Creating & Storing
Your Own Texture Fills
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Texture Fills

Corel Photo-Paint is extremely versatile - we all know that. Both Draw and Paint come with the same dialogue box to produce a huge number of preset texture fills, and which can be randomised to provide you with an almost infinite set of variations.

The problem with so many possibilities though is finding or creating what you want qucikly and easily. Luckily both Draw and Paint provide you with mechanisms to save and store your own favorite texture presets, as well as personal presets of many other features such as drop shadows, brushes, nibs, fountain fills etc.

This TIP is divided into two parts:

    1. Detailed description of creating and storing Texture Fills
    2. How to create and store a Metal Patina Texture Fill
A. The Texture Fill Dialogue Box Revealed. top of page

First, open the Texture Fill dialogue. In Photo-Paint you can do this in several different ways:

  • Double-click the Fill swatch on the status bar. Choose the Texture Fill icon then press Edit.
  • From the menu choose Edit > Fill. Choose the Texture Fill icon and then press Edit.
  • Double-click the Fill Bucket Tool on the Toolbox. Choose the Texture Fill icon and press Edit.
The Fill swatch on the Status Bar The Texture Fill icon in the
Edit Fill and Transparency Dialogue
The Fill Bucket Tool

All of these methods open the Texture Fill Dialogue box:

    1. Textures are grouped into LIBRARIES. You can select a different library by clicking the small down arrow on the Texture Library drop down list to display the current libraries. Use the scroll bar to view all the libraries. Selecting a different Library causes the Textures in the Texture List (2) to change.
   

2. The Texture Style LIST. Each Library contains a large number of preset texture STYLES, each with a descriptive name. Selecting a Texture in the Texture list changes the display in the Preview (3). Once you select a texture in the Texture list you can use your keyboard up and down arrow keys to quickly preview up and down through the list.

3. The Texture Preview SWATCH. Whenever you select a different texture it is displayed here. The distingishing feature of Corel's Texture Fill is one of Randomization. Each of the Parameters (5) for each texture can be changed randomly or manually by the user (see 5A, 5B & 5C below) providing you with an almost infinite number of textures.

4. The Texture Style NAME is displayed above the list of parameters for that style.

5. Texture Style PARAMETERS. Each texture can have numerous parameters which can be randomized by the application or set to specific values by the user.
 

    5A. NUMERICAL PARAMETERS. Numerical parameters can be changed either by typing a value into the numerical entry area, by clicking the tiny up and down arrows, or by using Corel's unique parameter spinner which appears when you move your cursor exactly mid way between the two arrowheads (see right). When this special cursor appears, you need only click and drag up or down to quickly change the value in the numerical entry area.
 
  5B. Randomization Prevention LOCK. Each parameter can be either locked or unlocked. If unlocked, this parameter of the Texture Style can be randomised. Pressing the Preview button (6) repeatedly will randomize any unlocked parameters, displaying the result in the Texture preview swatch (3). To lock or unlock a parameter, just click on the lock to change its state.
 
   

5C. Colour Parameter SELECTOR. Most Textures have variable colour parameters. To choose a different colour, click the arrow on the drop down list beside the colour swatch. The current colour is shown with a border. Use the scroll bar to see more colours. If the colour you want isn't shown, click the Other... button to display the Select Color dialogue box.

 

   

Select Color Dialogue Box:

I won't get into all the details of using this dialogue box in detail here. But in order to use the current tutorials, you need to know how to select a specific NAMED colour using this dialogue. Many colours have names but many do not.

To select a colour by a specific name, either click the arrow on the Name drop down list then scroll through until you find the name you want. Or, click in the text entry area and start typeing in the name of the colour. The entries in the drop down list will change and show the closest match to your typing. If necessary, use the scroller to find the colour name.

   

 
6. PREVIEW/RANDOMIZER button.
This button has two functions. If you simply click it several times the Texture dialogue will randomize all of the unlocked parameters and display a new texture in the preview swatch with the new values displayed in the various parameter spinners.

However, if you have manually changed a parameter, then you will need to click the Preview button ONCE to display the new texture in the preview swatch.
 

  7. ADD / DELETE PRESET.
Now this is where the power of this dialogue really comes into play. OK, so you've created your perfect texture either randomly or manualy and you wish to use it again and again. Once you've got the right texture, click the icon to display the 'Save Texture As dialogue. Here you can not only name and save your new texture by typing a name into the Texture name entry area, you can even create your own custom Library, by typeing a new name into the Library Name entry area. Press OK when done and your texture will be available whenever you need it later.
  8. OK - press the button to fill your object with your chosen texture. Cancel - press to cancel the operation.

 

B. Creating and Storing a Metal Patina Texture Fill.

 

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1. Open the Texture Fill Dialogue box (see Part A above then return here).

2. Choose Samples 7 in the Texture Library drop down list

3. From the Texture (Styles) List choose Moss.

4. Click the arrow on the 1st Mineral drop down list then choose Other... to open the Select Color Dialogue. Type 'Mint Green' into the Name text entry area on the bottom right of the Select Color dialogue. Part way through typeing the ful name will appear indicating it is a preset colour name. The colours in this dialogue box change accordingly. Press OK to accept this colour.

5. Similarly, change the 2nd Mineral colour to 'Murky Green'.

6. Similarly, change the Light colour to 'Pale Yelow'. Press the Preview button in the Texture Fill dialogue to see the new colours in the Moss texture. The large swatch should appear like this:

 

 

7. Press the + icon to the right of the Texture Library Name to open the Save Texture As dialogue box (see 7 above). If you wish, type in a new name for a new Texture Library (e.g. 'My Textures'), or you can store your new texture in any existing library by choose one from the list of Library Names. In the Texture Name entry area, type in 'Metal Patina' as your texture name, then press OK. Your Metal Patina texture details are now stored in the Library you selected for use any time in the future.

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