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Update 1.2.0!!!!!
3 min read
Hi guys!!!
Woohoo!!! We're entering a new FireAlpaca era!! 2.0!!!
Here's what's new:
[1.2.0]
- It is now compatible to brush script (script control brush).
- Preset brush for brush script has been added.
- Marker, Symmetry, Analog-Pen, etc..
- Brush script is quite flexible so please use wisely.
- The max. size of brush is extended to 1000 px.
- Brush Control displays the option menu now.
So what in the world is a Script Brush? From the little I've played with them, it feels more like your regular Photoshop or SAI brushes and they respond to the angle of the pen (in Wacom tablets and others which support this function). When you click on "Add Script Brush" on the bottom of the page, you get the option of adding .bs files without the use of a bitmap. I'm guessing they are vector-based brushes and thus they can become way bigger than a bitmap brush without losing their sharpness.
How to add a Script Brush
1- Download or locate your .bs file
2- Click on the "Add Script Brush" button on FireAlpaca. It's located next to the Add Bitmap Brush button, at the bottom of the Brush Pannel.
3- Select the file you want to use and it's done!
4- Now you can play with the settings, as always, by double-clicking on its name on the list. However, some settings will appear on the Brush Control Pannel, very handy indeed!
To be honest, it's my first time seeing .bs files but a quick Google search produced this fantastic set for MangaLabo. I tried downloading and it worked fine with me: www.portalgraphics.net/en/cl/p…
Tip: do try the Symmetry brush. So much fun!!!!
Enjoy this update>> firealpaca.com/en
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website.
We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you!
Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost
Woohoo!!! We're entering a new FireAlpaca era!! 2.0!!!
Here's what's new:
[1.2.0]
- It is now compatible to brush script (script control brush).
- Preset brush for brush script has been added.
- Marker, Symmetry, Analog-Pen, etc..
- Brush script is quite flexible so please use wisely.
- The max. size of brush is extended to 1000 px.
- Brush Control displays the option menu now.
So what in the world is a Script Brush? From the little I've played with them, it feels more like your regular Photoshop or SAI brushes and they respond to the angle of the pen (in Wacom tablets and others which support this function). When you click on "Add Script Brush" on the bottom of the page, you get the option of adding .bs files without the use of a bitmap. I'm guessing they are vector-based brushes and thus they can become way bigger than a bitmap brush without losing their sharpness.
How to add a Script Brush 1- Download or locate your .bs file
2- Click on the "Add Script Brush" button on FireAlpaca. It's located next to the Add Bitmap Brush button, at the bottom of the Brush Pannel.
3- Select the file you want to use and it's done!
4- Now you can play with the settings, as always, by double-clicking on its name on the list. However, some settings will appear on the Brush Control Pannel, very handy indeed!
To be honest, it's my first time seeing .bs files but a quick Google search produced this fantastic set for MangaLabo. I tried downloading and it worked fine with me: www.portalgraphics.net/en/cl/p…
Tip: do try the Symmetry brush. So much fun!!!!
Enjoy this update>> firealpaca.com/en
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website. We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you! Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost
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FireFriday: Correction
3 min read
Hello everyone!
This week's Friday Tip has to do with understanding the Correction tool that's built into FireAlpaca. You'll find it as a drop-down menu in the upper section when Brush tool is selected, next to AntiAliasing.
So what does it do? When set on any value higher than 0 (up to 19), it will make the lines that you're drawing smoother and less jittery. This also explains why it has a lag with slower computers, since it's an operation that the program calculates at the same time as you're drawing. Correction works with any given brush, so yes, you can also use it with brushes that you imported into the program.
Here are my recommended settings:
a) Sketching: I use 0 correction for this stage. The reason is that I want my lines to be as natural and free as possible, and I don't really mind if I don't get them super smooth.
b) Lineart: Here I use a value of 10, and it works wonders with my lines. Any higher than that, Correction tends to be a little bit faulty and usually leaves a bump in the line. I also think it's not a good idea to become too dependent on Correction when it comes to lineart, because trully nice, strong lines come from smooth movements in your arm and wrist. When you rely too heavily on Correction, it might seem as though you're just tracing your sketch, instead of giving the lines a good personality, if that makes sense.
c) Coloring and effects: Here, it depends. For the most part, I use 0 correction, but sometimes I want a wash to be super smooth and I will turn it on. It's up to you but remember that Correction usually messes up your painting strokes. Do turn it off when you want to draw a lot of dots or points, and for pixel art.
I hope you found this tip useful, please let us know if you have any doubts in the comments
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website.
We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you!
Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost
This week's Friday Tip has to do with understanding the Correction tool that's built into FireAlpaca. You'll find it as a drop-down menu in the upper section when Brush tool is selected, next to AntiAliasing.
So what does it do? When set on any value higher than 0 (up to 19), it will make the lines that you're drawing smoother and less jittery. This also explains why it has a lag with slower computers, since it's an operation that the program calculates at the same time as you're drawing. Correction works with any given brush, so yes, you can also use it with brushes that you imported into the program.
Here are my recommended settings:
a) Sketching: I use 0 correction for this stage. The reason is that I want my lines to be as natural and free as possible, and I don't really mind if I don't get them super smooth.
b) Lineart: Here I use a value of 10, and it works wonders with my lines. Any higher than that, Correction tends to be a little bit faulty and usually leaves a bump in the line. I also think it's not a good idea to become too dependent on Correction when it comes to lineart, because trully nice, strong lines come from smooth movements in your arm and wrist. When you rely too heavily on Correction, it might seem as though you're just tracing your sketch, instead of giving the lines a good personality, if that makes sense.
c) Coloring and effects: Here, it depends. For the most part, I use 0 correction, but sometimes I want a wash to be super smooth and I will turn it on. It's up to you but remember that Correction usually messes up your painting strokes. Do turn it off when you want to draw a lot of dots or points, and for pixel art.
I hope you found this tip useful, please let us know if you have any doubts in the comments
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website. We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you! Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost
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It's Friday! And we have an update from the marvelous people at FireAlpaca HQ!
[1.1.15]
- A brush can be switched by left-drag.
- A palette can be switched by left-drag.
- The brush control has been improved. *Numerical entry of brush size is enabled.
Very much self-explanatory, simple things to make our painting life easier
To be honest, I really miss having the brush control on my tablet pen right-click, because I'm so used to that from Photoshop, but it looks like things are improving on that sense in FireAlpaca as well.
Go grab the update! firealpaca.com/en
CloudAlpaca also updated to the previous FireAlpaca version, you can download it here: dlkr8sdxux6zi.cloudfront.net/d…
FireFriday Tip!
Are you drawing your manga and having all sorts of ideas while you are away from your computer? No problem! Matching CloudAlpaca, now there's MangaName application for Android (and iOS in 2 months, apparently). Even though it's all in Japanese, I think it's very easy to use. You can install it on your phone/tablet and draw your names (Names are the fast sketches you do to settle down the idea of your manga, I recommend reading Bakuman for more info), then upload them to your Medibang account, and import them to your CloudAlpaca back home to complete your pages This video (in Japanese) is a step by step, very simple to understand: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh8Re2…
Let me know if you found this tip useful
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website.
We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you!
Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost.
[1.1.15]
- A brush can be switched by left-drag.
- A palette can be switched by left-drag.
- The brush control has been improved. *Numerical entry of brush size is enabled.
Very much self-explanatory, simple things to make our painting life easier
To be honest, I really miss having the brush control on my tablet pen right-click, because I'm so used to that from Photoshop, but it looks like things are improving on that sense in FireAlpaca as well.Go grab the update! firealpaca.com/en
CloudAlpaca also updated to the previous FireAlpaca version, you can download it here: dlkr8sdxux6zi.cloudfront.net/d…
FireFriday Tip!Are you drawing your manga and having all sorts of ideas while you are away from your computer? No problem! Matching CloudAlpaca, now there's MangaName application for Android (and iOS in 2 months, apparently). Even though it's all in Japanese, I think it's very easy to use. You can install it on your phone/tablet and draw your names (Names are the fast sketches you do to settle down the idea of your manga, I recommend reading Bakuman for more info), then upload them to your Medibang account, and import them to your CloudAlpaca back home to complete your pages
This video (in Japanese) is a step by step, very simple to understand: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh8Re2…Let me know if you found this tip useful
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website. We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you! Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost.
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Update 1.1.14!
2 min read
Hello everyone!!
Finally we have the official English translation of the new update! Thanks to obtusity for the provisional one
[1.1.14]
- 5 more types of layer blending mode have been added. >> A request of all times!! The new modes are Lighten, Darken, Difference, Dodge, and Burn. I really like Dodge so I'm happy to see it in the list.
- Text layer can be converted to color layer now.>> This is an equivalent of "Rasterize" in a variety of other programs and it means you can treat the text as an image layer instead, distort it, apply filters, etc but you will not be able to edit the text anymore.
- Lasso tool is available to select in tool bar separately.>> I guess Lasso was unavoidable for FireAlpaca in the end! Great for quick selections, it's not as precise as Selection Tool, but it works much better when you're sketching and just need to move something quickly.
I hope you enjoy this update!
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website.
We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you!
Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost.
Finally we have the official English translation of the new update! Thanks to obtusity for the provisional one
[1.1.14]
- 5 more types of layer blending mode have been added. >> A request of all times!! The new modes are Lighten, Darken, Difference, Dodge, and Burn. I really like Dodge so I'm happy to see it in the list.
- Text layer can be converted to color layer now.>> This is an equivalent of "Rasterize" in a variety of other programs and it means you can treat the text as an image layer instead, distort it, apply filters, etc but you will not be able to edit the text anymore.
- Lasso tool is available to select in tool bar separately.>> I guess Lasso was unavoidable for FireAlpaca in the end! Great for quick selections, it's not as precise as Selection Tool, but it works much better when you're sketching and just need to move something quickly.
I hope you enjoy this update!
What would be a major change you would like to see in new FireAlpaca versions? Let us know! We will forward all replies to the official staff, both on Facebook and the official website. We would like to remind you that we have a gallery system in which we handpick the deviations we want to Feature with every new submission to the other galleries. You can post on any of them instead. Please, don't submit to Featured! Thank you! Forward your questions to the Doubts and Problems Thread. Also, don't forget to check the List of Shortcuts, the Video tutorials compilation post and the Tablet Tips masterpost.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Tablet Tips masterpost
4 min read
Hello!
One of the most common problems with FireAlpaca has to do with tablets. Some don't get the cursor aligned, some don't have Pressure Sensitivity, some don't even work. Many of these problems can be solved, so I'm creating this post to compile all the tricks that users have found to make their tablets work correctly.
If you want to make a review of a brand (PROS/CONS system), please comment below! I only have experience with Wacom and Huion so far. Please comment if you have a solution for a particular model or brand of tablet, and I will update this post!
GENERAL: FOR ALL TABLETS
The most common solutions to tablet-related problems are:
1- Update FireAlpaca to its last version.
2- Update your tablet drivers to their last version.
3- Go to File>Environment Setting or press Ctrl + K and check that you are on Professional Edit Mode. Then check that you have Tablet Coordinate, not Mouse Coordinate.
4- If all this fails, sometimes unplugging and plugging your tablet with the program open may help.
WACOM
Website: www.wacom.com/
PROS:The most widely used. They range from simple and small like Bamboo to display screens like Cintiq. Good quality and reliable tablets that are the role model of the industry.
CONS: Prices can be considered high for the more advanced models.
Tricks: Usually the trick with Wacom tablets is keeping the tablet drivers updated AND uninstall other Wacom tablets before installing a new one (Windows users only).
HUION
Website: www.huiontablet.com/
PROS: One of the several Wacom alternatives, they unite good construction quality, cheap prices, and excellent customer service.
CONS: Sometimes design choices make no sense, and the software can give problems if you don't follow certain installation steps or tricks.
GT-220 pen display trick by kotori-chan
This model is basically a very decent Cintiq alternative. However, when I first installed it, I had no pressure sensitivity on FireAlpaca and I found several problems with other programs. This is how I fixed it (Windows):
1- Install the latest drivers (from the website, or contacting the staff by email or facebook) BEFORE plugging the tablet.
2- When installing, I had 2 errors concerning wintab32.dll on system32 and SysWOW64. This controller is super crucial for the system and is used on a variety of programs, which can also block its access by new installers. You cannot simply skip a problem with this controller. After making sure I was having problems, I uninstalled the driver (PenDisplay) and restared my computer.
3- I located the .dll files and attempted cutting them (Ctrl + X) and copying them on a different location for safety reasons. This way, you can always go back to your previous controller if anything goes wrong.
4- One of the controllers appeared to be blocked by Dropbox. I closed the program and waited a few seconds for its process to shut down. Alternatively, you can also shut down the process manually from the Task Manager.
5- Once the two controllers were cut from their folders successfully, I installed the tablet driver again. It worked like wonders and now I get pressure sensitivity on FireAlpaca and CloudAlpaca.
Extra: PenDisplay has a default option called Tablet PC support. DON'T TICK THIS. It gave me endless problems.
GENIUS review by obtusity
Website: www.geniusnet.com/Genius/wSite…
PROS: Inexpensive tablets (Genius is known for inexpensive hardware), lots of different models.
CONS: Judging from members posts (I don't have a Genius tablet myself), there seem to be problems with the driver software included in the box for many models. More recent driver software (2013 or 2014), downloadable from the manufacturer's website, seems to have fixed the problems for many users.
BOSTO
Website: bosto-tablet.com/
YINOVA
Website: www.yiynova.com/En/index.php
MONOPRICE
Website: www.monoprice.com/Category?c_i…
X-P PEN
www.xp-pen.com/
One of the most common problems with FireAlpaca has to do with tablets. Some don't get the cursor aligned, some don't have Pressure Sensitivity, some don't even work. Many of these problems can be solved, so I'm creating this post to compile all the tricks that users have found to make their tablets work correctly.
If you want to make a review of a brand (PROS/CONS system), please comment below! I only have experience with Wacom and Huion so far. Please comment if you have a solution for a particular model or brand of tablet, and I will update this post!
GENERAL: FOR ALL TABLETS
The most common solutions to tablet-related problems are:
1- Update FireAlpaca to its last version.
2- Update your tablet drivers to their last version.
3- Go to File>Environment Setting or press Ctrl + K and check that you are on Professional Edit Mode. Then check that you have Tablet Coordinate, not Mouse Coordinate.
4- If all this fails, sometimes unplugging and plugging your tablet with the program open may help.
WACOM
Website: www.wacom.com/
PROS:The most widely used. They range from simple and small like Bamboo to display screens like Cintiq. Good quality and reliable tablets that are the role model of the industry.
CONS: Prices can be considered high for the more advanced models.
Tricks: Usually the trick with Wacom tablets is keeping the tablet drivers updated AND uninstall other Wacom tablets before installing a new one (Windows users only).
HUION
Website: www.huiontablet.com/
PROS: One of the several Wacom alternatives, they unite good construction quality, cheap prices, and excellent customer service.
CONS: Sometimes design choices make no sense, and the software can give problems if you don't follow certain installation steps or tricks.
GT-220 pen display trick by kotori-chan This model is basically a very decent Cintiq alternative. However, when I first installed it, I had no pressure sensitivity on FireAlpaca and I found several problems with other programs. This is how I fixed it (Windows):
1- Install the latest drivers (from the website, or contacting the staff by email or facebook) BEFORE plugging the tablet.
2- When installing, I had 2 errors concerning wintab32.dll on system32 and SysWOW64. This controller is super crucial for the system and is used on a variety of programs, which can also block its access by new installers. You cannot simply skip a problem with this controller. After making sure I was having problems, I uninstalled the driver (PenDisplay) and restared my computer.
3- I located the .dll files and attempted cutting them (Ctrl + X) and copying them on a different location for safety reasons. This way, you can always go back to your previous controller if anything goes wrong.
4- One of the controllers appeared to be blocked by Dropbox. I closed the program and waited a few seconds for its process to shut down. Alternatively, you can also shut down the process manually from the Task Manager.
5- Once the two controllers were cut from their folders successfully, I installed the tablet driver again. It worked like wonders and now I get pressure sensitivity on FireAlpaca and CloudAlpaca.
Extra: PenDisplay has a default option called Tablet PC support. DON'T TICK THIS. It gave me endless problems.
GENIUS review by obtusity
Website: www.geniusnet.com/Genius/wSite…
PROS: Inexpensive tablets (Genius is known for inexpensive hardware), lots of different models.
CONS: Judging from members posts (I don't have a Genius tablet myself), there seem to be problems with the driver software included in the box for many models. More recent driver software (2013 or 2014), downloadable from the manufacturer's website, seems to have fixed the problems for many users.
BOSTO
Website: bosto-tablet.com/
YINOVA
Website: www.yiynova.com/En/index.php
MONOPRICE
Website: www.monoprice.com/Category?c_i…
X-P PEN
www.xp-pen.com/
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