Using Director > Vector Shapes and Bitmaps > Using Paint window inks |  |

Using Paint window inks

You can use Paint window inks to create color effects for bitmap cast members. Paint window inks are different from sprite inks, which affect entire sprites and do not change cast members.

Choose an ink effect from the Ink pop-up menu at the bottom of the Paint window.

The result of the ink you choose depends on whether you are working in color or black and white. Also, some inks work better when painting with patterns, and others work better when painting with solid colors.

Ink | B&W | Color | Works with
--- | --- | --- | ---
Normal | Ð | Ð | Solids and patterns
Transparent | Ð | Ð | Patterns
Reverse | Ð | Ð | Solids and patterns
Ghost | Ð | Ð | Solids (B&W) and patterns (color)
Gradient | Ð | Ð | Brush, Bucket, shape tools
Reveal | Ð | Ð | Brush, shape tools
Cycle |  | Ð | Solids and patterns
Switch |  | Ð | Brush
Blend |  | Ð | Solids and patterns
Darkest |  | Ð | Patterns
Lightest |  | Ð | Patterns
Darken |  | Ð | Brush
Lighten |  | Ð | Brush
Smooth |  | Ð | Brush
Smear |  | Ð | Brush
Smudge |  | Ð | Brush
Spread | 4 | Ð | Brush
Clipboard | 4 | Ð | Brush

Normal is the default ink. It is opaque and maintains the color of the current foreground color and pattern.

Transparent ink makes the background color of patterns transparent so artwork drawn previously in the current cast member can be seen through the pattern.

Reverse ink makes overlapping colors reverse. Any pixel in the foreground art that was originally white becomes transparent. Any pixel that was black reverses the color of the background art.

Ghost ink in black and white creates an image than can be seen only when drawn over a black background. In color, Ghost draws with the current background color.

Gradient lets you paint with the gradient fill selected in the Gradient Settings dialog box. See Using gradients. A gradient fill is one that progresses from one color, called the foreground color, to another color, called the destination color. You can paint with Gradient ink using the Brush tool, the Bucket tool, and the shape tools.

Reveal works indirectly with the art in the previous cast position. Imagine the previous cast member's artwork covered with a white area. Reveal erases the white area to show the artwork in the previous window. Reveal can be used to create specific shapes from shades created with the Airbrush tool. Since it is impossible to mask certain shapes for the airbrush, spray an area with the airbrush first; then in the next cast member, paint the shapes you need with a Reveal ink. As you paint your object, you will expose the airbrush pattern in the previous window.

Cycle is a color ink. As you draw with Cycle ink, the colors change as the ink progresses through the palette. The beginning and ending points of the color cycle are determined by the foreground and destination colors. If you want to cycle through the whole palette, choose white as the foreground color and black as the destination color. This ink works only when your computer is set to 256 colors.

Switch changes any pixel that is the current foreground color to the current gradient destination color as you paint over that color.

Blend creates a translucent color ink. You can see the background object, but its color is blended with the foreground object's color. Choose the percentage of blend in the Paint Window Preferences dialog box.

Darkest is a useful ink for coloring black-and-white artwork. For example, if you paint yellow over black and white, black will remain black since it is darker than yellow, and white will become yellow because yellow is darker than white.

Lightest is a useful ink for coloring black-and-white artwork. For example, if you paint yellow over black and white, black objects become yellow when painted with the Lightest ink effect, and white remains white because it is lighter than yellow.

Darken makes colors darker. The more times you click with the Brush tool, the darker the area becomes. The colors of the foreground, background, and destination inks have no effect on Darken. Darken creates an effect that is the same as reducing a color's brightness with the controls in the Color Palettes window. You can change the rate of this ink effect in the Paint Preferences dialog box.

Lighten makes colors lighter. The more times you click with the Brush tool, the lighter the area becomes. The color of the foreground, background, and destination inks have no effect on Lighten. Lighten creates an effect that is the same as increasing a color's brightness with the controls in the Color Palettes window. You can change the lightness of this ink effect in the Paint Preferences dialog box.

Smooth blurs existing artwork when it is painted with the Brush tool. It is not directional like Smear and Smudge. The color of the foreground, background, and destination inks have no effect on Smooth. Use it to smooth out jagged edges.

Smear works with the Brush tool and functions like mixing paint. Any area you drag across with a Smear ink spreads in the direction of the brush, fading as it gets farther from the source. The color of the foreground, background, and destination inks have no effect on Smear.

Smudge is a color ink for the Brush tool that is similar to Smear. It also functions like mixing paint. The colors fade faster as they are spread. The color of the foreground, background, and destination inks have no effect on Smudge.

Spread works with the Brush tool in color. Whatever is under the Brush tool when you start to drag is picked up as the ink for the brush. Copies of what is beneath the brush are pushed across the window as you draw.

Clipboard uses the current contents of the Clipboard as a pattern to paint with. The clipboard contents must originate in Director.