Brush keeps changing its attributes.

[NinjaPuss]

Does anybody know why my brush is changing back to 5pt flat, when i start to draw with it?

I choose brush, set it to basic, start drawing and it changes to 5pt flat, or some other brush type.  Grrrrr...

The 'New art has basic appearance' option has been ticked and also not ticked.....

But neither option seems to be working..

Thanks for your ideas....

[NinjaPuss]

Please please, not all at once.....  

[Jacob Bugge]

Student,

Have you tried pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during startup of Illy?

If that does not help, you may try to Move the folder or Other options, see especially item 7 in the latter; some other applications sometimes disturb Illy.

[NinjaPuss]

Thanks.... i have just tried and tested some of that. With no luck .

This problem has been lingering for a while now.

During some projects, it wont be an issue.

It's occuring at the moment however.

If i set the attributes for my brush/pencil/stroke etc...., they should stay that way until i change them again....

Yes?

[Jacob Bugge]

If i set the attributes for my brush/pencil/stroke etc...., they should stay that way until i change them again....

Yes?

Indeed.

[Larry G. Schneider]

In your Apperarance panel, what is the status of New Art Has Basic Appearance? Checked or unchecked?

[NinjaPuss]

Hi There

At the moment its unchecked.

Is there more to this option than meets the eye?

....it would be a good and practical setting... if it worked for me...

but from my recent experience, it appears to be temperamental.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Back to your first post. What exactly do you mean by "Setting the brush to basic"? If the New Art line is checked, then every time you start a new object it will use the Default Graphic Style (top left in the Graphic Style panel). If it is not checked, it will continue to use the settings you used for the previous object.

[NinjaPuss]

Larry G. Schneider wrote:

What exactly do you mean by "Setting the brush to basic"?

I select the brush tool, set the 'brush definition' to 'basic' (1pt stroke, or any pt size for that matter)

then begin to draw,... It will immediately change what i have just selected.

Eg, Pt size, Variable Width and Brush def. --  To 2pt oval.   ?

To get the basic stroke i wanted, i need to select it and choose 'basic' again from the 'brush def' drop down box.

Shouldnt it just draw with what i have chosen in the first place?

So because this is happening, ive been under the imipression that "New art has basic appearance"

...refers to brush stokes.. and has something to do with it ..but this aint right.?

[ninim71623807]

Hello, thank you for replying. I've tried both checked and unchecked, it seems to make no difference to this issue.

-Nini

[bwenda]

I am having this exact same problem and have tried all of the suggestions. Is there any more information about this available?

Thanks for your time.

[NinjaPuss]

Hi,

I found that what I needed,  was use the Pencil.(not the Brush)

When i was using the Brush - the 'variable width'  and the 'brush definition' wouldnt stay where i set them... 

The Pencil and the Brush work differently - in that the pencil will retain its settings....(yay)

(with 'New art has basic app' unchecked)

Anyhow,Im sure there's more to it, and Im no expert, but i hope this helps you out.... ?

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

Yes, I know I can use the pencil but there are many times that I need to use the brush and it's driving me insane that it continually resets its attributes- it takes twice the amount of time to go back and fix it because with each new stroke it resets itself.  

[Monika Gause]

The brush tool does not "continually reset its attributes".

It only won't work with width profiles as long as a calligraphy brush is selected.

Because you can't use width profiles with calligraphy brushes.

If you want a width profile with a simple stroke, the pencil tool is perfect. Have you even tried it? It works just like the brush tool.

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

I'm sorry, but I feel like you're talking to me like I'm an idiot. I've been using illustrator for 10 years and I've never had this issue. Yes, I've used the pencil tool. I've also been using the brush tool- and yes, it does continually changes its attributes for ME, which is why it's confusing because I've never experienced this issue in the past. I'm not new to this, I've used every tool adobe illustrator, indesign and photoshop have  offer and I've never experienced this. Which is why I posted- your answer was completely unhelpful.

[Monika Gause]

Please describe step by step so someone can try and replicate this behaviour, because I can't. Even when using different tools in-between the brush tool will always return to the previously used brush.

Do you close files, or switch files - what are you doing step by step? And at which point does Illustrator switch brushes?

Which brush exactly is it that you can't use? And which settings do you apply on top of it? Fills? Colors? Stroke widths other than 1 pt?

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

This is what I mean, I know it shouldn't happen- the way you are describing how it behaves for you, is what it SHOULD be doing- thats why I was asking if this is a bug anyone else is experiencing and if I needed updated drivers or something.

I am not switching from one file to another, am keeping the same file. I have tried creating separate layers. I have chosen different brush strokes- watercolor, calligraphy, fan brush... anything I can use, I choose just to see if any of the work for me and such time, it will highligh the one I chose UNTIL I use my mouse, or the Wacom pen- it doesn't matter which I use. I've tried using just the trackpad- no matter what I use or what I've chosen, the moment I "click" or begin to draw, it immediately reverts to a 3pt uniform line. No matter what color, stroke, etc. it changes. I've even attempted creating my own brush and that didn't work.

The symbol tool works, the pen tool works, direct select, anchor points.... everything else works. I'm only experiencing the issue with brush strokes.

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

I have the cloud version of illustrator.

You want me to describe step-by-step what I'm doing so someone can replicate the behavior, but it's abnormal behavior that cannot be replicated unless there is an issue within the program itself. I've never used the cloud version previously, I've always had a software copy that had been purchased at full price before they started using the cloud, so that's why I was wondering if there was something with the cloud version that other people were also experiencing.

[digitalembic]

I think I'm having the exact same problem. Using an Intuos drawing tablet. Trying to draw using the Brush. It seemed to be working okay when I started, then I started playing with different brush styles (calligraphic, variable width, etc.) and now it will NOT stay on basic. It keeps reverting, seemingly at random, to calligraphic or 3pt or 10pt... so all I get is a mess of blobs on my artboard. I cannot draw a clean looking line now. I'm also using the "cloud" version, which I believe is pretty much up to date.

I shut down Ai and tried again with a new blank document it's still doing the same thing. I do see now that it reverts back to whatever brush I had previously selected... So for example it started out with 3pt round, but I wanted Basic. I clicked Basic on the Brushes panel and it would NOT change. I clicked the  Charcoal Pencil brush and then clicked Basic; it shows Basic in the toolbar. I draw AND IT FLIPPING CHANGES TO CHARCOAL PENCIL. WTF?!?!?! I don't have 10 years of exp with this, but I do have several years experience and haven't EVER had anything like this happen either!

Edit: Even if I try drawing with my mouse rather than the tablet it does the same thing, so I don't think it has anything to do with the device.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Basic is NOT a brush. If you want to draw with a brush, then select one to use from the Brush panel. Also make sure that New Art Has Basic Appearance in the Appearance flyout is unchecked.

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

Larry, If you look at what I said, i CHOOSE a brush to use, and it reverts to basic. 3pt basic is actually a brush style in the brush panel, BTW. But, again, if you read what I stated, it doesn't matter which brush I choose (calligraphic style, watercolor styles, etc.) it continues to revert to a 3pt, simple stroke.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Then is New Art Has Basic Appearance checked? From your description, it is. Uncheck it.

[Flawless_FlamingoB886]

Thank you! We may be experiencing the same problem and finding zero help, but it helps me to know that SOMEONE gets what I'm saying!!! I feel pretty hopeless because people are giving answers without actually reading all of what I have said    It's super frustrating. Here's hoping we actually find a solution!

[erinb99586970]

I, too, am also having this same problem! It's incredibly annoying!  Every time I select "Uniform" "Basic" stroke, as soon as I try to start drawing, it reverts to "5 pt Round".  I really don't understand it and it's slowing my working down tremendously to have to go back and change every stroke I make after I make it.

[Monika Gause]

The "Uniform Basic" brush is not a brush at all. It's just a plain old stroke. The brush tool cannot draw with a plain stroke. It must use a real brush.

If you want to draw with a plain stroke, use the pencil tool. It will stick to your chosen stroke, provided the "New Art Has Basic Appearance" is unchecked.