5.9. Convolver

The Convolve tool uses the current brush to blur or sharpen your image.

Activate Tool

  • The Convolver can be called in the following order, from the image-menu: Tools/ Paint Tools/Convolve .

  • The Tool can also be called by clicking the tool icon:

Key modifiers (Defaults)

Shortcut

The key V will change the active tool to Convolve.

Ctrl

Ctrl toggles between blur and sharpen modes. The mode will remain switched until Ctrl is released.

Shift

Shift places the convolve tool into straight line mode. Holding Shift while clicking Button1 will convolve in a straight line. Consecutive clicks will continue convolving in straight lines that originate from the end of the last line.

Options

Overview

The available tool options for the Convolver Tool can be accessed by double clicking the Convolver Tool icon.

Opacity

The Opacity slider sets the transparency level for the operation. A higher opacity setting results in a more opaque render and a lower setting results in a more transparent one.

Brush

Indicates the active brush. Clicking on the brush icon opens the brush selection dialog.

Hard Edge

By default the Convolver softens the edges of an area blurred or sharpened. The Hard Edge toggle changes this behavior. Any area convolved while this option is active will be convolved with no softening of the edge of the brush used.

Pressure Sensitivity

The Pressure Sensitivity section sets whether hardness, rate, or size will be affected by pressure for input devices that support this option.

Fade Out

This option sets the stroke to fade out after the specified distance. The stroke will fade to transparency at the completion of the set distance.

Convolve Type

Blur mode blurs the image colors into each other. The result will be a smooth transition between colors, but will always be darker than the original colors.

Sharpen mode causes neighboring pixels with similar colors to converge. Used judiciously, blurry edges can be sharpened somewhat, but if applied repeatedly it can produce undesired results.

The rate slider sets the strength of the convolve effect.