Re: [Gimp-user] changing the brush sizes

[Steve Kinney <admin pilobilus net>]

On 12/13/2016 03:33 PM, mehjg wrote:
> I want to be able to edit my brushes and save them, using the appropriate dialog
> box, but no matter what I do, the size doesn't change. I can change the
> hardness, angle, aspect ratio, etc., but the size just won't change, whether
> using the bracket keys or the radius slider. I'm not using a mouse and I don't
> want to try using the track pad's scroll function to change the size of the
> brush because I use it to scroll. Any suggestions?
> Thanks,
> Matthew

I have a comprehensive (for me) solution to the Brush Size (and
Hardness) Question.

First, note that there are two major classes of GIMP brush:  GBR brush
files are bitmaps, fixed in size and hardness.  VBR brush files are
vectors, with variable size and hardness that can be changed "on the
fly" with keyboard + mouse commands while using the brushes.

Here's a set of VBR brushes I made; they cover over 90% of my own uses
for brush tools in the GIMP; I named them to assure that they appear at
the top of the list in the Brushes dialog:

http://pilobilus.net/xfer/Variable-Brushes.zip

Drop them into your /brushes folder, and viola.

Preview:

http://pilobilus.net/xfer/brushes.png

The oval ones are good for getting into tight spaces.

Now about that "change size and hardness on the fly" part:

Go to Edit > Preferences > Input Controllers and double click on Main
Mouse Wheel to bring up the configuration dialog. Picture worth thousand
words (or at least a hundred or so):

http://pilobilus.net/img/mouse-scale-brush.jpg

I also configure the GIMP to make the current brush "softer" or "harder"
- that is, more or less fuzzy around the edge - in response to holding
down Ctrl + Shift + Alt and scrolling the mouse wheel up and down.
Controlling brush size and hardness with the mouse wheel is way more
efficient than constantly switching between brushes. These settings can
be found in the same menu as above.

These brushes and settings save enough stress and hassle in one editing
project to way more than justify the time and effort it takes to
configure them.  Then you have them "forever" or at least as long as
your present GIMP installation is in place.

:o)