FrankV

I am just thinking of something very simple. Nothing complex. Perhaps a forum page with some topic headings where users can post links to resources they found useful. Something like what thomaso did earlier in this thread with the suggestion for the two books. The user can put the link under a topic where they think it fits best. And perhaps include a note about why they like the reference and why it is helpful. Something like this works to keep references centralized and reasonably well organized for users to access easily. I have found this in other forums over the years and it is a real help and time saver.

Thanks very much for the additional information about other sources. My apologies for not being clear about " posting and maintaining a list of such resources". I meant to say that it would be ideal to have such a list as a part of the Affinity resources: tech support pages, forums, etc. For the reasons that you list: distinguishing between "edit", "develop", "image processing", etc., the process of searching these parameters is time consuming and the search results are dependent on a number of variables. Then there is the need to separate the good from the bad. All of it is very time consuming. IMHO, I think it would be a fantastic resource for the Affinity community of application users to have a central reference source posted for their use. New and seasoned Affinity software users all face the learning curve associated with whatever Affinity application they use. I think that for most users the primary goal is to create artistic output and to learn how to use the software as quickly and efficiently as possible. Reducing or eliminating the need to search for references, videos, text, etc, would smooth the process of learning the software. For instance, the references offered by everyone in this thread would ideally be added to a central reference repository for others in the future who have similar questions. Rather than spend time searching or having contributors repeat themselves, users could peruse the collection of contributions, organized by topic and software application -- one stop shopping, eliminating the need to wade through the internet. Let the wisdom and experience of the seasoned users be captured and shared in a central / organized fashion. Of course, the references would primarily target the various Affinity applications and not be an attempt to create an all encompassing knowledge base. Admittedly, there is a part of me that likes to learn about "image processing", "developing", "editing", etc., just for its own sake. However, when my artistic side comes out, he wants a cool photograph ... not an exercise in reference research. In any case, thanks for your input. I appreciate everyone's effort to help.

Thanks very much for your suggestions. Yes, that is very helpful. I have discovered Simon Foster on Udemy but have not come across the other sources. I will look at those also. Would someone consider posting and maintaining a list of such resources. I think it could be very helpful for newbies like me ... and be a more efficient way to inform users about educational resources. Again, thanks very much for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.

Just FYI for anyone who might be interested. I found several video training courses at www.udemy.com by typing in "affinity photo". Just beware of their pricing. When I first found the courses while using my tablet, the price for "new users only" was about $10 (U.S.). When I went to place an order from from my desktop computer 30 minutes later, the exact same course was listed at about $20. I placed the order from my tablet instead and got the $10 price. Also, there is a timer that runs as you browse the courses and it says that the "offer at this low price is only good for the next 5 hours". The timer counts down as you browse courses. If you exit the site, thoroughly clean your browser history and temp cache, the 5 hour countdown timer gets reset to 5 hours. So if you want to purchase a course, look at the site with different devices; laptop, tablet, desktop, etc. to find the $10 price. Also, try clearing your browser to reset the timer if you want to think about the purchase.

Thanks very much for the reply. I had tried both of your suggestions prior to posting, although I only looked at the Affinity help very quickly. Generally, I have found software help info to be mediocre at best so I wasn't motivated to spend much time with it. With your suggestion, I will look at it much more closely. Again, prior to posting, I tried a number of web searches and only found poor quality text / videos. With your recommendation, I expanded my search yesterday with multiple search engines and managed to find some useful content. Thanks again for your response. Knowing that you had found some useful content out there was a helpful motivator.

I am working in Affinity Photo and have the workbook and am using the video library to learn the program. However, I would like more background on the individual features to help me learn the "why" behind each tool choice and the workflow sequence. For instance, I would like to know the pros and cons of selecting a particular sharpening filter and the reason for implementing it at a particular stage of the workflow. Although the workbook and videos are very helpful, it would help me to know why things are being done in a particular order and why specific tools are being used. I am looking for something that moves significantly beyond a "recipe" approach for learning the program. Does anyone know of any references that explain the pros and cons of photo editing tools, and the reason for executing them in a particular order? The reference does not need to be specific to AP only. Thanks very much.