Adding tools in Clip Studio Paint typically involves managing your tool palettes and their associated sub tools. While the process for adding entirely new tool categories might involve importing assets, users commonly add or customize existing sub tools or import brush sets which add new sub tools.
When you add a new sub tool, especially if you are adding a version of one you already have, Clip Studio Paint helps you keep them organized. According to the reference, if you already possess a sub tool and add a new one of the same type, it will automatically be assigned an incremented number.
For example:
- If you add another G-Pen sub tool, it might be named G-Pen 2.
After adding a sub tool in this manner, you are free to customize it. You can rename it to something more descriptive and change its various settings to suit your specific artistic needs. This allows you to create multiple variations of a single tool type, each with unique properties like brush shape, size dynamics, texture, and more.
Understanding Tools vs. Sub Tools
In Clip Studio Paint, tools are organized heirarchically:
- Tool Palettes: These are the main categories you see in the Tool window (e.g., Pen, Pencil, Brush, Eraser, Fill, etc.).
- Sub Tool Palettes: When you select a tool from the Tool palette, the Sub Tool palette displays different variations or types within that category (e.g., selecting the Pen tool shows G-Pen, Mapping Pen, Marker Pen, etc.).
- Sub Tools: The individual items listed in the Sub Tool palette are the specific tools you use (e.g., "G-Pen" is a sub tool).
Adding a "tool" often means adding a sub tool – either a default one you might have removed, a duplicate you want to modify, or one imported from a material or asset pack.
How to Add or Manage Sub Tools (General Concepts)
While the provided reference highlights the naming convention for new sub tools, the general ways to add or manage them include:
- Adding Default Sub Tools: You can often restore default sub tools that might have been removed. This is usually done through the Sub Tool palette menu options, like "Add default sub tool".
- Duplicating Sub Tools: You can duplicate an existing sub tool to create a base for a new, customized version. The reference's point about incremented numbering (like G-Pen 2) is particularly relevant here, as duplicating and then modifying is a common workflow.
- Importing Sub Tools: Many artists download brush packs (.sut files) or materials from the Clip Studio Assets store. These assets often contain new sub tools that you can import directly into your Sub Tool palettes.
- Retrieving Deleted Tools: As suggested by the reference video title, Clip Studio Paint offers ways to retrieve tools or sub tools that you may have accidentally deleted. This process typically involves accessing settings or menus related to managing tool palettes or restoring defaults.
Once a sub tool is added or duplicated, you can access its Tool Property and Sub Tool Detail palettes to adjust its settings, rename it, and truly make it your own.
