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Grease Pencil to Curves

by DadsCastle·Modeling

Images © DadsCastle. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Grease Pencil to Curves earns its place in the blender_extensions library by folding several manual conversion steps into one menu. Keep in mind that the Smooth and Simplify modifiers are non-destructive, so apply them before running the conversion.

What is Grease Pencil to Curves?

Grease Pencil to Curves converts strokes drawn with the Grease Pencil into curve objects using a single button, smoothing the lines and reducing the number of vertices along the way. Each Grease Pencil layer becomes its own separate curve, and the add-on menu sits in the N-Panel under the "GP to Curves" tab.

Beyond plain curves, it can turn a resulting curve into a hair curve attached to a selected mesh surface with one click, so multiple strokes become hair curves already aligned to the surface for a head start on grooming. Options cover curve type, smoothing, and decimation, and you can resample the generated curves to add points.

From v0.4.3, the smoothing menu was replaced with a button that invokes the Grease Pencil Smooth modifier, and a Simplify modifier button lets you adjust the reduction of curve spline vertices. Because both are non-destructive, you need to apply them before converting to a curve. A demo video is available from the developer, and the extension requires no special permissions.

Who is Grease Pencil to Curves best for?

Grease Pencil to Curves is best for blender artists converting Grease Pencil strokes into curve objects or hair curves, and anyone laying out a base curve for geometry node applications or an initial shape for hair curves.

How much does Grease Pencil to Curves cost?

Grease Pencil to Curves is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • One-button conversion of Grease Pencil strokes into curve objects
  • Each Grease Pencil layer creates a separate curve object
  • One-click conversion of a resulting curve into a hair curve attached to a selected mesh surface, aligned to the surface
  • Options for curve type, smoothing, and decimation
  • Resample generated curves to increase points
  • Button to invoke the Grease Pencil Smooth modifier and a Simplify modifier button for reducing spline vertices
  • Add-on menu in the N-Panel "GP to Curves" tab

Tags

#Grease Pencil#curves#hair curves#curve conversion#grooming#Blender add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does Grease Pencil to Curves work with Blender 4.3 and newer?

Grease Pencil to Curves is compatible with Blender 4.3 and newer, and it works with Blender 4.5 and 5.01. For Blender 4.2 and below, use version 0.1.2 instead. Blender 4.3 compatibility was added in version 0.4.3, and the current release is 0.4.5. If the add-on options do not appear after installing, check the N-Panel rather than the Object menu, since that is where the menu lives under the "GP to Curves" tab.

Do I need to apply the Smooth modifier before converting in Grease Pencil to Curves?

Grease Pencil to Curves requires you to apply the smoothing modifier before converting to a curve, because it is a non-destructive modifier. From version 0.4.3, the smoothing menu was replaced with a button that invokes the Grease Pencil Smooth modifier, found in the Modifier Properties panel. The same applies to the Simplify modifier button used to reduce the number of curve spline vertices, so apply it first as well.

Where does the Grease Pencil to Curves menu appear in Blender?

Grease Pencil to Curves places its menu in the N-Panel. In version 0.4.5 the tab was changed to "GP to Curves", where it was previously found under the Edit tab. If you are looking on the Object menu you will not find it, since all of the add-on's options are housed in that N-Panel tab. From there you can convert strokes, adjust settings, and attach hair curves without hunting through separate Blender menus and modes.

Can Grease Pencil to Curves make hair curves that snap to a mesh surface?

Grease Pencil to Curves can convert a resulting curve into a hair curve attached to a selected mesh surface with a single click. This lets you turn multiple Grease Pencil strokes into hair curves that are already aligned to the surface, giving you a head start in grooming. It works well for geometry node applications that need a base curve and for laying out an initial shape for hair curves, so you can rough out grooms directly from drawn strokes.

Is Grease Pencil to Curves free, and what license does it use?

Grease Pencil to Curves is listed as free here, and it is distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. The extension does not require special permissions to run. For current licensing details, check the developer's page at dadscastle.gumroad.com/l/pkrsc. The add-on combines the conversion, smoothing, and hair-curve steps into a single N-Panel menu, so you can convert Grease Pencil strokes to curves without stepping through Blender's separate menus and modes each time.

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