A_B_C

Hi All,
I’m pleased to say that we will be pushing 2.3 live to retail this morning. The beta versions were updated yesterday to the same build (2.3.0.2165) as detailed in Patrick’s post here. This means the beta versions are in effect exactly the same as the retail versions we will push so you can keep them installed if you wish. 
As always it’s been a pleasure working with you all on this release and cannot thank you enough for all the bug reports and other feedback you have given. I mentioned at the start of this beta we are working towards a shorter cadence between updates to help us release improvements and bug fixes sooner - and I hope you agree this has worked very well.
With that in mind we will be starting 2.4 beta very shortly (hopefully in just a couple of weeks). Looking forward to seeing you all on here for that!
Thanks again,
Ash

+1 for python. See the magic that happens with drawbot or nodebox

Hi folks,
I thought I'd give you a quick progress update and let you see some of things we've been working on at Serif Labs.  We now have a scripting core that we're reasonably happy with and have put together a little test area where we can run Javascript code, so I thought I'd show you some of that. Things to note:
This is all VERY early, like pre-pre-pre-alpha. The JS API is extremely fluid and is constantly changing. This is not how the Affinity suite will run scripts and plugins; it is just a sandbox window for internal testing. There is still a huge amount of work to be done. I can't provide any timescales for when scripting will be publicly released, for Beta or Retail. Constructive feedback is welcomed, but I won't be able to answer all questions - see previous points. I'm not claiming any of these examples are particularly useful on their own; they're just to demonstrate some basic scripting functionality. Re Javascript async - yes, we support it, I've just not recorded anything yet. The sleep calls are there for screen-recording purposes only. Here are some demos as low-res gifs. If you want to take a closer look, movs are attached.
Create a Mandelbrot image

Some dodgy physics

Insert a dragon curve

"Emojification" (translation?) of text

Create a grid of colours
 
Select and hide based on hue

Replay a document's edit history

mandelbrot.mov
balls.mov
dragon.mov
grid.mov
hue.mov
replay.mov
emoji.mov

Hi All,
Below is the list of all new feature and improvements which are included in the 2.3 beta (bug fix list is available here).
To learn more about these features please click on the link to go to each feature's dedicated post. To give feedback or report bugs against any of these features please reply to that same post (also check out bug reporting and feedback tips).
• Move Data Entry improvements
• New tags panel for adding Alt Text to images and objects
• Spiral Tool
• Ability to change Asset Panel background colour
• Fields now available in Find and Replace
• Pixel grid added
• "Keep selected" preference now available in Pencil Tool
• Create and place password protected PDFs
I should say in general we are now aiming to do slightly smaller updates more regularly than before so we can test and release in smaller chunks. This will allow us to get improvements and fixes out quicker, as well as having overall benefit to the stability of the apps.
The beta phase will now be shorter (4-6 weeks) for any update, and for that reason we will be avoiding any significant changes to functionality during beta as we focus on fixing bugs and correcting unintentional behaviour. This does mean that more of your improvement suggestions may need to wait until a future update (e.g. like some of the Move Data Entry suggestions you made during 2.2 beta which have now been added to 2.3), but please keep those suggestions coming!
Getting the 2.3 beta
If you have not enrolled into the beta program yet and would like to take part, you can do so here. This will immediately give you access to the latest 2.3 beta builds to try for yourself.
If you are already enrolled in the beta program you have two options:
1. If you still have the 2.2 beta installed, you can now run up those beta versions and you will be prompted to update them to the 2.3 beta.
2. If you have uninstalled the 2.2 beta, you will need to go back to Your Account -> Downloads and product keys and find your previous order for the Affinity Beta Software Program, and you can download the 2.3 beta from there.
Thanks,
Ash

This post covers the main bug fixes that are included in 2.2.1. The bug fixes are organised by operating system.
(A) Bug fixes which affected all platforms 
PDF export fails when document is set to Euroscale Coated V2 [AF-370] Swatches panel >When using a Bitmap fill with the Vector Brush, the fill bucket stays white but the brush will use the selected bitmap fill  Updated Help files (B) Bug fixes which affected Desktop (Windows and macOS)
Affinity apps potentially affected by the latest exploit in Google's WebP Library: CVE-2023-4863 [AF-207] CTRL running up one app with another open crashes the open app  Unable to correctly set colour profile in Document Setup > Colour [AF-360] Certain ICC Color profiles were not showing in Document Setup/Convert or Soft Proof  User file crashing on opening  (C) Bugs fixed which specifically affected Windows
Closing the FX dialog with no active documents open hard crashes app [AF-429] Stroke width value on context toolbar does not update whilst dragging slider [AF-68] Deleting Develop Preset crashes app, preset is not actually deleted. [AF-318] Certain profiles not showing in document setup/convert or Soft Proof  Windows "File is ready for archiving" flag is not getting set File > Save or "Save As..." [AF-637] (D) Bugs fixed which specifically affected macOS
Opening TIFF using ISO Coated V2 300% profile applied [AF-392] Changing the profile under Settings > Colour is not retained if an externally installed profile is selected [AF-369] After upgrading Backspace is not functional until assigned on Mac [AF-287] Send To shows in Settings > Shortcuts but not listed in File menu [AF-298] Deleting Artboard and selecting Keep Objects doesn't retain layers [AF-301] (E) Bugs fixed which specifically affected iPad
Live docs can disappear from the iPad apps. (potentially fix, but still not replicated internally) [AF-358] Text Labels Missing: Text panel > Character options > Positioning [AF-297] Affinity Windows applications include the fixes in lists (A)+(B)+(C)
(A) Bugs fixes affecting All Apps
+ (B) Bug fixes affecting desktop Apps
+ (C) those fixes affecting Windows Affinity macOS applications include the fixes in lists (A)+(B)+(D)
(A) Bugs fixes affecting All Apps
+ (B) Bug fixes affecting desktop Apps
+ (D) Bug fixes affecting macOS Affinity iPad applications include the fixes in list (A)+(E)
(A) Bugs fixes affecting All Apps
+ (E) Bug fixes affecting iPads. If you have reported a bug and it is not yet fixed, please do not report it again. More fixes will be made in the forthcoming 2.3 beta cycle.

We are pleased to announce Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2 and Affinity Publisher 2 are now all updated to version 2.2.1 (for all existing customers on all platforms).
Here are links to the release notes
Affinity Designer 2.2.1 for Windows               ( Microsoft Store and Affinity Store [as sandboxed MSIX and unsandboxed MSI/EXE] ) Affinity Designer 2.2.1 for macOS                  ( Mac App Store and Affinity Store ) Affinity Designer 2.2.1 for iOS                        ( Apple iPad Store )
  Affinity Photo 2.2.1 for Windows                    ( Microsoft Store and Affinity Store [as sandboxed MSIX and unsandboxed MSI/EXE] ) Affinity Photo 2.2.1 for macOS                       ( Mac App Store and Affinity Store )  Affinity Photo 2.2.1 for iOS                             ( Apple iPad Store ) 
  Affinity Publisher 2.2.1 for Windows              ( Microsoft Store and Affinity Store [as sandboxed MSIX and unsandboxed MSI/EXE] ) Affinity Publisher 2.2.1 for macOS                 ( Mac App Store and Affinity Store ) Affinity Publisher 2.2.1 for iOS                       ( Apple iPad Store )  Please follow this thread here to get notified when any new releases are made.

Congratulations to the new versions! The new features are awesome! It feels like everything is coming together. Keep up the great work, and grant yourself a little break now! You deserve it. 😀

Hi All,
We have just made 2.2 live across all App Stores and our website. As always, the feedback we have received from you all during this beta has been an incredible help in both shaping the new features as well as squashing many bugs!
The build we have released is the same as RC3 (build 2005), meaning for the time being whether you use the latest beta version or switch to using the release version they are the same. If you anticipate taking part in the next beta you may wish to keep your current beta version installed, as this will be updated on auto update when a new beta is available. This will either be a 2.2 patch if we feel one is needed, or moving straight onto a 2.3 beta.
It would be impossible for us to do what we do without your support, and I just wanted to say a huge thanks for everything you have contributed to this release.
All the best,
Ash

Any update to this getting fixed? It is still broken in the latest beta for Publisher. Basic functionality (Selecting objects) of the software is not working correctly. It very frustrating. I'm no professional developer but it doesn't seem like it would be that difficult of a fix as it is 100% replicable, to me it seems like a toggle was missed for the condition of cropped objects being selected on intersection when 'select on intersection with marquee' is enabled. 

Here's a list of some of the bugs which have been fixed in the beta build 2.2.0.1954
(fixes since the post above for 2.2.0.1931)
Please only reply in this forum to comment on any fixes which are in this list (in particular to let us know if you notice that something we say is fixed isn't!) To report any new bugs please do that against the relevant new feature post, or if unrelated to new functionality in the Other bugs & issues forum.
Changes/Bugs affecting all platforms
Add default shortcuts for fill with primary / secondary colour Margin Colour is not being reflected across dialogs when used with Artboards Insert Anchor dialog has lost 'Export as PDF Bookmark' string Misleading term in dialog text when deleting an entry on the Cross-References panel Transform origin can randomly jump into a different location [AFP-5197] When placing multiple items, desktop calls resulting panel Place Images, iPad calls it Place Insert Cross reference Dialog - add ability to edit a character style as well Running Headers set to use Last on Page shows as <Running Header> if there is no header on that page [AFB-8168] Index panel options for inserting special characters into separators insert a regular Tab when you select Right Indent Tab Dialog text when deleting a preset might suggest ability to export and import presets Colour Picker Tool: Auto-apply/Apply to Selection is now disabled by default [AFP-6303] Line preview disappears when repositioning node [AFD-6766] A custom field can be given the same name as a built-in field or an existing custom field Custom fields displaying UUID rather than name Copying custom text fields improved Replacing Missing Passthrough PDF documents can cause the Placed DPI/Dimensions to be incorrect (0x0 or -2147483648 dpi) [AFB-7893] Bugs affecting Desktop (Windows and macOS)
Find and Replace - Replace All with singular characters reduces multiple repeats to singular, different results with multiple Replace clicks [AFB-8088] Swedish double right quotation marks aren't kept on same line as enclosing word [AFB-7714] Transform Origin with multiple Group selections cause the Origin to become offset after the first rotation, further transforms of the origin point do not work as expected. [AFD-6606] Show on startup checkbox is present on Account dialog on Windows but not Mac Enabling 'From Data Merge' on an Anchor enables option for all previously created Anchors Data Entry: Add something to the Status bar to suggest pressing Enter calls the Data Entry dialog Move data entry - add rotation Move data entry - be able to initiate from other tools Alt/OPT + Modifier key no longer invokes when assigned to Increase/Decrease Brush size Shortcuts [AFP-6256] User .afpackage - Importing file claims 0 missing, though 90+ images are marked as missing after opening [AFB-8152]  Edit Hyperlink dialog can fail to show Character Style dropdown when editing Index entry hyperlinks [AFB-8184] Cross-References - search box to denote type of search Cross-References dialog search box Cross-reference preset is indicated to have been modified when input focus leaves 'End characters' field Cross references panel > Entries are top aligned if xref is coming from a table User File - Crash on load, possible corrupt pixel data? Enable Transform Origin point doesn't reset to centre when creating new selections [AFP-2702] Attached file crashes Affinity Publisher on open [AFB-8175] Space incorrectly gets added to text on clipboard if you double click a word to highlight [AFB-4947] Dragging and dropping index cross-references may not reorder them and can result in a self-referencing topic Users V1 file crashing on open [AFB-7449] Removing USB device mid save will force document to close Hang whilst attempting to save, if file hasn't fully loaded Index Panel's special character input dropdown is inconsistent between OS Placed source document dimensions are incorrectly updated after updating the placement policy in the destination document [AFB-8046] Copy and Pasting a text frame with a rogue index mark causes app to crash [AFB-8157] App doesn't warn about Recursive document placement when dragging a file in or using Resource Manager Previously Viewed Page's tooltip is Previously Viewed Spread [AFB-7913] On the Fields panel's Custom section, the button that adds a custom field is labelled differently across platforms Copy Text to Unicode format only copies the text after the last field. Deleting note in attached file causes app to crash Move Duplicate Entry dialog outline cannot handle multi-page documents correctly Bugs affecting Windows
Unable to save and replace a file if it's opened by another user Opacity cannot be changed using context toolbar fill selection if a PANTONE swatch is used. [AFB-8159] Colour Panel: In RGB Hex Sliders the full hex field does not apply to shape [PD-899] Settings > Autocorrect auto selects the first character typed, meaning further characters overwrite and you cannot type a full word [AFB-8010] When a cross-reference preset is modified, the preset's name is cleared rather than displaying '[modified]' Cross reference panel - Scroll bars hide status icon Drag and dropping image onto canvas places file on 'active' page, rather than 'visible' page [AFB-8100] 'Add Pages from File' does not relinquish control of source file, even after closing new destination document Updating linked pdf placed multiple times can cause a hang [AFB-7339] Corner type not updated when starting with TL corner [AFD-6722] Insert Hyperlink dialog fails to show all text styles until you view the Text Styles Panel Deleting a Custom Text Field can leave the variable's contents in the panel Typing into 'After Topic' in Index Panel can switch focus if you have a caret inside the index Cross References Text field gets formatted weirdly if you select a preset when the box is empty Move/Create Object data entry dialog appears through non-model dialogs Add ability to map zoom to = and - as well as + and - on the numpad [APL-1563] Bugs affecting macOS
Updating table of contents can break hyperlinks and cross-references With a document open, you cannot drag and drop to open a second file [AFB-7820] Develop persona > Shadows & highlights and White Balance auto-expand and sliders don't work [AFB-5602] When inserting a cross-reference and filtering the targets list, the list may not fully refresh until clicked Attempting to re-arrange toolbar can lead to app's window frame moving Add "Alt Delete" to node tool right click menu Error when saving to a drive with no access could be clearer Editing existing cross-reference does not always select the right target if it is an index mark Save failed because the file was already open by another application Cross-References dialog search box Bugs affecting iPad
Dialog for inserting or editing an anchor is oversized Group option not present on Edit menu in Photo Creating an insertion point in a text frame now (usually) requires a double-tap Connection Checker causes app to crash after closing Gradient tool tip on iPad is incorrectly labelled "Fill" Tapping an FX number value with an Apple Pencil will not bring up numeric input field Apple Pencil doesn't toggle vertical sliders options - Brush Tool On-screen keyboard allows insertion of Chapter Name subfield despite Books not being an iPad feature

Hi All,
A new beta build is rolling out now - version number 2.2.0.1954 - which will be available to you on auto update within the next hour.

We consider this build feature complete in terms of 2.2 release, with future beta builds now only including bug fixes or very minor tweaks.

Main changes in this build are:
Move data entry now includes rotation option. In object creation tools where Enter previously invoked the create dialog, this now always invokes the Move dialog. So for example in a shape tool, Enter now brings up the Move dialog. cmd / ctrl + click is what needs to be used to invoke shape data entry. We have added new default shortcuts in both the Photo and Pixel personas for fill with primary / secondary colour. We've added that to the Brush shortcuts feature description. Fill with primary colour: Alt + backspace Fill with secondary colour: cmd/Ctrl + backspace "Fit to curve delete node" option now added to the right click node menu (i.e. the same result as Alt-Delete) PDF password feature now removed Alt modifier to get hand in text tool now removed
  This build also includes many fixes.

Thanks,
Ash

People were getting along just fine doing graphics and publishing work for decades prior to personal computers showing up in the 1980's. 🙄

Variable Fonts are a technological improvement that provide a lot more flexibility to certain kinds of design tasks. They make certain results much easier to achieve or far better in visual quality. In the sign industry people like me frequently have to fit type elements into constrained spaces, such as an odd-shaped replacement face in a building sign cabinet. A type family with only a few styles will work only so well. Lots of hacks in this field simply don't care. They have the knee-jerk habit of styling a type object in Arial or some other commonly used default and then artificially squeezing or stretching it to fit. The results look horrible and very unprofessional. But like I said they don't care. A type "super family" with many weights and widths will provide more latitude for type objects to fit certain spaces better. A variable font with weight and width axes can allow someone to use axis sliders to fine tune the appearance of the type objects even better than the best static super families. The result is type that fits the layout perfectly with stroke proportions that still look natural. I can do other tricks with variable fonts, such as make natural looking large-capital/small-capital type treatments even if the typeface has no native small cap character set. All you have to do is use the weight slider to balance the thickness of the letter strokes. Lately most of the commercial font packages I've been buying have included variable fonts.

Just to repeat what I said earlier, more of Affinity Designer's rivals are supporting variable fonts and even SVG color fonts. Adobe Illustrator offers the best support of both formats. CorelDRAW has supported variable fonts in its past couple or so versions. Inkscape supports variable fonts. VectorStyler (similar in price to Affinity Designer) supports variable fonts and color fonts. Serif needs to be doing a little bit of "keeping up with the Joneses" in this category.

20 years ago I was hearing similar "nobody needs that" arguments regarding the advanced features of OpenType. Today anyone creating and selling commercial font packages has to include numerous OTF features otherwise the fonts aren't going to sell. We're not in the 1990's anymore.

My intent with my threads is to make Affinity apps have the best darn support for all fonts!
I have had the privilege to make videos and written tutorials on the offical FontLab Channel and website, teaching thousands of font designers.
I want to teach font designers to use Affinity Apps and make great fonts for your apps!
-----------------------------------
As I'm making fonts and trying them in Affinity, I'm finding a certain problem.
Alternate characters don't work correctly.
Currently, I am reporting this on a case by case basis.
Case by case is not optimal. First, I'm probably missing many problems.
Second, scattered problem reporting doesn't fix the underlying problem.
--------------------------------
There are essentially two main processes that make fonts work.
Font Renderer
The renderer takes the vector outlines and turns them into pixels.
Rendering can be visualized thus:

Different operating systems and programs have different renderers.
Microsoft uses ClearType (the example above). Apple uses Quartz. Adobe apps and Acrobat Reader use a proprietary rendering.
I'm not sure what renderer Affinity uses. (Or if it uses the default Microsoft or Apple system renderers.)
The renderer of Affinity seems to work fine. 👍
However Affinity has problems with the next process.
Font Interpreting (Text Shaping)
This does something entirely different.
The confusingly named interpreter (or text shaper) reads the feature code. For example, it reads this code from the font designer:

and changes it to this panel in Affinity:

Text shaping is the process of converting Unicode text to glyph indices and positions.
The specification which it reads can be found here
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/
The feature file specification is found here:
http://adobe-type-tools.github.io/afdko/OpenTypeFeatureFileSpecification.html
Interpreter Problems in Affinity
In Affinity GPOS LookType 8 doesn't work correctly. Also, GSUB LookupType 6 doesn't work correctly.
If you look at this page there are many more types of "Lookups".
I have not tested all of these. The basic ones seem to work. The more complex ones might not.
----------------------------
What Interpreter Does Affinity Use?
Not sure what interpreter Affinity uses. However, as shown above, it doesn't seem to be working correctly.
If it is a custom solution, it seems like it would be difficult to update.
What Would Be a Good Interpreter?
A good interpreter would be:
Widely used Updated on a regular basis Open source Easy to implement Widely Used
If you think about programming languages, when something is widely used AND widely used by large companies, it seems to stay around.
Harfbuzz seems to be widely used. It is used by these UI libraries (source😞
GNOME (GTK+ KDE (Qt) ChomeOS PlayStation 4 Android Java Flutter It is used directly in these apps:
Chromium Firefox LibreOffice Scribus Inkscape Adobe Photoshop Adobe inDesign (requires script to enable) Why Frequent Update?
Opentype is continually being developed, with frequent new versions. Unicode is updated every year.
If the feature interpreter doesn't get updated frequently, the app won't be able correctly use the newest fonts.
Harfbuzz seems to be updated frequently. There is an active community here: https://github.com/harfbuzz
Open Source?
Not sure. The license is found here https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/blob/main/COPYING
It seems to have originally been open source. It seems like there is attribution involved and some individual files have copyright notices.
Easy to Implement?
I don't know if Harfbuzz is easy to implement. I don't know much on the technical side of fonts.
I'm not connected in the font world as well as I want. However, I communicate on a regular basis with FontLab's Adam Twardoch. He originated Variable Fonts. He has been working on font technology since the early 90s.
I also know Laurence Penny, a founding member of MyFonts.com. He is also the proprietor of some websites for font developers, including this one for variable fonts. 
Between those people, I know that they could find someone to help you implement a solution like this. Or maybe any questions can be asked directly to the font people on Harfbuzz's GitHub.
Also, there might be other solutions out there.
Thank you for reading! Dave Lawrence, California Type Foundry

Very cool, but it would be even cooler if there was an option to add this as an effect or entity to the appearance panel like is done in Illustrator. This approach opens up many options for experimentation. 
Transform.mp4

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS and Windows
When in the move tool, as well as other object creation tools such as shapes, picture frames and artboard tool, pressing Return or Enter will now show a new dialog, allowing you to specify a precise distance you want to move your current selection. e.g. below I am moving the apple 100px to the left and 200px down. As you can see that also shows what it means in terms of what angle and distance that relates to. You can alternatively choose to manually specify distance and angle. 

The original position of the object is indicated with a light grey box.

In addition you can chose to duplicate the object to the new position, and also specify how many copies of it you want to make. In the below example I've moved the item 200px at a 45 degree angle and checked the duplicate box, and 5 copies. This results in a total of 6 apples.

 
As you are adjusting any of the values you will get a live preview of your result. You can choose to cancel the operation with the Cancel button (or Esc) or commit with the OK Button (or Return / Enter) or simply by clicking off the dialog.
The dialog will optionally remember it's previous values the next time you bring it up when you have "Previous Settings" checked, meaning you can move multiple objects one by one by the same amount (for example in a case where items are on different spreads / artboards or in other cases where achieving a multiple selection of them to begin with is difficult). A Reset button is also available to quickly zero all the values in the dialogs to start from scratch.

As well as manually typing the values in, you can also change them by click-drag on any of the labels, or using mouse roller when hovering over any of the input boxes.

Rotation

As has been requested during the beta of this feature we have now added the additional option of Rotation. This again makes it easy to rotate an object by a specific amount. It also opens up some useful options when used in combination with duplicate.

e.g. in the example below I have created a ring of 25 evenly spaced squares, by moving the transform origin of the square and choosing a rotation of 14.4 degrees with 24 copies. TIP: you don't need to get your calculator out as all of these fields accept equations. So in this case you could just type "360/25" in the Rotation field to work out 14.4 degrees is the required value.

You can also try playing with a rotation and distance step on duplicates for various effects. e.g. below a couple examples with a line and a star where copies are being stepped by both a distance and rotation:


 

These are snapping indicators. You can get rid of them by selecting Snapping from the Document menu (top left, document icon with ellipsis inside) and disabling Show snapping candidates. 

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that. My idea was not about slices or reading meta-data from files, but about utilizing a UI logic that is already available elsewhere in the application and works great, as far as it goes. If “Page Number”, “Section Name” etc. were available as variables that could be used for building expressions just as it is possible with the path name variables in path name expressions for slices, it would be possible to recreate many of the features that are available in the cross-references systems of applications like Indesign.
Think of it from a practical perspective. As Paolo said, when you have hundreds of cross-references all of which are supposed to follow a complex pattern like 
See chapter <chapter number>, “<chapter title>”, on page <page number> of volume <volume number>,  you will currently have to assign four (!) cross-references to create a single (!) instance of this pattern. That means, you will not end up with hundreds of cross-references, but with 4 times as much cross-references in your document.
And from a practical point of view, it should be obvious that this is a pain:
First off, your Cross-References Panel will become overcrowded, making navigation increasingly difficult. You will easily lose track of which entries belong to the same quadruple and represent a single instance of the cross-reference pattern above.   And secondly, the current non-complex approach creates a potential error source of first rank. The reason being, that for each instance of the example pattern above you will have to check four pointers to locations in your document instead of a single one, where each of the pointers can be set independently from the others. By logic and economy alone, it should be obvious that the correctness of a complex cross-reference following the pattern above should not be a function of four independent data points. So, please, give us a variable-based system from the outset. I have the impression that the target of a cross-reference is already handled internally as a complex set of data, for otherwise the user could not switch between the “Display as …” options. But if that is the case, it should be not too difficult to expose the elements of that data set to the user in the form of variables that can be used to build complex expressions. Please consider these arguments. 😀
As a side note, it would be fantastic if each of the variables could be associated with an individual character style. This way, we could, for instance, automatically format expressions that represent chapter headings (titles) in italic style, or similar. 😀

Ended up being a bit of a mix of styles which wasn't the idea.

So actually I've been told this should already be working. 

When doing the merge for picture frame content we try the field value as 
 * An absolute path
 * A path relative to the data source file
 * A path relative to the document file
 * A URL
In that order and take the first one that finds a file. `..` should also work as long as Publisher has sandbox permission for the folders involved. You will need the correct slash direction for the platform you're working on.

Edit: this is in the case of using a data merge field as the image for a picture frame. Hyperlinks to files currently do not support this relative path, but we are looking at it.

They probably could actually, might not be for 2.2 but we'll give it some thought.

Apps: Affinity Publisher
Platforms: All
On the Index panel, you'll find new options that provide increased control over the presentation of index entries.
In addition to being able to customise the words that precede cross-references within an index, five new options are available: After Topic, Between Items, Between Ranges, Before Refs, and After Ref.
Here's the Index panel, on which we've customised each separator's text.

In several cases, we've included spaces as well as visible characters. In fact, that's all the After Topic box contains.
Here's how our custom text looks in our publication's index.

Inserting special characters
Commonly used special characters are easily inserted into your custom separator text. On desktop, click the arrow at the left of the box. On iPad, tap the Insert icon at the top left of the on-screen keyboard.

Special characters can also be inserted using your operating system's feature for typing emoji and symbols, or by copying and pasting.

Hi All,

Below is the list of all new feature and improvements which are included in the 2.2 beta.
To learn more about these features please click on the link to go to each feature's dedicated post. To give feedback or report bugs against any of these features please reply to that same post (also check out bug reporting and feedback tips).
Features and improvements affecting all platforms
OCIO v2 Support (new in build 1931)
Custom text variables (new in build 1903)
Additional keyboard shortcuts for brush tools (new in build 1903)
Alt-click new layer automatically adds selection to that new layer (new in build 1903)
Cross References added to Affinity Publisher
Greyscale and no-FX view mode options added
Change guide colour
Long press tool shortcuts
Custom date formats available in Publisher
All supported image files now available from File->Open in Publisher
Find and replace includes scope and result count
Go to previously viewed spread
Create symbol option added to Layer Menu
Additional options when creating indexes
Windows and macOS features and improvements
Object creation data entry (new in build 1931)
Move data entry (new in build 1931)
Data merge allows fields to set URLs, File locations, emails and anchors (anchors new in build 1931)
Delete node added to right click menu
"Select All on Current Layer" option now available
Grid presets and favourite fonts now sync between apps on device
iPad features and improvements
Decimal place accuracy preferences added to iPad
"Prefer to keep selection" preference added


Getting the 2.2 beta
If you have not enrolled into the beta program yet and would like to take part, you can do so here. This will immediately give you access to the latest 2.2 beta builds to try for yourself.
If you are already enrolled in the beta program you have two options:
If you still have the 2.1 beta installed, you can now run up those beta versions and you will be prompted to update them to the 2.2 beta. If you have uninstalled the 2.1 beta, you will need to go back to Your Account -> Downloads and product keys and find your previous order for the Affinity Beta Software Program, and you can download the 2.2 beta from there. Thanks,
Ash

Apps: Publisher
Platforms: All
For any date fields you can now apply your own custom formats to them. For example below a current date & time field has been added. If you right click on the field / long press on iPad and choose "Edit Field" you will now have the option to switch between preset formats, or include your own custom format:

 
There is a lot of flexibility available, the full list of format date field characters available is below:
 
Symbol Meaning Pattern Example Output Notes G era designator G, GG, or GGG
GGGG
GGGGG AD
Anno Domini
A y year yy
y or yyyy 23
2023 Q quarter Q
QQ
QQQ
QQQQ
QQQQQ 2
02
Q2
2nd quarter
2 M month in year M
MM
MMM
MMMM
MMMMM 9
09
Sep
September
S L stand-alone month in year L
LL
LLL
LLLL
LLLLL 9
09
Sep
September
S Some languages depending on the context will require a different spelling of the month. These can be accessed using these. For example in Polish MMMM will give you lipca for July, but LLLL will give lipiec. w week of year w
27
W week of month W 2 d day in month d
dd 2
02 D day of year D 184 F day of week in month F 2 (2nd Wed in July) E day of week E, EE, or EEE
EEEE
EEEEE
EEEEEE Tue
Tuesday
T
Tu e local day of week
e or ee
eee
eeee
eeeee
eeeeee 2
Tue
Tuesday
T
Tu i.e in the US a Monday will be 2, as a week starts on Sunday. Where as in the UK a Monday will be 1 as the week starts on Monday a AM or PM a, aa, or aaa
aaaaa PM 
p B Flexible time periods B, BB, BBB,BBBB or BBBBB at night i.e in the morning/in the afternoon/at night/noon h hour in am/pm (1~12) h
hh 1 or 12
01 or 12 H hour in day (0~23) H
HH 0 or 23
00 or 23 k hour in day (1~24) k
kk 1 or 24
01 or 24 K hour in am/pm (0~11) K
KK 0 or 11
00 or 11 m minute in hour m
mm 8 or 59
08 or 59 s second in minute s
ss 5 or 59
05 or 59 z Short/Long Timezone z, zz, or zzz
zzzz BST
British Summer Time O Time Zone: short localized GMT
Time Zone: long localized GMT O
OOOO GMT-8
GMT-08:00 V Time Zone: short time zone ID
Time Zone: long time zone ID
Time Zone: time zone exemplar city
Time Zone: generic location V
VV
VVV
VVVV gblon
Europe/London
London
United Kingdom Time x Time Zone: ISO8601 basic hm
Time Zone: ISO8601 basic hm
Time Zone: ISO8601 extended hm
x
xx
xxx

+01, -0930
+0100, -0930

' escape for text 'Today is' EEEE Today is Tuesday Must surround the text you wish to input with apostrophes ' ' two single quotes produce one 'Today''s date is' dd/MM/yyyy Today’s date is 03/07/2023

If you use a custom numbering format as shown here it should be possible to fashion this if you use the list number field in the cross reference.
 
You do have to have some other text than what is in the list number to get them listed so scope for an improvement there

Apps: Affinity Publisher
Platforms: All
The ability to insert cross-references from one part of a document to another—for example, "For more information, see page 24"—has been added to Affinity Publisher.
Cross-references are managed on the Cross-References Panel (Window > References > Cross-References).

To insert a cross-reference, create an insertion point in a text object, and then click 'Insert Cross-Reference' (the circled plus symbol) at the lower-right of the panel. Inserting a cross-reference is also available from the right click menu when you are editing text. On the resulting dialog:
- Select the cross-reference's target, which can be an existing anchor, paragraph or index marker.
- Specify the text to be displayed by the cross-reference.
- Optionally, apply formatting and limit the amount of quoted text displayed by any field you've inserted into the display text.

Selecting a target
Use the upper part of the dialog to select a target. Choose the target's type (Anchor, Paragraph, or Index Marker) and then select the required target in the list below.
If too many targets are listed, use the Filter text and Filter style options to limit what's listed based on target text and/or paragraph style.
Specifying what a cross-reference displays
The Text option specifies what your cross-reference will display This can be a simple attribute of the target, such as its page number or quoted text, or you can enter complete phrasing into the box, e.g. "For further information, see 'Deciduous varieties' on page 264".
Click the downward-pointing arrow at the field's upper-left corner to insert an attribute of the target or a commonly used special character.

Using presets
Phrases can be saved as presets for use across all your documents. Presets also ensure your cross-references adhere to a publication's style guides.
Fields in cross-references are automatically hyperlinked to their target when you export to PDF.
Limiting quoted text
Character style and other formatting options in the lower part of the dialog become available when the insertion point is immediately before or after a field, or when a text selection encompasses a field. (If more than one field is selected, the formatting options affect only the first one.)
The Page Number, Above/Below and List/Note Number fields display the corresponding attribute's value in full. All other fields display text that might be lengthy, such as a full paragraph. Use the 'Limit displayed length' option to restrict them to a sensible amount of text.
Quoted text can be limited to a number of words or the first instance of an 'end character', whichever occurs soonest. You can also choose whether to include an ellipsis or encountered end character in your cross-reference.
More about the Cross-References panel
When you insert a cross-reference to a paragraph, Affinity Publisher creates an anchor at the paragraph's start and uses that as the target. You can rename the anchor, if you wish, via the Anchors Panel.
The Source Spread option allows you to narrow the scope of cross-references listed on the panel, e.g. to the current spread or a specific spread.
With the insertion point at a cross-reference or target in document text, options at the foot of the panel allow you to instantly focus the document view on its counterpart.
Finally, changes to a document may result in out-of-date values in cross-references. For example, changing pagination, section names, or paragraph text at a target. The foot of the panel also includes options to update them individually or all at once.
We would love you to try out this new feature. Let us know what you think of it, or if you encounter any bugs or unexpected results.