Plugin actions

Note

This page describes default plugin actions. More tech proficient users can extend, modify, and duplicate them by making relatively simple code changes in actions.py and actions.action files.

Pie menus:

Pie menu is a widget displayed on the canvas while keyboard key combination is pressed. It will disappear as soon, as it is released. If the cursor was moved in a direction of an icon, it will be activated. The action only requires hovering. Pie menu does nothing if the cursor is not moved out of the deadzone circle.

For more information about personalization possibilities, read dedicated article about configuring pie menus.

• Pick brush presets

  Color coded pie menus that let you pick a brush preset. Each pie operates in one of two modes:

  • tag - tracks a krita tag. When presets are added or removed from it, icons in the pie act accordingly. They cannot be removed or added with dragging from the pie, but it is possible to change their order. Order is remembered even when displayed tag is being switched.
  • manual - preset pie acts like all other pies - user can add or remove preset icons from the scroll area of pie settings with drag and drops.

  Action values tab grants following preset-specific features:

  • Tag spinbox - filters icons that belong to selected tag
  • Mode button - switches between tag and manual modes

  There are 4 actions of this type:

  • red
  • green
  • blue
  • local (by default starts in the Local mode.)

• Pick misc tools

  Pie menu for picking tool.

• Pick painting blending modes

  Pie menu for picking painting blending mode.

• Create painting layer with blending mode

  Pie menu for creating a new layer with picked blending mode.

Cursor trackers

Cursor tracker is an action for switching values using cursor movement, while the keyboard key is pressed. It changes a single krita property according to the cursor movement along horizontal or vertical axis. The action does not recognize mouse clicks, and only requires hovering

• Scroll isolated layers

  Scrolls the layers by sliding the cursor vertically. Can be used for picking the active layer and analyzing the layer stack. While the key is pressed, isolates the active layer to give better response of which layer is active.

  Input	Outcome
  Key press	isloate active layer
  Horizontal movement	-
  Vertical movement	scroll all layers

• Scroll timeline or animated layers

  Variation on "Scroll isolated layers" for animators. Scrolling is restricted only to layers pinned to the animation timeline. Horizontal mouse movement changes the current frame.

  Input	Outcome
  Key press	isloate active layer
  Horizontal movement	scroll animation frames
  Vertical movement	scroll layers pinned to timeline

• Scroll undo stack

  Extends the krita undo action ctrl+z. While the key is pressed, horizontal mouse movement controls the undo stack by performing undo and redo actions. Usual undo with short key press is still possible.

  Input	Outcome
  Key press	undo last operation
  Horizontal movement	scroll left to undo, or right to redo
  Vertical movement	-

• Scroll brush size or opacity

  Allows to control both brush size or opacity with a single key. Opacity changes contiguously with vertical mouse movement, while brush size snaps to custom values.

  Input	Outcome
  Key press	-
  Horizontal movement	scroll brush size (descrete)
  Vertical movement	scroll painting opacity (contiguous)

• Scroll canvas zoom or rotation

  Allows to control both canvas zoom or canvas rotation with a single key. Does not block the ability to paint.

  Input	Outcome
  Key press	-
  Horizontal movement	canvas rotation (contiguous)
  Vertical movement	canvas zoom (contiguous)

Canvas previews

Canvas preview is an action which changes canvas elements when the key is pressed, and changes them back to their original state on key release.

• Preview current layer visibility

  Changes active layer visibility on key press and release. Allows to quickly check layer's content.

• Preview projection below

  Hides all visible layers above the active one on key press, and reverses this change on key release. Allows to check what is the position of current layer in a stack. It is possible to paint while action is active.

Multiple assignments:

Multiple assignment is an action which cycles between multiple values of single krita property. Each key press activates next list element. Performing a long press breaks the cycle and sets a default value, which does not have to belong the the list.

• Cycle selection tools

  Pressing a key repeatedly cycles most commonly used selection tools.

  Performing a long press, goes back to the freehand brush tool. Tools can be used while the key is pressed.

  Default values can be modified in Edit mode. To enter it, long press the button, and click on the button which appears in top-left corner of painting area.

  Values are added by selecting the list value(s) on the left and pressing the green add button. Analogically, selecting values on the right, and pressing the remove button, removes the values from action. Dragging values on the right, allow to change their order.

  Any tools can be used, not only those for selection.

• Cycle painting opacity

  Pressing a key repeatedly cycles brush predefined opacity values: 100%, 70%, 50%, 30%

  Performing a long press, goes back to the 100% opacity. Modified opacity can be used while the key is pressed.

  Currently predefined values cannot be modified without editing plugin code.

Temporary keys:

• Temporary move tool

  Pressing a key temporarily activates the move tool which goes back to the freehand brush tool after the key release. Short key presses allow to permanently toggle between those two tools.

  Currently predefined values cannot be modified without editing plugin code.

• Temporary eraser

  Pressing a key temporarily activates the eraser mode which gets turned off after the key is released. Short key presses allow to permanently toggle between those two states.

  Currently predefined values cannot be modified without editing plugin code.

• Temporary preserve alpha

  Pressing a key temporarily activates the preserve alpha mode which gets turned off after the key is released. Short key presses allow to permanently toggle between those two states.

  Currently predefined values cannot be modified without editing plugin code.

Rotation selectors

Rotation selector is a widget displayed on the canvas while keyboard key combination is pressed. It will disappear as soon, as it is released. This is a dedicated action for changing properties being angles in 0°-360° range. Rotation selector can pick both precise angles as well as common values like 15°, 30°.

• Rotate brush

Allows to change rotation of the current brush preset. Rotation is counterclockwise with the 0° being on the right.

• Rotate canvas

Allows to change rotation of the canvas. Rotation is clockwise with the 0° being on the top.