Petar Petrenko

Without picture frames you can have only square or rectangular picture formats. By using picture frames you can create unlimited number of other shapes: oval, triangular, polygonal, free-hand...

Here's a list of the bugs which have been fixed in the beta build 2.5.0 (2430)
(fixes since beta 2.5.0.2415)
Please reply in this forum to comment on any fixes which are in this list (in particular to let us know if you notice that something we say is fixed isn't!) To report any new bugs please do that against the relevant new feature post, or if unrelated to new functionality in the Other bugs & issues forum.
Changes/Bugs affecting all platforms
Pencil Tool auto-close - add cursor change [AF-2788] Line Width Tool renamed to Stroke Width Tool [AF-2727] First point on a vector stroke when using the pencil or vector brush is in the wrong direction [AF-339] Bugs affecting Desktop (Windows and macOS)
Crash re-saving a document with a Style    [AF-2718] App crashes on launch if cs.json is empty    [AF-2879] Variable Font - All axes visible when they shouldn't be   [AF-2910] Presets: QR Code is missing from the Filter    [AF-2816] Text Style Editor: Turning off Decorations will cause app to crash if Paragraph Panel is visible and style is applied to text     Text Style Editor: Label differences between Language settings in Character Panel    [AF-2857] Text Style Editor: Optical Alignment section is missing 'No Change' text in the list of adjustments and no way to reset    [AF-2881] Text Style Editor: No real-time update to text on the page when the Leading value is updated   [AF-2859] Text Style Editor: Removing all decorations doesn't enable the + button   [AF-2872] Text Style Editor: Slight difference between Position & Transform ordering compared to Paragraph Panel   [AF-2856] Text Style Editor: The Ligatures and Alternates text labels contain two colons   [AF-2858] Text Style Editor: Optical Alignment Add button adds both an empty entry along with default list.   [AF-2882] Line Width Tool is not made available on 2.4 > 2.5 upgrades    Line Width Tool handles don't respond to Tool Handle Size changes     Line Width Tool addition means there are now two Pencil Tool groups on the Customise Tools UI     Set Line Width At Point dialog should say Width instead of Weight    Bugs affecting Windows
Installing AF Fonts will cause the app to crash, and then crash on launch with no way to Ctrl runup    AF-2877 IDMl import > Some pinned images have incorrect scaling     Variable Fonts: Adjusting axes using mouse wheel on Windows doesn't update text    [AF-2846] Chinese font names are not appearing in Chinese on Windows    [AF-2913] Font outlines aren't closed off correctly     Fonts installed via Creative Cloud cannot be found   [AF-2909] Bullets & Numbering Name entry box background is grey   [AF-2860] QR Code - shape does not update on payload change    [AF-2767] Text Style Editor: Style Name entry box background is grey   [AF-2861] Text Style Editor: Dialog no longer remembers the last category that was selected    Typography Panel - Floating - Changes size when fonts switch     Mouse wheel doesn't change stroke width in Decorations   [AF-2888] Typography Panel -Tab order - radio button highlight incorrect     Gradient outline still present on Panel tabs   [AF-2892] New Document Category dropdown won't allow bottom entries to be selected     Bugs affecting macOS
Variable fonts - Axes values not updating   [AF-2845] Variable fonts - Axes panel has transparency enabled    [AF-2878] Apps can crash whilst in the background [AF-2698] Text Style Editor: Dialog no longer remembers the last category that was selected     Text Style Editor: Style Settings background colour doesn't respond to UI Style on macOS    AF-2862] Text Style Editor: Style Name entry box background is grey   Text Style Editor: Font Family dropdown isn't honouring the UI Style    [AF-2855] Bullets & Numbering Name entry box background is grey    Section Manager's Name field has incorrect background colour.    [AF-2800 Typography Shortcuts is missing from Settings > Shortcuts on MacOS   [AF-2787] Importing Images using EPSON Standard RGB - Gamma 1.8 Profile causes an app crash    [AF-2655] Bugs affecting iPad
Character Panel - Variations doesn't update if showing when font is changed    [AF-2836] Line Width tool missing name in tool flyout    [AF-2700]

Please, make the Typography panel resizable vertically. Now it has fixed height.

Is there any chance to extend QR code generator to work with selected text?

What they don't mention there are modern photo editor features like font and vector layers or live filters.

https://jpeg.org/jpegxl/

Is there any chance to extend QR code generator to work with selected text?

Please, make the Typography panel resizable vertically. Now it has fixed height.

I've just done it. Thanks Alfred.

I've just done it. Thanks Alfred.

It is not there.

Please, make the Typography panel resizable vertically. Now it has fixed height.

I think what is being suggested is that the popup box where the URI is entered have a few tabs to build some of the common schemes for the user so that the user doesn't need to work out the encoding for all of them.
For example, iQR (on the App Store for the Mac), in addition to the URL option (which they label "WWW"), has tabs for Phone (enter a phone number), SMS (phone number and message), eMail (to address, subject and body), Map (enter an address and it looks it up using Google Maps or some other map service), Contact (first/last name, phone number(s), email address, web page, street address), Calendar (event name, when, where, etc.), PayPal/Bitcoin/SEPA payments (account, description, price, etc.), WiFi (network name/SSID, password, encryption type, hidden?), and Text.
 

 
It also provides an interesting range of formatting options to spice up the appearance of the generated codes:

 
Granted that this range of formatting options is probably a bit out of scope for a program that is not specialized in producing QR codes, but still thought I would point it out.  The more important thing to consider is to throw in the forms for a few of the common URI schemes.

Is there any chance to extend QR code generator to work with selected text?

The new smoothing algorithm looks good! Works really well with a mouse as well.

Left = Old
Right = New

 
I tried the new Auto Close and while I do think it is useful and creates more natural looking closed shapes, I still would like to have the old functionality still available. The gap is very narrow to be able to close it and not having the option to increase the spacing for the closing to happen removes my ability to create elongated shapes quickly. Not to mention that I can't make sharp straight lines when it closes. I would suggest adding a slider value for how much distance is required before Auto Close kicks in, with an alternative to have it always activate regardless of distance.


I can no longer get a closed shape out of this:


Here's an example of a type of shape I want to continue making:
 

 
Good update besides that! I hope we also get the option to auto-boolean our selection by either adding or subtracting from the shape in the future. It would be incredibly handy for silhouette paintings.

I think being able to set the tolerance of auto-close feature would be helpful so folks can tune it to their liking, or set it to ‘maximum’ where it would always auto-close regardless of the distance.

I confirm that EXE versions keep my CSV files in resources folder.
YES!!!

Hi All,
I'm pleased to let you know we have now added the ability to add QR codes as Affinity Shapes and is available now in the 2.5 beta...
 

Hi All,
Below is the list of all new feature and improvements which are included in the 2.5 beta (bug fix list is available here).
To learn more about these features please click on the link to go to each feature's dedicated post. To give feedback or report bugs against any of these features please reply to that same post (also check out bug reporting and feedback tips).
Variable Fonts  Line Width Tool Pencil Tool Improvements QR Code Object "Default preset" for grid Typography Dialog turned into a Panel Other Improvements Getting the 2.5 beta
If you have not enrolled into the beta program yet and would like to take part, you can do so here. This will immediately give you access to the latest 2.5 beta builds to try for yourself.
If you are already enrolled in the beta program you have two options:
1. If you still have the 2.4 beta installed, you can now run up those beta versions and you will be prompted to update them to the 2.4 beta.
2. If you have uninstalled the 2.4 beta, you will need to go back to Your Account -> Downloads and product keys and find your previous order for the Affinity Beta Software Program, and you can download the 2.5 beta from there.
Thanks,
Ash

There are a few other minor improvements to mention in 2.5:
1. Some new cameras have been added to LibRAW:
FujiFilm X100VI Leica SL3 Pentax KF (Rioch) Samsung Galaxy S23+ Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Sony ILCE-9M3 (A9 III) [improved] 2. As was requested in a few places before and on the last beta, when you have "Transform objects separately" checked and have a multi-selection, if you type a value in either the width or height field and precede it with an equals sign (e.g. H: '=100px') then it will set all objects in that selection to have that specific width or height value entered. This is opposed to scaling the other objects in your selection proportionally based on the key object which is he result you get without the equals sign.
3. DWG polylines import improvements
We have made some substantial improvements when importing polylines, which now ignores the cached points which AutoCAD creates. This simplifies the resulting curves substantially.

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS and Windows
As has been requested numerous times we have now converted the typography dialog from a pop-up dialog into a panel so you can now easily dock it / keep it available should you wish. 
This is available both fro the Window menu (note: this is currently at the bottom of the panel listing, but will be changed to be a sub menu from the Text panel options next week), and also from the typography button in the context toolbar  when you have text selected.
 

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS and Windows
Within grid and axis settings you can now set any of your grid settings to be the default, meaning any new documents will have that grid set when first created.
You can set / clear default grids from the burger menu next to the grid preset drop down:

Apps: All
Platforms: macOS, Windows and iPad
A new QR Code tool is now available from the shapes flyout in the toolbar, making it easy to add a QR code to your documents. 
After creating or selecting a QR Code object you will find a 'Payload' option in the context toolbar. Here you can type whatever URL you want the QR code to link to when it is scanned.


You can insert line breaks in your payload by using the CMD/CTRL + Click on canvas dialog

In addition to URLs you can use other syntax as detailed below to have the QR code trigger other functions when scanned by a device:
SMS
Payload structure: SMSTO:number:text message
Eg. SMSTO:07513123456:Hello mate!
GEO location
Payload structure: GEO:lat:lon:height
Eg. GEO:40.71872,-73.98905,100
WIFI credentials
Payload structure: WIFI:S:ssid;T:type;P:password;;
Eg. WIFI:S:MyWiFiSSID;T:WPA;P:MyPassW0rd;;
 

Apps: Designer
Platforms: macOS, Windows and iPad
We have made some further improvements to the pencil tool.
Firstly we are now using a new curve smoothing algorithm which we believe gives general better, smoother, results when using the pencil tool.
Secondly as has been commonly requested we have now changed the "Auto-close" method so that when you have that option checked in the context toolbar the curve only closes when you are near to the start point of the curve being drawn. You will now get an indicator when you are in range of the start position of the curve so you know when a curve will be auto-closed.

Variable fonts
Apps: Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher
Platforms: All
You're now able to use variable fonts in all Affinity apps, providing a plethora of new typographic design possibilities.
As well as providing predefined font styles, such as light, bold and condensed, variable fonts give you fine control of specific design aspects known as axes of variation, or just axes for short.
To try out variable fonts in Affinity, apply one to some text and then:
- On desktop, click the Font Variations button on the context toolbar (or on the Character Panel).
- On iPad, tap the arrow to the right of Bold/Italic/Underline/Strikethrough on the Text Panel and then tap Variations.
Variation settings on desktop.

 
 
Variation settings on iPad.

 
You'll see settings for each axis that the font designer has made individually adjustable.

Axis' slider being dragged.
Many variable fonts allow you to adjust their width and weight axes, and possibly italic, optical size and slant. These five axes are common enough that they're defined by the OpenType specification.
All manner of other axes may also be adjustable, such as:
- the height of ascenders and depth of descenders to better fit your chosen line spacing.
- the stem terminals, to choose between straight and swelling.
- the width of counters, which are enclosed and partially enclosed spaces within glyphs.
For examples of other possible axes, check out the axis definitions that are available for variable fonts at Google Fonts.
You may see fewer axes in Affinity than are mentioned by a font provider's marketing. For example, Google Fonts lists 13 axes for Roboto Flex and Affinity exposes five of them. This is because we respect font designers' ability to specify that an axis should be hidden. This is part of the OpenType specification and means that software isn't meant to provide an interface for such axes.
Why would a designer do this? Well, a variable font might adjust an axis internally based on your choices for other axes that you can directly adjust. For example, observe how counter widths change when the weight axis is adjusted in the animation above.

Variable fonts and PDFs
PDF doesn't support variable fonts. So, when you export a PDF of an Affinity document that uses a variable font, we create a static instance of the font with fixed settings.
We've taken steps to ensure static instances of fonts are well named. You should find this minimises the need to identify the original variable fonts if you later import or place the resulting PDFs.