Sticker Spray Variation
The Sticker Spray has a large number of properties that are used to decide the appearance of the stickers that are sprayed. These are controlled in the Sticker Spray Variation panel. To open this panel click the ‘Spray Variation’ button on the Settings Panel when the Sticker Spray is selected, or select the option from the View menu.
The Spray Variation Panel is laid out in a large grid that gives you a number of Properties that can be adjusted down the left hand edge, and Values used to adjust them along the top edge.
Each Property can be adjusted by as many Values as you wish, by a certain amount varying from -100% to +100%. With 10 Properties and 14 Values this gives you an enormous number of potential adjustments you can make to the spray.
Every time the Sticker Spray goes to spray a sticker on to the Canvas it uses the information defined in the Spray Variation Panel to decide which sticker to spray, and what properties to apply to it as it sprays.
Setting Variation
Each Property on the left that is used by the Sticker Spray can be set to vary based on the Values on the top. For example the Scale Property could be set to vary based on the Pen Pressure, meaning the harder you press as you paint the larger the sprayed sticker can become.
Each slot in the grid contains a token that indicates the current state of the variation being applied to the Property by the Value.
No Token: If there is no token in the slot then no variation is applied to the Property by the indicated Value.
Green Token: A green token indicates a positive variation (1% to 100%) applied to the Property by the indicated Value. For example Scale set by Pen Pressure using a green token makes the scale Increase as Pen Pressure increases.
Red Token: A red token indicates a negative variation (-1% to -100%) applied to the Property by the indicated Value. For example Scale set by Pen Pressure using a red token makes the scale Decrease as Pen Pressure increases.
To set a variation, click and drag up and down in its slot. If you drag up the variation becomes positive (a green token appears). If you drag down, the variation becomes negative (a red token appears). As the value changes the token adjusts like a clock face to indicate the approximate value at a glance.
As you point at various slots an information outline will appear showing exactly what properties are being adjusted and the amount of adjustment.
To set a value back to 0, invert it, or set it manually in text just right click the slot and use the options there.
If multiple Values are used to vary a single Property each Value is calculated in turn. For example if you have X Distance and Pen Pressure varying Scale, the eventual scale is decided by adjusting by its X Distance variation then adjusting that result by its Pen Pressure variation.
Variation Properties
The following properties of the spray and stickers can be adjusted in this panel:
- Sheet Row, Sheet Column: Tells the Sticker Spray which Column or Row of the sheet to choose stickers from as it sprays. Sticker sheets do not have to be laid out in a grid but ArtRage identifies an approximate column and row value for the stickers on a sheet when you import it.
- Scale: Tells the Sticker Spray how large each sticker should be
- Rotation: Tells the Sticker Spray how much rotation to apply to each sticker.
- Hue, Luminance, Saturation: Tells the Sticker Spray what tint should be applied to each sticker.
- Alpha: Tells the Sticker Spray how opaque to make each sticker.
- Offset: Tells the Sticker Spray how far to place each sticker from the cursor point.
- Sticker Sequence: Tells the Sticker Spray what order to select stickers from the sheet as it places them.
Variation Values
The following values can be used to adjust Properties in this panel:
- Base Value: A set value is applied to the property. Eg. Scale at +100%
makes each sticker as large as it can be.
- Random: A random value is applied to the property. The larger the
variation amount the greater the random value can be from 0. Eg. Alpha
at Random -100% makes the each sticker vary between fully opaque and
fully transparent.
- Sequence: The index of the sticker in the stroke is applied to the
property, so the fifth sticker to be placed is index 5 for example. This value
loops, if it reaches the minimum amount the Property can be it resets to
the maximum and vice versa. Eg. Luminance at Sequence -2% makes
each sticker slightly darker than the last.
- Tracing H, L, and S: The color values of the Tracing Image are applied to
the property. Eg. If the H, L, and S properties of the sticker are set to vary
100% based on the Tracing H, L, and S, the stickers will adopt the color of
the tracing image beneath them. Note that these values are offsets from
0, so the color may not match completely if the sticker color is varied
heavily from a basic red.
- Tracing Alpha: The transparency of the Tracing Image is applied to the
property. Areas outside the tracing image are considered to be fully
opaque. If your Tracing Image has an alpha channel its alpha value is
used to vary the property. If no tracing image is loaded the currently
selected color is used Eg. Sticker Alpha at Tracing Alpha 100% varies the
sticker opacity significantly.
- Pen Pressure, Pen Tilt, Pen Rotation: If your input device supports
these features the property is varied based on the value your input device
indicates. Eg. Size at Pen Pressure 100% makes the sticker get larger the
more pressure is applied.
- Stroke Direction: The direction you are painting in is applied to the
property. Eg. Sticker Rotation at Stroke Direction 100% rotates the sticker
so that it points in the direction you are drawing.
- X Distance, Y Distance, Center Distance: Uses the location of your
stylus in the Canvas to define the property. X and Y distance refer to the
left to right and top to bottom distances, so low X distance is at the left of
the Canvas, low Y distance is at the top. Center Distance refers to the
distance from the center of the Canvas, so low Center Distance is right in
the middle. Eg. Size at Y Distance -100% makes the stickers smaller the
closer they get to the top of the Canvas.
- Airbrush Wheel, Pen Twist: If your input device is a stylus that has an Airbrush Wheel or that supports barrel rotation, the property is adjusted by variations in those values. Eg. Rotation at Pen Twist 100% makes the sticker rotate as you rotate your stylus.
Object Sprays and Image Brushes
There are two default sets of values you can apply to the variation system using the menu button in the Spray Variation Panel:
Set Up Settings For Object Spray: Sets up the variations so that the Sticker Spray will produce a spray of random objects from your selected sticker sheet.
Set Up Settings For Image Brush: Set up the variations so that the Sticker Spray will produce a continuous stroke of paint that adopts the currently selected color (or Tracing Color if color selection is automatic) as if it was a shaped brush head.
Image Brushes are really just a single sticker on a sheet that is used to place shaped impressions of color on the Canvas continuously as you paint. They do not blend paint like other painting tools but they can be used to create a huge range of artistic brush types that have very specific appearances, such as sparse bristle brushes and matted hair brushes.
These two default settings give you a starting point for creating new Sticker Spray presets.
Adding New Sticker Sheets
Before they can be used, sticker sheets must be added to the sticker collection.