Dibuja

dibuja-image

Contents


Simple to use paint program like classic MS Paint or Paintbrush for Mac but for Linux.

Tools

The tools available are:

Lines

To draw a line, click the line tool line tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.

Rectangle

To draw a rectangle, click the rectangles tool rectangle tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.

To create squares, press the control key (Ctrl) while dragging the mouse.
To create squares from a corner, press the shift key (Shift) while dragging the mouse.

Note: Rectangle, attibutes are affected by 'Fill Properties'.

Ellipse

To draw an ellipse, click the line ellipse tool, ellipse tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.

To create circles, press the control key (Ctrl) while dragging the mouse.
To create circles from a corner, press the shift key (Shift) while dragging the mouse.

Note: Ellipse attibutes are affected by 'Fill Properties'.

Pencil

To draw with the pencil, click the pencil tool, pencil tool image
Draws a freehand line 1 pixel thick.

Text

To draw text, click the text tool, text tool image
Click on the drawing area where you want to draw the text,
the Insert Text dialog will appear.
text tool dialog image
Type your text in the text area. Click the font button to change font attributes.
Click the 'Insert' button to close the dialog and insert the text.

Check the 'Meme Style Text' button to insert text in the style seen
in memes throughout the internet. The text is outlined using the
current foreground color, and drawn using the current background color.
Use the line width spin button to select the outline width for the text.

Note: Text attibutes can be affected by 'Fill Properties'.

Brush

To draw with the brush, click the brush tool, brush tool image
Change the brush size with the brush size spin button.
The minimum brush size is 1 pixel, the maximum is 100 pixels.

To use part of the image as a brush.

  1. Click the rectangular selection tool.
  2. Create a selection on the part of the image you want to use as a brush
    no bigger than 100 pixels wide by 100 pixels high.
    Do not click the "apply selection button".
  3. In the menu go to "Image" -> "Use Selection As A Brush".
    The bush tool will be automatically selected for you
    with the image of the selection you created.
  4. Right click on the image brush sample viewer when you want to
    restore the default image.
To use another image as a brush.
  1. Select the "Edit" menu and click "Paste From File"
  2. Select an image no bigger than 100 pixels wide by 100 pixels high.
    and click "Open"
    Do not click the "apply selection button".
  3. In the menu go to "Image" -> "Use Selection As A Brush".
    The bush tool will be automatically selected for you
    with the image of the selection you created.
  4. Right click on the image brush sample viewer when you want to
    restore the default image.

Rectangular Selection

To select a rectangular portion of an image, click the rectangular selection tool, Rectangular Selection image
To select a square, press the control key (Ctrl) while dragging the mouse.
To select a square from a corner, press the shift key (Shift) while dragging the mouse.

Note: When pasting or after creating selections, the selection is in a floating state. The selection is not part of the image in this state, if you save or print the image the selection will not be part of the image. Click outside of the selection or click the "apply selection" button in the tools palette to make the selection part of the image.

Apply selection button

Leave Cutout

Leave cutout checkbox

When selected, the "Leave cutout" check button will leave a space in the
image where the selection was created. The cutout will be in the background
color, including transparency.

Ellipse Selection

To select an elliptical portion of an image, click the ellip selection tool, Ellip Selection image
See rectangular selection tool.

Free Selection

To select a free-hand portion of an image, click the free selection tool, Free Selection image
See rectangular selection tool.

Flood Fill

To flood fill, click the flood fill tool, color-fill.png

Rounded Rectangle

To draw a rounded rectangle, click the rounded rectangles tool rounded rectangle tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.
To rounded squares, press the control key (Ctrl) while dragging the mouse.
To create rounded squares from a corner, press the shift key (Shift) while dragging the mouse.
Note: Rounded Rectangle, attibutes are affected by 'Fill Properties'.

Polygon

To draw a polygon, click the polygon tool polygon tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.
Add lines by dragging the mouse.
Close the lines by right clicking on the image.

Note: Polygon, attibutes are affected by 'Fill Properties'.

Polyline

To draw a polyline, click the polylines tool polyline tool image
Select line width with the Line Width spin button.
Add lines by dragging the mouse.
Stop adding lines by right clicking on the image.

Curve

To draw a curve, click the curves tool curve tool image
  1. Click, and drag the mouse.
  2. Release the mouse, a line will be created.
  3. Edit the curve by dragging the handles on the ends of the line.
Note: After creating a curve, the curve is in a floating state. The curve is not part of the image in this state. If you save or print the image the curve will not be part of the image. Click outside of the curve's handles to make the curve part of the image.

curve handles

Fill Properties

The three Fill Properties toggle buttons affect the filling of shapes, polyline and text.


Colors

To select a foreground color, left click any of the color palette buttons.
To select a background color, right click any of the color palette buttons.

To edit the color palette, in the menu go to "Color" -> "Edit Colors"


Dibuja's Menu


File Menu

New Default Size• Creates a new image 600 x 400 px.
New At Size• Opens a dialog to create an image of a custom size.
Open• Shows the open file dialog.
Save• Saves changes to the current image.
Save As• Saves the current image as another file.
Take Snapshot Of Desktop• Takes a snapshot of the desktop (excluding the current Dibuja instance) and pastes it as a selection.
File Info• Shows a dialog with exif data and/or information on the current file
Page Setup• Opens the page setup dialog.
Print• Opens the print dialog
Quit• Quits Dibuja.

Edit Menu

Undo• Undoes the last edit to the image. The max undo level is 20 edits.
• If there was a selection created, it will be destroyed.
• If there was a curve created, it will be destroyed.
Redo• Redoes the last edit.
Open• Shows the open file dialog.
Copy• Copies to the clipboard the whole image, or the current selection.
Paste• Pastes a clipboard image as a selection.
Paste From File  • Opens a dialog to select an image to paste as a selection.
Clear• Clears the image with an option to keep undo history.

View Menu

Normal Size• Shows the image at the normal size.
Zoom In• Zooms into the image.
Zoom Out• Zooms the image out.
Toolbar• Shows or hides the toolbar.
Tools• Shows or hides the drawing tools.
Colors• Shows or hides the color palette.
Statusbar• Shows or hides the statusbar
Checkerboard Background• When checked, shows a checkerboard pattern for the transparent parts of an image, or a white background (when unchecked) for the transparent parts of an image.
Show Grid• Hides or shows a grid when the zoom level gets to 800% or more.

Image Menu

Flip Horizontally• Flips the image, or the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertically• Flips the image, or the current selection vertically.
Rotate 90° clockwise• Rotates the image, or the current selection clockwise 90 degrees.
Rotate 90° counter-clockwise• Rotates the image, or the current selection counter clockwise 90 degrees.
Rotate 180°• Rotates the image, or the current selection clockwise 180 degrees.
Rotate Custom• Opens a dialog to select the image's or the current selection's rotation angle.
Resize• Opens the resize dialog to resize the image, or the current selection.
Scale• Opens the scale dialog to scale the image, or the current selection.
Crop To Selection• Crops the image to the current selection.
Use Selection As Brush• Creates a brush from the current selection. See brushes.

Keyboard Shortcuts

File Menu
ctrl+n• Creates a new image 600 x 400 px.
shift+ctrl+n  • Opens a dialog to create an image of a custom size.
ctrl+o• Shows the open file dialog.
ctrl+s• Saves changes to the current image.
shift+ctrl+s• Saves the current image as another file.
alt+return• Shows a dialog with exif data and/or information on the current file
ctrl+p• Opens the print dialog
ctrl+q• Quits Dibuja.
 
Edit Menu
ctrl+z• Undoes the last edit to the image. The max undo level is 20 edits.
• If there was a selection created, it will be destroyed.
• If there was a curve created, it will be destroyed.
ctrl+y• Redoes the last edit.
ctrl+c• Copies to the clipboard the whole image, or the current selection.
ctrl+v• Pastes a clipboard image as a selection.
delete• Clears the image with an option to keep undo history.
shift+ctrl+v• Opens a dialog to select an image to paste as a selection.
 
View Menu
ctrl+1• Shows the image at the normal size.
+• Zooms into the image.
-• Zooms the image out.
%• Show the transparent parts of an image
  as a checkerboard pattern, or a white
  background.
#• Hides or shows a grid when the zoom level gets to 800% or more.
 
Drawing Tools
l• Selects the line tool
r• Selects the rectangle tool
e• Selects the ellipse tool
n• Selects the pencil tool
t• Selects the text tool
b• Selects the brush tool
s• Selects the selection tool
i• Selects the ellipse selection tool
m• Selects the free selection tool
f• Selects the flood fill tool
d• Selects the rounded rectangle tool
p• Selects the polygon tool
c• Selects the curve tool
y• Selects the polyline tool 

©2014 - 2023 Juan Balderas

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this      
document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,   
Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software   
Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts and  
no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the    
section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".