Assigning the eraser tool and pen to wacom pen and eraser

[AndersMichael]

i want my wacom pen to have eraser at one end and pen in the other... is this possible to assign (without changing the wacom settings that affects other programs)????

- Anders.

[Elodie]

Hello Anders, welcome to the TVPaint community.

Well, don't you know you can assign your wacom setting on the wacom program, without affecting the others ? You just have to select the application and how the pen will react with this application only.

By the way, with TVPaint 10.0.7, the stylus is automatically configured to be a pen on a side and an eraser on the other side (except on Mac : bug to fix).

[Henk Beumers]

Hello.

When I read this I was a bit puzzeled. TVP.07 is aut. configured to erase with the back side of the stylus. Are there so many people who use the back of the stylus to erase?
When I started to use a stylus, I tried the back of the pen but found it an distrackting timeconsuming habit I could not get used to. In preferences/keyboard shortcuts, I assigned the RMB to the eraser. I used the little switch on the stylus to activate the RMB so I didn't need to flip my stylus everytime I wanted to erase. I use the erase funtion alot by the way because you can enhance the grafic quality of a line by drawing and erasing all the time. After a while I assigned the spacebar of the keyboard to the eraser tool and this really works like dream. Your hand is already on the keyboard because of all the other shortcuts and it becomes a second nature to hit the spacebar every time I want to erase something. The switch of my stylus still works ( just tried ) but it feels a bit strange now, but it still beats the back of stylus.
Just wondering how much users there are who use the Backside of the stylus to erase.

Henk.

[Peter Wassink]

I use the erase funtion alot by the way because you can enhance the grafic quality of a line by drawing and erasing all the time. After a while I assigned the spacebar of the keyboard to the eraser tool and this really works like dream. Your hand is already on the keyboard because of all the other shortcuts and it becomes a second nature to hit the spacebar every time I want to erase something.

most users would choose either the pen switch or the spacebar, only if you happened to be a trained drummer with a feeling for show... i can see it being practicle

[Paul Fierlinger]

I draw & erase very much like you do and had asked Svengali a few years ago to make a script for me with which I could toggle between erase and draw mode, which works very well for me. So as I draw with my right hand I have a finger of my left hand constantly on the keyboard, tapping erase, draw, erase, draw. I also assigned that key to one of my Wacom express keys.

So I have to wonder if you use your space bar to erase, how do you get back to your draw mode; do you have to tap a designated draw key? And if not because the space bar works as a toggle between the two modes, which key command are you using?

Otherwise I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments about using the flip side of the pen to erase, only with stronger feelings; I think it's an idiotic nineteenth century juvenile habit, which is anathema to the wonders of the digital age.

By the way, when using Svengali's Swap Erase script I find it beneficial that I have two quick-to-reach erasers at my disposal: The pen's default bottom rocker switch (RMB) for erasing minute details because it's only the size of the pen's nib, which in my case is 1.50 or 2.00 at the most, and the key command toggle key command, which always remembers the last setting I give it -- always larger than the nib.

[Peter Wassink]

I find it beneficial that I have two quick-to-reach erasers at my disposal: The pen's default bottom rocker switch (RMB) for erasing minute details because it's only the size of the pen's nib, which in my case is 1.50 or 2.00 at the most, and the key command toggle key command, which always remembers the last setting I give it -- always larger than the nib.

Your solution sounds really good.
I often find myself hatcing a lot in erase mode, because the eraser is the same size as the brush,
So i then need to do multiple strokes over the part i want gone (being too lazy to select a bigger tool, or dedicated eraser custom brush)

but your solution sounds so simple, does it really need a dedicated script? (it does obviously....but i'm just wondering aloud in the general direction of the team.. nudge, nudge, wink, wink...)

[kariP]

I used it somewhat like Peter said, just for the show. But when there's no one around, I think it could be good for the blood circulation. Any frequent change might help my hand in some ways I don't yet know..

eraseri3.gif (1.29 MiB) Viewed 44360 times

Now when the mac 64 bit update took away the eraser, I found a very good way:
I assigned oilpaint to erase mode, and gave it a hotkey "E".
Then I assigned "B" to "tool brush: get previous tool".

Now I can use any tool, and switch to erase with "E", and back to the tool I used with "B".

[Paul Fierlinger]

Yes, this is the answer to Peter's question. TVP 10 now has almost the same feature built in, but I forgot why I considered it still lacking from Svengali's script, which by the way he has made available to the public and must be around somewhere. Search for Swap tool, or swap erase. But maybe it does the same (after re-reading your post above).

[Fabrice]

Now when the mac 64 bit update took away the eraser

Does it occur when you re-create a new configuration ?

but your solution sounds so simple, does it really need a dedicated script? (it does obviously....but i'm just wondering aloud in the general direction of the team.. nudge, nudge, wink, wink...)

All tools located in a custom panel can have their own shortcut.

[kariP]

Does it occur when you re-create a new configuration ?

Sorry, I don't understand the question. Do you mean Starting Project Settings > Startup Panel?

[Paul Fierlinger]

That, plus creating a new configuration by hitting NEW. This means that you will be setting everything back to default settings (everything in this new project; your other ones are still available, but it's a good idea to also save "Save Project as Template" in the File Tab before you close your current project.

[kariP]

Ok, now I got it. Was confused with the hitting NEW, haven't created a new configuration before.
And no, it's not working.

[Henk Beumers]

Hello.

I had to look into the preference settings to know what I assigned to what. I work like this as long as it's possible to assign your own tools.
The space has RMB on it, other wise you have to press a new key every time you want to switch from draw to erase like in Photoshop. On "D" is my draw tool and next to it on "S" is the filled stroke. These 2 I use for drawing and erasing. So in D I have normaly a 5 or so pixel pen with a strong presure set to it. I need to press "hard" to get the whole 5 pixels. So it also works very good in detail. If I need havier lines I switch to a dubble size pen. So I draw in "D" and just by pressing Spacebar/RMB I can erase. I don't need to press different keys. I only press or release the spacebar. The same goes for the "S" and for the filling tool. They aswer to the spacebar to erase. So if I want to clean a big area, I just pres "S"and select a free hand area whyle holding the spacebar. Cleanup the whole erea if it got a little dirty after alot of sketching. Press "F" and fill the erea with the spacebar pressed. ( I never got used to work in blue and brown ) It became second nature to work like that together with the CONTROL and the ALT keys you can control most of the work when drawing, which is drawing, erasing, zoom and rotating the workspace with CONTROL/ALT.
I hate it when I have to switch to Photoshop because I'm not used to the handling. Go to Maya and you have an other thing coming. There should be a way to configure all the different programs you use, so they listen to the same shortcuts and commands. ( not in my livetime ) I have the backside of the pen disabled because I often lost my cursor when I was typing and my pen rested with the backside tilted to the tablet.

Henk.

[Paul Fierlinger]

There's a solution to your problem with having to press hard on your pen: a very overlooked powerful setting; the Profile editor in the PenBrush tool panel. Look at the Size window and where you see a C or P in that small square before the size value. RMB there and select Profile Editor. Change the straight line to an S curve using the Spline setting. The further you push the bottom of the S curve to the right, the harder the pen becomes. Push it all the way to the left so that you actually cause it to flatten out at the bottom, the more sensitive to touch it will become. I leave this Profile Editor opened all the time and change the curve depending on the type of drawing, time of day or what I just ate.
EDIT: The button has to be set to P, not C.

[Henk Beumers]

Hello Paul.

It's not a problem that I have to press "hard". There is just enough pressure to control the size of the pen. I don't have to lean on it so to speak. I find it very convenient to have a bit of pressure so I can work with the biggest pen as easy as with the smallest when I need some detail. But also it gives me lines that are vary in thickness.
I tried the profile edittor but when it's set to S, it's on speed so if I make a slow movement with the pen, the stroke is fading to transparant. Apart from that I can see what you mean. It's not to much difference from the pressure I have from my Wacom settings at the moment. I'll play around with it the next day's to see how it feels.

Henk.