Designer1234

I think that you don't understand one thing. Personally I totally agree that Affinity (Photo :)) is still incredibly cheap piece of great software. It was extremely cheap before the price rise and during the COVID sale but as some people shown it still cost the same as VectorStyler, less than DxO PhotoLab 6 ELITE, much less than ON1 Photo RAW 2023, Acdsee Photo Studio 2023, CorelDraw 2023, Adobe subscription etc... But - unfortunately, we often judge prices by the price of other products and services and our need for them. Affinity can be cheap, but if you get only a few new tools as well as some big annoying problems - you probably won't be keen to spend your money if you don't have really strong belief that problems will be fixed or that your duty is to support Serif for what they provide. It can be unreasonable. For example - and forgive me that stupid example but it perfectly illustrates this paradox - do you now how much can cost.. a dildo? A simple piece of silicone? Well, it can be 20-30€ and people pay for it without hesitation. Some stupid decorative statues? Even these from cheap stores costs often around 20€ Not mentioning collector's items... Or something more serious - commercial medical consultation. In my country it's usually between 40€ and 80€. For ten minutes usually For all these things people pay when they feel strong desire of getting them or they have strong objective need. And then it comes latest Affinity v2 release... You see - I don't want to blame Serif for their generosity or still quite fair business model but there are a few big mistakes that altogether made many people - not trolls or competitor's agents - disappointed. First of all not much info about new release, no roadmap - what raised the expectations. Then - depending of you usage scenarios - some important or only a few not so important new features... ...mixed with some serious problems caused by the new installer - that result in closed by default app folder and no aces to exe file and it's path - and some common initial bugs that unfortunately make the negative impression even worse. And of top of that - no timeframe for sale, which puts pressure on current loyal customers. That's the worst thing - because even if you feel that you could wait with upgrade or you're not sure if you need it, you either buy it now (cheaper) with all other clients or you get nothing in the future. Spending 50€ can be no problem at all. Spending the same amount of money for something you don't need - even though other things you need/"you need" are highly overpriced etc. - can be frustrating, especially if you feel forced to do so. And yes, some people were wishing to Serif and expecting even greater progress. And it's also irritating when you read that Affinity is extremely cheap - with hidden suggestion that they can't do more/better because they can bankrupt etc and you should lover your expectations - while in the same time THEY OFFER EXTREMLEY LOW PRICE TO EVERYONE even though all these people won't purchase anything more from Serif in next couple of years. It's like complaining that your country budget has huge debt and still supporting payment of high social benefits

Damn - I've noticed that "portable" app does have some problems. All new file default presets are missing

Still - I don't care. It only causes a problems for the users. The only third party apps on my PC that are using either UWP form or at least new Windows Installer are - except the MS apps itself (however I still use old Office 2019 versions without stupid forced updates and UI changes) - Deezer and TwinkleTray... And THAT'S GREAT! I don't know why when I've opened "portable version" I was asked once again for the license registration, but then it turned put that all my settings were loaded - recent files list, studio preset... If it worked this way all the time it would be the simplest solution for the integration, path specifying etc. BTW - it's really annoying how MS is destroying simple, working and useful mechanisms in their OS...

The funniest thing is that unpacked installer actually seems to give us working portable app and then we can create shortcuts, specify path to exe...

Without the plugins which seem to make up the main part of this app functionality and which cost 1,5 times more than the app.

I agree with that too. The price level is not the biggest problem, actually not the problem at all, the problem is how the discount for upgrading owners is offered. They could simply force them to register their copies and purchase upgrade via Affinity Store - sure, still not the best way, but at least some solution. The only explanation why they didn't do that could be some App Stores policies.. but is it truth?

Yeah, that installer choice is extremely a bit stupid, especially we get only an installer, not the whole app rewritten and the only "profits" we get are smaller update packages and some windows "sandbox" bullshit. But we can't integrate Affinity with some other software now, even such simple like graphic browsers, we can't create a shortcuts... OK, I admit I was a bit wrong, but still I'm not very happy with the new installer.

It would be great to know to make a final decision - purchase or not. I suppose it depends on how many people buy it on lower price? I understand it but perhaps there will be some counter then?

Exactly. I don't like v2 for some reasons but all that whining about the price and the need to purchase an upgrade is a joke.

IMHO the preview is useful and it should stay visible by default, but rest of the export window should look as the thread author shown. I hate that drop-down list instead of extension icons too.

And perhaps that's the problem - they should call it Vector Paintner, not Designer. Vector brushes are really amazing - for those who want to paint, not to design But please put AD aside.

I see and I mentioned them - new live and compound masks and non-destructive RAW development (but I don't do that ) And some questionable UI improvements - some of which I like and I wrote about that in other topics too - but also some important issues. ...OK, I admit, perhaps these things are nice as well: 👍 Quick layer colour tagging via right-click on Visibility button Copy layer effects (FX) from one layer to another Merge selected layers via right-click Layer states to experiment with design options and versions Non-destructive mesh warp filter Still, as an 50€ upgrade... Don't get me wrong - many things are nice and AP is really great comparing it to the poor and 20 years old standard toll missing AD and for the new customers special offer is very favorable, but for the current ones... stil I'm not convinced.

I understand that some outdated apps as well as games form MS Store still use that filled tile form, but it actually died years ago when Menu Start had been redesigned and now even majority of MS apps does have proper small icons. Please don't leave it in this state. The Windows interface is inconsistent enough, let's not make it worse. As a people working with graphic you should understand it very well.

OK, thanks for your replies. 👍 These live and compound masks seems interesting indeed, but personally I don't know whether I will use them so often. If these are the only new things in AP for now, along with some new brushes and dialogs, but also with problematic shortcut creation and path indicating, some UI problems (a bit less compact buttons, a bit more empty spaces) and broken hardware acceleration (when I switch it on scrolling brushes, switching tabs etc. gets laggy), I'll rather not buy the upgrade version now and I'll risk paying twice as much in a year or two... Spending even just 60% of regular price - which is still 50€ including VAT - for nothing but some new masks and some new problems doesn't seem reasonable. I didn't get any new AI tools so helpful for amateurs, I didn't get any artistic filters - and because of the windows app format there are even more problems than benefits... Correct me if I'm wrong but it's more risky to pay now and wait for some new things which may not appear until the new version 3, than to risk spending more in two-five-seven years...

Yeah, I know that v1 won't get any updates. I wonder what updates can get v2 - not bug fixes but some new tolls and features... Because as I can see my impressions about AP weren't wrong - not much new things...

And I fully agree with that.

Who did not raised the prices in recent year of horrendous inflation? I'm not defending Sarif, I have many complains, and I think that AD is overpriced, but AP price seems fine even after that 100% rise.

But always enabled is still better than always initially closed

I don't like more empty spaces and thicker title bars. Icons... I'm not sure... Old seem to be nicer, new look much modern... perhaps they should have new shapes and old colors (more distinctive)?

Yeah, I think you're right. Unfortunately I'm afraid Sarif won't mix them...

Actually that new window is one of the few new things I found good - it's compact and more intuitive ...OK, perhaps the options could remain expanded, that huge page outline could be smaller, but as an amateur I don't change color profiles so often so I can see that problem differently.

As an amateur I really loved AP v1. I'm using it to retouch some photos, remove or mask some parts of beautiful yet not perfect wallpapers, edit some game screenshoots - I'm doing many things that does not involve drawing since I can't draw (but still I've purchased an Huion tablet for easier editing - inspired by AP quality) Now I've installed AP v2 and... I don't see any new functions, almost no improvements... The only three things I like so far are the adjustment layers icons on layers list, recent swatches on the color tab and redesigned settings window... There are no new tools, UI is worse - there are more empty spaces, tool icons looks worse, with hardware acceleration enabled switching tabs and scrolling brushers/adjustment options etc. is slower and lags, new UWP installer format makes integration with FastStone and ImageGlass problematic... I really don't know what to do, should I buy an upgrade? Do you think there will be some further improvements and new functions? I've noticed only some new brushes and perhaps impainting brush - indeed really useful in my usage scenarios - works better, but... During the coronavirus sale I've paid for v1 less than an upgrade costs now. Of course, It was an obscenely low price and I think that AP, as a really good product - in fact the only good product of Sarif (AD is a JOKE) - is fairly priced without the discount... But why to pay for an upgrade, if I don't get anything better? They only motivation is saving money and potential improvements, but looking on the AD I don't think they will ad something new to Affinity Photo too.... (BTW - I'm extremely disappointed with AD. It's a joke. Still no free shadows, no mesh gradients, no extrude, no eraser, no proper measurement tool... but that's not the topic of this thread)...

Ups, almost no changes in version 2. And the price is now equal with the VS price... It seems that Affinity is really dead.

So, as i thought, the main problem is a problem with paper color simulation that is not working in AP It was really hard to understand these complicated, wordy descriptions above (OK, some additional color management settings will be perhaps useful, more options is usually a good think in such software)

On the movie above you showed that soft proof in Adobe Photoshop - without paper color simulation - looks exactly the same as in Affinity... "white" square remained bright, no yellow tint. So, the golden standard on the market works the same as the AP? Perhaps there is something wrong with Krita then, or the only thing that is missing in AP is paper color simulation?