P: Image Hose - Extend Clone Stamp tool

[tomaugerdotcom]

Nearly all other serious digital paint programs have some kind of randomized image "stamp" feature (Painter calls it Image Hose). This is seriously lacking in Photoshop. I can see a very sooth implementation by extending the Clone Stamp tool. You already have multiple clone sources - in its simplest implementation, it should be fairly straightforward to allow the user to define multiple clone sources and then randomize which one is being used each time the brush is "stamped" onto the layer. Add angle and size jitter and other randomization features like we find in the brushes palette and we're off to the races.

A better user experience would be to define "stamp sets". This would require a new palette which would open into a kind of "tree view". For each Stamp Set you could add multiple pixel-based images, similar to the way you define brush presets. Their thumbnails would then be visible, indented under the Stamp Set in the "tree view".

When a particular Stamp Set is selected, you have your jitter controls and other behavioural controls which get saved with that stamp set. Stamp sets can be saved like Brushes and other Preset Manager items. You could even offer a nice automation tool for importing a sequence of PSDs into a single stamp set.

You could extend this even further by exposing the same Layer Effects to your Stamp Sets. Unlike a layer effect, which applies, for example, a Drop Shadow to all the pixels of the layer at once; the Stamp Set effects would apply the effect(s) to each instance of a stamp. As an example, the difference would be that if you apply a drop shadow to your Stamp Set, if you stamped one item over top of another, its drop shadow would overlap the previous item, whereas if you just applied the Drop Shadow to the entire layer, there would be no "depth" between two "stamp" instances on the same layer.

Note that I'm not suggesting that each instance of a stamp would be an editable object or a smart object instance. Just like when you use the Brush tool, the results are "merged" into the active layer's pixels more-or-less instantly (or at least, once the mouse button is released to terminate the brush stroke).

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I just started a project where I need to do a photo real view of a jungle and was surprised that PS doesn't have an Image Hose equivalent given that feature is what, 15 years old?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

There are Scripting possibilities which might be beneficial for such a case.
What exactly are you trying to do?

[tomaugerdotcom]

Hi Christoph - there are no scripting capabilities that address the Image Hose use case. Sure, maybe you could create a bunch of layers, each with its own transparent image on it, then do a sort of disperse / random transform / duplicate. But that's hardly the workflow we're looking for.

[tomaugerdotcom]

Josh - your use case is a perfect example of where such a feature could be really effective. Thanks for posting your comment!

[Thomas Luth]

There is this... http://www.humansoftware.com/pages120...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

»Hi Christoph - there are no scripting capabilities that address the Image Hose use case.«
Certainly not perfectly but one can distribute Layers/Smart Objects along Paths for example.

[tomaugerdotcom]

Yep, this has been around for ages. But it's kinda crappy, and I'm not even sure it will work in modern versions of Photoshop.

[werezoo]

I would like to see a random brush added to Photoshop, a brush that lays down more than one brush tip shape in a stroke, something that lets the user choose which brush tips to include and how randomly weighted they should be.

[Marvil]

Hi


I was wondering if it`s possible to improve Photoshop Brushes to be more like Corel Painter Nozzles?


Thanks

[tomaugerdotcom]

Right on - that's exactly the topic of this post! You can help by upvoting the post, and sharing the link to your Social Networks. If it gets enough votes, Adobe might take a look. As long as this is a little "edge use case" it will get no developer love.

[Marvil]

I will! 🙂

[Marvil]

It should be more like a brush, but with RGB color png image as base...
It would make everything much easier for photomanipulation (digital art in general) and graphic design as well.
I`m guessing it would also open a market for custom brushes-clipart sets (just like for mock-ups, custom shapes and brushes etc. and stock images).

[GrandfatherTrout]

Why can't we just have the brushes in color and able to pick up any selection to use as a brush on the fly? That would solve it and greatly improve Photoshop. More than all the CC 2014 and 2015 updates combined.
BTW This feature already existed in Deluxe Paint in 1988.

[Thomas Luth]

I agree, either adding a color option, like something you would check in the brushes panel, or having a separate color brush, with all the angle, rotate, scatter options, would pretty much solve this issue.

[samy_halim]

Hi Photoshop team,
I have another request, a tool that could very helpful is a spay tool that works with images without background, such as trees, bubbles, rocks, etc... The same palette as the brushes one but with images.
Thank you.

Samy

[GrandfatherTrout]

Actually, you should be able to pick up any selection on the canvas to use as a temporary brush. Just like Clone Stamp. Make a selction, hit a button and paint with it like a brush. Then apply the usual brush parameters in the brush panel if desired. Sounds like a no-brainer, no?

[tomaugerdotcom]

Totally. The key is that, unlike the current Brushes, which are only greyscale, this brush would "stamp" the full RGB pixel information to the canvas, similarly to how the Clone tool currently works. I think, though, that the real value (as we have seen in other software packages that do this) is when you can create a multi-brush "sheet", where you can define multiple "stamps" and then every time the image is stamped down, it selects from one of those multiple "stamps".

Imagine a "sheet" of leaves - instead of just stamping multiple copies of the same leaf, you have defined a "set" of multiple leaves. As you draw, a different leaf is selected each time, so you get a more "natural" collection of leaves on your canvas.

[tomaugerdotcom]

Hi Samy, welcome to the Image Hose thread. Please help give this request visibility in your Social Networks by sharing the link and encouraging your network to vote.

Higher votes on this topic (scroll to the top and vote, yourself!) will increase the likelihood of the Adobe Team seeing this feature request and maybe including it on their roadmap some day.

Thanks!

Tom

[tomaugerdotcom]

Be sure to vote and promote this topic in your social networks.

[tomaugerdotcom]

Brandon, it's time to come back and keep this feature request alive, by voting and promoting it to your social networks!

[werezoo]

I just incorporated other programs into my work flow. I will never stop using photoshop, but they are not the only game in town anymore. easier to learn something new than keep barking up this tree. sorry.

[samy_halim]

This is what I am waiting for since years and years, a tool like the Painter one, why Adobe doesn't integrate it to new versions of Photoshop?
Please please please!!!!!!

[tomaugerdotcom]

totally. If you have other workflows you would like to share, please post back here in a comment and let us know what's working for you!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I have been hoping for 7+ years that Photoshop would add a randomized brush tip feature. Similar to paintshop's picture tube, this new brush option would be able to solve repetitive and tedious processes, such as grass, leaves, map features like mountains, tangled hair, etc. Secondly, this would be able to create many other interesting and unique brush techniques that would normally take hours to make. The brush would work as follows: a button in the brush panel will permit a brush timeline to be created; and series of panels with a slider will replace the brush shape image and the panel window will widen to accommodate the space; images can be loaded or painted to create custom brushes. Opening a new project window when selected; a time slider will appear on the bottom so the brush tips can be compared and tweaked; within the brush panel; there are options for random and sequential actions for the brush. I believe this tool is long overdue, and will be one of the best improvements to the brush tool that can now be done.

[simo.b]

Would also really like this idea being implemented - an RGBa brush system in Photoshop with the ability to apply Brush Panel controls such as scatter and shape dynamics. Combined with some way to select multiple different tip presets and randomly alternate between them as you paint.

Closest thing I've found at the moment is the Deco Fill command, but it lacks the ability to sample multiple pattern presets.

I've tried doing this with scripting and pasting different images from an array of images stored in a folder and it almost broke Photoshop !