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Paint Bucket Tool

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:29 pm
by Toontoonz
Any one try out the new Paint Bucket tool for filling shapes with color?

Any comments or tips about using it or not using it?
(I am still trying to figure out why one would even use it as opposed to using the other tools or methods in Moho.)

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:05 pm
by Lost Marble
The original process of creating fills in Moho of selecting an outline, previewing it, and hitting the spacebar to "finalize it" is different and confusing to a lot of people. Once you've gotten used to it, it's really not that hard, though.

The paint bucket is meant to provide a simpler, more familiar way of working. If you're used to the Create Shape tool, the paint bucket may be a little faster in some cases, but ultimately it creates the same shapes and isn't all that different. Plus, in cases of overlapping shapes, the paint bucket may not work because it can't figure out which edges you want to be part of the shape, and which you don't.

New Paint Bucket

Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:56 am
by dreddie
I like the new Paint Bucket.

It is definitely faster for filling multiple objects with the same color.

I do wish it didn't have the limitation of not reading the shape when it touches other shapes.

Still, I definitely like the new Bucket.

DrEddie

Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 1:46 pm
by Toontoonz
The only time I can figure out when one can even use the new Paint Bucket tool is when:
1. - The shape is first drawn (and it does not overlap another shape or is outside the window or other restrictions as seen in the tutorial).
2. - And that shape has no color assigned to the shape or outline.

If those two requirements are not met then there are problems or more work involved.

Instead of using the Paint Bucket tool why wouldn´t one just assign the colors in the style box before drawing?
I want to draw a ball. I assign the outline black, the shape red, then draw. Done.
Why would I need the Paint Bucket? And once the ball shape has colors in it I can´t even change the colors in the ball shape using the Paint Bucket; I have to use the Select Shape tool.

And once one has a more detailed drawing and shapes overlapping - forget the Paint Bucket; it either won´t work or one gets an error type message warning you that you will be adding a shape on a shape.

Paint Bucket Tool

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:04 am
by DK
I was wondering why i could'nt change colours with the paint bucket tool as well. That would make it a little more usefull and like a regular fill tool.

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:50 pm
by Toontoonz
In Adobe Photoshop the Paint Bucket tool fills adjacent pixels that are similar in color value to the pixels you click.
Basically it works like this:
First you Specify a foreground color. Then Click the part of the image you want to fill. All specified pixels within the specified tolerance are filled with the foreground color or pattern.
So anytime one can select a new color or pattern and then fill the shape´s area.

Not so with the new Moho Paint Bucket. Once there is color in the shape, the Paint Bucket tool should/cannot be used; the Shape tool should be used.
Confusing. There are now three tools that deal with changing of colors in a shape: Select Shape, Create Shape and Paint Bucket.

Wonder why Moho does not use the color selecting/changing method as in other vector drawing programs? Changing colors in shapes using Adobe Illustrator, Freehand or other vector programs is so simple and uncomplicated to use.

My 2 cents opinion: Get rid of the Paint Bucket, Shape tools and bring out something new like the method Illustrator, Freehand and others employ for changing colors in shapes.

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 2:11 pm
by jeff
It's fair to compare Moho's features with those in other vector programs, but comparing its fill function with the way bitmap image areas are filled in a program like Photoshop is unfair and pointless. Chalk and cheese!

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 8:43 pm
by Toontoonz
Jeff - the only programs that have Paint Buckets are Photoshop-type programs. I didn´t name it - Moho did. They used the name that is a standard in Photoshop-type programs.

It´s a standard tool, called Paint Bucket, that has been in Photoshop from its very beginning. The name and very basic function was apparently tried to be emulated in Moho. It only partly works - as noted above and in the limitations presented in Mohos tutorials.

By the way, there are no "Paint Bucket" tools in vector drawing programs - it is not needed. In Illustrator one can select hundreds of shapes then click on a new color or pattern or fill for the shapes and they are all changed instantly, no matter what their original shape, color, location or if they overlap.

Paint Bucket tools are only available in bitmap-type programs such as Photoshop.

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:10 pm
by kingace
Toontoonz wrote: Paint Bucket tools are only available in bitmap-type programs such as Photoshop.
Not so - Macromedia Fireworks 8 allows you to fill vector shapes using it's paint bucket tool.

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:44 pm
by Toontoonz
Fireworks is the Macromedia (now Adobe) equivalent of Photoshop. It does have a few very limited vector possibilities and it is also allows one to make HTML pages and generate external Cascading Style Sheets for interactive pop-up menus, but I would not compare it to GoLive or Dreamweaver.

Macromedia´s (now Adobe) VECTOR drawing program is Freehand, NOT Fireworks.

And the PaintBucket tool in Fireworks does not work like the PaintBucket tool in Moho. Try it.

Has anybody even tried the PaintBucket tool in Moho? No one has any comments on the tool itself?

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:48 pm
by jahnocli
Well, Flash is a pure vector program, and it's had a fully-functioning paintbucket from the beginning.

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:11 pm
by Toontoonz
All you guys get prizes for finding Paintbuckets in other programs. Congrats!!!

And DOES THE Flash PaintBucket work like the Moho PaintBucket???
In Flash does the Paintbucket not work once there is color in the shape or if the shapes overlap or the shape is out of the viewing area or etc, etc, etc?

Does anybody even try the things that Moho puts out????
None have you noticed any problems or limitations with the new Moho Paintbucket? Good.
Sorry I wasted everyone´s time. Please ignore this post.

Paint Bucket Tool

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 7:39 am
by DK
I agree with you toonz. I played with the new paint bucket tool as soon as it came out and it left me scratching my head. I'm sure it was'nt implemented without good reason. Maybe LM will give us the lowdown on it soon.

D.K

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 3:10 pm
by jeff
TT - I am not disagreeing with your opinion of the new tool - I also find it superfluous.
I was merely trying to point out that it was a bit unrealistic of you to compare the way that a bitmap-based paintbucket works where you can set pixel thresholds and so on with a vector-based one. They are two different animals. I am not familiar with Photoshop, but I know that it has some vector capabilities; I assume that its vector fills work in a similar way to Moho's. I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Jeff

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:01 pm
by Toontoonz
Photoshop is bitmap software. The granddaddy of all graphics software. The king of the hill. Import in a vector drawing into Photoshop and it automatically rasterizes it - no longer a vector. One cannot draw vectors in Photoshop - one uses Adobe Illustrator for vector drawings.

From the Adobe Photoshop help file regarding vectors in Photoshop:
"Dragging vector artwork from Adobe Illustrator or from other applications that use the Illustrator Clipboard rasterizes the artwork--the mathematically defined lines and curves of the vector art are converted into the pixels or bits of a bitmap image. "

The Paintbucket in Photoshop does not work like the Paintbucket in Moho. In fact, I can´t find any Paintbucket in any program that is as limited as the new one in Moho.
I was surprised how worthless it is and figured I must have been doing something wrong, so I thought I would ask here.

One would think there is a better solution to selecting and changing colors in Moho than is now in place (Now there are three fill type tools in Moho). Look to a real vector program for the answer to get it done: Illustrator, Freehand or others.
But then Moho does not define a vector the same way as other vector programs. It is spline based (like Hash Animation Master) so it must cause lots of other situations.
I am an artist, not a programmer.
I look for tools that speed up production, the new Paintbucket tool does not, and can get things confused (use the Paintbucket to change color on a shape that already has color).