Path Start Regionization is a special feature of the Studio Artist paint synthesizer. When used with auto-painting, the paint synthesizer first intelligently analyzes the source image, breaking it up into a series of individual regions. A wide variety of different path generation options are then available that can paint in the individual path start regions with different fill patterns.
Studio Artist auto-painting model works by generating a series of paint stroke start locations (path start), then generating a path for the paint stroke (path shape, path angle, path end), then painting in the generated path with a series of individual paint nibs that are laid down along the paint path (path application).
Many path start Generator options work by scattering individual paint strokes randomly or in various grid or scan patterns. The path start regionization Generator options are a little different, since they are based on intelligently analyzing the source image and breaking it up into a series of individual regions. So rather than being just a start location for placing a paint stroke on the canvas, they also have a specific shape and associated coloring based on an intelligent analysis of the source image.
Because path start regions have associated shapes, they can also be used to define the path generation process in addition to just initially positioning a given path on the canvas. The paint synthesizer provides a number of different fill options of painting in path start regions. They are associated with the Path Start Regionize and Path Start Regionize use RegionDraw Pen Gen options for the Path Type parameter in the Path Shape control panel.
The 1st gallery image below shows the Path Start control panel for today’s paint preset. Note that the Generator parameter is set to the Watershed Regionize DM option. Watershed is a type of path start regionization that plants a series of random start locations and then intelligently grows regions from those path start locations to try and best represent the features of source image. The addition of DM to the path start regionization generator name means that after the initial regions are generated, they are then split in 2 to try and better reproduce source image features. Most path start regionization algorithms have 2 Generator options, normal and DM.
The 2nd gallery image above shows the Path Shape control panel settings used for today’s paint preset. Note that the Path Type parameter is set to Path Start Regionize. This option brings up an associated Region Pattern Type parameter, which allows you to choose how the associated path start region is painted in. There are different outline, outline fill, and hatching options available for generating the paint path that will fill in each generated path start region. We’re using the Outline Fill option in today’s paint preset. This option fills in the path start region by painting it’s outline and then filling in progressively smaller interior outlines until the entire region is painted in. The spacing of the concentric outline paths is determined by the Region Pattern Spacing parameter. Typically you want to set this to be close to your brush size.
The number of individual path start regions is determined by the Max Stroke parameter in the Path Start control panel. Note that we set Max Stroke to 100. Setting it to 50 would result in a smaller number of larger path start regions. Setting it larger (say to 200) would result in a larger number of smaller path start regions.
There paint preset used for today’s post is available here 8911.paint for download.
There are a number of different path start Generators that can be used for path start regionization. They all have the word Regionize in their names. Try switching the Generator for today’s paint preset from Watershed Regionize DM to Adaptive Block Regionize. The path start regionization painting will now look like the 1st image below, generating a series of adaptively positioned rectangular regions.
Now try switching the Generator from Adaptive Block Regionize to Adaptive Block Regionize DM. The path start regionization painting will now look like the 2nd gallery image above. Note that the individual rectangular blocks are now split in a way that leads to a better reproduction of the source image features.
Try experimenting with different Max Stroke parameter settings to get a better feel for controlling the size and number of generated path start regions.
For more information, here’s an article that discusses Fine Tuning Paint Regionization Effects.
Here’s a tip on Paint Regionization for some additional information on working with path start regionization.
