# What does the stabilizer sample count do?

**URL:** <https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884>\
**Category:** Basics & Interface\
**Tags:** painting-help, brushes-help, how-to-use\
**Created:** [September 15, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884 "2024-09-15T20:16:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/erisian/32/241933_2.png) [@Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/u/Erisian)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/1 "2024-09-15T20:16:36Z")

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I have discovered that you can reduce the delay of the brush stabilizer and gain control but I am wondering what the sample count does.

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**Author:** ![AhabGreybeard](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/ahabgreybeard/32/2969_2.png) [@AhabGreybeard](https://krita-artists.org/u/AhabGreybeard)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/2 "2024-09-15T20:33:54Z")

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As I understand it, the sample count is the number of samples of stylus events that are used for averaging the position readings of the stylus to give the calculated position of the cursor.  
If you increase the sample count then the line becomes much smoother but the drawn line lags behind the cursor before finally catching up with it when it slows down and then becomes stationary.

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**Author:** ![Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/erisian/32/241933_2.png) [@Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/u/Erisian)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/3 "2024-09-15T20:57:07Z")

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So in practice, it does something similar to the delay slider, just for a different reason?

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**Author:** ![AhabGreybeard](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/ahabgreybeard/32/2969_2.png) [@AhabGreybeard](https://krita-artists.org/u/AhabGreybeard)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/4 "2024-09-16T09:01:59Z")

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The Delay slider will prevent short range positional variations.

The Sample Count slider will prevent long range variations in a direction that is perpendicular to the general direction of cursor movement.  
In the same direction of cursor movement, the cursor eventually catches up with the stylus movement.

If you take them to small and then quite large values you can see the effects by trying different kinds of strokes with and without hand wobble on them.

How useful they are in practice, for any particular user, is a different matter and very subjective.

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**Author:** ![Takiro](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/takiro/32/209381_2.png) [@Takiro](https://krita-artists.org/u/Takiro)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/5 "2024-09-16T09:05:40Z")

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Only when you set the sample rate really high but the use is different. Delay is simply the size of the dead zone around the cursor, sample rate is the amount of samples in a certain time frame, the delay it introduces should only be noticable when the CPU can’t handle the averaging of too many points.

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**Author:** ![Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/user_avatar/krita-artists.org/erisian/32/241933_2.png) [@Erisian](https://krita-artists.org/u/Erisian)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/6 "2024-09-16T10:56:19Z")

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Thank you both. I will set the solution as @AhabGreybeard 's post but @Takiro helped me equally to understand.

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**Author:** ![system](https://krita-artists.org/uploads/default/original/1X/e446d8b3077ddf6dfb5b2cd65199c20095b47dcf.png) [@system](https://krita-artists.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://krita-artists.org/t/what-does-the-stabilizer-sample-count-do/101884/7 "2024-09-20T10:56:58Z")

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