Matthias

Hi Ben, 
Here's another small improvement i would like to see. Right now the handles can snap to the axis defined by the opposite handle as i requested in the first post. This works fine for smooth nodes. However there's one case where this still doesn't work.
If the previous segment is a straight line (see attached image for clearer explanation), there's no opposite handle to define the axis to where our handle will snap. In this case would be useful if the handle we want to adjust could snap to the axis defined by the straight line itself.

Please see the attached picture for a clear explanation.
 
Basically i would like that when i'm adjusting the control handle of a curve with the node tool it automatically snap to the axis of the opposite control handle direction to get a smooth curve. 
 
I know this can be achieved changing a cusp node to a smooth one, but usually when we do this the software adjusts both control handle positions, meaning we loose the original position of the control handle we weren´t touching. Then we have to readjust the curve again.
 
With this improvement i can quickly get a smooth curve messing with just one control handle knowing that it will snap to the exact axis to get a smooth curve without screwing up the other control handle position.
 
This could be achieved trough the use of a modifier key. I would prefer the software do this automatically by default (pressing the modifier key would make it to override the snap). But it could be the other way around (only snapping when we press the modifier key).
 
Hope i'm being clear :huh:

Steve Jobs – rest in peace – would be proud of you!

A knife tool for splitting paths would come in handy.
Cutting open paths is optionless. When cutting closed shapes in two parts (or more, depending on the form) there could be an user definable option whether the resulting paths will be open or closed.
 
Matthias

I think it's better. Too much shapes (with different forms) just adds visual noise. It's much cleaner now. Squares for cusp, circles for smooth (the "default basic group") plus a point inside for the special case smart nodes (which are smooth as well thus the circle). Great improvement here :)

Hey Matt,
please forgive my nagging. The point I was trying to make is of course not a case of right or wrong but one of preference. You correctly identified mine as a make-it-work-as-closely-as-possible-like-FreeHand-does preference, which is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea.
 
Believe me, I never was as happy with a new vector app as I am now with Designer. It is just the fact that you guys are so unbelievably responsive and that the occasion here is a historical one that keeps me trying to push things in “my” direction. You obviously reflect very carefully what you are doing, so just do it your way and I will be perfectly happy – especially since there are so many more requests being considered by Affinity and so many more little features already in the pipeline.
 
Best,
Matthias

...and here's how they look!
 

 
I haven't made the off-curve handles into crosses - I just don't like them as much, so can't bring myself to do it, but the other nodes are as-per your design and I think they look good!
 
You'll get this in the next beta build - along with being able to choose what size of nodes you'd like in Preferences.
 
Thanks again,
Matt

Yes!
I started an illustration in AD yesterday and I miss it a lot.
Also, a way to temporarily switch to the pointer tool.
Sometimes I just finishes drawing something with the brush or any other tool and the curve came out fine but needs to be placed just a bit to the left, or whatever.
Having to press V to switch to the pointer tool, move the object and switching back to the tool it was set before is a nuisance.
There should be a modifier key that would, while pressed, change to the pointer tool.

Yeah, total agreement to global color swatches and to tints based on those.
 
Global colors are absolutely necessary when working on corporate design stuff where defined colors are a vital part of the rule base. Also, being able to change a defined global color from one color model like RGB to another like PANTONE would be helpful.

First time saver:
Make text blocks convertible between Art Text and Frame Text. A little clickable square at one point of the bounding box, say on the upper left, will do the trick. This would even make one of the two text tools redundant.
If you would start a new text box by just clicking somewhere an Art Text box would be generated, if you’d start by clicking and dragging it starts out as a Frame Text box.
 
Second time saver:
Clicking anywhere outside a text box while using the text tool switches text tool to pointer tool. No more accidentally produced empty Art Text boxes, way more handy than having to hit the escape key (even twice when the blinking cursor is in the actual letters).
 
Third time saver:
Doubleclicking a text box should always change the actually chosen tool to text tool, not only when the pointer tool is the active one.
 
Matthias

Can’t wait to see the whole suite.
My impression is that you are the only company being able to somehow kick Adobe’s butt.