[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

Wonderful info, thank you so much, this will help me a lot moving forward!

[Clicking "Add" makes elements of design disappear?]

15 hours ago, loukash said:

That's exactly what it's supposed to do (occasional bugs notwithstanding). "Add" creates an outline of all selected objects.

What you likely want to achieve is Layer menu > Geometry > Merge Curves

Ah, yes that's exactly correct, thank you so much!

[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

6 minutes ago, MEB said:

I'm recording a small video, one moment. Will explain with one of the smaller objects.
That file needs bit of clean up. Don't use it.

Thank you SO much for this.  Yeah, I have wayyyyyy too many nodes in there, I suspect that's not helping make any of this easier for either of us.  Again, really appreciate any instruction you provide, take your time.  It's often hard to tease specifics out of the many generalized tutorials out there.

[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

3 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi @MicahD.,
Check if this one works: will_never_work_mebfinal.afdesign

Yes, that worked perfectly!  Can you tell me how you got from my original file in this thread to that?  I very much appreciate your help with the file, but I need to learn how to get from A to B myself so I can can overcome this issue in the future, thanks!

[Clicking "Add" makes elements of design disappear?]

When I select the various layers that comprise my design and I click "Add", I would expect them to become a single element.

Instead, several of the elements simply disappear.

Can anyone explain what I'm doing wrong here?

 

Edit:  Sorry, I don't know how to embed screen recordings.

Screen Recording 2021-04-21 at 4.49.32 PM.mov

Pouch_octo_forge_1up.svg

[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

Just now, MEB said:

Check this file will_never_work_meb.afdesign

Thank you, following v_kyr I was able to achieve this too.  Now the issue is that the original outline is now two parallel paths (curves?) so my laser engraver cuts everything (except the eye) twice.  I don't know how to "join" the two paths/curves into a single stroke, any ideas?

[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

31 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

In the layers panel, ungroup all groups (remove the grouping), select all the remaining underneath curve layers and geometrical combine (add) them together as just one layer. - Now you can export the whole one layer as an SVG.

 

Thank you, that's much closer!  Unfortunately this has turned all the paths except the eye into TWO paths... So the laser engraver does treat it all as a single unit now, but it cuts everything except the eye twice.  I don't know how to combine the two paths into a single path?

 

Yes, an octopus, my company logo.  Thanks again!

[How can I get this to group as a single item?]

I am literally banging my head against a wall with this.  All I want is for all the lines in the attached image to be grouped as a single file (no, "grouping" them doesn't work) so that all lines will be recognized as one single image or cut path by my laser printer.

No matter what I try, it always exports the file to SVG with the "eye" of the octopus as a separate part of the image, and the holes that define the legs (despite being single paths that are NOT filled) are considered "filled" by my laser engraver so it tries to engrave them instead of using them as cutting paths.

When I flatten the image it exports as (what looks like) a correct outline, but then when I import it to my laser cutter the laser cutter sees it as a "filled" image and again tries to engrave everything within the outline as if it's solid.

Getting this simple outline to function as a simple outline is driving me INSANE, can anyone explain to me like I'm a 5th grader how to get Designer to export this as exactly what it looks like... a simple outline?  

will_never_work.svg

[Export > More > Manage Presets is grayed out on Mac]

1 minute ago, walt.farrell said:

That's a known issue.

 

Ok thanks, glad it's getting looked at.

[Export > More > Manage Presets is grayed out on Mac]

When I go to Export > More > Manage presets, the option to create, delete or rename is grayed out.  Any fix for this?   Working on brand new iMac, running Big Sur 11.2.3 and Affinity 1.9.1

[Always use metric units (split)]

As a new Affinity user, one of the very first things I want to do is set ALL units to default to metric, as I do literally every part of my workflow using millimeters.  I never need to use pixels or percentages or any other form of unit, and I agree that being told by the makers of the program "Well you should use this unit instead" is pretty lousy customer support.  You should provide solutions to customer requests based on what they actually need to do, not what you think they "should" do.

1.   I need all units to be metric

2.  I need a trace bitmap feature

Please respond and let me know if these things will be addressed.  I'm in the trial period, but if this is a situation where the answer to customer needs is "Learn a different way of doing things" then I'll just go back to inkscape.