Davide.Barranca

Hi,
technical authors – myself included – may need to design books that include programming code (C++, JavaScript, Python, you name it) with proper syntax highlighting. As discussed at length in this thread, copy & paste from the code editor (e.g. Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Atom, etc.) to a Text Frame doesn't work. Besides, it seems that Edit > Paste Special is a Win only feature of Publisher.
The one workaround available involves an intermediate step:
Copy from the code editor. Paste to an application such as Word, Apple Pages, LibreOffice. Copy from Word/Pages/etc. and paste to Publisher text frame. This way, as far as I get, the proper Rich Text information is preserved. Although the process works, the extra step is not only tedious, but doesn't scale up when the book contains a good deal of code samples that must be maintained in an easier, faster fashion.
It would be much handier to have the option to either select a portion of text in a Text Frame and assign the Language (programming language) that automatically triggers the appropriate syntax highlighting. Or have a Code Text Frame as a separate tool altogether, with properties, options and such.
Thank you!
Davide Barranca

A-HA!!
By Jove, I got it 😄 

Thank you all, the video was especially helpful.

Perhaps this will give you some pointers.

2023-10-21 12-15-04.mp4    

FYI, I've added some extra comments and feat. requests related (mainly, but not exclusively) to the Color Correction / Prepress business here:
 
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/25530-color-correction-prepress-missing-tools/
 
Besides automation and Apply Image, the 10 channels palette would be a game changer IMHO.
Thank you
 
–Davide

I'm afraid the missing Channel Blending feature (Apply/Calculations among channels of the same image, not involving saving duplicate copies) is a sad show stopper for anybody who does Color Correction and Prepress.
It's such a crucial and established technique that not being able to use it (or requiring so many time consuming extra steps, which is equal to: not being able to use it in production) is a wall I can't work around, alas.

I've replied privately to stingOM, but I'd like to post here as well FYI.
The product we're talking about is made of a scriptable C++ plugin that relies on a CEP Panel for the GUI/internal logic, hence it is not portable to the Affinity ecosystem (yet, at least).
As I've made clear elsewhere, many PS developers are eager to build products for Affinity, as soon as the technology will be ready. To date, it's not clear which shape or form it's going to have.
Best regards
Davide Barranca
cc-extensions.com
davidebarranca.com
 

Hi,
on a regular basis I check Affinity Photo to asses how close it has become to a viable alternative for Color Correction / Prepress production jobs. People in this business (including friends and colleagues of mine, worldwide) tend to use an established set of techniques, which in turn require tools – not many, to tell the truth: we could be using Photoshop CS4 and do 99% of what's needed to get the job done.
 
FYI, what would make legions to operators switch to AP (but AP still misses) in my opinion are:
 
1. A proper set of Channel Blending tools, namely: Apply Image working on the open image's own channels: e.g. apply the Red to the Green, Lighten mode, 50% opacity. We use Channel Blending on ~80% of all images we work on. Calculations is handy too, but Apply Image would be OK.
 
2. A proper automation system: Macros are the first step, scripting is the second (I know there already are topics on this so I'll just mention it). Production doesn't only mean batch processing, but also dedicated script that can automate hundreds of steps based on each image's features.
 
The two above are, I would say, mandatory for people in my business. Which includes also savvy retouchers. A delightful extra, instead, as follows.
 
The AP team already gifted us with a true gem: Curves in RGB, Lab and CMYK – at the same time. What would obviously follow (at least for a color correction twisted mind) is a Channel Palette displaying at the same time R, G, B, C, M, Y, K, L, a, b, 10 channels. This, combined with Apply Image working on channels would make us drool and set on fire existing subscriptions.
 
I'm sure the engineering team has its own, well defined, priorities: my intention is to put to your attention what are the needs of some professionals in the imaging business.
 
Thanks for your attention and best regards,
 
Davide Barranca

At some point the Devs mentioned that affinity is node based inside and they might expose this at some point somewhere
 
Channel blending would be much better with a node based approach like in other more advanced node based video editing tools, much more flexible than the simple destructive approach

Hi,
on a regular basis I check Affinity Photo to asses how close it has become to a viable alternative for Color Correction / Prepress production jobs. People in this business (including friends and colleagues of mine, worldwide) tend to use an established set of techniques, which in turn require tools – not many, to tell the truth: we could be using Photoshop CS4 and do 99% of what's needed to get the job done.
 
FYI, what would make legions to operators switch to AP (but AP still misses) in my opinion are:
 
1. A proper set of Channel Blending tools, namely: Apply Image working on the open image's own channels: e.g. apply the Red to the Green, Lighten mode, 50% opacity. We use Channel Blending on ~80% of all images we work on. Calculations is handy too, but Apply Image would be OK.
 
2. A proper automation system: Macros are the first step, scripting is the second (I know there already are topics on this so I'll just mention it). Production doesn't only mean batch processing, but also dedicated script that can automate hundreds of steps based on each image's features.
 
The two above are, I would say, mandatory for people in my business. Which includes also savvy retouchers. A delightful extra, instead, as follows.
 
The AP team already gifted us with a true gem: Curves in RGB, Lab and CMYK – at the same time. What would obviously follow (at least for a color correction twisted mind) is a Channel Palette displaying at the same time R, G, B, C, M, Y, K, L, a, b, 10 channels. This, combined with Apply Image working on channels would make us drool and set on fire existing subscriptions.
 
I'm sure the engineering team has its own, well defined, priorities: my intention is to put to your attention what are the needs of some professionals in the imaging business.
 
Thanks for your attention and best regards,
 
Davide Barranca

Hi!
 
First message for me, but on a topic I really care.
 
Davide 1st point is deeply rooted (and needed) in education and training. To be able to deconstruct an image, in channels, to blend its parts, helps trainee understanding. And it is such a powerful and handy feature to work with (and it is so basic it is open for newbies).
 
I'm waiting for Win version to see if it will be possible to switch to Affinity Photo, it seems on paper a better deal for my students.
 
If developing will continue at this pace, and we will be able to tell our stories (and be listened) this will be the best tool for us.
 
Thank you for your hard work!
 
Daniele

Hi,
on a regular basis I check Affinity Photo to asses how close it has become to a viable alternative for Color Correction / Prepress production jobs. People in this business (including friends and colleagues of mine, worldwide) tend to use an established set of techniques, which in turn require tools – not many, to tell the truth: we could be using Photoshop CS4 and do 99% of what's needed to get the job done.
 
FYI, what would make legions to operators switch to AP (but AP still misses) in my opinion are:
 
1. A proper set of Channel Blending tools, namely: Apply Image working on the open image's own channels: e.g. apply the Red to the Green, Lighten mode, 50% opacity. We use Channel Blending on ~80% of all images we work on. Calculations is handy too, but Apply Image would be OK.
 
2. A proper automation system: Macros are the first step, scripting is the second (I know there already are topics on this so I'll just mention it). Production doesn't only mean batch processing, but also dedicated script that can automate hundreds of steps based on each image's features.
 
The two above are, I would say, mandatory for people in my business. Which includes also savvy retouchers. A delightful extra, instead, as follows.
 
The AP team already gifted us with a true gem: Curves in RGB, Lab and CMYK – at the same time. What would obviously follow (at least for a color correction twisted mind) is a Channel Palette displaying at the same time R, G, B, C, M, Y, K, L, a, b, 10 channels. This, combined with Apply Image working on channels would make us drool and set on fire existing subscriptions.
 
I'm sure the engineering team has its own, well defined, priorities: my intention is to put to your attention what are the needs of some professionals in the imaging business.
 
Thanks for your attention and best regards,
 
Davide Barranca

Hi,
on a regular basis I check Affinity Photo to asses how close it has become to a viable alternative for Color Correction / Prepress production jobs. People in this business (including friends and colleagues of mine, worldwide) tend to use an established set of techniques, which in turn require tools – not many, to tell the truth: we could be using Photoshop CS4 and do 99% of what's needed to get the job done.
 
FYI, what would make legions to operators switch to AP (but AP still misses) in my opinion are:
 
1. A proper set of Channel Blending tools, namely: Apply Image working on the open image's own channels: e.g. apply the Red to the Green, Lighten mode, 50% opacity. We use Channel Blending on ~80% of all images we work on. Calculations is handy too, but Apply Image would be OK.
 
2. A proper automation system: Macros are the first step, scripting is the second (I know there already are topics on this so I'll just mention it). Production doesn't only mean batch processing, but also dedicated script that can automate hundreds of steps based on each image's features.
 
The two above are, I would say, mandatory for people in my business. Which includes also savvy retouchers. A delightful extra, instead, as follows.
 
The AP team already gifted us with a true gem: Curves in RGB, Lab and CMYK – at the same time. What would obviously follow (at least for a color correction twisted mind) is a Channel Palette displaying at the same time R, G, B, C, M, Y, K, L, a, b, 10 channels. This, combined with Apply Image working on channels would make us drool and set on fire existing subscriptions.
 
I'm sure the engineering team has its own, well defined, priorities: my intention is to put to your attention what are the needs of some professionals in the imaging business.
 
Thanks for your attention and best regards,
 
Davide Barranca

Hi,
there's a Plugin for PS (Windows only) called Curvemeister which allows to Curve in different colorspaces.
E.g. the document is RGB, the Curves dialog shows the usual RGB Composite + R, G, B channels and L, a, b, and C, M, Y, K (which channels are calculated on the fly).
 
In PrePress it's quite usual to switch carelessly from one colorspace to another to exploit each colorspace peculiar features. The multi-colorspace Curving could be implemented, say, only when the document is converted to Lab (so that you're already in a device-independend space, which saves you a conversion).
 
Thank you,
 
Davide Barranca 

Hi,
there's a Plugin for PS (Windows only) called Curvemeister which allows to Curve in different colorspaces.
E.g. the document is RGB, the Curves dialog shows the usual RGB Composite + R, G, B channels and L, a, b, and C, M, Y, K (which channels are calculated on the fly).
 
In PrePress it's quite usual to switch carelessly from one colorspace to another to exploit each colorspace peculiar features. The multi-colorspace Curving could be implemented, say, only when the document is converted to Lab (so that you're already in a device-independend space, which saves you a conversion).
 
Thank you,
 
Davide Barranca