Adobe After Effects CS3 User Manual

Page 309

AFTER EFFECTS CS3

User Guide

304

“Common paint tool settings in the Paint panel” on page 303

Choose a brush gallery display mode

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Choose a display mode from the Brush Tips panel menu: Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small

List, or Large List.

Create and manage preset brushes

•

To create a new preset brush, specify the desired settings in the Brush Tips panel, and then choose New Brush from
the Brush Tips panel menu or click the Save Current Settings As New Brush button

•

To rename a preset brush, select the brush and choose Rename Brush from the panel menu.

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To delete a preset brush, choose Delete Brush from the panel menu or click the Delete Brush button

•

To restore the default set of preset brushes, choose Reset Brush Tips from the Brush Tips panel menu. To retain
the custom brushes you created, click Append when the dialog box prompts you to replace current brushes with
the default brushes.

Note: Preset brushes are saved in the preferences file, so they persist between projects.

Brush properties

Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the brush in the Layer panel to adjust Diameter; release the key
and continue to drag to adjust Hardness.

Diameter

Controls the size of the brush.

Strokes with low Diameter values (left) and high Diameter values (right)

Angle

The angle by which an elliptical brush’s long axis is rotated from horizontal.

Note: Brush angles can be expressed in both positive and negative values. For example, a brush with a 45º angle is equiv-
alent to a brush with a -135º angle.

Angled brushes create chiseled strokes: 45-degree brush (left), and -45-degree brush (right).