacing between those dabs, you can control the continuity of the brush stroke.

Spacing

The Spacing slider controls the distance between brush dabs in a stroke.

To set spacing between brush dabs

1. On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Spacing.
2. Move the Spacing slider right to increase the spacing between dabs, bringing spacing closer to the size of the dab itself.

When the Spacing slider is at 100%, the Size of the dab equals the spacing. For example, a dab that's 10 pixels across is repeated every 10 pixels.

3. Move the Spacing slider left to decrease the distance between dabs, until they begin to overlap.

Overlapping increases the density of the stroke and makes it look more continuous.

Min Spacing

The Min Spacing slider specifies the minimum number of pixels between dabs. If you don't want a continuous stroke, you can adjust the Min Spacing to create a dotted or dashed line. Each dot or dash is one brush dab.

The Min Spacing slider controls the minimum number of pixels between dabs. Top=2.0, bottom=10.5.

To set minimum dab spacing

1. On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Spacing.
2. Move the Min Spacing slider right to increase the minimum spacing between dabs. Move it left to decrease the minimum spacing between dabs.

Damping

Damping is used to smooth otherwise jagged brush strokes for brushes using rendered dab types. Higher values make the stroke smoother. (On a very technical note, Damping suspends a stroke in a mathematical spring area, using calculations to even out edges and reduce jaggedness.)

High values of Damping will actually round out corners of a stroke. A value of 50% works best. Higher values might be necessary for jittery input devices like a mouse.

To set smooth rendered dab strokes

1. On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Spacing.
2. Move the Damping slider to the right to even out jagged strokes. Move it left to allow for more ragged transitions between points on the stroke.

Continuous Time Deposition

Continuous Time Deposition controls whether you must move a brush before media is applied. With Continuous Time Deposition enabled, media begins flowing at the first touch.

Brushes that use rendered dab types take full advantage of this setting, causing media to pool realistically when the stroke is slowed or paused. Brushes that use dab-based dab types require a full pause in the stroke before media begins to pool. You use Continuous Time Deposition mostly with airbrush tools.

With Continuous Time Deposition disabled, you must move a brush before media flows.

To set Continuous Time Deposition

1. On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Spacing.
2. Enable the Continuous Time Deposition check box.

Cubic Interpolation

Cubic Interpolation smooths jagged brush strokes by adding points to dab paths, primarily for brushes that use dab-based dab types. Unlike Damping, which uses mathematical calculations to smooth jagged edges, Cubic Interpolation inserts additional points into dab paths, which are used to replot brush strokes.

Cubic Interpolation is best for dab-based dab types, while Damping is best for rendered dab types.

To set smooth strokes by adding path points

1. On the Stroke Designer page of the Brush Creator, click Spacing.
2. Move the Points slider to the right to add points and even out jagged strokes. Move it left to decrease the number of additional points.