Difference between revisions of "Inkscape and WaterColorBot"
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| − | == The WaterColorBot Template / Making a new document == | + | == Setting up your file == |
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| + | === The WaterColorBot Template / Making a new document === | ||
A WaterColorBot template is included with the software installation. To create a new document pre-formatted for the WaterColorBot, select from the menu: File > New > WaterColorBot. | A WaterColorBot template is included with the software installation. To create a new document pre-formatted for the WaterColorBot, select from the menu: File > New > WaterColorBot. | ||
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=== Default paint layers === | === Default paint layers === | ||
| − | In accordance with the way that the [[Control_WaterColorBot|Control WaterColorBot]] extension works, the layers have names like "4-Yellow" and "1-Black" that represent both a paint position (4 and 1, respectively in those two cases) and the human-readable paint color (Yellow and Black, respectively in those two cases). | + | In accordance with the way that the [[Control_WaterColorBot|Control WaterColorBot]] extension works, the 9 default layers have names like "4-Yellow" and "1-Black" that represent both a paint position (4 and 1, respectively in those two cases) and the human-readable paint color (Yellow and Black, respectively in those two cases). |
While layers can easily be re-ordered, the default stackup of the layers is in approximate order of darkness, with 4-Yellow at the bottom (meaning that it will be printed first) and 1-Black is near the top (meaning that it will be printed near the end). | While layers can easily be re-ordered, the default stackup of the layers is in approximate order of darkness, with 4-Yellow at the bottom (meaning that it will be printed first) and 1-Black is near the top (meaning that it will be printed near the end). | ||
If you are using a painting mode that does not automatically change paint colors (e.g., pen/pencil mode), you can ignore the layer structure, and put your painting on any layer or combination of layers that you desire. | If you are using a painting mode that does not automatically change paint colors (e.g., pen/pencil mode), you can ignore the layer structure, and put your painting on any layer or combination of layers that you desire. | ||
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| + | === Working with layers === | ||
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| + | If there are multiple layers in your Inkscape Drawing, they will be printed in the order from '''bottom to top'''. | ||
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| + | To take advantage of paint color change (automatic or manual), the different parts of your drawing that will be painted in different colors should be separated into different layers as described below. | ||
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| + | ==== Preparing layers for automatic paint color changes ==== | ||
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| + | To paint with multiple colors, and have Inkscape automatically change the paint color as it goes, you need to do two things: | ||
| + | * Select a painting mode, in the "Modes" tab of [[Control_WaterColorBot|Control WaterColorBot]], that has "AutoChange" enabled (e.g., Watercolor, Tempera, or manual with AutoChange selected), and | ||
| + | * Create one or more layers in Inkscape and assign them names that begin with integers. | ||
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| + | The integer can be in the range from 0 - 100, and that integer can be followed by any name or description that you like. | ||
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| + | Only layers that begin with an integer in the range 0-8 will be painted with AutoChange enabled, and for each of those layers, the paint color will be determined by that leading integer, as follows: | ||
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| + | : 0 - Water wash (no paint) | ||
| + | : 1 - Top paint pan (normally black) | ||
| + | : 2 - Second from top (red) | ||
| + | : 3 - 3rd from top (orange) | ||
| + | : 4 - 4th from top (yellow) | ||
| + | : 5 - 5th from top (green) | ||
| + | : 6 - 6th from top (blue) | ||
| + | : 7 - 7th from top (violet) | ||
| + | : 8 - bottom paint pan (brown) | ||
| + | : 9 or higher: ignored | ||
| + | |||
| + | For example, if you create four layers with the names: | ||
| + | : 2 - circles | ||
| + | : 2 - rectangles | ||
| + | : 5 - triangles | ||
| + | : 62 - zigzags | ||
| + | |||
| + | Then, the two layers that start with the "2" (the circles and the rectangles) will be painted in red, the triangles will be painted in green, and layer 62 (zigzags) will not be painted. | ||
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| + | The order in which the layers will be painted is from '''bottom to top'''. You can add additional layers of any of the colors, and you can re-arrange the order of the layer to change the order in which the different colors are painted. This means that you can switch back and forth between two or more colors as desired. | ||
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| + | ==== Preparing layers for manual paint color changes ==== | ||
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| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Preparing a file that does not need color changes ==== | ||
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Revision as of 11:22, 14 November 2013
Contents
Introduction
There are three main software interfaces for driving the WaterColorBot: RoboPaint, RoboPaint RT, and the WaterColorBot extensions for Inkscape. This page is about the latter.
Inkscape is a superb, free vector graphics editor, for which we have written an extension (a plugin) to control the WaterColorBot. Our extension provides a fine grain level of control over exactly what will be painted, but more-or-less requires that you create the artwork within Inkscape to take full advantage of the features. The most important thing to know is that the Inkscape extension will paint all of the paths (lines) within your drawing. It will not automatically fill in any regions; any region that you wish to fill with paint will have to have (for example) a hatch fill that consists of lines, in order for the area to be colored in.
Inkscape is also capable of importing artwork in PDF format (as well as tracing bitmap graphics to some extent), and saving as SVG graphics that can be used with RoboPaint. Users who have experience with the Eggbot (and its Inkscape based driver) may wish to start with this application, before trying the others.
Getting the software
Installing Inkscape:
- Begin by downloading and installing the latest version of Inkscape, version 0.48.2 or newer. You can find Inkscape here.
- If you are using a Mac (MacOS version 10.6-10.8: Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion), download and install the latest release of XQuartz
Installing the extensions:
- Easy installers for Windows and Mac coming week of November 10, 2013.
- Until then, you can download the software from our github repository and install it manually.
Special information for Eggbot users
The WaterColorBot Control extension is based on our Eggbot Control extension that operates the Eggbot. If you have had some experience with the Eggbot, you will find most controls to be the same. In particular, you may have had some experience with making a multi-color drawing with the Eggbot, by putting paths that you want to print in different colors on different layers.
The biggest difference between the two machines is that since the WaterColorBot can perform automatic paint color changes-- unlike the Eggbot --it requires that you use multiple named layers when multicolor painting is enabled.
Setting up your file
The WaterColorBot Template / Making a new document
A WaterColorBot template is included with the software installation. To create a new document pre-formatted for the WaterColorBot, select from the menu: File > New > WaterColorBot.
The template is pre-sized at 11" wide x 8" tall, matching the printable area of the WaterColorBot (that is, for a sheet of 9x12 paper, without the margins shown). The template also comes ready to use with 9 empty layers that are intended to represent the 8 colors plus water wash.
Default paint layers
In accordance with the way that the Control WaterColorBot extension works, the 9 default layers have names like "4-Yellow" and "1-Black" that represent both a paint position (4 and 1, respectively in those two cases) and the human-readable paint color (Yellow and Black, respectively in those two cases).
While layers can easily be re-ordered, the default stackup of the layers is in approximate order of darkness, with 4-Yellow at the bottom (meaning that it will be printed first) and 1-Black is near the top (meaning that it will be printed near the end).
If you are using a painting mode that does not automatically change paint colors (e.g., pen/pencil mode), you can ignore the layer structure, and put your painting on any layer or combination of layers that you desire.
Working with layers
If there are multiple layers in your Inkscape Drawing, they will be printed in the order from bottom to top.
To take advantage of paint color change (automatic or manual), the different parts of your drawing that will be painted in different colors should be separated into different layers as described below.
Preparing layers for automatic paint color changes
To paint with multiple colors, and have Inkscape automatically change the paint color as it goes, you need to do two things:
- Select a painting mode, in the "Modes" tab of Control WaterColorBot, that has "AutoChange" enabled (e.g., Watercolor, Tempera, or manual with AutoChange selected), and
- Create one or more layers in Inkscape and assign them names that begin with integers.
The integer can be in the range from 0 - 100, and that integer can be followed by any name or description that you like.
Only layers that begin with an integer in the range 0-8 will be painted with AutoChange enabled, and for each of those layers, the paint color will be determined by that leading integer, as follows:
- 0 - Water wash (no paint)
- 1 - Top paint pan (normally black)
- 2 - Second from top (red)
- 3 - 3rd from top (orange)
- 4 - 4th from top (yellow)
- 5 - 5th from top (green)
- 6 - 6th from top (blue)
- 7 - 7th from top (violet)
- 8 - bottom paint pan (brown)
- 9 or higher: ignored
For example, if you create four layers with the names:
- 2 - circles
- 2 - rectangles
- 5 - triangles
- 62 - zigzags
Then, the two layers that start with the "2" (the circles and the rectangles) will be painted in red, the triangles will be painted in green, and layer 62 (zigzags) will not be painted.
The order in which the layers will be painted is from bottom to top. You can add additional layers of any of the colors, and you can re-arrange the order of the layer to change the order in which the different colors are painted. This means that you can switch back and forth between two or more colors as desired.
Preparing layers for manual paint color changes
Preparing a file that does not need color changes
Extensions
There are three Inkscape extensions installed as part of the WaterColorBot distribution.
Control WaterColorBot
Control WaterColorBot is the primary Inkscape extension for WaterColorBot, and of the three, is the one that actually talks to and drives the WaterColorBot.
Hatch Fill
The Hatch Fill extension (originally developed for the Eggbot project) is included in the WaterColorBot submenu, below Control WaterColorBot. This version has been slightly modified to have calibration in terms of lines per inch, rather than pixel steps.
Snap Colors to Layers (beta)
This new extension (still in beta test) can automatically assign colored paths to layers, making it possible for the WaterColorBot to semi-automatically paint them.
