jstarpl

What I asked was: "What if you're NOT working closely with someone?" - i.e. what if you need to set up some documents, as a reference, for someone else (unknown to you), to open. In that case, Designer is a dead end, because it can't reliably export export a layered file to an exchangeable format.
I had an artboard with 5 top-level groups and multiple nested groups and it all got flattened to a single bitmap layer, without any warning. Like I said, if only the PSD exporter (PDF exporter is guilty of the same) would keep the layers as they are (even if rasterized), then it would be half-usable. As is, it's pretty useless.

Yeah, I mean, as is, the PSD export option is essentially worse than nothing. The way it automatically decides on merging players makes no sense, to the point where I have exported documents with a single layer, even though theoretically "Preserve editability" is turned on. I have no idea how a single pixel layer can be considered "editable".
The PSD compatibility is to me the single missing feature. I understand that it's not possible to export accurate, editable text to PSD, but at the very least it should be possible to:
a) maintain layers as they are, even with rasterized text
b) accept that text isn't accurate and export with the most basic of properties.
I suspect lack of accuracy is fine for most users as long as one knows what's missing. As is, the export options just select what they will and won't export at random.
What if you're not working closely with someone? What if you just need to output a layered file, so that the layers can be toggled on and off?

+1

Started game dev work in unity and the lack of direct PSB  saving is going to force me away from using Affinity Designer, which is unpleasant as I've invested quite a lot of time into learning and using Affinity Designer.
At this rate though the slow down from having to use 3rd party tools to convert files with every minor change is out weighing the time savings of using AD.