ATP

Feature Request for QR Code Creation...
The QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports Quiet Zone Border Modules.
It would be great if an option could be added to both the Create QR Code tool and the context toolbar so a Quiet Zone Border Module value could be specified whether using either a Module value or a value based on the currently selected Affinity UOM...
It's a bit of a pain having to manually add a Quiet Zone Border to a QR Code so the proposal is this... 

 

For anyone who may be interested, in addition to the options provided with the initial post for the new QR Code creation tool here are a few additions that work with iOS...
Syntax Provided in the Initial Post for QR Code Creation in Affinity 2.5 Beta Apps
SMS
Payload structure: SMSTO:number:text message
Eg. SMSTO:07513123456:Hello mate!
GEO location
Payload structure: GEO:lat:lon:height
Eg. GEO:40.71872,-73.98905,100
WIFI credentials
Payload structure: WIFI:S:ssid;T:type;P:password;;
Eg. WIFI:S:MyWiFiSSID;T:WPA;P:MyPassW0rd;;
 
Note: I've not tested these on Android but I'd be keen to know which work (with the applicable options) and which don't if anyone is happy to test...
Additional Syntax Options for QR Code Creation in the Affinity 2.5 Beta Apps
Phone
Payload structure: TEL:number
e.g., TEL:07772123456

Email
Payload structure: MAILTO:email address
e.g., MAILTO:jon.doe@example.com

Email Additions (Cc, Bcc, Subject, Message)
Payload structure: MAILTO:email address?CC=email address&BCC=email address&SUBJECT=subject&BODY=message
e.g., MAILTO:john.smith@example.com?CC=john.doe@example.com&BCC=jane.doe@example.com&SUBJECT=Friday Drinks&BODY=We are all meeting at the Dog & Duck on Friday after work, hope you can make it.
FaceTime
Payload structure: FACETIME:mobile number
e.g., FACETIME:07772123456
YouTube
Payload structure: URL:https://youtubeurl
e.g., https://www.youtube.com/AffinitySuite
WhatsApp
Payload structure: URL:https://wa.me/internationalnumber?text=message
e.g., https://wa.me/447772123456?text=We are all meeting at the Dog & Duck on Friday after work, hope you can make it.
Note 1: The mobile number needs to include the international dialling code without any prefixed zeros, e.g., UK 44 and US 1 as opposed to 0044 or 01.
Note 2: Reserved characters need to use URL encoding when included as part of the message, i.e., ‘Dog & Duck’ should be typed as ‘Dog %26 Duck’ otherwise the message element is truncated at ‘Dog’.
Examples of Reserved Characters

Spotify Track
Payload structure: https://open.spotify.com/track/songlink
e.g., https://open.spotify.com/track/3Z5VaAEN7NWkgBXbCXNilW?si=91dfd85f75df4009
Spotify Playlist
Payload structure: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/playlistlink
e.g., https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7y40TSg305MTZ3n3Q2LqSF?si=dc0c24f1a6a34cdd
Address Book Contact (vCard)
Payload structure:
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
PRODID:-//Apple Inc.//macOS 12.7.4//EN
N:LasteName;FirstName;;;
FN:FirstName LasteName
ORG:Company;
EMAIL;type=INTERNET;type=WORK;type=pref:name@company.com
TEL;type=WORK;type=VOICE;type=pref:Work Number
TEL;type=CELL;type=VOICE:Mobile Number
ADR;type=HOME;type=pref:;;Address
NOTE:Notes
item1.URL;type=pref:Web Address
item1.X-ABLabel:_$!<HomePage>!$_
BDAY:2000-02-28
END:VCARD
While the QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports the vCard (.vcf) format, currently Affinity apps don’t because of the requirement to use a CRLF (Carriage Return/Linefeed) after each line entry which the single-line Payload format used for QR Code creation in the Affinity apps don't accept and means the vCard formats fails with a No Usable Data Found error message.
The alternative for Contact QR Codes is to use the more limited MECARD format which is accepted by the Affinity apps when creating a new Contact QR Code…
Address Book Contact (MECARD)
Payload structure: MECARD:N:Last Name,First Name;ADR:Address;TEL:number;TEL:number;EMAIL:emailaddress;NOTE:note
e.g., MECARD:N:Cook,Tim;ADR:One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States;TEL:+14089961010;TEL:+17513123456;EMAIL:tim.cook@apple.com;URL:https://apple.com;BDAY:19600111;NOTE:”Apple Vision Pro, You navigate simply by using your eyes, hands, and voice.”;;

PDF File
Payload structure: https://hostlurl/file/pdflink
e.g., https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WZD6wOgG1bkPQfcNA_MMCIuPhKVhWWQf/view?usp=sharing

Add to Calendar Event for Apple and Google Calendar (.ics)
Payload structure:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:Spatie calendar-links
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90bbafd033c512f7590d844a0d65b449
SUMMARY:Run the London Marathon
DTSTAMP:20240421T080000Z
DTSTART:20240421T080000Z
DTEND:20240421T130000Z
DESCRIPTION:I'm running the London Marathon
LOCATION:London
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR
While the QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports both the VCALENDAR AND VEVENT formats, currently Affinity apps don’t because of the requirement to use a CRLF (Carriage Return/Linefeed) after each line entry which the single-line Payload format used for QR Code creation in the Affinity apps don't accept and means the VCALENDAR AND VEVENT formats fail with a No Usable Data Found error message.

Can we have customizations of 
 QR Code symbol version (1 - 40) and 
Error correction level           [choices: "L", "M", "Q", "H"]  

A pop-up dialog is essential for the feature to be used by more casual users. I could easily see frustration with the current implementation.

No need for algorithms for a simple 1D barcode.  Just use a font.

Will the Gear button to the left of the payload field eventually allow changing the QRs properties like the error correction value? It's showing a blank pop-up for me at the moment.

Apps: Designer
Platforms: macOS, Windows and iPad
Affinity Designer now includes a new width tool which is available by default alongside the pencil tool in your toolbar:

The Line Width Tool gives you an on-document way of editing the pressure profile of any curve. For example the curve below has 3 pressure points (5 including the start and end pressure). While in the Line Width tool the position of those points are shown along the curve, and you have the ability to drag to change the width and position of them. 
You can also click to add a new pressure point, or double click to remove any pressure point on a curve.

There are various modifiers available which you can see in the status bar:
Shift + Drag - allows you to modify the width at any point without adjusting it's position
Cmd (Mac) / Ctrl (Win) + Click - manually enter the width required at the chosen point
Ctrl (Mac) / Ctrl (Win) + Drag - move the point position without adjusting the width
Double click - remove pressure point
Additionally you will find some other options in the context toolbar when using this tool:

Adjust Line Weight - if this is turned on then should you drag the width of any point to be greater than the current line width (i.e. greater than 100% pressure) the line width will be increased to allow you to drag the width unrestricted. If it is turned off then the maximum width you can drag to is 100% of the set line width.
Allow point reordering - This option allows to you to specify whether you want to allow the tool to drag one point past another along the curve, effectively swapping their order, or not.
Snap to curve nodes - This will show any nodes on the curve as small white dots and will snap any pressure points to those nodes
Snap to widths on same curve - this will snap the width at any pressure point on a curve to other widths which already exist on that curve. This only applies when holding shift (i.e. you are adjusting the width without altering the point position).
Snap to curve geometry - this will snap the width to the geometry of any selected curves (again if you are holding shift). 

I think what is being suggested is that the popup box where the URI is entered have a few tabs to build some of the common schemes for the user so that the user doesn't need to work out the encoding for all of them.
For example, iQR (on the App Store for the Mac), in addition to the URL option (which they label "WWW"), has tabs for Phone (enter a phone number), SMS (phone number and message), eMail (to address, subject and body), Map (enter an address and it looks it up using Google Maps or some other map service), Contact (first/last name, phone number(s), email address, web page, street address), Calendar (event name, when, where, etc.), PayPal/Bitcoin/SEPA payments (account, description, price, etc.), WiFi (network name/SSID, password, encryption type, hidden?), and Text.
 

 
It also provides an interesting range of formatting options to spice up the appearance of the generated codes:

 
Granted that this range of formatting options is probably a bit out of scope for a program that is not specialized in producing QR codes, but still thought I would point it out.  The more important thing to consider is to throw in the forms for a few of the common URI schemes.

Unexpected. I mean the fact, that this feature was implemented so rudimentary. Not very comfortable to type in (long) commands into a tiny field, when you know little to nothing about the structure of a QR code. Maybe this feature will be enhanced one day.

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS, Windows and iPad
A new QR Code tool is now available from the shapes flyout in the toolbar, making it easy to add a QR code to your documents. 
After creating or selecting a QR Code object you will find a 'Payload' option in the context toolbar. Here you can type whatever URL you want the QR code to link to when it is scanned.


In addition to URLs you can use other syntax as detailed below to have the QR code trigger other functions when scanned by a device:
SMS
Payload structure: SMSTO:number:text message
Eg. SMSTO:07513123456:Hello mate!
GEO location
Payload structure: GEO:lat:lon:height
Eg. GEO:40.71872,-73.98905,100
WIFI credentials
Payload structure: WIFI:S:ssid;T:type;P:password;;
Eg. WIFI:S:MyWiFiSSID;T:WPA;P:MyPassW0rd;;

Is there really no UI option to open this dialog, only a keyboard shortcut?

A feature that I would really like to see for Affinity Designer is creating a drafting persona. The persona feature is such a powerful tool for customizing the interface for different users and I think it could do more. A drafting persona would be a huge bonus for all the people who need accurate drawings like architects, landscape architects, interior designers, pattern makers etc. while at the same time keeping those features out of the way of the graphic designers. You have done such great work already incorporating some very nice drafting tools (thank you!) and this feels like a logical extension of that.
One of the things I like best about Affinity Designer is the uncluttered interface, but as more features are added there is a danger of this being lost. A drafting persona would be a great way to add new tools and features without cluttering up the existing designer layout.
I haven't  suggested this before because it's obviously a big undertaking but now seemed like a good time.
Good luck! Affinity software is great!
David

Affinity will use the naming they like. What I mean is a separate persona for this type of floor-planning, floor-sketching work, which seems like it'd deserve its own workspace with specific tools. Maybe even with slightly changed behaviors - as an example: currently, with a measurement displayed on screen, when you space-zoom around it, it temporarily disappears (a bit annoying), it also does not snap guides to the arrow edges. An option to retain multiple measurements until dismissed would also be cool.
I bet there is tons of enhancements possible. Probably not the right time to go into detail.

Do you perhaps mean a Drafting persona? The word ‘Planner’ conjures up images of something to do with calendars and timetables.

Absolutely! +1 or +1000
Both those tools should have their settings, so that the measurements always acquire font and arrow ending settings when they appear, and after you're done with a measurement, you could click a button to place it in the document as an editable group.
Ultimately I would also see a Planner persona with the measurement tools and symbols (like stairs, doors, windows, etc).

One of the things I really liked about Affinity 1 was that it used the traditional method to authorise an installation, a simple licence key. This changed with Affinity 2, which was the main reason I did not immediately upgrade (and have not yet done so). Now online activation is required, which means that (a) we have to ask Affinity's permission every time we install, (b) the computer must be online at the time, and (c) we have to trust that the activation servers will remain available indefinitely. Previous experience with other software companies (including Affinity's main competitor) has led me to believe that 'indefinitely' tends to mean 'around a decade after the product was last sold', which of course also means that 'perpetual' licenses tend not to be that perpetual.
Now Affinity has been acquired by a much larger company, and while we have an encouraging set of pledges about its future, this is ultimately no longer in the hands of the original developers. Canva itself, of course, may one day be acquired by a competitor. If things should change, we have no guarantee that activation of Affinity 2's 'perpetual' licence will still be possible.
The one thing that would encourage me to upgrade, especially in the light of the Canva acquisition, would be the provision of installers that do not require online activation, just as we had for Affinity 1. Will Affinity consider this? That would future-proof us from any further corporate developments that might affect the status of the software. By trusting us, you'd be helping us to trust you.

You should not encourage or entertain this, you already paid a lot of money for the software. Currently we're just loaning the software which can be taken away at any time. It's not good.

That is even worse, now your purchase is tied to a third-party and if the program is ever removed from the store you're just out of luck. You're also forced to use the newest version if a reinstall is needed.

I hate how they now require internet to activate. My biggest reason for choosing Affinity was the ability to activate it offline.
In the future they could do all sorts of things, remove activation servers, only make certain versions eligible for activation, deactivate certain versions, revoke your account. A ton of things. A lot of work being made on projects now could become inaccessible in the future when the activation servers dissapear.
They can promise a bunch of things but that doesn't ensure anything before it's actually done.

+1
Complete support from me too. There's a lossless option with WebP, so we should definitely get the option with JPEG XL too.
The latest libjxl version has a 10x improvement in memory usage and greatly increased speed.
I could suspect the high memory usage was a reason to not support the lossless option, but that worry is now in the past. The same is true for the lossy mode, though not important for this topic.
This newly released article has an overview of the improvements and some comparisons to other formats. I highly recommend checking it out.

I agree. It seems like an odd omission to not be able to export lossless JXLs. Please add an export options preset for this.

I was looking to convert scanned 16bit .tiffs to lossless JPEGXL (about 59% the original size with Krita, and 76% the size of a PNG version). Apparently, unless one uses the terminal, there are no options available for a GUI batch exporter (XnConverter only does 8-bit). Leveraging the Affinity batch exporter for this would be great.
 
Edit: I forgot Dartable and DigiKam would also work...

I'm looking to move on from TIFF files, too.

+1 for lossless JPEG XL

It would be great if Serif could add some transparency of the encoders used, versions and the equivalent parameters for the encoder libraries.
Give us a scale in the documentation or similar, so we could check with the encoder library to more precisely tune our final output quality.
Currently the quality slider exposed in the export interface isn't directly comparable to anything from the encoders used, this makes it difficult to ensure similar quality when exporting across multiple applications.
 
Some background for the request. JPEG XL is supported in Affinity 2, but nowhere is it documented what library, which version, what effort settings or what quality/distance equivalent the quality slider in AFP corresponds to. This information could be hugely useful when more precise control of final output quality is desired, and not only for JPEG XL but all export formats supported.
 
*There's no third-party notice for anything to do with JPEG XL.

+1
Complete support from me too. There's a lossless option with WebP, so we should definitely get the option with JPEG XL too.
The latest libjxl version has a 10x improvement in memory usage and greatly increased speed.
I could suspect the high memory usage was a reason to not support the lossless option, but that worry is now in the past. The same is true for the lossy mode, though not important for this topic.
This newly released article has an overview of the improvements and some comparisons to other formats. I highly recommend checking it out.