ベクターレイヤー

ベクターレイヤーって何?

A Vector Layer, also known as a Shape Layer, is a type of layers that contains only vector graphics elements.

The vector layer appear in Krita's Layers docker with the following icon icon_vectorlayer right to the layer thumbnail.

../../_images/Vectorlayer.png

About Vector Graphics & Raster Images

Krita is primarily a Raster Graphics editing tool, which means that most of the editing changes the values of the pixels on the raster that makes up the image.

A Vector Graphics editing tool will use mathematics to describe shapes. Shapes can be edited at any time (modified, deleted). Because it uses formulas, vector graphics can be resized to any size without any 'pixel' or 'blur' effect.

Vector Graphics are useful to generate logo and banners. They're also useful to manipulate and render texts (a vector graphic text can be edited where a rasterized text can't).

Creating a Vector Layer

In Layers docker, click on dropdown arrow right to the Add layer icon_add button; this will popup a sub-menu with the Add Vector Layer entry.

Default shortcut to create a new vector layer is Shift + Ins.

Creating Shapes

When active layer is a vector layer, the following tools can be used to create vector shapes.

Specialized vector shapes

Krita provides differents specialized vector shapes tools:

Paths shapes

Krita provides differents paths shapes tools:

Text shapes
Import of SVG document

In addition, you can import a Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG):

  • Paste a SVG content copied from another software like Inkscape for example

  • Open a SVG file in a new document, edit Vector Layer content, copy/paste it or copy/paste shapes from it

Arranging Shapes

A vector layer has its own hierarchy of shapes, also named z-Order.

When a Vector Layer is rendered, shapes are drawn from the bottom to the top:

../../_images/arrange00.png

z-Order Visualization of shapes

../../_images/arrange01.png

Rendered image from shapes

The z-Order of shapes can be modified in 2 way:

Both provides the same functions:

  • icon_arrange_front Bring to Front: move z-Order position to the top

  • icon_arrange_raise Raise: move z-Order position on step up

  • icon_arrange_lower Lower: move z-Order position on step down

  • icon_arrange_back Send to Back: move z-Order position to the bottom

../../_images/arrange02.png

Red square has been "Bring to front"

Selecting Shapes

To manipulate shapes, you need to select them with the 形状選択ツール toolshapeselection.

The 形状選択ツール also provides access to options to manage shape geometry, stroke and fill properties.

Editing Shapes Outline

Outline for a shape can be edited with the 形状編集ツール toolshapeedit.

Rendering Vector Layer content

By default, vector layer content are rendered using an anti-aliasing algorithm.

../../_images/antialiasing.png
  • In the Layers docker the vector layer icon selectpixel indicates the anti-aliasing is disabled
    On blue vector shapes, you can see aliased pixels in magnified view
  • In the Layers docker the vector layer icon selectshape indicate the anti-aliasing is enabled
    On pink vector shapes, you can see anti-aliased pixels in magnified view