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Managing Elements in N-Paint

Of course you can create and save images in N-Paint. But you can also create, modify, and manipulate other N-Paint elements, including custom tools and toolboxes, colors, and color palettes.

In This Chapter

 In this chapter we'll learn how to manage the basic elements of N-Paint; images, tools, and palettes. We'll learn how to:

Working with N-Paint Elements

Image File Operations

 Images can be stored in memory or on disk. To work with an image, you have to load it into memory, then select it for display on the canvas.

To Open an image:

1. (CLICK-L) on the Canvas Modes icon.

2. (CLICK-L) on the File: field.

The Image Operations pop-up menu appears.

Figure 4.1 Image Operations

Note: Fields you can use to manipulate N-Paint elements are shaded magenta.

3. (CLICK-L) on Open.

A Choose Directory and Name dialog box appears.

Figure 4.2 The Choose Directory dialog box

4. In the Name field, type the filename of the image you want to open.

You can also (CLICK-R) on the Name field to choose a file from a pop-up file browser. Simply scroll to the image you want to load and (CLICK-L) on it.

The image is now loaded into memory, and it is also loaded onto the canvas.

Note: You open other N-Paint elements (toolboxes and palettes) in exactly the same way.

Select

(CLICK-L) on Select to choose an image for display on the canvas from among those loaded into memory.

Browse

You can use Browse to interactively examine images in a directory before you load them. See "File Browsers," on page 1-5 to learn how to use the N-Paint browser.

Create New

Allows you to create a new, blank image. When you (CLICK-L) on Create New, the Change Canvas Size dialog appears:

Figure 4.3 The Create New Image dialog

Note: The file is not actually written to disk until you save it.

Revert

Revert reloads the current image from disk. This has the effect of undoing any changes you've made to the image since the last time you saved it.

Save

Save saves the current image to disk.

Save Many

Save Many is designed to allow you to save some or all of the files currently loaded into memory at one time. To save multiple images:

1. (CLICK-L) on Save Many.

The Save Objects dialog appears.

Figure 4.4 The Save Objects dialog

Note: An asterisk (*) beneath Mod indicates an image which has been modified since it was last saved.

2. If necessary, edit the Name and Directory for each file.

3. (CLICK-L) on the Save Toggle field to the right of the images you want to save. If you wish, you can also change the filenames and directories for your image files.

4. (CLICK-L) on Save to save the images.

Rename

(CLICK-L) on Rename to rename the current image. Type a new directory and file name in the dialog box.

Copy

Allows you to create a copy of the current image in memory. Type in a directory and filename for the new image in the dialog box. Remember you must select and then save the image to the filesystem if you wish to use it again.

Delete

(CLICK-L) on Delete to delete the current image from memory. You'll need to use the Browse option to delete a file from disk.

To delete a file from disk:

1. (CLICK-L) on File>Browse.

2. Find the image file you want to delete, then (CLICK-R) on it.

A pop-up menu of possible file operations appears, similar to this one:

Figure 4.5 Browser node operations

3. (CLICK-L) on delete.

Load Matte

(CLICK-L) on this option to load a single channel image to use as a matte or alpha-channel component. You can also select an image to load a matte from with a (CLICK-R) on the FIle: field.

Save Matte

This option saves the matte, or alpha-channel component of an image to file.

Image Edit Operations

Once you've loaded or created an image, you can use the Edit operations to change the size of the image.

Scale

Increase or decrease the size of the image. (CLICK-L) on Scale, then enter new values for the image width and height (in pixels). Then (CLICK-L) on Do It.

Crop

Cropping means essentially cutting off portions of the image. (CLICK-L) on Crop, then enter new values for image size in the dialog which appears.

Crop Graphically

This option allows you to choose which portion of the image to crop interactively with a rectangle shape. Portions of the image outside of the rectangle you define are deleted.

1. (CLICK-L) on Crop Graphically.

2. (CLICK-L) on the lower left corner of the area you want to preserve.

3. (CLICK-L) on the upper right hand corner of the area you want to preserve.

A dialog like this one appears.

Figure 4.6 Crop graphically dialog

If you enter a file name which is different from the image currently saved on the canvas, then a new image is created with the new. This provides a way for you to quickly and easily create new images by cropping old ones, without affecting the original. Remember, though, you must explicitly save the new image to disk if you wish to use it in another N-Paint session.

Working with Palettes and Toolboxes

 N-Paint allows you to save custom tools and color palettes in much the same way you save images. Each has the same suite of options.

To perform file operations on a palette:

1. (CLICK-L) on the palette icon in the commands section of the paint menu.

Figure 4.7 The palette icon

2. (CLICK-L) on the magenta edit field. The Palette operations menu appears.

To perform file operations on a custom toolbox:

1. (CLICK-L) on the Toobox toggle in the upper right corner of the toolbox.

Figure 4.8 The toolbox toggle

2. (CLICK-L) on the magenta edit field which appears just above the top row of the toolbox.

Figure 4.9 The empty custom toolbox

With the exception of the label written across its top, the file operations menu is the same for both types of N-Paint element:

Figure 4.10 N-Paint non-image elements operations pop-up menu

Select

Select allows you to select from among those elements loaded into memory via a pop-up menu.

Open

(CLICK-L) on Open to load an element from a disk file. Use the Choose Directory dialog which appears to specify a filename and directory for the element you wish to load.

Browse

Use a file browser to browse elements on disk. You can perform numerous operations, including deletion of element files, using a browser. Browsers are described in more detail in the section "File Browsers," on page 1-5.

Create New

(CLICK-L) on Create New to create and load a new, default palette. For toolboxes, create new generates a new, empty toolbox.

Save

Allows you to save an element to a file on disk. Save works exactly the same way as it does for images (see "Save," on page 4-5).

Save Many

Allows you to save some or all of the elements currently loaded into memory. Save All works in exactly the same way as it does for images (see "Save Many," on page 4-5).

Rename

Allows you to rename the current element (see "Rename," on page 4-5).

Copy

Allows you to copy the current element to a new element (see "Rename," on page 4-5).

Delete

Allows you to delete an element from memory. You must use the browse option to delete an element from the disk.

Directory Operations

When you (Click-L) on a Directory field in N-Paint dialogs the Directory Operations menu is displayed.

Figure 4.11 Reading a recording from disk

You can use this menu to:

Choosing a Directory

At the top of this menu are a list of active directories. These directories include:

If the directory has an asterisk ("*") next to it, it means that the directory has not been saved with a project.

Project Operations

If you're going to be working with a large number of images, specialized brushes, paint scripts, and so forth, it's a good idea to create a new project for the job. A project is nothing more than a named set of directories.

You might, for example, create a project named "space_warrior" for a project. Then, by loading "space_warrior" into memory, any associated directories are made available as well.

Note. Project definitions are kept in a user's home directory, in a file called /.ngc/.ngc-projects. You should never have to edit this file manually. See also "Reload Project Definitions File," on page 4-13.

Create New Project

To create a new project:

1. (CLICK-L) on Create new project.

The following menu is displayed:

Figure 4.12 Naming a new project

2. (CLICK-L) on Done.

Your project definitions file (/.ngc/.ngc-projects in your home directory) is updated automatically.

3. When prompted, select any directories (from those currently loaded) that you want to include with the project.

You can add more directories to the project later.

Delete Project Definitions

 If you've finished working with a project, and want to delete it from the list of displayed projects:

1. (CLICK-L) on Delete project definitions.

The following menu is displayed:

Figure 4.13 Deleting project definitions

2. (CLICK-L) on each project you want to delete.

As each project is selected, it turns blue. You can delete more than one project at a time.

3. (CLICK-L) on Do it.

The selected projects are deleted.

Note. This command deletes project definitions permanently. If you think you might want to use this project in the future, don't delete the project definition.

Reload Project Definitions File

The project definitions file includes a user's list of projects (and their associated directories, scripts, and objects). It is kept in a user's home directory, in the file /.ngc/.ngc-projects.

This command forces a reload of the project definitions file. The only time you would use this command would be if you had manually edited the project definitions file while N-Paint was running, and wanted to make N-Paint "see" those newly defined projects.

Respecify Directories for a Project

To select the directories you want to add to the current project:

1. (CLICK-L) on Edit Current Project.

Figure 4.14 Specifying directories for a project

2. (CLICK-L) on each directory you want to load.

As each directory is selected, it turns blue. You can select more than one directory at a time.

3. (CLICK-L) on Do it.

The selected scripts are loaded into memory.

Note. The asterisk next to a directory ("*") tells you that the directory has not been associated with a project. Reading from or writing to a directory does not add it to the list of directories associated with a project; you must do this explicitly.

Set Current Project

Selecting the project you want to work with makes all the directories associated with that project available in N-Paint.

To select the project you want to work with:

1. (CLICK-L) on Set current project.

Figure 4.15 Selecting a project

2. (CLICK-L) on the project you want to make the current project.

Set Current Project

Selecting the project you want to work with makes all the directories associated with that project available in N-Paint.

To select the project you want to work with:

1. (CLICK-L) on Set current project. The Choose current project pop-up menu appears.

Figure 4.16 Selecting a project

2. (CLICK-L) on the project you want to make the current project.

Note. This command is the same as Set Current Project in the Project Operations menu described above.

Specify a New Directory

To add a directory to the Directory Operations menu:

1. (CLICK-L) on Specify a New Directory.

Enter the pathname for the new directory in the dialog box that is displayed.

Figure 4.17 Specifying a new directory

You can (TAB) to complete a directory or filename.


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