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    Support a Blob type of vector brush

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Features and Ideas
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    • S Offline
      Subpath
      last edited by Subpath

      @Bitten , @EricP

      you could change the Shape of the Path Brush Tool here
      see Picture

      0_1758121665378_pathbrush shape.png

      .
      .

      To create a user defined shape, just select the Shape you like
      and give it a "Shape" Role.
      Select your shape and go to > Menu > Object > Object Role > Shape. After this you
      could select this Shape in different Tools of VectorStyler also the one i shown above

      Win 11
      CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
      GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

      BoldlineB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
      • BoldlineB Offline
        Boldline @Subpath
        last edited by

        @VectorStyler @Subpath thank you for the reminder about this! I'm not getting the same result you are. I created a triangle and gave it the tole of "shape". I selected it as my path brush shape and tried to use it. Often when clicking, nothing happened and when I did drag the cursor, it looked no different than a circle. Here is a video of this.
        Obviously it's working for @Subpath so maybe my settings are off?

        ๐ŸŽ macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
        Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

        BoldlineB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • BoldlineB Offline
          Boldline @Boldline
          last edited by

          @VectorStyler I noticed that it would sometimes work depending on what I was clicking overtop of. Then eventually I lost my custom shape path brush entirely and it went back to being a default circle.
          Link to new video showing this

          ๐ŸŽ macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
          Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

          BoldlineB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • BoldlineB Offline
            Boldline @Boldline
            last edited by Boldline

            Update: I tried this on my laptop running default settings and had the same issues.

            The shape only seemed to work when i was touching an existing shape. in my case here, the shape somehow changed mid-use and merged another star into itself....

            0_1758131671558_95ba5a1e-c881-4a69-b50c-22fcfe488376-CleanShot 2025-09-17 at 13.47.36.png

            ๐ŸŽ macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
            Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

            S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • S Offline
              Subpath @Boldline
              last edited by

              @Boldline

              its not your fault, got the same behaviour

              @VectorStyler

              it seems a bug
              a single Blob could only set with the
              default circle blob

              all blobs shape made via the "Shape" Role
              works only if paint with it and then single blobs can
              be set if there is a kind of overlapping. They dont work
              as single blobs

              0_1758136920305_blobs.png

              Win 11
              CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
              GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • B Offline
                Bitten
                last edited by

                Hey all thanks for the responses, I can't find anytool called a path brush tool in the ui of the version downloaded if it is in there, it's well hidden.

                I made a video to try help explain what exactly this freeform paint style tool can do

                https://youtu.be/6JAoFnc9-Zk?t=367

                The ability to erase parts of it as well is also as important as the painting.

                Devil DinosaurD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Devil DinosaurD Offline
                  Devil Dinosaur @Bitten
                  last edited by Devil Dinosaur

                  @Bitten
                  Hi,
                  Like said above, what you need is the "Path Brush Tool". It's located on the left main tool bar, third icon from the top, then the last of the menu that opens to the right. It's pressure sensitive and seems to be what you want. You may check some other tools of this section.

                  0_1758151429412_path brush tool.png

                  Fred.
                  MacBook Pro (M1) - MacOs Sonoma 14

                  B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • S Offline
                    Subpath
                    last edited by

                    @VectorStyler

                    I noticed two additional things:

                    First:
                    I miss a live preview when changing the size of the Path Brush tool.
                    The brush tip size only changes after I've set a new size. This
                    makes adjusting the size a bit unintuitive.

                    Second:
                    No matter which shape you select as the brush tip, the Path Brush
                    tool always paints with a rounded tip. This makes changing the
                    Brush tip somewhat useless.

                    I also demonstrate both of these points in this video.

                    Win 11
                    CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
                    GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

                    VectorStylerV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                    • VectorStylerV Offline
                      VectorStyler @Subpath
                      last edited by

                      @Subpath said in Support a Blob type of vector brush:

                      When painting with the brush (not clicking) the top is always rounded.
                      Only when clicking you can use the selected shape

                      S BoldlineB 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • B Offline
                        Bitten @Devil Dinosaur
                        last edited by Bitten

                        @Devil-Dinosaur Ok nice yeah I found the brush tool now and it does seem to work a lot like the other tools mentioned which is great. One big issue with it right now though as I think Subpath also calls out is that the pressure changes you make don't adjust the size of the "preview / cursor" until you release.

                        What this results in is a situation where it's difficult to know if you have actually painted in a filled area on your canvas till you release the pen from screen, often showing that actually there are little gaps because pressure wasn't hard enough, This also makes it hard to do fine pen work because the preview is max brush size not the actual brush size with pressure factored in.

                        So I think in summary Yes there's a brush tool that can let you draw as shapes, and an eraser to go with it but both tools seem geared for use with a mouse not pressure pen as the brush size indicator does not adjust to match actual brush size when laying down new pressure based strokes

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • S Offline
                          Subpath @VectorStyler
                          last edited by

                          @VectorStyler

                          Yes, I know that and I have already mentioned it,
                          but I find this behavior a bit curious

                          Win 11
                          CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
                          GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • E Offline
                            EricP
                            last edited by

                            @Subpath thanks for the tip about shape nib.

                            I had tried earlier to change the shape on the toolbar when the path brush tool was active, but all it did was to replace the selected object by the shape, not change the brush nib.

                            Watching your video, I now understand that the shape must be selected with no canvas object selected so it can change the nib shape. Thanks

                            But using the feature, it doesn't apply the shape when dragging the path brush. It only seems to apply it when clicking on the border of an object, it then modifies the object shape with the selected tool shape.

                            Not very intuitive but still useful

                            S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • S Offline
                              Subpath @EricP
                              last edited by Subpath

                              @EricP

                              You're welcome.

                              I also find it strange that you can't paint with the path brush tool
                              using the selected shape tip.

                              Btw. this option to select a shape that have previously been
                              assigned the shape role is available for many tools in VectorStyler,
                              you can always check to see if a shape selection is offered in the
                              setting of a tool.

                              You can also use this to create shape presets, for example. You
                              can also do this with the parametric shapes in VS, which remain
                              editable.

                              Here a video where change a shape used in a blend

                              Win 11
                              CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
                              GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

                              E 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • E Offline
                                EricP @Subpath
                                last edited by

                                @Subpath thanks for these tips.

                                Yes, I've tried to change the shape of some tools like the "Shaped Bump Tool" but did not find it to work as expected. Maybe I missed how to use it properly.

                                Coming back to the Path Brush tool, I really like what can be obtained with it, to imprint some patterns on the surface of shapes.

                                I experimented a bit and tried some modifier keys with it. I was hoping Alt would turn it into a Path Eraser but it doesn't.

                                However, a cool modifier is Shift, where if you shift-click with Path brush tool on a shape (doesn't have to have a shape role), the nib takes that shape. You can repeat over and over and get some kind of fractal construction where the path embeds smaller versions of itself.
                                here is an example : https://somup.com/cTQFl7P10Y

                                S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • BoldlineB Offline
                                  Boldline @VectorStyler
                                  last edited by

                                  @VectorStyler said in Support a Blob type of vector brush:

                                  @Subpath said in Support a Blob type of vector brush:

                                  When painting with the brush (not clicking) the top is always rounded.
                                  Only when clicking you can use the selected shape

                                  Is there a reason you donโ€™t want to have it operate in that manner? From my perspective, I would find that option very useful. A lot of interesting things could be done if the painting aspect used the shape and was not just the default rounded.

                                  ๐ŸŽ macOS Tahoe 26.2, Mac mini (M1, 2020), Chip Apple M1, Memory 16 GB
                                  Cintiq 27QHD Display and LG Ultra HD Display

                                  VectorStylerV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • VectorStylerV Offline
                                    VectorStyler @Boldline
                                    last edited by

                                    @Boldline said in Support a Blob type of vector brush:

                                    Is there a reason you donโ€™t want to have it operate in that manner?

                                    When paining with the path brush, an expanded outline shape is created (calligraphy and variable width included).
                                    But there is no method to using an arbitrary shape in this process. It is just no way to "define" it, unless I do some hacking.

                                    E S 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • E Offline
                                      EricP @VectorStyler
                                      last edited by EricP

                                      @VectorStyler It's not the way it's working today but I agree with @Boldline it would be great to be able to "paint" with a shape

                                      The way I imagine it is you drag the mouse and VS inserts+merges shapes continuously (at intervals), like if you were clicking after each small position offset

                                      like this : https://somup.com/cTQF2FP1a9

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • S Offline
                                        Subpath @VectorStyler
                                        last edited by Subpath

                                        @VectorStyler

                                        I don't think any user here would want to pressure you into any kind
                                        of hacking. Is just we don't know in full the mechanism behind.

                                        As for me, I can live with the current situation. Once I know how
                                        something works, i have no problem to act accordingly.

                                        Win 11
                                        CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
                                        GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                        • S Offline
                                          Subpath @EricP
                                          last edited by Subpath

                                          @EricP

                                          ... However, a cool modifier is Shift, where if you shift-click with Path brush tool on a shape (doesn't have to have a shape role), the nib takes that shape. You can repeat over and over and get some kind of fractal construction where the path embeds smaller versions of itself ....

                                          Interesting, did not know that.

                                          Win 11
                                          CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, 6-core.
                                          GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                                          • B Offline
                                            Bitten
                                            last edited by

                                            Put a video together to better show the 3 main problems with this software still
                                            https://youtu.be/Pb7otS5bovU

                                            It's definitely close but right now not quite where it needs to be.

                                            VectorStylerV 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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