3.2 Depth

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Before you’ll find out how each tool works in Paint Mode, you are to know about painting in Depth/Color/Specular channels, and also to know about color picking, and types of drawing. Point the cursor at the purple hued sphere and click. By clicking here you can toggle between turning the depth on or off. If there is an “X” over the sphere, it will be toggled off. More general information about the how the icons on the top bar work is located in section 2.3.

Additive drawing option allows activating/deactivating additive application option when drawing lines. If “Additive drawing” is active, two lines are drawn one over another.

3.2.1.jpg
Notably, if the option is disabled, cross is made with objects drawn in the current layer only. Red line on the pen cursor displays the depth of relief lying. Press “-” and “+” keys or mouse wheel (under corresponding adjustments in the “Preferences” menu) to see how the depth changes. If the pen is of complex shape, less pressure should be applied to prevent steep overfalls of image height. On a side note, it would make it hard to present the entire object as normal-mapped low polygonal one, heavy geometry distortions will be seen.

With the help of “Smoothing” slider you can change the level of smoothing. By pressing SHIFT key green line will appear on the pen cursor and by pressing SHIFT “+” and “—” keys or MOUSE WHEEL (provided corresponding adjustments have been made in the “Preferences” menu) you can adjust the level of smoothing.

Pay attention, on the top panel there are inscriptions “Depth”, Color”, “Specular”. Point the mouse cursor onto one of them. You will see the menu as follows:

3.2.2.jpg
Pressing on a the grey “X” sign (first in the list) you will forbid changing the correspondent channel when drawing, be it depth, diffuse or specular. By choosing the second icon in the list, you will enable editing in corresponding channel, however without overlaying additional texture in this channel. You will draw with a pen not distorted by material. If the texture is chosen there are also folder icon and material icon. Pressing the folder icon allows you to set another texture in corresponding channel for the current material. If you set the texture for diffuse channel, bear in mind that the texture alpha-channel is used as additional mask when laying color.

Try choosing the first icon in depth channel and draw a bit, then opt for square with texture and draw. The difference will be obvious.

To quick-access such menu press “D” (depth menu), “C” (color menu), “R” (specular menu). Use “~” key to quick-access the semi-transparent panel containing parameters for all the three channels in compact form (you can pin it anywhere on your working space).