rui_mac

But I would like to show them the power of the MoGraph paradigm with 2D vectors

Loved to read the reference to Cinema 4D. I also work with Cinema 4D (I'm a Cinema 4D user, teacher, plugin developer, etc) for over 15 years now. And there are lots of tools and even concepts that would be amazing in an application like AD. MoGraph is one such example. I can make a few videos showing how it could be useful for 2D work.

I also did some darkroom stuff and I still think of dodging and burning in terms of "hiding light" or "let light pass through" ;)

Yeah, black=transparent sounds weird for graphic artists because to them, black is "all colors combined", because they use the subtractive system (CMYK) but is it obvious for the video-guys, because they use the addictive system (RGB) and, in there, black stands for "no light information" or "absence" :) Anyways, all of those artists (print or video) assume that the alpha is just another image that is used to convey information about how the transparency/opacity of the color components should be shown. And, since it is just another image, it should be possible to do whatever is possible to do with an image.

I will be 46 years old, next September :) Here is a movie I did, when I found an old copy of Photoshop lurking around. This is still pre-1.0 and the version I started using was, in fact, 1.0 But you can see how it was, back then :) https://vimeo.com/9868543

Well, I'm even more old-school :) I have been using Photoshop ever since version 1.0 !!! And, besides Photoshop, I already lost count to how many other applications I used that deal with masks. For the last 20 years I have been using and teaching 3D also. And, in 3D we also have alpha maps. And, guess what?!? They are greyscale images :)

I have been giving classes for over 20 years now and many of my students are professionals in the graphic arts and video areas (I give specialized classes to recent graduates and long time professionals) and ALL of them know that, when it comes to masks/alpha channels, white stands for opaque and black stands for transparent. It is almost a mnemonic for them because when they visualize a mask (an alpha channel) that is how it is shown. Most of them deal with alpha channels, straight or pre-multiplied, as extra channels or as independent files and all, and I really mean ALL of those alpha channels (masks) are simply greyscale images. And they must be, since they all have to manipulate those alpha channels (masks) as any other image, blurring, contrasting, smudging, sharpening, etc. And, internally, an alpha channels (mask) is stored as grid of 8 or 16 bit values, just like any other greyscale image. So, there is no reason whatsoever to treat an alpha channel (mask) as something other than a greyscale image. There are only advantages in treating it as a greyscale image and be able to manipulate it as such. But if anyone can point me out any huge disadvantage in doing so that greatly surpasses the advantages, please, tell me.

It just depends on how masks are interpreted. To me, a mask is a greyscale image. White means opace, black means transparent. And ALL professionals think like this.

Painting with a regular brush set to a low value (let's say, 10%) of black and set to Multiply, will simply add 10% of black with each stroke, no matter if you are painting over highlights, midtones or shadows. The same way, painting with a regular brush set to a low value (let's say, 10%) of white and set to Screen or Add, will simply add 10% of white with each stroke, no matter if you are painting over highlights, midtones or shadows. This is not substitute for the true dodge and burn tools.

Oh, I eagerly await the inclusion of some sort of coding/scripting abilities. Can't wait!!! :)

Well, what I'm eagerly awaiting is the inclusion of some sort of coding/scripting in Affinity Designer (and Photo). When that happens, if well implemented, a whole lot of new "plugins" will be possible. And Serif doesn't even needs to worry about it, as they can be produced by third party companies or even single users.

I have been asking for this ability for sooooo long. Since Affinity Photo debuted, actually. Working with masks the same way we can work with a simple greyscale image, using all the tools, filters, adjustments, etc, is a must. I even created a few movies showing what is the usual workflow, when using masks. Here it is one of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6H_8gjX-eI And another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqp1xuYBYco

How it is done :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfV65xLo87s

Overall, I feel a lack of separation between managers. But the image explains it better, I think.

In FreeHand we had all this and it was great :-) FH_SELECT_FIND.pdf

for i in range(21): call create_reply(i) ;)

Can't do it. We still don't have scripting ;)

<dream_mode=True> I hope this version is taking so long because scripting is being added :) <dream_mode=False>

It is standard in InDesign, but it was simpler to use in FreeHand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=866U1YKSpwo&t=16s

Here is a video I created to show some of the blending capabilities, in FreeHand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Rh8OcI9zU&t=10s

Here is another one. Mainly showing Xtras :-) https://youtu.be/Xw6LQRvDQgo

Here is a movie showing Strokes and Fills: https://youtu.be/nUitzFm55QU And here is a movie showing arrowheads and a few nice tools. https://youtu.be/mEacnejOcbE

Affinity is the best alternative that I have found to Illustrator. And I can assure everyone that I have been looking out for alternatives ever since Adobe killed Freehand. I started out, back in 1988 with Illustrator 1.0 (and, soon after, Illustrator 889. But then I met Freehand 1.0 NEVER LOOKED BACK!!! Freehand was just amazing! I will go on making these movies showing Freehand stuff. :)

Text entering in Freehand and, specially, setting tab stops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=866U1YKSpwo&feature=youtu.be

There are LOTS of stuff that FreeHand did so nicely and that I miss so much. I will make a few more videos showing those nice features. :)