FireAlpaca SE 3.0 -
New brush engine and compelling multi-thread performance
Coming out in Spring 2025
Newly developed
brush engine
FireAlpaca3.0 has a brand new brush engine along with many options, so that it enables extremely versatile brush expressions.
Improved brush features
Simultaneous synthesizing of 3 strokes
By applying 3 strokes such as clipping, mask blending, etc., you can create a brand new unique stroke.
Intricate brush tip expression
You can assign 'round', 'material', or 'path (SVG path) to the brush tip, and combining them will enable to create an intricate expression.
Stipple function
You can set up not to overlap a new stroke over an existing stroke. Your imagination will create a unique expression.
Improved watercolor parameter
Watercolor parameter has been improved tremendously, which enables to create even more realistic watercolor expression.
Introduction of
never-seen-before brushes
Offering a convenience
Larger number of cores makes speed faster
FireAlpaca SE 3.0 is equipped with tremendously improved multi-thread processing by uniquely developing and implementing the multi-thread library and parallel allocator.
CPU load dispersion by many core processing.
Utilize the machine performance to the maximum.
| FireAlpaca SE 3.0 |
Company C Product C ver 3.2.0 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Reading in a standard file | 0.67 s | 3.66 s |
| Layer Deformation Preview | 17 ms | 213 ms |
| Hue Filter Preview | 87 ms | 527 ms |
| Canvas Memory Usage (After using Hand Tool) |
3,708 MB | 8,612 MB |
Supervising
Editor
refeia
A professional illustrator since 2006 after working in the auto industry. Worked as an illustrator for the illustrated book called "Adorable illustration textbook" series, games, and young adult novels. Also writes a review on the illustration tools periodically in the major medium.
Environment
Core i7-14700, 16GB Memory DDR5 / FHD
Device
collaboration
New filter system
「MFG」
(Modern Filter-language for GPU)
In the past, a complied library such as DLL needed to be added as a plug-in in order to add a filter. This method requires preparing a separate library per OS, however some OS doesn't allow to add such library. MFG generates the optimized shader order per OS by writing a filter in the dedicated language. From one source code (filter processing MFG code), it enables the filter processing by utilizing the GPU performance. Without requiring the developing environment, the high-speed processing filter can be developed and added.
MFG summary
Based on MFG code Execute filter after converted to DirectX shader in Windows environment. Execute filter after converted to Metal shader in mac OS environment. Innovative specification converted to a separate GPU program between Windows and macOS environments.
Construct filter system
optimized by GPU
Newly developed
standard file format
The current standard image format, MDP, being used in FireAlpaca has an image format with 20 years history. It has been improved per the needs and requests, however it is difficult to implement a drastic improvement. Therefore FireAlpaca SE 3.0 is adopting the brand new standard image format.
Secure and efficient saving format.
For the safer production environment.
The complete multi-thread support for read-in and write-in has been implemented. Low load by the difference saving method enables nigh-speed saving comparing to the ordinary MDP.
Experience the world of 16-bit color
Each channel's ARGB value becomes 65536 levels from 256 levels. (*)
It is durable against editing and enables delicate color expression.
*when 16-bit/ch mode is enabled.
