Jump to content

Humble Bundle Be a Creative Superhero! With Painter, CorelCAD and CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2020


aidan o driscoll

Recommended Posts

I found that the Painter brushes  from the expansion brush packs are installed in the application brush library, along with the current factory brushes located here: "C:\Program Files\Corel\Painter 2020\Brushes". There are also libraries for some previous editions of Painter located in there.

I recently noticed that the brush pack installers did in fact place a copy of each brush pack on my Data Volume (D:), at the root of the volume, and not in a sub-folder. I do not understand why that happened, but I moved them all into a new sub-folder, and Painter did not mind. Apparently after new brush packs are installed Painter only uses the copy in the application brush library. The installers did not ask what destination path to use.

My scratch drive is also set to (C:) in preferences, but I have not seen that is use yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, mettelus said:

It is actually called "Scratch Drive" and is listed under Edit->Preferences->Performance. Near the bottom is a drop down that only lists drives. Mine was default to C:\ initially. Is it pointed to your audio sample drive there?

Oddly, no; mine points to C:\ also.

The brushes seemed to work even after I moved them though, so maybe it's relevant to Painter 2021 only? (Unless I'm missing something that I don't realise)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, abacab said:

I recently noticed that the brush pack installers did in fact place a copy of each brush pack on my Data Volume (D:), at the root of the volume, and not in a sub-folder

I had almost the same thing happening to me, but in my case the brush folders were silently duplicated to the root of my external USB drive. To say that I was surprised and not even a tiny bit impressed is an understatement. I removed all 22 brush folders together with a folder called ISINSTALLED_PAINTER2021 (despite having Painter 2020 installed) and couldn’t see any problems after that. The brushes were still available in Painter 2020.

Edited by Canopus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Canopus said:

I removed all 22 brush folders together with a folder called ISINSTALLED_PAINTER2021 (despite having Painter 2020 installed) and couldn’t see any problems after that. The brushes were still available in Painter 2020.

I believe that the brush pack installers are using available secondary drives as temp space, and not cleaning up after the install. Bug? Probably!

The real brush library is located at: "C:\Program Files\Corel\Painter 2020\Brushes". So those "extra" brush folders don't seem to matter after installation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To add insult to injury, there is another copy of brushes at C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Corel\Painter 2020\Default\Brushes

That is also where the 2021 is at (C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Corel\Painter 2021), which is why it makes me think the brush packs themselves are loading each version they can be used in.

It also seems the cache drive has nothing to do with this, and incredibly odd that those brush packs seem to randomly install in the main directory on "some" drive.  I am still surprised that Google didn't return any hits about brushes installing in odd locations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I put Paintshop Pro, Aftershot 3 and Painter on my old Win 7 laptop. The programs install from the internet. I was a bit shocked because there were problems with all of them freezing and not opening and taking ages to load and GUI partially loading etc I did a quick search on the internet and saw quite a few horror stories and a chill ran down my spine.

I thought I would check that my Windows 7 was up to date first and found I needed 800mb or so of 47 updates. I updated Windows then restarted and held my breath. Thankfully, all of the problems have vanished that I can see so far. It's a bit odd as I have put some new software on the laptop and have not had this experience.

It seems as though this software really needs windows 7 to be up to date. In fairness, they do say that on their site. Just thought I would give a heads up, if you are on Win 7 and you get some odd behavior, make sure Win 7 is fully updated.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/12/2020 at 8:47 AM, Tezza said:

It seems as though this software really needs windows 7 to be up to date. In fairness, they do say that on their site. Just thought I would give a heads up, if you are on Win 7 and you get some odd behavior, make sure Win 7 is fully updated.

I think that you have made a great point about Corel software!

For example I had an older version of Corel Graphics Suite X4 (from 2008) that would NOT install and run on Windows 10, but ran just fine on Windows 7. Fortunately I took advantage of  an upgrade offer just before Corel stopped offering upgrade editions of that product. In this case I had an up to date OS, but needed an updated application.

I think that the Corel developers must use the latest Windows programming libraries to advance their latest products with the latest new features that were not available on earlier versions  of the OS. You were lucky that just updating your current OS resolved your issues!

[Edit] This comment above was about CorelDraw, which is a Windows only application. Regarding Corel Painter however, which is cross-platform Mac compatible, I have not seen those types of Windows dependencies, thus a longer life span of usefulness with older versions.

Painter was originally a Mac program developed by Fractal Design (1991?), which merged with RayDream, then MetaTools, to become MetaCreations. And finally was  acquired by Corel.

I started with Painter Classic 1.0 for the PC in 1999, then upgraded to Painter 8 in 2004. Have had some version of it on the PC ever since. This Humble deal is a great offer for art dabblers or photographers!

Edited by abacab
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Newbie alert!

I'm collecting these deals for my children to use later on (they're still enjoying drawing by hand and improving there).  Would this  be something they could use as is    or is there more software to buy to  actually use this bundle ?  A bit hard to follow   with all the info  posted here. (BTW,  they still don't have any digital drawing tablets yet as  I'm  just collecting software ATM). 

Don't want to get into any subscription models either, but just want   to    use them as is (once we get the tablet).

I do have Flame Painter 4 with a some brush packs in my account at Humble Bundle and thinking of adding this bundle as well.   :)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Newbie alert!

I'm collecting these deals for my children to use later on (they're still enjoying drawing by hand and improving there).  Would this  be something they could use as is    or is there more software to buy to  actually use this bundle ?

Painter will work as is. There are numerous brush packs and paper packs that you can buy as add-ons, but there's enough default material in there to do some good artwork. You probably do want to get a graphics tablet if you want to use this seriously, but I see you've already got that under consideration.

Corel do a 'lite' version of Painter (called Painter Essentials) that is much cheaper than Painter at full price. The license is a bit more strict in terms of how many devices you can install to (possibly it's just one - might have remembered incorrectly), but it might be cheaper to get that whenever you/your kids are ready, rather than to keep upgrading to the latest version of full Painter.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 to the above. This deal is definitely capable as is and a great value. The tablet is something to seriously consider at a later date, since drawing requires precision and motion/pressure detail that a mouse cannot provide. The tactile "pencil on paper" feel will make a smoother transition (for freehand drawing of details), but there are also numerous things you can do with just a mouse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Thanks Antler!

I'm not set on getting the tablet, but thought that was a requirement  or at least a better way   to do digital art no?

What  are some other choices? 

 

It's been a while since I've looked at tablets so my knowledge is a little out of date. I'd recommend looking at the range of products that Wacom have - they used to occasionally do bundles with Painter; if you're just starting out though, you might want to just look at some cheaper tablets on Amazon. Keep in mind though that the tablet surface is important: it's difficult to draw on a completely smooth tablet. That said, the coarser the tablet texture, the faster your pen nibs will wear down.

Something else that may not be immediately obvious - it can be tricky to start off if you don't have a tablet that either has a display (very expensive), or that you can overlay some paper onto; it's a little strange to be looking at the screen for feedback, rather than what you're drawing on.

Also, consider a tablet that supports pen tilt. This lets you simulate, e.g. a sharpened pencil - draw with it completely upright and you get a very fine line, like you're drawing with the tip of it; draw with it tilted and you get wider strokes, like you're shading with the edge of your pencil.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Mesh, also to save you a bit of research time since I just went through this regarding drawing tablets. There are two variants of drawing tools, drawing tablet and drawing displays/monitor. The difference is the tablet is a glorified mouse (you use the computer display), the other is essentially a computer tablet where you draw on the display. Wacom and Huion dominate this market, so I spent a lot of time researching. Initially I was frustrated since few videos show that a drawing tablet HAS a cursor... so I was wondering "how do you know where the freakin pen tip is?" but they are identical to a mouse, but they can also sense pressure, tilt, and have extra buttons (on the tablet part).

In my searching I ran across XP-Pen who is the "low end" variant of Wacom. Reviews of the Deco Pro had numerous comments such as "closing the gap," "90% of Wacom's features for less than half the price," and such, so I shifted my searching into the Deco Pro specifically since it has a wheel and touch pad inside that wheel in addition to the other 8 buttons. Because of this, your non-drawing hand can have access to almost anything you would be using your mouse for. Brush size is default for the wheel, and the touch pad makes scrolling about simple, but you can customize all of the controls to suit your needs.

After I had finally determined I certainly did not need the "display," the size was the last factor. After checking how I really draw on paper, the Deco Pro small is the same size I draw in anyway (I anchor the heel of my hand, and you cannot got outside of the drawing boundary anchored). After using it, I confirmed that is the case, and even labeled as "small" it is actually pretty large (the drawing area is 9"x5").

Lastly, batteries are a definite no-go for me, and most tablet pens seem to not have batteries (yay) and come with extra nibs. The Deco Pro has a textured surface, so you get the resistance of drawing on paper, and the nibs are designed to wear so that tablet remains unscathed. It comes with 8 extra nibs, and after 3 months I do not even notice any wear on the first (but I tend to paint with minimal pressure).

Well damn... XP-Pen also only sells direct, and I just hopped on their site. They have a 15% off sale that started, so the Deco Pro small is $84.99. One of the more complete reviews and showing you the nuances of how the tablets work in is the video below.

 

Edited by mettelus
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mesh said:

Newbie alert!

I'm collecting these deals for my children to use later on (they're still enjoying drawing by hand and improving there).  Would this  be something they could use as is    or is there more software to buy to  actually use this bundle ?  A bit hard to follow   with all the info  posted here. (BTW,  they still don't have any digital drawing tablets yet as  I'm  just collecting software ATM). 

Don't want to get into any subscription models either, but just want   to    use them as is (once we get the tablet).

As far as I have seen, all products offered in this  bundle are for perpetual licenses, except for CorelDraw. So nothing else to buy, except maybe a tablet. The CorelDraw subscription runs out after 6 months, so yes don't bother with that one.

The XP-Pen has an entry level (small) tablet, that is not the Pro model for $39.99 at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/StarG640-Ultrathin-Graphics-Battery-Free-Pressure/dp/B078YR2MTF

Edited by abacab
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, mettelus said:

In my searching I ran across XP-Pen who is the "low end" variant of Wacom. Reviews of the Deco Pro had numerous comments such as "closing the gap," "90% of Wacom's features for less than half the price," and such, so I shifted my searching into the Deco Pro specifically since it has a wheel and touch pad inside that wheel in addition to the other 8 buttons. Because of this, your non-drawing hand can have access to almost anything you would be using your mouse for. Brush size is default for the wheel, and the touch pad makes scrolling about simple, but you can customize all of the controls to suit your needs.

After I had finally determined I certainly did not need the "display," the size was the last factor. After checking how I really draw on paper, the Deco Pro small is the same size I draw in anyway (I anchor the heel of my hand, and you cannot got outside of the drawing boundary anchored). After using it, I confirmed that is the case, and even labeled as "small" it is actually pretty large (the drawing area is 9"x5").

Lastly, batteries are a definite no-go for me, and most tablet pens seem to not have batteries (yay) and come with extra nibs. The Deco Pro has a textured surface, so you get the resistance of drawing on paper, and the nibs are designed to wear so that tablet remains unscathed. It comes with 8 extra nibs, and after 3 months I do not even notice any wear on the first (but I tend to paint with minimal pressure).

Well damn... XP-Pen also only sells direct, and I just hopped on their site. They have a 15% off sale that started, so the Deco Pro small is $84.99.

That XP-Pen Pro looks interesting. I have an old Wacom Intuos 3 from way back when (Win XP days) and it still works and has current drivers and control panel for download), but the drawing area is 6x4, and the larger new Wacom tablets are not cheap!

I found the XP-Pen on Amazon and will consider them if I decide to get a larger tablet. https://www.amazon.com/stores/XP-PEN/page/F604EA49-79C9-4AB9-919D-22EE6487EB7B?ref_=ast_bln

Edited by abacab
Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1, oops... just to be clear there are a LOT of options out there. My apologies for neglecting to mention that the wheel is an "optional feature," but after I searched enough that feature went into the "must have" bucket (that and no pens with batteries!). The reason for me was fairly simple - changing brush size is my most used task (possibly for most people). Anyone who has ever suffered the pain of keypressing [ and ] in Photo Shop to change a brush size can relate to that not being anywhere close to the tactile control/precision of a wheel for the same task. It is a smoother transition and no fumbling in the GUI, just watch the brush cursor to gauge size, twiddle the knob and continue.

Only two XP-Pen tablets have the wheel, Deco Pro and the Deco 02. There are cheaper versions without the wheel to be had... you can use the pen to operate the GUI same as a mouse (tablets can be set to cover the entire GUI,  just the drawing area, or an area of your choice). Since my monitor is ultrawide, hitting the tiny GUI buttons with the pen is also painful, so I set my tablet to the drawing area with the bush and color windows exposed on it.

All that said... there are a lot of tasks you can perform with just Painter and a mouse (anything not requiring pixel-precision or smooth curves basically). When you get into things like using tracing paper and trying to follow lines, drawing smooth long curves, using brushes that have flat tips that you want to rotate easily, or wanting to take advantage of brushes that "quish" fatter as you press harder, the mouse is going to show its limitations.

Edited by mettelus
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, mettelus said:

After I had finally determined I certainly did not need the "display," the size was the last factor. After checking how I really draw on paper, the Deco Pro small is the same size I draw in anyway (I anchor the heel of my hand, and you cannot got outside of the drawing boundary anchored). After using it, I confirmed that is the case, and even labeled as "small" it is actually pretty large (the drawing area is 9"x5").

Lastly, batteries are a definite no-go for me, and most tablet pens seem to not have batteries (yay) and come with extra nibs. The Deco Pro has a textured surface, so you get the resistance of drawing on paper, and the nibs are designed to wear so that tablet remains unscathed. It comes with 8 extra nibs, and after 3 months I do not even notice any wear on the first (but I tend to paint with minimal pressure).

 

Does the Deco Pro stuff work on Corel Painter and Paintshop Pro?

From what I've read, the tablets have to be either Wacom compatible (wintab) or Real Time Stylus (RTS) compatible to work with these Corel products, otherwise it just acts as a pointing device and you get no pressure. I find it difficult to actually find out what tablets are compatible. Wacom are compatible but Huion and Deco Pro etc, I don't know and they don't seem to say what their process is. It's also difficult to find certainty on other forums with some saying that third party tablets work and others having install issues and having to do workarounds or not getting the thing to work properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Tezza said:

Does the Deco Pro stuff work on Corel Painter and Paintshop Pro?

From what I've read, the tablets have to be either Wacom compatible (wintab) or Real Time Stylus (RTS) compatible to work with these Corel products, otherwise it just acts as a pointing device and you get no pressure. I find it difficult to actually find out what tablets are compatible. Wacom are compatible but Huion and Deco Pro etc, I don't know and they don't seem to say what their process is. It's also difficult to find certainty on other forums with some saying that third party tablets work and others having install issues and having to do workarounds or not getting the thing to work properly.

With Corel I have only used it with Painter, and left Painter on the default settings (Wacon-compatible device). I haven't needed to adjust anything, and it even shows pen-tilt which is hit or miss with other programs. I am also using the newest (3.0.4 Beta drivers) with the tablet. Even in programs where the tilt wasn't working best, the pen presser didn't seem to have issues. There is a fair amount of tweaking you can do in the Pentablet software, but I have not needed to change anything for Painter to work. I need to go back and check the Escape Emotions (Flame Painter 4, etc.) stuff using the new drivers, since I just installed those when this Humble Bundle hit.

Edit: I went back and checked apps quick and check the following apps with the Deco Pro:

Painter 2020 - no issues noted. Pen tilt is displayed in the cursor itself, so is the best program for response that I own.

Paint Shop Pro 2020 - brush tilt/rotation are not automatic, so can notice this with flat brushes.

Photo Mirage - no issues, but is also only a glorified mouse there.

Flame Painter 4 - no issues, but again a glorified mouse.

Rebelle 3 - was an update (3.2.5) to Rebelle 3, that went belly up on me twice so I backed out to 3.2.1. Rotation/tilt does best as a "Microsoft ink device," but you need to exaggerate tilt to get that rotation (seems you need to tilt roughly 30 degrees to change rotation accurately, then it will stay in that orientation until you tilt the pen 30 degrees in another direction). Again, would only see this on a flat brush.

Edited by mettelus
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...