Here I have a 16x16 tile of a flower on a transparent background:
I saved it as a brush using the “Get brush from rectangular Selection” Tool. My issue is that when I try to Paint it over an image, the transparency acts as an eraser. Meaning I cannot layer one version of this flower onto the other within the same layer.
I actually solved this issue by turning on the alpha plane in the project. The only issue this brings up is that it immediately creates a white background for all the brushes that had a transparent colour in the brush container.
Any brushes I create from that point on have no issue with transparency. So the lesson here is probably to plan ahead and turn on your alpha transparency if you want any “empty” part of your brush. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I would like you to not use the alpha plane if you don’t really need it for semi transparent pixels.
When you pick up a brush in non alpha pojects then the second color is considered to be the transparent color for the brush. That means whenever you pick up a brush and you want to have it being transparent according to the layer transparency then please do one of the following:
Right click on the tranparency pattern icon right besides the color selectors. This will select the layer transparent color as second color.
or
Hit backspace. This does the same.
or
Hold CTRL to activate the temporary pipette and right click on a transparent pixel.
To change the transparent color of a brush afterwards please use Menu Brush/Change transparent Color
With the next release the brush picker will have additional transparency options and there you can decide how it should behave (use layer transparent color directly; automatic decission; second color as it is now)
1-May I know why you prefer we do not use alpha planes?
2-Is the second colour always called the transparent colour? For example, if it is green, do you still call it the transparent colour of the brush. Why is this?
P.S. I really love what you have done with your program. I am also a huge fan of this forum (extremely well made). I plan on understanding this program through and through (using both the documentation and interaction on this forum). Keep up the amazing work.
1… you can use them but only if you need semi transparent pixels. If you just need fully opaque or fully transparent then using simple transparency is just easier to handle.
Also see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZAJwPSoNnc
2… no, the second color is the second color and with standard paint mode it’s used when you draw with the right mouse button, also sometimes it’s called background color. When you pick up a brush then you need to decide which color (if any) should be transparent in the brush. If you pick up a piece of graphics and you don’t want to pick the colored area it is placed on then you should select this background color as second color to make it transparent within the brush.
As mentioned the next release will make this more convenient with some options.
P.S.: Thank you. The September release will come with lots of changes, but still there is much to be done. Feedback, wishes and ideas are always welcome in the corresponding section.
