After four years of development package release , which combines a vector graphics editor and a system for creating 2D animation. The program is positioned as a research project with the experimental implementation of a mathematical concept (Vector Graphics Complex), which allows you to create animation and illustrations that are not tied to pixel resolution. The developments of the project are written in C ++ (using the Qt libraries and ) And licensed under Apache 2.0. Builds prepared for Linux (), Windows and macOS.
The essence of the VGC method is to automate the tracking of connections between lines in a vector drawing, which makes the editing process more intuitive by simplifying the processing of shapes that have common boundaries. Typically, the curves that form the touching boundaries of two shapes are drawn separately (a separate curve is drawn for each shape). In VPaint, the border is defined once and then becomes attached to each shape and can be edited along with it. Animation in the form of a "spatio-temporal topological complex", in which the associated joint boundaries of the figures allow the implementation of complex divisions or unions of figures, and also simplify the automatic generation of intermediate frames.
The program is at the prototype stage with the quality of a beta release, providing only the basic backbone of the main functions for evaluating the proposed concept of editing and unsuitable for the daily work of an illustrator. However, VPaint is gradually gaining functionality and the new version has support for layers, importing files in SVG format, and support for high pixel density (HiDPI) screens.
In the future, VPaint developments are planned to be used to create commercial packages. . The first is aimed at competing with Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk Graphic, CorelDRAW and Inkscape packages, and the second with Adobe Animate, ToonBoom Harmony, CACANi, Synfig and OpenToonz.
Both packages, despite paid distribution, will be supplied as open source under Apache 2.0 licenses. Linux builds will be free (only Windows and macOS editions will be paid).
Main Features:
- Tools for creating freeform sketches. Instead of curves
The BΓ©zier lines that make up the illustration are formed as hand drawn curves called an "edge". The curves can be of any thickness and are usually defined using a flatbed. - Opportunities for sculptural modeling. Drawn "edges"
can be edited in style with an arbitrary change in the curve radius, width and smoothing level. Curve intersections and tangents are automatically tracked and preserved during editing, unlike classic editors where curves
Beziers are treated as independent curves. - Fill tool that allows you to change the color of the outline by simply clicking on the area bounded by the edges. Unlike most other vector editors, when filling, the edges forming the boundary are tracked, and when editing these edges, the area filled with color is automatically updated, and all edge connections are preserved.
- Timeline Animation, which provides a simple interface for creating frame-by-frame animation. You can draw a frame, then copy it and make changes for the next frame, and so on. The motion-paste function is available, which allows you to insert typical elements into several frames at once with automatic formation of intermediate frames.
- Onion skinning, which allows you to overlay several adjacent frames at once for better control over the timing and trajectory of the animation. You can also divide the viewable area into multiple areas to view or edit different frames at the same time.
Source: opennet.ru