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Table Of Contents
4 After you create the shape, press Esc to activate the Select/Transform tool.
The Shape HUD appears.
Note: Rectangles and circles can be converted into paint strokes by selecting the shapes
Outline checkbox and choosing a different brush type in the Inspector. For more
information, see Using a Shape Outline as a Paint Stroke.
Creating Paint Strokes
Unlike a freehand Bezier or B-Spline shape drawn one point at a time, a paint stroke is
typically created with one continuous movement.
Technically, paint strokes are outline-only shapes created using any shape tool. An
outline-only shape is indicated by a paintbrush icon in the Layers list and Timeline. This
icon changes to a shape icon when a shape fill is enabled.
Note: The Paint Stroke feature is a design and graphics tool, not a retouching or
rotoscoping tool.
There are two ways to create a paint stroke:
Select the Paint Stroke tool in the toolbar, then draw a stroke in the Canvas using a
stylus and tablet (or a mouse).
Create a shape (paint stroke, line, rectangle, or circle) in the Canvas, select the Outline
checkbox in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector, then choose Airbrush or Image from
the Brush Type pop-up menu.
For more information about converting a shape to an editable paint stroke, see Using a
Shape Outline as a Paint Stroke.
The Paint Stroke tool creates a shape outline comprised of dabs. Dabs—analogous to the
cells of a replicator or particle emitter—define the appearance of the stroke. Although
particle cells can emit various particle types, airbrush paint strokes have only a single dab
type. The dabs can be very close together or spaced widely apart along the stroke. The
dabs’ color, opacity, spacing, scale, angle, and so on can be modified in the Inspector
after a stroke is created.
For more information on modifying a paint stroke after the stroke is created, see Stroke
Pane Controls in the Inspector.
Paint strokes can be animated using behaviors or by keyframing. In addition to Basic
Motion, Simulation, and Parameter behaviors, shapes have their own category of behaviors
that includes a behavior to sequence effects over the length of the stroke. For more
information on using the Shape behaviors, see Shape Behaviors.
1126 Chapter 20 Using Shapes, Masks, and Paint Strokes