Convert custom .png brushes to .cbr?

EldritchCellar · July 2015

Hello,
So I've been texture painting a uv mapped figure I've created using Carrara's 3d painting tools. I've found it useful to convert some of my photoshop brushes to .png in photoshop for use in Carrara. I've created a folder in the presets and appended the wizard text file to show this folder in the wizard. Unfortunately my custom .png brushes are not appearing within that folder when I call on the wizard as they need to be Carrara native .cbr to do so... I opened an example .cbr in a text editor to see what's what and unlike .obj or native Poser files, .cbr cannot be edited via standard text editing methods.
So, is it possible to convert my .png brushes to .cbr in order to take advantage of Carrara's wizard functionality?
Thanks.

EldritchCellar · July 2015

Doh!
Nevermind found it... noob mistake, lol!

DesertDude · July 2015

71067 said:
Doh!
Nevermind found it... noob mistake, lol!

Hi 71067, I'm glad you found a solution to create custom brushes for Carrara. Do you mind sharing with us how you did it or pointing us to the solution? I have had success creating custom brushes for displacement painting, but not for 3d painting.

Some of us are eternal noobs. :red:

Thanks!

3DAGE · July 2015

HI :)

You don't need to edit any text files,.

You need to simply add your PNG files to the appropriate folder

See....

Program Files\DAZ 3D\Carrara8.5\Data\Displacement Maps\Brushes
and...
C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\Carrara8.5\Data\Strokes / Brushes

You can simply add your custom JPG or PNG to those folders . and /or Create sub-folders which will then be accessible in Carrara

Some items in Carrara "Need" to be placed within the main program folders, or within specific sub folders before they will work or show up in the wizards or the Carrara Browser.
Leaves for example,. need to be in the "Plants" folder to work with the plant generator.

CBR is Carrara browser files,.
For example,.. You can create a shader,. then drag and drop it into your "my shaders" section of the Browser, and that will create a CBR file

Hope it helps :)

EldritchCellar · July 2015

Hi desertdude,
Create your brush image in photoshop or convert any pre-existing PS brushes you may have as a square image (constrained aspect ratio) on a transparent new layer, save as .png to preserve alpha channel. I save at 512 x 512 pixels or higher (power of 2 values). Make sure that your .png is a single layer, discarding the background layer.
Import your uv mapped object into carrara, select the object, click the 3d paint icon, click ok to the first pop up (if skip from now on hasn't been selected before), open the Color channel in the textures pallete, load a texture or click new texture via the folder or wand icons, click ok to the pop up if creating new texture, choose image size, color mode and file type from the dialogue (I use .psd to take advantage of layers etc.)
Select tool tab, navigate to tool/image icon. Click the icon and you will see a button to load a file. Load your custom brush and utilize the various available brush modifiers to tweak your brush as desired. Once you have your custom brush as you like it you can click the floppy disc looking icon at the top of the tool pallete and convert your .png brush into .cbr. If you put a "my brushes" folder into the Presets/Paintbrushes folder and open the wizard text file and add a "my brushes" reference and put your custom converted .cbr brushes into that folder you can easily access your new brushes via the wizard.
Maybe this video may be helpful if my rambling was too confusing, it covers the basic creation of custom .png brushes for Carrara... for the converting and wizard stuff use my recommendations.
https://youtu.be/kOQkboKeYWk

EldritchCellar · July 2015

Thanks for that advice 3dage, the way I figured out seems to work pretty good... was just a few more steps getting there. I think the advantage of converting to .cbr is that it loads any modifications that you made to the brush .png via the tool modifiers. Plus I like having it grouped with the brushes category in the wizard. Mac user btw.
Or at least that's the impression I'm getting as I learn how to use these features.
...might be mistaken about the modifiers propagating to the .cbr.
Anyway, really liking the 3D paint thingy!

DesertDude · July 2015

Thanks 3DAGE and 71067 for taking the time to give detailed explanations. I can now create custom brushes and have them to show up in the wizard. Super cool, thanks again!

3DAGE · July 2015

Actually ,. I'm wrong,.. or at least, I gave some wrong information about which folders to use.

Any custom brushes you save should be saved into your "Presets" folder ( C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\Carrara8\Presets\PaintBrushes ) and saved by clicking the little "floppy disk" icon (Save) (see pic)

As far as I can see, the original image used in the brush can be loaded from anywhere on your system,.
sorry for any confusion