Switch between Grease Pencil tools instantly (without having to manually change mode)
Problem
I need to switch between a handful of tools very often while drawing. These tools are in different modes. Currently this is a multi-step process depending on which edit mode I'm in, even if i use shortcuts. This is a big pain point for me right now. I don't want to have to care about the edit mode I'm currently in while switching between these.
Proposal
For my particular workflow I want to map each of the following tools to a single key. Blender takes care of setting the edit mode as appropriate when one of these shortcuts is used. This would speed up my ability to get the results i want in blender dramatically. I'm sure other tools are more important to others, so a general solution would be to allow direct hotkey mapping for all of them.
- Draw > Draw
- Draw > Eraser
- Draw > Cutter
- Edit > Tweak
- Sculpt > Smooth
5 Comments
i made small scripts for my most used tools just two lines
import bpy
bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='SCULPT_GPENCIL')
bpy.ops.wm.tool_set_by_id(name="builtin_brush.Grab")
for example. and used pie menu editor to create a custom grease pencil popupmenu with those functions.
its still far from optimum though, mode switching in grease pencil seems to be a prime example of overengeneering. it might work for 3d objects but 2d animation is different. when you are drawing such distractions and modes you have to keep in mind are counter intuituive. and the fragmented gp properties / materials add to that
Hey, tomasz.brain - check my addon GP Animator Desktop, there is special toolbar for fast changing tools in GP, and many other stuff. blendermarket.com/products/gp-animator-desk
What about favorites btw? Can help You? key(Q) youtube.com/watch
Would it solve the problem. If shortcuts were allowed to do multiple things at once?
Say pressing D set it to draw mode, and then set it to the pencil.
Pressing G both set it to sculpt mode and then set it to drag.
Probably should exist option to easy manage tools, icons as move/soft by own configuration to not hcange habbits for other. Then to average this type blender should colect som GUI data from useres to made some avg users config. Similar problem is around shortcuts, mixed habits betwen blender and other programs, eg. ctr+A.