CELSYS has just updated Clip Studio Paint to version 1.9.9

The headlining features revolve around easier ways to edit vector curves.

Continuous Curve tool with the Cubic Bezier curve type selected.

Note that we've always been able to use Bezier curves in CSP, both on regular raster layers and vector layers. What they've added is "Improved editing".

We'll run through some of the important new editing and interface features below.

Update : 1.9.10 Patch

Using [Free Transform] with the [Object] tool on vector selections (selections of strokes in a Vector layer) was broken in 1.9.9.

This was fixed in 1.9.10. If you use this, make sure your Clip Studio Paint is updated to the latest.

New Appearance

First off, they improved how the curve paths are shown. The old style was red lines and very small, non-standard-looking handles. Even 5 years ago, these looked outdated, and don't look like they'd act they way you expect. But I imagine it looks especially out of place in iOS to new users.

The new style now uses circles for handles which should play into modern expectations.

Old style (on high DPI)
New Style

Cubic Beziers also now have a path and tangent preview before you're able to place the start and end points.

These changes affect the Polyline select tool too, which now lets you see the points and use the new modifier keys for editing.

Polyline selection tool with now-visible vertices and new vector editing features.

These visual changes also affects things like Gradient Layers. The starting point is denoted by a plus sign now with a white border which improves visibility.

Handle size

You can also now choose a Handle size in the Preferences menu under Tool. This is applied to things like rulers and vector paths.

New Modifier Key Combos

They added a bunch of new editing keyboard modifiers which gives it more parity with Adobe's vector shortcuts, and even gives additional, very useful shortcuts.

When drawing any curve:

  • drag + SHIFT to change the rotation angle in increments. (the increment is controlled by the Step of angle setting on your subtool.)

While drawing a Continuous Curve (some of these apply to frame borders, balloons and rulers too):

  • drag + ALT – to make a new sharp corner (not make the tangents colinear)
    • releasing ALT before releasing drag cancels the sharp corner
  • drag + SPACEBAR to move all the handles of a new point after you've started dragging
  • click and drag on parts of the curve you've already drawn to add control points.
  • click on an existing anchor point to delete it
  • CTRL + drag on an existing control point to move it
  • ALT + drag on an existing direction point to move it independent of the other direction point (not make the tangents colinear, turn the point into a sharp corner)
  • ALT + drag on an existing anchor point to redrag its tangents (use this to make the tangents colinear again, turn the point into a smooth bend)
  • You can confirm/finalize an open shape by doing any of the following
    • CTRL+click on an empty space
    • Click outside the canvas window (eg, click on the layers palette, or the title bar)
    • Double-click/double-tap. (Can be changed. Preferences window>Tool>Confirm shape with double-click or double-tap checkbox)

These new shortcuts don't only mean that you can be a little more careful with Vector Layers. They also mean you can fine-tune your vector/continuous path shapes and correct mistakes in regular Raster layers, rather than having to go back and undo and start over if you just make one mistake.

Other neat stuff

"Paste to shown position" now pastes the clipboard contents to the center of your canvas view.

The new command Edit>Paste to shown position lets you paste in the middle of your current window's view, instead of on the top-left of the document canvas, or in place if it was copied from Clip Studio Paint.

A very welcome quality-of-life feature, though I'd probably prefer it if this was the default for when the clipboard contents come from outside the program (and doesn't have position information). I'm running out of keyboard shortcuts and rarely ever need things pasted on the upper left of the canvas.

According to the release notes, closing vector shapes starting and ending points "will now connect in a more natural way than before". I tried to compare 1.9.7 and 1.9.9 and I couldn't tell the difference but there might be something to it?

Release notes and download link

As always, this is just an overview of salient stuff. There may be more obscure things you didn't expect in their release notes— though this one in particular seems to be really repetitive. Maybe they're not on their usual setup to QA their documentation right now.

So here's their release notes: https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/release_note_old#199

Clip Studio Paint does not auto-update. You have to choose to update by going to their download page and installing the new version. Settings and customizations will be retained if you have an existing installation.

Download page: https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl