1488 lines
66 KiB
Text
1488 lines
66 KiB
Text
Tux Paint
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version 0.9.35
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## A simple drawing program for children ##
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Copyright © 2002-2025 by various contributors; see AUTHORS.txt.
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https://tuxpaint.org/
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janúar 9, 2025
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+-------------------------------------------------+
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| Table of Contents |
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| I. About Tux Paint |
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| II. Using Tux Paint |
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| A. Launching Tux Paint |
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| B. Title Screen |
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| C. Main Screen |
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| D. Available Tools |
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| 1. Drawing Tools |
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| a. "Paint" Tool (Brush) |
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| b. "Stamp" Tool (Rubber Stamps) |
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| c. "Lines" Tool |
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| d. "Shapes" Tool |
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| e. "Text" and "Label" Tools |
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| f. "Fill" Tool |
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| g. "Magic" Tool (Special Effects) |
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| h. "Eraser" Tool |
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| 2. Other Controls |
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| a. "Undo" and "Redo" Commands |
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| b. "New" Command |
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| c. "Open" Command |
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| d. "Save" Command |
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| e. "Print" Command |
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| f. "Slides" Command (under "Open") |
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| g. "Quit" Command |
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| h. Sound Muting |
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| E. Controlling Tux Paint |
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| III. Loading Other Pictures into Tux Paint |
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| IV. Further Reading |
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| V. How to Get Help |
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| VI. How to Participate |
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+-------------------------------------------------+
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I. About Tux Paint
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### A. What Is "Tux Paint"? ###
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Tux Paint is a free drawing program designed for young children (kids ages 3
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and up). It has a simple, easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an
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encouraging cartoon mascot who helps guide children as they use the program. It
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provides a blank canvas and a variety of drawing tools to help your child be
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creative.
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### B. Objectives ###
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→ Easy and Fun ←
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Tux Paint is meant to be a simple drawing program for young children. It is
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not meant as a general-purpose drawing tool. It is meant to be fun and easy
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to use. Sound effects and a cartoon character help let the user know what's
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going on, and keeps them entertained. There are also extra-large
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cartoon-style mouse pointer shapes.
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→ Extensibility ←
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Tux Paint is extensible. Brushes and 'rubber stamp' shapes can be dropped
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in and pulled out. For example, a teacher can drop in a collection of
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animal shapes and ask their students to draw an ecosystem. Each shape can
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have a sound which is played, and textual facts which are displayed, when
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the child selects the shape.
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→ Portability ←
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Tux Paint is portable among various computer platforms: Windows, Macintosh,
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Linux, etc. The interface looks the same among them all. Tux Paint runs
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suitably well on older systems, and can be built to run better on slow
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systems.
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→ Simplicity ←
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There is no direct access to the computer's underlying intricacies. The
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current image is kept when the program quits, and reappears when it is
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restarted. Saving images requires no need to create filenames or use the
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keyboard. Opening an image is done by selecting it from a collection of
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thumbnails. Access to other files on the computer is restricted.
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→ Accessibility ←
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Tux Paint offers a number of accessibility options, including increasing
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the size of control buttons, changing the UI font, options to control the
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cursor (mouse pointer) using the keyboard or other input devices (joystick,
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gamepad, etc.), an on-screen keyboard, and "stick" mouse clicks.
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### C. License ###
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Tux Paint is an Open Source project, Free Software released under the GNU
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General Public License (GPL). It is free, and the 'source code' behind the
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program is available. (This allows others to add features, fix bugs, and use
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parts of the program in their own GPL'd software.)
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See COPYING.txt for the full text of the GPL license.
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### D. What's New in Tux Paint version 0.9.35? ###
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→ Improved color picker ←
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Better behavior when clicking/tapping and dragging hue/saturation box and
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value slider.
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→ Text clipboard paste support ←
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The "Text" and "Label" tools support pasting the copy/paste clipboard.
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→ "Hearts" Magic tool ←
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Draw a trail of floating hearts. ←
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→ "Sparkles" Magic tool ←
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Draw a trail of falling sparkles. ←
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→ "Stars" Magic tool ←
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Draw a trail of stars. ←
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See CHANGES.txt for the complete list of changes.
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II. Using Tux Paint
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### A. Launching Tux Paint ###
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## 1. Linux/Unix Users ##
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Tux Paint should have placed a launcher icon in your KDE and/or GNOME
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menus, under 'Graphics.'
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Alternatively, you can run the following command at a shell prompt
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(e.g., "$"):
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$ tuxpaint
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If any errors occur, they will be displayed on the terminal (to
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STDERR).
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## 2. Windows Users ##
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[Tux Paint Icon]
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Tux Paint
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If you installed Tux Paint on your computer using the 'Tux Paint
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Installer,' it will have asked you whether you wanted a 'Start' menu
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short-cut, and/or a desktop shortcut. If you agreed, you can simply run
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Tux Paint from the 'Tux Paint' section of your 'Start' menu (e.g.,
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under 'All Programs'), or by double-clicking the 'Tux Paint' icon on
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your desktop, if you had the installer place one there.
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If you're using the 'portable' (ZIP-file) version of Tux Paint, or if
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you used the 'Tux Paint Installer,' but chose not to have shortcuts
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installed, you'll need to double-click the "tuxpaint.exe" icon in the
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"Tux Paint" folder on your computer.
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By default, the 'Tux Paint Installer' will put Tux Paint's folder in
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"C:\Program Files\TuxPaint\", though you may have changed this when you
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ran the installer.
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If you used the 'ZIP-file' download, Tux Paint's folder will be
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wherever you extracted the contents of the ZIP file.
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## 3. macOS Users ##
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Simply double-click the "Tux Paint" icon.
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[Title screen]
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### B. Title Screen ###
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When Tux Paint first loads, a title/credits screen will appear.
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Once loading is complete, press a key or click or tap in the Tux Paint
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window to continue. (Or, after about 5 seconds, the title screen will
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go away automatically.)
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### C. Main Screen ###
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The main screen is divided into the following sections:
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[Tools: Paint, Stamp, Lines, Shapes, Text, Magic, Label, Undo, Redo,
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Eraser, New, Open, Save, Print, Quit]
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→ Left Side: Toolbar ←
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The toolbar contains the drawing and editing controls.
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[Canvas]
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→ Middle: Drawing Canvas ←
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The largest part of the screen, in the center, is the drawing
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canvas. This is, obviously, where you draw!
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💡 Note: The size of the drawing canvas depends on the size of Tux
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Paint. You can change the size of Tux Paint using the Tux Paint
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Config. configuration tool, or by other means. See the Options
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documentation for more details.
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[Selectors - Brushes, Letters, Shapes, Stamps]
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→ Right Side: Selector ←
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Depending on the current tool, the selector shows different things.
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e.g., when the Paint Brush or Line tool is selected, it shows the
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various brushes available. When the Rubber Stamp tool is selected,
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it shows the different shapes you can use. When the Text or Label
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tool is selected, it shows various fonts.
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[Colors - Black, White, Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue,
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Purple, Brown, Grey]
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→ Lower: Colors ←
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When the active tool supports colors, a palette of colors choices
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will be shown near the bottom of the screen. Click one to choose a
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color, and it will be used by the active tool. (For example, the
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"Paint" tool will use it as the color to draw with the chosen
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brush, and the "Fill" tool will use it as the color to use when
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flood-filling an area of the picture.)
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On the far right are three special color options:
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x Color Picker
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The "color picker" (which has an outline of an eye-dropper)
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allows you to pick a color found within your drawing.
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(A shortcut key is available to access this feature quickly;
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see below.)
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x Rainbow Palette
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The rainbow palette allows you to pick any color by choosing
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the hue, saturation, and value of the color you want. A box on
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the left displays hundreds of hues — from red at the top
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through to violet at the bottom — at hundreds of saturation/
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intensity levels — from pale & washed-out on the left through
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to pure on the right. A grey vertical bar provides access to
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hundreds of value levels — from lighest at the top through to
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darkest at the bottom.
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Click the green checkbox button to select the color, or the
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"Back" button to dismiss the pop-up without picking a new
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color.
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You may also set this tool's color to that of other color
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choices:
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% Whichever built-in color is selected, if any
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% The Color Picker's current color
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% The Color Mixer's current color
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x Color Mixer
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The "color mixer" (which has silhouette of a paint palette)
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allows you to create colors by blending primary additive colors
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— red, yellow, and blue — along with white (to "tint"), grey
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(to "tone"), and black (to "shade").
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You may click any button multiple times (for example, red + red
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+ yellow results in a red-orange color). The ratios of colors
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added are shown at the bottom.
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You can start over (reset to no colors in your picture) by
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clicking the "Clear" button. You can also undo or redo multiple
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steps of mixing, in case you made a mistake (without having to
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start over).
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Click the green checkbox button to select the color, or the
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"Back" button to dismiss the pop-up without picking a new
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color.
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⌨ When the active tool supports colors, a shortcut may be used for
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quick access to the "color picker" option. Hold the [Control] key
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while clicking, and the color under the mouse cursor will be shown
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at the bottom. You may drag around to canvas to find the color you
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want. When you release the mouse button, the color under the cursor
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will be selected. If you release the mouse outside of the canvas
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(e.g., over the "Tools" area), the color selection will be left
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unchanged. (This is similar to clicking the "Back" button that's
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available when bringing up the "color picker" option via its button
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the color palette.)
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⚙ Note: You can define your own colors for Tux Paint. See the "
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Options" documentation.
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(Example tip: 'Pick a shape. Click to pick the center, drag, then let
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go when it is the size you want. Move around to rotate it, and click to
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draw it.')
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→ Bottom: Help Area ←
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At the very bottom of the screen, Tux, the Linux Penguin, provides
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tips and other information while you use Tux Paint.
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### D. Available Tools ###
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## 1. Drawing Tools ##
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a. "Paint" Tool (Brush) ←
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The Paint Brush tool lets you draw freehand, using various brushes
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(chosen in the Selector on the right) and colors (chosen in the
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Color palette towards the bottom).
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If you hold the mouse button down, and move the mouse, it will draw
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as you move.
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Some brushes are animated — they change their shape as you draw
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them. A good example of this is the vines brush that ships with Tux
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Paint. These brushes will have a small "filmstrip" icon drawn on
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their Selector buttons.
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Other brushes are directional — they will draw a different shape
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depending on what direction you are painting with them. An example
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of this is the arrow brush that ships with Tux Paint. These brushes
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have a small 8-way arrow icon drawn on their Selector buttons.
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Finally, some brushes can be both direction and animated. Examples
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of this are the cat and squirrel brushes that ship with Tux Paint.
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These brushes will have both the "filmstrip" and 8-way arrow icons.
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As you draw, a sound is played. The bigger the brush, the lower the
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pitch.
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Brush Spacing
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The space between each position where a brush is applied to the
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canvas can vary. Some brushes (such as the footprints and
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flower) are spaced, by default, far enough apart that they
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don't overlap. Other brushes (such as the basic circular ones)
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are spaced closely, so they make a continuous stroke.
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The default spacing of brushes may be overridden using by
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clicking within the triangular-shaped series of bars at the
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bottom right; the larger the bar, the wider the spacing. Brush
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spacing affects both tools that use the brushes: the "Paint"
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tool and the "Lines" tool.
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⚙ Note: If the "nobrushspacing" option is set, Tux Paint won't
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display the brush spacing controls. See the "Options"
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documentation.
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b."Stamp" Tool (Rubber Stamps) ←
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The Stamp tool is like a set of rubber stamps or stickers. It lets
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you paste pre-drawn or photographic images (like a picture of a
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horse, or a tree, or the moon) in your picture.
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As you move the mouse around the canvas, an outline follows the
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mouse, showing where the stamp will be placed, and how big it will
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be. Click on the canvas where you wish to place the stamp.
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→ Stamp Categories ←
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There can be numerous categories of stamps (e.g., animals,
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plants, outer space, vehicles, people, etc.). Use the Left and
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Right arrows near the bottom of the Selector to cycle through
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the collections.
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→ Stamp Rotation ←
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Using the rotation toggle button near the bottom right, you can
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enable a rotation step when placing stamps. Once you've placed
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the stamp, choose the angle to rotate it by moving the mouse
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around the canvas. Click the mouse button again and the stamp
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will be added to the drawing.
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⚙ Note: If "stamp rotation" option is disabled, the stamp will
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be drawn on the canvas when you let go of the mouse button.
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(There's no rotation step.) See the "Options" documentation to
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learn about the "stamp rotation" ("stamprotation") option.
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📜 Note: The stamp rotation feature was added to Tux Paint in
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version 0.9.29.
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→ Stamp Controls ←
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Prior to 'stamping' an image onto your drawing, various effects
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can sometimes be applied (depending on the stamp):
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* Some stamps can be colored or tinted. If the color palette
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below the canvas is activated, you can click the colors to
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change the tint or color of the stamp before placing it in
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the picture.
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* Stamps can be shrunk and expanded, by clicking within the
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triangular-shaped series of bars at the bottom right; the
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larger the bar, the larger the stamp will appear in your
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picture.
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* Many stamps may be flipped vertically, or displayed as a
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mirror-image, using the control buttons at the bottom
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right.
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⚙ Note: If the "nostampcontrols" option is set, Tux Paint won't
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display the Rotation, Mirror, Flip, or sizing controls for
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stamps. See the "Options" documentation.
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→ Stamp Sounds ←
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Different stamps can have different sound effects and/or
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descriptive (spoken) sounds. Buttons in the Help Area at the
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lower left (near Tux, the Linux penguin) allow you to re-play
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the sound effects and descriptive sounds for the
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currently-selected stamp.
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c."Lines" Tool ←
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This tool lets you draw straight lines using the various brushes
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and colors you normally use with the Paint Brush.
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Click the mouse and hold it to choose the starting point of the
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line. As you move the mouse around, a thin 'rubber-band' line will
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show where the line will be drawn. At the bottom, you'll see the
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angle of your line, in degrees. A line going straight to the right
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is 0°, a line going straight up is 90°, a line going straight left
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is 180°, a line going straight down is 270°, and so on.
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Let go of the mouse to complete the line. A "sproing!" sound will
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play.
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Some brushes are animated, and will show a pattern of shapes along
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the line. Others are directional, and will show a different shape
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depending on the angle of the brush. And finally some are both
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animated and directional. See "Paint", above, to learn more.
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Different brushes have different spacing, leaving either a series
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of individual shapes, or a continuous stroke of the brush shape.
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Brush spacing may be adjusted. See the brush spacing section of the
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"Paint" tool, above, to learn more.
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d."Shapes" Tool ←
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This tool lets you draw some simple filled, and un-filled shapes.
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Select a shape from the selector on the right (circle, square,
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oval, etc.).
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Use the options at the bottom right to choose the shape tool's
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behavior:
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→ Shapes from center ←
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The shape will expand from where you initially clicked, and
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will be centered around that position.
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📜 This was Tux Paint's only behavior through version 0.9.24.)
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→ Shapes from corner ←
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The shape will extend with one corner starting from where you
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initially clicked. This is the default method of most other
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traditional drawing software.
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📜 This option was added starting with Tux Paint version 0.9.25.
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⚙ Note: If shape controls are disabled (e.g., with the
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"noshapecontrols" option), the controls will not be presented, and
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the "shapes from center" method will be used.
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In the canvas, click the mouse and hold it to stretch the shape out
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from where you clicked. Some shapes can change proportion (e.g.,
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rectangle and oval may be wider than tall, or taller than wide),
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others cannot (e.g., square and circle).
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For shapes that can change proportion, the aspect ratio of the
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shape will be shown at the bottom. For example: "1:1" will be shown
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if it is "square" (as tall as it is wide); "2:1" if it is either
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twice as wide as it is tall, or twice as tall as it is wide; and so
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on.
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Let go of the mouse when you're done stretching.
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→ Normal Shapes Mode ←
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Now you can move the mouse around the canvas to rotate the
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shape. The angle your shape is rotated will be shown at the
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bottom, in degrees (similar to the "Lines" tool, described
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above).
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Click the mouse button again and the shape will be drawn in the
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current color.
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→ Simple Shapes Mode ←
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If the "simple shapes" option is enabled, the shape will be
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drawn on the canvas when you let go of the mouse button.
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(There's no rotation step.)
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⚙ See the "Options" documentation to learn about the "simple
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shapes" ("simpleshapes") option.
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e."Text" and "Label" Tools ←
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Choose a font (from the 'Letters' available on the right) and a
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color (from the color palette near the bottom). You may also apply
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a bold, and/or an italic styling effect to the text. Click on the
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screen and a cursor will appear. Type text and it will show up on
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the screen. (You can change the font, color, and styling while
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entering the text, before it is applied to the canvas.)
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Press [Enter] or [Return] and the text will be drawn onto the
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picture and the cursor will move down one line.
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Alternatively, press [Tab] and the text will be drawn onto the
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picture, but the cursor will move to the right of the text, rather
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than down a line, and to the left. (This can be useful to create a
|
|
line of text with mixed colors, fonts, styles and sizes.)
|
|
|
|
Text from the clipboard (copy/paste buffer) can be inserted with
|
|
the "Text" and "Label" tools by pressing the [Control] + [V] key
|
|
combination on a physical keyboard, or clicking the "Paste" button
|
|
in Tux Paint's on-screen keyboard. If the text would exceed the
|
|
right edge of the canvas, it will wrap to a new line of text (going
|
|
back to the previous space or dash ('-') if possible). If the text
|
|
hits the bottom of the canvas, the pasting will abort, truncating
|
|
the text.
|
|
|
|
Clicking elsewhere in the picture while the text entry is still
|
|
active causes the current line of text to move to that location
|
|
(where you can continue editing it).
|
|
|
|
→ "Text" versus "Label" ←
|
|
|
|
The Text tool is the original text-entry tool in Tux Paint.
|
|
Text entered using this tool can't be modified or moved later,
|
|
since it becomes part of the drawing. However, because the text
|
|
becomes part of the picture, it can be drawn over or modified
|
|
using Magic tool effects (e.g., smudged, tinted, embossed,
|
|
etc.)
|
|
|
|
When using the Label tool (which was added to Tux Paint in
|
|
version 0.9.22), the text 'floats' over the image, and the
|
|
details of the label (the text, the position of the label, the
|
|
font choice and the color) get stored separately. This allows
|
|
the label to be repositioned or edited later.
|
|
|
|
To edit a label, click the label selection button. All labels
|
|
in the drawing will appear highlighted. Click one — or use the
|
|
[Tab] key to cycle through all the labels, and the [Enter] or
|
|
[Return] key to select one — and you may then edit the label.
|
|
(Use they [Backspace] key to erase characters, and other keys
|
|
to add text to the label; click in the canvas to reposition the
|
|
label; click in the palette to change the color of the text in
|
|
the label; etc.)
|
|
|
|
You may "apply" a label to the canvas, painting the text into
|
|
the picture as if it had been added using the Text tool, by
|
|
clicking the label application button. (This feature was added
|
|
in Tux Paint version 0.9.28.) All labels in the drawing will
|
|
appear highlighted, and you select one just as you do when
|
|
selecting a label to edit. The chosen label will be removed,
|
|
and the text will be added directly to the canvas.
|
|
|
|
⚙ The Label tool can be disabled (e.g., by selecting "Disable
|
|
'Label' Tool" in Tux Paint Config. or running Tux Paint with
|
|
the "nolabel" option).
|
|
|
|
📜 The ability to paste text from the clipboard was added in Tux
|
|
Paint 0.9.35
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ International Character Input ←
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint allows inputting characters in different languages.
|
|
Most Latin characters (A-Z, ñ, è, etc.) can by entered
|
|
directly. Some languages require that Tux Paint be switched
|
|
into an alternate input mode before entering, and some
|
|
characters must be composed using numerous keypresses.
|
|
|
|
When Tux Paint's locale is set to one of the languages that
|
|
provide alternate input modes, a key is used to cycle through
|
|
normal (Latin character) and locale-specific mode or modes.
|
|
|
|
Currently supported locales, the input methods available, and
|
|
the key to toggle or cycle modes, are listed below.
|
|
|
|
* Japanese — Romanized Hiragana and Romanized Katakana —
|
|
right [Alt] key or left [Alt] key
|
|
* Korean — Hangul 2-Bul — right [Alt] key or left [Alt] key
|
|
* Traditional Chinese — right [Alt] key or left [Alt] key
|
|
* Thai — right [Alt] key
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: Many fonts do not include all characters for all
|
|
languages, so sometimes you'll need to change fonts to see the
|
|
characters you're trying to type.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ On-screen Keyboard ←
|
|
|
|
An optional on-screen keyboard is available for the Text and
|
|
Label tools, which can provide a variety of layouts and
|
|
character composition (e.g., composing "a" and "e" into "æ").
|
|
Run Tux Paint with the "--onscreen-keyboard" option, or enable
|
|
that setting in Tux Paint's configuration file, to enable it.
|
|
Multiple layouts are offered (currently "QWERTY" and "ABC"),
|
|
which the user can switch between. Additional configuration
|
|
options allow specifying a default layout, as well as
|
|
preventing the layout from being changed.
|
|
|
|
The on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom or top of the Tux
|
|
Paint window, obscuring part of the canvas, depending on where
|
|
the text insertion cursor is placed. Along with alphabetic,
|
|
numeric, and some punctuation keys, the keyboard provides:
|
|
* A "Backspace" key (⇐) to remove the previous character
|
|
* A "Carriage Return" ("Return"/"Enter") key (⏎) to end the
|
|
current input and begin a new one on the following line
|
|
(below and to the left)
|
|
* A "Tab" key (⇔) to end the current input and begin a new
|
|
one at the current cursor position
|
|
* A "Shift" key (⇑) to shift alphabetic keys from lowercase
|
|
to uppercase, access more punctuation, etc.
|
|
* A "Caps Lock" key (⤒) to toggle permanent shifting of
|
|
alphabetic keys from lowercase to uppercase (click it again
|
|
to disable caps lock)
|
|
* A "Compose" key ("Cmp"), to initiate character composition
|
|
(e.g., click "Cmp", "a", "e" to produce an "æ" character)
|
|
* An "Alternate Graphics" key ("AltGr") to access additional
|
|
characters (e.g., "¿", "ß", etc.)
|
|
* An "Alternate" key ("Alt")
|
|
* A "Paste" key to paste the current clipboard's text into
|
|
the Text or Label tool
|
|
* Left and right arrows (← & →) to access different on-screen
|
|
keyboard layouts
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" and "Extending Tux Paint" documentation for
|
|
more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
f."Fill" Tool ←
|
|
|
|
The 'Fill' tool 'flood-fills' a contiguous area of your drawing
|
|
with a color of your choice. Three fill options are offered:
|
|
x Solid — click once to fill an area with a solid color.
|
|
x Brush — click and drag to fill an area with a solid color using
|
|
freehand painting.
|
|
x Linear — click and then drag to fill the area with color that
|
|
fades away (a gradient) towards where you drag the mouse.
|
|
x Radial — click once to fill an area with a color that fades
|
|
away (a gradient) radially, centered on where you clicked.
|
|
x Shaped — click once to fill an area with a color that fades
|
|
away (a gradient), following the contours of the shape you're
|
|
filling.
|
|
x Eraser — click once to erase an area, exposing the solid color
|
|
background, or starter or template background image, upon which
|
|
the drawing was based. (See Available Tools > Drawing Tools >
|
|
"Eraser" Tool and Other Controls > 'Starter' & Template Images
|
|
.)
|
|
|
|
📜 Note: Prior to Tux Paint 0.9.24, "Fill" was a Magic tool (see
|
|
below). Prior to Tux Paint 0.9.26, the "Fill" tool only offered the
|
|
'Solid' method of filling. 'Shaped' fill was introduced in Tux
|
|
Paint 0.9.29.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
g."Magic" Tool (Special Effects) ←
|
|
|
|
The Magic tool is actually a set of special tools. Select one of
|
|
the 'magic' effects from the selector on the right. Then, depending
|
|
on the tool, you can either click and drag around the picture, and/
|
|
or simply click the picture once, to apply the effect.
|
|
|
|
The Magic Tools
|
|
|
|
|
|
See the instructions for each Magic tool (in the 'magic-docs'
|
|
folder).
|
|
|
|
Magic Controls
|
|
|
|
|
|
If the tool can be used by clicking and dragging, a 'painting'
|
|
button will be available on the left, below the list of Magic
|
|
tools on the right side of the screen. If the tool can affect
|
|
the entire picture at once, an 'entire picture' button will be
|
|
available on the right.
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: If the "nomagiccontrols" option is set, Tux Paint won't
|
|
display the painting or entire picture controls. See the "
|
|
Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
💡 If the magic controls are disabled, the Magic plugin may make
|
|
separate tools available, one for painting and one that affects
|
|
the entire pictre.
|
|
|
|
Magic Sizing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some tools offer different sizing options. If so, a slider will
|
|
appear at the bottom right side of the screen. This may affect
|
|
the radius of a special effect (e.g., Darken) or painted object
|
|
(e.g., Patterns), or other attributes (e.g., large versus small
|
|
Brick shapes).
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: If the "nomagicsizes" option is set, Tux Paint won't
|
|
display the sizing controls. See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
💡 If the sizing option is disabled, the Magic plugin may simply
|
|
offer a default size (e.g., Patterns), or it may make separate
|
|
tools available with different pre-set sizes (e.g., Bricks and
|
|
Googly Eyes).
|
|
|
|
📜 This option was added starting with Tux Paint version 0.9.30.
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: If the "ungroupmagictools" option is set, Tux Paint won't
|
|
split Magic tools into groups of related tools, and instead present
|
|
them all as one large list. See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
h."Eraser" Tool ←
|
|
|
|
This tool works similarly to the Paint Brush. Wherever you click
|
|
(or click and drag), things you've added to your drawing will be
|
|
erased, exposing the background that you chose when you started the
|
|
drawing, be it a solid color, the background of a 'Starter' image,
|
|
or a 'Template' image. (See Available Tools > Other Controls >
|
|
"New" Command.)
|
|
|
|
A number of eraser types are available, each offering multiple
|
|
sizes are available:
|
|
x Square — Square-shaped erasers that completely remove parts of
|
|
your drawing.
|
|
x Circle (solid) — Circle-shaped erasers that completely remove
|
|
parts of your drawing.
|
|
x Fuzzy-edged Circle — Circle-shaped erasers with soft edges that
|
|
blend with the background.
|
|
x Transparent Circle — Circle-shaped erasers that blend your
|
|
drawing with the background. Release and click again to expose
|
|
more and more of the background.
|
|
|
|
As you move the mouse around, an outline follows the pointer,
|
|
showing what part of the picture will be erased.
|
|
|
|
As you erase, a 'squeaky clean' eraser wiping sound is played.
|
|
|
|
⌨ Hold the [X] key while clicking for quick access to a small sharp
|
|
round eraser (not available when the Text or Label tools are
|
|
selected, when you're in the process of rotating a stamp or shape,
|
|
or when using an interactive magic tool). Release the mouse to
|
|
return to your currently-selected tool.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## 2. Other Controls ##
|
|
|
|
a."Undo" and "Redo" Commands ←
|
|
|
|
Clicking the "Undo" button will undo (revert) the last drawing
|
|
action. You can even undo more than once!
|
|
|
|
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [Z] on the keyboard to
|
|
Undo.
|
|
|
|
Clicking the "Redo" button will redo the drawing action you just
|
|
un-did via the "Undo" command.
|
|
|
|
As long as you don't draw again, you can redo as many times as you
|
|
had undone!
|
|
|
|
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [R] on the keyboard to
|
|
Redo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
b."New" Command ←
|
|
|
|
Clicking the 'New' button will start a new drawing. A dialog will
|
|
appear where you may choose to start a new picture using a solid
|
|
background color, or using a 'Starter' or 'Template' image (see
|
|
below). You will first be asked whether you really want to do this.
|
|
|
|
When you use the 'Eraser' tool things you've added to your drawing
|
|
will be removed, exposing the background you chose when starting a
|
|
new drawing. (See Available Tools > Drawing Tools > "Eraser" Tool.)
|
|
|
|
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [N] on the keyboard to
|
|
start a new drawing.
|
|
|
|
→ Special Solid Background Color Choices ←
|
|
Along with the preset solid colors, you can also choose colors
|
|
using a rainbow palette or a "color mixer". These operate
|
|
identically to the options found in the color palette shown
|
|
below the canvas when drawing a picture. See Main Screen >
|
|
Lower: Colors > Special color options for details.
|
|
|
|
'Starter' & Template Images ←
|
|
* 'Starters' can behave like a page from a coloring book — a
|
|
black-and-white outline of a picture, which you can then
|
|
color in, and the black outline remains intact — or like a
|
|
3D photograph, where you draw in between a foreground and
|
|
background layer.
|
|
* 'Templates' are similar, but simply provide a background
|
|
drawing to work off of. Unlike 'Starters', there is no
|
|
layer that remains in the foreground of anything you draw
|
|
in the picture.
|
|
|
|
When using the 'Eraser' tool or the 'Eraser' mode of the 'Fill'
|
|
tool, the original image from the 'Starter' or 'Template' will
|
|
reappear. (See Available Tools > Drawing Tools > "Eraser" Tool
|
|
and "Fill" Tool.)
|
|
|
|
The 'Flip' and 'Mirror' Magic tools affect the orientation of
|
|
the 'Starter' or 'Template', as well. (See Available Tools >
|
|
"Magic" Tool (Special Effects) > Flip and Mirror.)
|
|
|
|
When you load a 'Starter' or 'Template', draw on it, and then
|
|
click 'Save,' it creates a new picture file — it doesn't
|
|
overwrite the original, so you can use it again later (by
|
|
accessing it from the 'New' dialog).
|
|
|
|
⚙ You can create your own 'Starter' and Template images. See
|
|
the Extending Tux Paint documentation's sections on 'Starters'
|
|
and Templates.
|
|
|
|
💡 You can also convert your saved drawings into Templates
|
|
directly within Tux Paint, from the 'Open' dialog. See "Open",
|
|
below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Erasing Exported Template Images ←
|
|
|
|
If you've selected a Template in your personal templates
|
|
folder, and it was created from within Tux Paint (using the
|
|
"Template" button in the "Open" dialog), you may remove it from
|
|
within Tux Paint, too. An 'Erase' (trash can) button will
|
|
appear at the lower right of the list. Click it to erase the
|
|
selected template. (You will be asked to confirm.)
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: On Linux, Windows, and macOS, the picture will be
|
|
placed in your desktop's trash can / recycle bin (where you may
|
|
recover and restore it, if you change your mind).
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: The 'Erase' button may be disabled, via the "noerase"
|
|
option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: The solid colors can be placed at the end of the 'New'
|
|
dialog (below the Starters and Templates), via the "newcolorslast"
|
|
option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
c."Open" Command ←
|
|
|
|
This shows you a list of all of the pictures you've saved. If there
|
|
are more than can fit on the screen, use the up and down arrows at
|
|
the top and bottom of the list to scroll through the list of
|
|
pictures.
|
|
|
|
Click a picture to select it, and then...
|
|
x Click the green 'Open' button at the lower left of the list to
|
|
load the selected picture. You will then be able to edit it.
|
|
|
|
(Alternatively, you can double-click a picture's icon to load
|
|
it.)
|
|
|
|
💡 If choose to open a picture, and your current drawing hasn't
|
|
been saved, you will be prompted as to whether you want to save
|
|
it or not. (See "Save," below.)
|
|
|
|
x Click the brown 'Erase' (trash can) button at the lower right
|
|
of the list to erase the selected picture. (You will be asked
|
|
to confirm.)
|
|
|
|
📜 Note: On Linux (as of version 0.9.22), Windows (as of version
|
|
0.9.27), and macOS (as of version 0.9.29), the picture will be
|
|
placed in your desktop's trash can / recycle bin (where you may
|
|
recover and restore it, if you change your mind).
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: The 'Erase' button may be disabled, via the "noerase"
|
|
option.
|
|
|
|
x Click the 'Export' button near the lower right to export the
|
|
selected picture to your export folder. (e.g., "~/Pictures/
|
|
TuxPaint/")
|
|
|
|
From the "Open" screen you can also:
|
|
x Click the blue 'Slides' (slide projector) button at the lower
|
|
left to go to slideshow mode. See "Slides", below, for details.
|
|
|
|
x Click the blue 'Template' button at the lower left to go to
|
|
convert the selected picture into a new template, which can be
|
|
used as the basis for new drawings.
|
|
|
|
📜 Note: The Template creation feature was added to Tux Paint in
|
|
version 0.9.31. To learn how to create Templates outside of Tux
|
|
Paint, see Extending Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
⚙ The Template creation feature can be disabled (e.g., by
|
|
selecting "Disable 'Make Template'" in Tux Paint Config. or
|
|
running Tux Paint with the "notemplateexport" option).
|
|
|
|
x Click the red 'Back' arrow button at the lower right of the
|
|
list to cancel and return to the picture you were drawing.
|
|
|
|
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [O] on the keyboard to
|
|
bring up the 'Open' dialog.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
d."Save" Command ←
|
|
|
|
This saves your current picture.
|
|
|
|
If you haven't saved it before, it will create a new entry in the
|
|
list of saved images. (i.e., it will create a new file)
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: It won't ask you anything (e.g., for a filename). It will
|
|
simply save the picture, and play a "camera shutter" sound effect.
|
|
|
|
If you have saved the picture before, or this is a picture you just
|
|
loaded using the "Open" command, you will first be asked whether
|
|
you want to save over the old version, or create a new entry (a new
|
|
file).
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: If either the "saveover" or "saveovernew" options are set,
|
|
it won't ask before saving over. See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [S] on the keyboard to
|
|
save.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
e."Print" Command ←
|
|
|
|
Click this button and your picture will be printed!
|
|
|
|
On most platforms, you can also hold the [Alt] key (called [Option]
|
|
on Macs) while clicking the 'Print' button to get a printer dialog.
|
|
Note that this may not work if you're running Tux Paint in
|
|
fullscreen mode. See below.
|
|
|
|
→ Disabling Printing ←
|
|
|
|
The "noprint" option can be set, which will disable Tux Paint's
|
|
'Print' button.
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Restricting Printing ←
|
|
|
|
The "printdelay" option can be set, which will only allow
|
|
occasional printing — once every so many seconds, as configured
|
|
by you.
|
|
|
|
For example, with "printdelay=60" in Tux Paint's configuration
|
|
file, printing can only occur once per minute (60 seconds).
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Printing Commands ←
|
|
|
|
(Linux and Unix only)
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint prints by generating a PostScript representation of
|
|
the drawing and sending it to an external program. By default,
|
|
the program is:
|
|
|
|
lpr
|
|
|
|
This command can be changed by setting a "printcommand" option
|
|
in Tux Paint's configuration file.
|
|
|
|
An alternative print command can be invoked by holding the "
|
|
[Alt]" key on the keyboard while clicking clicking the 'Print'
|
|
button, as long as you're not in fullscreen mode, an
|
|
alternative program is run. By default, the program is KDE's
|
|
graphical print dialog:
|
|
|
|
kprinter
|
|
|
|
This command can be changed by setting a "altprintcommand"
|
|
option in Tux Paint's configuration file.
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Printer Settings ←
|
|
|
|
(Windows and macOS)
|
|
|
|
By default, Tux Paint simply prints to the default printer with
|
|
default settings when the 'Print' button is pushed.
|
|
|
|
However, if you hold the [Alt] (or [Option]) key on the
|
|
keyboard while clicking the 'Print' button, as long as you're
|
|
not in fullscreen mode, your operating system's printer dialog
|
|
will appear, where you can change the settings.
|
|
|
|
You can have the printer configuration changes stored between
|
|
Tux Paint sessions by setting the "printcfg" option.
|
|
|
|
If the "printcfg" option is used, printer settings will be
|
|
loaded from the file "printcfg.cfg" in your personal folder
|
|
(see below). Any changes will be saved there as well.
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Printer Dialog Options ←
|
|
|
|
By default, Tux Paint only shows the printer dialog (or, on
|
|
Linux/Unix, runs the "altprintcommand"; e.g., "kprinter"
|
|
instead of "lpr") if the [Alt] (or [Option]) key is held while
|
|
clicking the 'Print' button.
|
|
|
|
However, this behavior can be changed. You can have the printer
|
|
dialog always appear by using "--altprintalways" on the
|
|
command-line, or "altprint=always" in Tux Paint's configuration
|
|
file. Conversely, you can prevent the [Alt]/[Option] key from
|
|
having any effect by using "--altprintnever", or "altprint=
|
|
never".
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
f."Slides" Command (under "Open") ←
|
|
|
|
The 'Slides' button is available in the 'Open' dialog. It can be
|
|
used to play a simple animation within Tux Paint, or a slideshow of
|
|
pictures. It can also export an animated GIF based on the chosen
|
|
images.
|
|
|
|
→ Chosing pictures ←
|
|
|
|
When you enter the 'Slides' section of Tux Paint, it displays a
|
|
list of your saved files, just like the 'Open' dialog.
|
|
|
|
Click each of the images you wish to display in a
|
|
slideshow-style presentation, one by one. A digit will appear
|
|
over each image, letting you know in which order they will be
|
|
displayed.
|
|
|
|
You can click a selected image to unselect it (take it out of
|
|
your slideshow). Click it again if you wish to add it to the
|
|
end of the list.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Set playback speed ←
|
|
|
|
A sliding scale at the lower left of the screen (next to the
|
|
'Play' button) can be used to adjust the speed of the slideshow
|
|
or animated GIF, from slowest to fastest. Choose the leftmost
|
|
setting to disable automatic advancement during playback within
|
|
Tux Paint — you will need to press a key or click to go to the
|
|
next slide (see below).
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: The slowest setting does not automatically advance
|
|
through the slides. Use it for when you want to step through
|
|
them manually. (This does not apply to an exported animated
|
|
GIF.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Playback in Tux Paint ←
|
|
|
|
To play a slideshow within Tux Paint, click the 'Play' button.
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: If you hadn't selected any images, then all of your
|
|
saved images will be played in the slideshow!
|
|
|
|
During the slideshow, press [Space], [Enter] or [Return], or
|
|
the [Right arrow] — or click the 'Next' button at the lower
|
|
left — to manually advance to the next slide. Press [Left
|
|
arrow] to go back to the previous slide.
|
|
|
|
Press [Escape], or click the 'Back' button at the lower right,
|
|
to exit the slideshow and return to the slideshow image
|
|
selection screen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Exporting an animated GIF ←
|
|
|
|
Click the 'GIF Export' button near the lower right to have Tux
|
|
Paint generate an animated GIF file based on the selected
|
|
images.
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: At least two images must be selected. (To export a
|
|
single image, use the 'Export' option from the main 'Open'
|
|
dialog.) If no images are selected, Tux Paint will not attempt
|
|
to generate a GIF based on all saved images.
|
|
|
|
Pressing [Escape] during the export process will abort the
|
|
process, and return you to the 'Slideshow' dialog.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click 'Back' in the slideshow image selection screen to return to
|
|
the 'Open' dialog.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
g."Quit" Command ←
|
|
|
|
Clicking the 'Quit' button, closing the Tux Paint window, or
|
|
pushing the [Escape] key will quit Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
You will first be prompted as to whether you really want to quit.
|
|
|
|
If you choose to quit, and you haven't saved the current picture,
|
|
you will first be asked if wish to save it. If it's not a new
|
|
image, you will then be asked if you want to save over the old
|
|
version, or create a new entry. (See "Save" above.)
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: If the image is saved, it will be reloaded automatically
|
|
the next time you run Tux Paint -- unless the "startblank" option
|
|
is set.
|
|
|
|
⚙ Note: The 'Quit' button within Tux Paint, and quitting via the
|
|
[Escape] key, may be disabled, via the "noquit" option.
|
|
|
|
In that case, the "window close" button on Tux Paint's title bar
|
|
(if not in fullscreen mode) or the [Alt] + [F4] key sequence may be
|
|
used to quit.
|
|
|
|
If neither of those are possible, the key sequence of [Shift] +
|
|
[Control / ⌘] + [Escape] may be used to quit.
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
h.Sound Muting ←
|
|
|
|
There is no on-screen control button at this time, but by using the
|
|
[Alt] + [S] keyboard sequence, sound effects can be disabled and
|
|
re-enabled (muted and unmuted) while the program is running.
|
|
|
|
Note that if sounds are completely disabled via the "nosound"
|
|
option, the [Alt] + [S] key combination has no effect. (i.e., it
|
|
cannot be used to turn on sounds when the parent/teacher wants them
|
|
disabled.)
|
|
|
|
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### E. Controlling Tux Paint ###
|
|
|
|
## 1. Using a Mouse or Trackball ##
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint's main mode of operation is via any device that appears to
|
|
your operating system as a mouse, including standard mice, trackballs,
|
|
and trackpads, as well as drawing tablets (usually operated with a
|
|
stylus) and touch screens (operated with a finger and/or a stylus) (see
|
|
"Using a Tablet or Touchscreen" below for more information).
|
|
|
|
For drawing and controlling Tux Paint, only a single mouse button is
|
|
used — typically, on multi-button mice, this will the left mouse
|
|
button, but this can usually be configured at the operating system
|
|
level. By default, Tux Paint will ignore input from the other button
|
|
(s). If a user attempts to use the other button(s), a pop-up dialog
|
|
will eventually appear reminding them that only one button is
|
|
recognized Tux Paint. However, you may configure Tux Paint to accept
|
|
any button as input (see the Options documentation).
|
|
|
|
# a. Scrolling #
|
|
|
|
Many input devices offer a way to quickly scroll within applications —
|
|
many mice have a scroll wheel, trackballs have scroll rings, and
|
|
trackpads recognize certain "scroll" gestures (e.g., two-finger
|
|
vertical motion, or vertical motion on the edge of the trackpad). Tux
|
|
Paint supports scrolling input to allow quick scrolling through certain
|
|
lists (e.g., Stamps, Magic tools, and the New and Open dialogs).
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint will also automatically scroll if you click and hold the
|
|
mouse down on an scroll button — the "up" and "down" arrow buttons that
|
|
appear above and below scrolling lists.
|
|
|
|
# b. Mouse Accessibility #
|
|
|
|
Other devices that appear as a mouse can be used to control Tux Paint.
|
|
For example:
|
|
- Head pointing/tracking devices
|
|
- Eye gaze trackers
|
|
- Foot mice
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint offers a "sticky mouse click" accessibility setting, where a
|
|
single click begins a click-and-drag operation, and a subsequent click
|
|
ends it. (See the Options documentation.)
|
|
|
|
## 2. Using a Tablet or Touchscreen ##
|
|
|
|
As noted above, Tux Paint recognizes any device that appears as a
|
|
mouse. This means drawing tablets and touchscreens may be used.
|
|
However, these devices often support other features beyond X/Y motion,
|
|
button clicks, and scroll-wheel motion. Currently, those additional
|
|
features are not supported by Tux Paint. Some examples:
|
|
- Pressure and angle
|
|
- Eraser tip
|
|
- Multi-touch gestures
|
|
|
|
## 3. Using a Joystick-like Device ##
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint may be configured to recognize input from any game controller
|
|
that appears to your operating system as a joystick. That even includes
|
|
modern game console controllers connected via USB or Bluetooth (e.g.,
|
|
Nintendo Switch or Microsoft Xbox game pads)!
|
|
|
|
Numerous configuration options are available to best suit the device
|
|
being used, and the user's needs. Analog input will be used for coarse
|
|
movement, and digital "hat" input for fine movement. Buttons on the
|
|
controller can be mapped to different Tux Paint controls (e.g., acting
|
|
as the [Escape] key, switching to the Paint tool, invoking Undo and
|
|
Redo operations, etc.). See the Options documentation for more details.
|
|
|
|
## 4. Using the Keyboard ##
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint offers an option to allow the keyboard to be used to control
|
|
the mouse pointer. This includes motion and clicking, as well as
|
|
shortcuts to navigate between and within certain parts of the
|
|
interface. See the Options documentation for more details.
|
|
|
|
III. Loading Other Pictures into Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
### A. Overview ###
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint's 'Open' dialog only displays pictures you created with Tux
|
|
Paint. So what do you do if you want to load some other drawinng or
|
|
even a photograph into Tux Paint, so you can edit or draw on it?
|
|
|
|
You can simply convert the picture to the format Tux Paint uses — PNG
|
|
(Portable Network Graphic) — and place it in Tux Paint's "saved"
|
|
directory/folder. Here is where to find it (by default):
|
|
|
|
→ Windows Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 ←
|
|
In the user's "AppData" folder:
|
|
e.g., "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\TuxPaint\saved\"
|
|
|
|
(Note: The "AppData" folder is hidden (not visible) by default. You
|
|
can enter the path manually in the location bar of your file
|
|
browser (e.g., File Explorer).)
|
|
|
|
You can use the %APPDATA% variable as a shorthand, i.e.
|
|
"%APPDATA%\Tuxpaint\Saved".
|
|
|
|
You can use the [⊞ (Windows)] + [R] key combination to bring up the
|
|
Run command window, and then type the path and hit [Enter / Return]
|
|
.
|
|
|
|
→ macOS ←
|
|
In the user's "Application Support" folder:
|
|
e.g., "/Users/username/Library/Application Support/TuxPaint/saved/"
|
|
|
|
→ Linux / Unix ←
|
|
In the user's "home directory" folder:
|
|
e.g., "/home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/"
|
|
|
|
(Note: The ".tuxpaint" folder is hidden (not visible) by default.
|
|
You can enter the path manually in the location bar of your file
|
|
browser (e.g., GNOME Files or Dolphin).)
|
|
|
|
You can use the $HOME variable as a shorthand, i.e.
|
|
"$HOME/.tuxpaint/saved".
|
|
|
|
→ Haiku ←
|
|
In the user's "settings" folder:
|
|
e.g., "/boot/home/config/settings/TuxPaint/saved/"
|
|
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: It is also from this folder that you can copy or open pictures
|
|
drawn in Tux Paint using other applications, though the 'Export' option
|
|
from Tux Paint's 'Open' dialog can be used to copy them to a location
|
|
that's easier and safer to access.
|
|
|
|
### B. Using the import script, "tuxpaint-import" ###
|
|
|
|
Linux and Unix users can use the "tuxpaint-import" shell script which
|
|
gets installed when you install Tux Paint. It uses some NetPBM tools to
|
|
convert the image ("anytopnm"), resize it so that it will fit in Tux
|
|
Paint's canvas ("pnmscale"), and convert it to a PNG ("pnmtopng").
|
|
|
|
It also uses the "date" command to get the current time and date, which
|
|
is the file-naming convention Tux Paint uses for saved files.
|
|
(Remember, you are never asked for a 'filename' when you go to save or
|
|
open pictures!)
|
|
|
|
To use this script, simply run it from a command-line prompt, and
|
|
provide it the name(s) of the file(s) you wish to convert.
|
|
|
|
They will be converted and placed in your Tux Paint "saved" directory.
|
|
|
|
💡 Note: If you're doing this for a different user (e.g., your child)
|
|
you'll need to make sure to run the command under their account.)
|
|
|
|
Example:
|
|
|
|
$ tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg
|
|
grandma.jpg -> /home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/20211231012359.png
|
|
jpegtopnm: WRITING A PPM FILE
|
|
|
|
The first line ("tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg") is the command to run.
|
|
The following two lines are output from the program while it's working.
|
|
|
|
Now you can load Tux Paint, and a version of that original picture will
|
|
be available under the 'Open' dialog. Just double-click its icon!
|
|
|
|
### C. Importing Pictures Manually ###
|
|
|
|
Windows, macOS, and Haiku users who wish to import arbitrary images
|
|
into Tux Paint must do so via a manual process.
|
|
|
|
Load a graphics program that is capable of both loading your picture
|
|
and saving a PNG format file. (See the documentation file "PNG.html"
|
|
for a list of suggested software, and other references.)
|
|
|
|
When Tux Paint loads an image that's not the same size as its drawing
|
|
canvas, it scales (and sometimes smears the edges of) the image so that
|
|
it fits within the canvas.
|
|
|
|
To avoid having the image stretched or smeared, you can resize it to
|
|
Tux Paint's canvas size. This size depends on the size of the Tux Paint
|
|
window, or resolution at which Tux Paint is run, if in fullscreen. (
|
|
Note: The default resolution is 800x600.) See "Calculating Image
|
|
Dimensions", below.
|
|
|
|
## 1. Naming the File ##
|
|
|
|
Save the picture in PNG format. It is highly recommended that you name
|
|
the filename using the current date and time, since that's the
|
|
convention Tux Paint uses:
|
|
|
|
YYYYMMDDhhmmss.png
|
|
|
|
- YYYY = Year
|
|
- MM = Month (two digits, "01"-"12")
|
|
- DD = Day of month (two digits, "01"-"31")
|
|
- HH = Hour (two digits, in 24-hour format, "00"-"23")
|
|
- mm = Minute (two digits, "00"-"59")
|
|
- ss = Seconds (two digits, "00"-"59")
|
|
|
|
Example: "20210731110500.png", for July 31, 2021 at 11:05am.
|
|
|
|
Place this PNG file in your Tux Paint "saved" directory/folder. (See
|
|
above.)
|
|
|
|
## 2. Calculating Image Dimensions ##
|
|
|
|
This part of the documentation needs to be rewritten, since the new
|
|
"buttonsize" option was added. For now, try drawing and saving an image
|
|
within Tux Paint, then determine what size (pixel width and height) it
|
|
came out to, and try to match that when scaling the picture(s) you're
|
|
importing into Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
IV.Further Reading
|
|
|
|
Other documentation included with Tux Paint (found in the "docs" folder
|
|
/directory) includes:
|
|
→ Using Tux Paint: ←
|
|
x OPTIONS.html
|
|
Detailed instructions on command-line and configuration-file
|
|
options, for those who don't want to use the Tux Paint Config.
|
|
tool to manage Tux Paint's configuration.
|
|
x 'Magic' Tool Documentation ("magic-docs")
|
|
Documentation for each of the currently-installed 'Magic'
|
|
tools.
|
|
x Frequently Asked Questions ("FAQs") about Tux Paint
|
|
Answers to, and solutions for, some common questions about, and
|
|
problems with, using Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ How to extend Tux Paint: ←
|
|
x EXTENDING.html
|
|
Detailed instructions on extending Tux Paint: creating brushes,
|
|
stamps, starters, and templates; adding fonts; and creating new
|
|
on-screen keyboard layouts and input methods.
|
|
x PNG.html
|
|
Notes on creating PNG format bitmapped (raster) images for use
|
|
in Tux Paint.
|
|
x SVG.html
|
|
Notes on creating SVG format vector images for use in Tux
|
|
Paint.
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Technical information: ←
|
|
x INSTALL.html
|
|
Instructions for compiling and installing Tux Paint, when
|
|
applicable.
|
|
x SIGNALS.html
|
|
Information about the POSIX signals that Tux Paint responds to.
|
|
x MAGIC-API.html
|
|
Creating new Magic tools using Tux Paint's plugin API.
|
|
|
|
|
|
→ Development history and license: ←
|
|
x AUTHORS.txt
|
|
List of authors and contributors.
|
|
x CHANGES.txt
|
|
Summary of what has changed between releases of Tux Paint.
|
|
x COPYING.txt
|
|
Tux Paint's software license, the GNU General Public License
|
|
(GPL)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V.How to Get Help
|
|
|
|
If you need help, there are numerous ways to interact with Tux Paint
|
|
developers and other users:
|
|
- Report bugs or request new features via the project's bug-tracking
|
|
system
|
|
- Participate in the various project mailing lists
|
|
- Contact the developers directly
|
|
|
|
To learn more, visit the "Contact" page of the official Tux Paint
|
|
website: https://tuxpaint.org/contact/
|
|
|
|
VI.How to Participate
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint is a volunteer-driven project, and we're happy to accept your
|
|
help in a variety of ways:
|
|
- Translate Tux Paint to another language
|
|
- Improve existing translations
|
|
- Create artwork (stamps, starters, templates, brushes)
|
|
- Add or improve features or magic tools
|
|
- Create classroom curriculum
|
|
- Promote or help support others using Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
To learn more, visit the "Help Us" page of the official Tux Paint
|
|
website: https://tuxpaint.org/help/
|
|
|
|
VII.Follow the Tux Paint project on social media
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint maintains a presence on a variety of social media networks,
|
|
where we post updates and artwork.
|
|
- Follow @tuxpaint.bsky.social on Bluesky
|
|
- Join the Tux Paint page on Facebook
|
|
- Follow @TuxPaintDevs on Instagram
|
|
- Follow @tuxpaint@floss.social on Mastodon
|
|
- Follow u/TuxPaintDevs on Reddit
|
|
- Follow @TuxPaintDevs on Threads
|
|
- Follow @TuxPaintDevs on TikTok
|
|
- Follow Tux Paint on Tumblr
|
|
- Subscribe to @TuxPaintOfficial on YouTube
|
|
|
|
VIII. Trademark notices
|
|
|
|
- "Linux" is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
|
|
- "Microsoft" and "Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft
|
|
Corp.
|
|
- "Apple" and "macOS" are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
|
|
- "Haiku" is a registered trademark of Haiku, Inc.
|
|
- "Facebook", "Instagram", and "Threads" are registered trademarks of
|
|
Meta Platforms, Inc.
|
|
- "Mastodon" is a registered trademark of Mastodon gGmbH.
|
|
- "Reddit" is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc.
|
|
- "TIK TOK" is a trademark of Bytedance Ltd.
|
|
- "Tumblr" is a registered trademark of Tumblr, Inc.
|
|
- "YouTube" is a registered trademark of Alphabet, Inc.
|