ArtRage 6

[markw]

Long have we waited but it’s here, ArtRage 6
Mac Retina support!!! Zoom, Rotate and Panning are way smoother now!
Custom brush can now have paint texture/depth! (I can see I’m going to have to re-save a lot of old presets…)
Watercolour brush has a new setting for Drip Spike? (Not sure what it dose yet, I’m still pocking around and playing!)
Pencil tool now has Smoothing!
Improved Colour Wheal, now can show different categories of Complimentary colours!
More control over the canvas lighting.
Recordable Actions (found under the Tool menu) I know there are some here who are going to love that!
Right, back to exploring (and possibly doing some work!)

[DarkOwnt]

OMG
OMG

I've tried AR6....

OMG
OMG

The texture extension/addition for the Custom Brush is AMAZING!!

It is sooooo powerful and flexible! Level of gloss is a very nice addition too!

In combination with the new canvas lighting customization - angle and intensity - this new custom brush texture is insanely tweakable.. to new heights of subtlety and realism..

You can keep your custom brushes at high loading levels - for lots of paint - but turn down the intensity using the canvas controls (and/or turn down or up the roughness of the texture) to get really subtle but realistic affects - with a very good balance.

BEST of all... the blending engine for the custom brush is still as good as it ever was!!


THE NEW DEPTH TEXTURE EFFECTS FOR THE CUSTOM BRUSH ALONE MAKE IT WORTH THE PRICE FOR UPGRADING!


BRAVO to the ArtRage team for making the custom brush truly a WONDER of real-media simulation, and IMHO the BEST available!!!


I really cannot say how excited I am...simply BRILLIANT!

[firstrazor]

Can anyone post some samples using the new features?

[Boxy]

Congratulations on the release Ragers. I can't wait to start playing!

[NickBussy]

Looking good so far. The custom brush is much better with the new parameters - especially the fall off and movement factors which are great for dry/old brush effects and toning down the 3D textures which are easy to over do.

I too am confused by the drip spike in the watercolour brush though. I've tinkered with it quite a bit and doesn't seem to do anything?

Only downside so far is it seems a little less stable with my intuos tablet (just updated the driver for that too though so that could also be the issue) - I now have to double click the sliders to adjust them...
*edit* - turns out the wintab/precise tablet was off and using realtime stylus instead. All working as normal now. (Windows ink space seems to be throwing up a few bugs with tablet recently)

[AndyRage]

So.... ignore the 'drip spike' slider in the watercolour tool. That was accidentally included and not currently tied to any parameter changes. I was experimenting with some different technology and neglected to remove the control.
That slider will be gone in an update.
We often experiment with stuff that doesn't make it to the final build. I generally remember to remove any spurious controls. :cool:

[markw]

Thank’s for the clarification there Andy.
While nothing then may have changed this time round for the watercolour brush it is exiting to know that you are actively developing new ideas for it.:cool:
It is possibly my favourite brush!

[damasocl]

Gracias por esta actualización … Aunque recién la he descargado, ya comprobé que los pinceles personalizados vienen con novedades increíbles... Gracias a todos.

[Henry Stahle]

I want to try out before I buy AR 6. The download demo says AR 5 when I download, is that right? I have already AR 5, no need to try that again... Is there a demo of AR 6 available?

[Fashmir]

This has got my attention! I am in the thick of a bunch of work that requires me to be in Adobe Photoshop! This will be THE perfect thing for me when I'm finally done! (It's been a very heavy week and a half) Andy, still rocking my world! I can't wait to explore! Thanks!!!

[a_dt]

Does anybody know how long the discount (for owners of a previous version) is available? Does it expire, if so, when?
Thanks...

[markw]

Hello a_dt,:)
If you own a previous full version of AR then there is a “standing” discount of 50%. And if upgrading from AR Lite, it’s 30%.
And any Store Sale discounts are added to the standing Upgrade discount:cool:
You can find more info on upgrading here: https://www.artrage.com/upgrades/

[friendz777]

I am always super-excited when ArtRage announces a new version, and the new features look great. I notice however that the 'Drip Spike' feature in watercolour has vanished on my first update with ArtRage 6? And I also noticed that the watercolour brush is a little slower than ArtRage 5 on my Windows 10 setup. So maybe I will keep to ArtRage 5 for watercolour work. Does anyone else notice this?

[markw]

Hello friendz777 and welcome to the ArtRage forums:)
I know how you feel when there’s a new ArtRage release!:cool:
The “Drip Spike” control was an oversight by Andy and wasn’t supposed to be “visible” to users, nor was it actually connected to any current brush parameters.
As for the Watercolour Brush speed in AR6, yes sadly you are all too right about that and I’ve made a post about it.
Hopefully it will get a fix soon but as you say until then we have AR5 we can use.

[friendz777]

Is it just me? But I have noticed that in ArtRage 6, using Windows 10, the watercolour brush is slower than Artrage 5. I think I will have to use Artrage 5 for my watercolour work and ArtRage 6 for all other.

[markw]

Fear not, Andy has fixed the watercolour brush in the latest build, v6.0.3, which you can download now from the Members Area.

[friendz777]

Thanks markw. The update appears to have fixed the problem.

[a_dt]

Hello a_dt,:)
“standing” discount
So, my question was not IF there are discounts and how much, but:

how long the discount (for owners of a previous version) is available? Does it expire, if so, when?

===> WHAT means "standing"??? for ever? Or, if there will be a Version 7, the discount expires completely?
I am considering purchasing but not sure (I have the version 5)

another question:
I would like to know if I have the latest version of 5!! is there a way to download the latest 5 version if I don't?
I have 5.0.8

[markw]

I say “standing” because as far as we know there is no expiry date for the 50% discount (30% for Lite users) when upgrading to a new version of ArtRage.
It has been generously offered by Ambient Design to it’s existing customers for many years now whenever they upgrade. Be it from v2 to v6 or v5 to v6 etc...

As to the last release version of AR5 yes that was v5.0.8.
Past purchases are always available for re-download from the Members Area where you registered your copy of AR5.
The version that will download for discontinued versions like AR5 will be the last retail version for that product before it was discontinued.

[Selby]

ooh that sounds Fun!

[AndyQ]

A minor question about the new Version 6 (Windows version) - has the new version implement any way to open/navigate the main menus by keyboard? i.e. most Windows applications have ALT-"n" shortcuts to open menus, then you can use cursor keys to move up and down the options or can hit further shortcut letters to trigger actions (which are traditionally indicated by underscores) - e.g. "ALT-F" to open the file menu, "ALT-E" to open the edit menu etc. This is pretty handy as you don't have to move your pen up to the menus to do stuff, and if you use lots of applications it's hard to remember all the direct shortcut combinations, so getting to menus fast is pretty handy.

[Hari]

Thank you so much for this!

[Hellmark]

I am a bit bummed. I bought 5 right before 6 was released. Like, 6 came out on a Monday, and I got 5 on the Thursday before.

[MaryLou]

Same thing happened to me. I had put off upgrading to 5 because I'd already purchased several previous upgrades over the years, then decided to go for it. Not long after that 6 came out. I would have waited a little longer had I known it was coming and saved my $ since all the upgrades add up. 5 is a lot of fun though, still a lot of stuff to learn.

[Hellmark]

Contact support. They upgraded me to six, no questions asked. Truly awesome people.

[rue]

Are the patch notes being posted anywhere? I understand that there's some common/embarrassing bugs due to a new release but it would be nice to know what's being fixed and changed.

[markw]

Hello rue and welcome to the ArtRage forums:)
Yes, Andy has been posting some lists of bugs that have been fixed in recent release updates in the Support for Windows & Mac area of the forum.
6.0.3 https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?54935-ArtRage-6-0-3-bug-fix-build-uploaded
6.0.4 https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?54949-ArtRage-6-0-4-bug-fix-build-uploaded
6.0.6 https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?54968-ArtRage-6-0-6-bug-fix-build-uploaded
6.0.7 https://forums.artrage.com/showthread.php?54990-ArtRAge-6-0-7-Update-and-bugfix-uploaded

[DarkOwnt]

Ok... this does not by any stretch show all that can be done with the new depth capabilities, but here is a sample of the results of playing around with new AR6 custom brush engine.

I am still just so impressed with the new custom brush engine of AR6!


98033

[markw]

Yes, it is a wonder DarkOwnt!
All we need now is for home printers that can read the depth maps from an AR file while using some kind of polymer ink!:rolleyes::cool:

[Delofasht]

Is there a User Guide for AR6 available? I need to get a better understanding of several of the new options in Custom Brush Designer and other areas. Out of the box ArtRage is always very easy to use, but when wanting to customize elements heavily it is sometimes not clear what certain sliders actually do. Worth the upgrade cost, look forward to seeing what all you bring us in the future as well.

Also, is there any way to get these content updates more frequently? Is it just a question of popularity and thus number of individuals buying and using ArtRage?

Edit: Another question, is there a way to add the Depth slider to the Custom Brush for when paint depth is added? It's nice to have custom bristle oil effects there now, really awesome, but I would love to see better methods of controlling the depth then just loading. Also the loading feels like it should be controlling the loading of all the paint, like it does with the oil brush when you have activated the effects of paint texture in Custom Brush (so when the paint thickness runs out, so too does the color).

[DarkOwnt]

"Also the loading feels like it should be controlling the loading of all the paint, like it does with the oil brush when you have activated the effects of paint texture in Custom Brush (so when the paint thickness runs out, so too does the color). "

Yes I noticed this also. Currently if one wants the thickness to slowly deplete at the same rate as the color, one has to tweak the "Deposit" setting so that the match appears to one's liking.

I think the custom brush is limited and at the same time very flexible because it is a way of fabricating the look of thick paint but does not attempt to actually simulate thick paint (push it around etc.). The "refresh" and "pickup" setting are great for setting how much of a wet in wet color dynamic you get, but these settings would not really be applicable to thickness, which currently just has an overall appearance, i.e. colors of areas are "mixed", thicknesses are (up to the opacity setting) overwritten by the brush... which seems intuitively correct to me... (unless the paint "dried" ... then you have a different situation.)

[kenmo]

I downloaded the demo of ArtRage 6 and played around with it a bit. I honestly can not see that much of a difference in features or toolsets with ver 5.

I was disappointed by the removal of the chalk brush. It appears now there is only the wax tool.

I have not used it long enough to comment on performance.

I think I'll hold off upgrading until version 7. Perhaps it will offer more.

Love version 5. No need for me to upgrade unless someone can prove me wrong.

[Caesar]

I did upgrade, although I miss the chalk too and, above all, a downloadable and printable complete manual of ArtRege 6 (i.e. old and new features, possibly with specific examples concerning the most complex and less natural feature, including the script etc.).
I would have appreciated a a ricer common filters set.
Anyway many thanks again to our dear Ragers to keep going at a still reasonable price (for upgrading at least) ...

[samardac]

Hay, I have ArtRage Lite, if I will upgrade how it will work? Current discount 40%+Lite Upgrade 30%=70%? Or how?
I tried to upgrade to see but coupons you provided dose not work.

[markw]

If you encounter problems in Upgrading ArtRage then you can contact them directly using the Support page found here: https://www.artrage.com/get-support/
Select the 4th topic down; ‘I need help upgrading or updating ArtRage’

[DarkOwnt]

I downloaded the demo of ArtRage 6 and played around with it a bit. I honestly can not see that much of a difference in features or toolsets with ver 5.

I was disappointed by the removal of the chalk brush. It appears now there is only the wax tool.

I have not used it long enough to comment on performance.

I think I'll hold off upgrading until version 7. Perhaps it will offer more.

Love version 5. No need for me to upgrade unless someone can prove me wrong.


Hello Kenmo:


This is not really a "proof", but there are at least three reasons why the new custom brush with depth effects is better than the standard old AR Oil brush.


In the picture below the oil brush is shown in the top half, the custom brush with depth and blending effects in the bottom half.


1. Brush strokes and dabs are much more varied and organic looking with the custom brush. Brush stroke shapes, and textures for the old Oil Brush are much more regular/digital in appearance. Also note, with the old Oils only dab or stroke are possible, and not anything in between.

2. Tight circles or aggressive direction change in the Old oils break down, producing broken strokes (even when the stylus is not lifted) and digital "cornering" which can be visible. Custom brush allows complete control with no breakage and no discernible little digital "cornering" even for tight circles.

3. Blending with the standard old AR Oil Brush can lead to divergent colors, i.e. over saturation, which I have been a little "cantankerous" over on this forum in the past. The custom brush can be used to blend color as much as you want and the color never diverges, it always "converges" becoming some color in between those you are mixing. Blending with the custom brush is a joy.

98261



IMHO The new AR6 custom brush with depth effects, once mastered (it does take work to build and tweak good brushes) can be far superior to the standard old AR Oil Brush.

Cheers!!

[markw]

Talking of the old Crayon & Chalk tools found in AR2&3, they were put under the umbrella of the “Pastel” tool in AR4, with the Chalk tool being given an extra setting for Softness at this time (before it just had Pressure as a setting) and the Crayon’s name changed to Wax. The two tools being accessed by clicking on their respective tabs in the Pastel tool.
AR5 saw the addition of Noise & Noise Scale to both these tools and perhaps more importantly Tilt response when using a pen & tablet.
AR6 saw no changes to the “Pastel” tool.

And also with regard to DarkOwnt’s favourite tool the Custom Brush, any Custom Brush can also be used as an Eraser brush now, which is kind of cool :cool:
I would also like to make mention of my favourite tool the Watercolour Brush which was initially broken on AR6’s release (it was horrendously slow!) but soon fixed by Andy in a prompt update. Now it is slightly faster than before and at max size and pressure, the brush head covers slightly more area.
Whilst these were only very small and I suppose in a way “unofficial” improvements to the brush, it’s like they say “every little helps”!;)

[kenmo]

Perhaps so. But not a reason for me to upgrade or fork out money. I was expecting more from ArtRage 6 and it did not deliver. I am pleased with Artrage 5 and there is NO reason for me to upgrade. Hoping 7 has some significant changes. If not, I'll stay with 5.

[kenmo]

The upgrade offer today was too good an offer to refuse. So I jumped and upgraded to AR 6.