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arkinien

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Everything posted by arkinien

  1. Sorry to say, but it's NOT transparent, at least, not universally. The issue is that the transparent background have to be compatible with Industry standard applications, such as Adobe Indesign. For example, a logo project MUST be usable by others professionals not using Affinity. Exporting artboards to EPS works just fine, but confuses most clients who cannot preview those files and often end up deleting them. In that regard, PDF files are better. Now just to be clear, PDF does support transparent background while created with other application, sot it's a not a format limitation. As previously mentioned in this post, this worked in the past, but that seems to be gone now... and that is quite infuriating!
  2. The current save/export behaviour is just infuriating. Period. The Affinity suite is the only software I know of that sets the current folder to whatever was used last time, either to import, save, export, replace an image, or whatever folder was accessed last. On a user point of view (which usually doesn't care about programming challenges), that is only practical if you work on a single project, for a very long extended period (like a month), save everything in the same folder and never access assets from anywhere else. Statistically, I would be curious to see how many people fit this behaviour. My guess is: not much, or/and not often. I can see the use of it, but that should definitely be an optional behaviour, and not the default. If it's not possible to make it an option, as illustrated in an above post, then the default should be the source location. At any rate, it's quite easy to add a shortcut/alias to your working folder in your OS, so Affinity's current behaviour is not fixing a missing OS feature, it just makes working with multiple projects and folders a nightmare and a waste of time. So please, get this working. Today, again, I wasted hours looking for a file I saved a bit earlier. After fiddling for a while, I had to rebuild Spotlight index to finally locate it. The worst part: the file was still open, but there is no way to know where files are saved. So even going to recent documents does nothing cause it just reopens the file. As a side note, on the Mac, you can right click on the document top bar to show where the file is located. At least in any other software, but not with Affinity. Trick/workarounds: Created an alias/shortcut in your OS toward an export folder to use exclusively for Affinity. Export all your files to that quickly accessible folder. Then use your file manager to relocate the exported files to their proper destination folder. You can leave the export folder open besides your project folders so it's quick to go back and forth without having to navigate all the time. This solution takes quite a bit of screen real estate, so it's best to use a virtual desktop just for that. It's not perfect, but helps a bit. Anyhow, I still think I should not have to do that...
  3. Possible FIX I'm not exactly sure what the whole sequence is, but I reinstalled Designer 2.7. I'm actually running both 2.7 and 2.8, so I can still open the files I already saved from 2.8. I'm guessing that somehow the two versions share some of their library or preferences, but 2.8 now export with bleed normally. I did not test if I have to run 2.7 first, then 2.8 on the same login session for it to work, but there seem to be something there... I'll post more conclusions when I have time to do more tests.
  4. Thanks Sean! I can see that working. Converting artboards to Publisher spreads still seem to be a quicker solution, aside from having to deal with individual file names. I reverted to the 1.7 for now.
  5. I just upgraded to 1.8 In Designer, bleed is no longer present when exporting, either from the export persona or directly from the the file menu. (That has happened before with a previous update, but at least it worked from the file > Export menu) Any work around, other than using Publisher? Thanks!
  6. Thanks Aaron. You’re right, now that Publisher is out, it sounds like a good alternative. I have plenty of projects with douzaine of artboards. I’m traveling now, but will try that as soon as i’m back to the workstation!
  7. Update: On Mac, if you have a backup system, such as time machine for example, you can restore Designer 1.6 and still run Designer 1.7. So at least, you won't lock up file you have not saved with 1.7. Note 1. You can only run one version at the time. Note 2. Both versions share the same preference files, so this will mess up all your palette tools, etc. every times you swich version. Consider creating a MAcOs separate user profile just to run the alternate version; or if you know how, and have the time, create a automator scrip to save and restore Affinity user preferences, so you can alternate, or restore your setup for each version.
  8. Exporting individual artboards in PDF with bleed does not seem to work anymore. At all. I have hundreds of templates that worked fine with version 1.6, but no longer export artboards with bleed in version 1.7. Yikes!!!! Workaround: Export as a multipage PDF from the Designer persona, then open the PDF in Acrobat Pro* and split the pages in individual files. Or you can export individual artboards from the Designer persona, one at the time, and you need to rename them manually, every times. None of the above will take into account slices that do not cover an entire artboard. *Ouch comes to mind (to be polite). I'll try to restore 1.6 from my backup and hope that I can open newly created files. Affinity, please fix this quickly, that's a serous problem.
  9. Don't want to put oil on the fire here, and call me uneducated, but when I look the illustrator scripts that perform that conversion, they are fairly simple and weigh about 1.25 KB, for both (about two paragraphs of code). Of course I see that implementing a full feature function will require more development but I'm somewhat sceptical in the amount of code required. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that, but still. Again, that's leaving the symbols outside of the equation. Ref: https://ajarproductions.com/blog/2009/03/07/convert-illustrator-point-path-text-to-area-text/ Also. Coming from a different field entirely, Autocad had features to combine separate lines of text into one text frame in the mid nineties — it was an add-on script at the time if I recall. As previously mentioned, so did Corel Draw in the same time frame. Surely, 20 years later, something can be done on modern systems. Or am I just really missing that much?
  10. There was also an Illustrator script you could download that used to do this nicely and simply. Yet, I guess the challenge with Affinty Designer are symbols. Let say you have text frame in a symbol and have various instances of that symbol where you adjusted the frame width, redulting in various rags. If you converted it to artistic text, you would a problem.
  11. Like many, I fear the day when I'll upgrade my OS and Aperture will stop working. I just got a new computer, which came preinstalled with High Sierra. When I open my library for the first time, it was just blank. I confessed that I just assume that this was it, and made no further investigation. I still have my old system, so I wasn't trouble yet. Thanks for your comment that put my lack of curiosity straits, I managed to reopen my libraries just fine. I might migrate to Capture anyway, just because it seems inevitable, but that's a whole other story. That, however, is a whole different story. I was hoping for a whole side of Aperture I did not know, but a closer look just confirmed my earlier statement. I did not try MediaPro SE yet, but according to the website, it's a similar basic idea : Cataloguing and managing images that are stored elsewhere. My point is that this is still a photographer approach. A graphic design studio actually has a whole different reality where the ideal photographer tools are of no help. For example, let's take a tourism brochure. In substance, it is very similar to a National Geographic magazine, but with fewer articles. This can count hundreds of pages loaded with charts, maps, photos, illustrations and articles. You can easily count dozens of people working on the same project at once. Ideally, you want anything that relates to the project stored and organized in project folder accessible by anyone working on it. You'll have a variety of file types in such a project, ranging maps (EPS), proofs (PDF), logos, photography, charts and, of course, your master Indesign/Affinity Publisher files. Images, charts, and maps are typically linked (referenced) in the publications (as opposed to be embedded in the file) and you need to be able to open and edit each file formats in its original application. You’ll have progress version for each file. Each section can actually be a different InDesign/Affinity Publisher file and different people work on different sections at once. The whole project evolves as it goes and is altered by many individuals with different skill sets and let's face it, some don't know how keep a folder organized. So what you need is a view of the project as is. Anybody in that project needs the ability to do that at anytime. Looks like a Finder job perhaps? In real life, you also need the ability to view all your file types, rate, label, add metadata, sort, review image quality, colour format, resolution at a glance. Project manager will trow a bunch of images they want to see in the publication and want to know if they are suitable for printing, so you want to be able to access photographic information quickly. If you happen to have a photo shoot for that project, you also want the RAW files in that project folder, and believe me, someone else is likely to move them at some point. You want to be able to place your files directly into your layout. Then if you ever look for the photo on that specific cover the client approval, you’ll look in your publication master file and check which photo was referenced. Then you’ll take that photo, do the required retouching and save it with the other selected files — maybe you can just tag it, but I like to keep the originals intact. Later, the photo will need to be adjusted for the press. If you have multiple paper types and an online version is means different versions of the photo as well. What you need is a file manager with extended photo and labelling features. The whole idea of a library or a catalogue would be very impractical in such a scenario. I'm sure one can find workarounds and make it work somehow, but you can also do a budget in MS Word or write letters in MS Excel — in any case, it's not great. In a scenario like above, the Finder can't do the job, nor can Aperture, even with referencing. Bridge in the other hand, does that job. And because Affinity is actually releasing a design suite, it is very possible that if they ever make a DAM, they make it the Bridge way instead of using the library model seen in Aperture, Lighroom or Capture One/Media Pro (They all work with a system where when you need a library in witch you import assets) I too dream of a real Aperture replacement, but as many are pointing out here, Affnity might not be the ones to do it. However, a Bridge replacement seems more probable to me; it's definitely a more related companion to the other three software (Photo, Designer and Publisher). A comparable reference is the deceased Adobe "Design Suite CS_X", composed of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign was shipped with Bridge, not with Lightroom — not because it was a low-end product, but because it was more practical for that audience.
  12. Unfortunately, there is no "function" to save the studio. (If so, please prove me wrong). That does not mean you can't save it manually, and even keep multiple versions of it to suit your different workspaces. As a bonus or drawback, some of your preferences will also be saved or recalled by the same process. To save your Studio configuration (MAC) The following allows you to keep a safe copy of your studio configuration, including the Toolbar and other preferences (I did not know which ones at this point) Quit Affinity Designer From the finder top drop-down menu, select GO and press [option] — [shift] or [^control] on some systems. A new item called Library should appear in the menu. Click it. Navigate to this location : Macintosh HD/Users/YourUserNameHere/Library/Containers/com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner/Data/Library/Preferences Copy the file com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner to a safe location of your choice. I recommend a cloud base storage, so you can get it back on a new or different system at anytimel. Go back to work with peace of mind, your Studio configuration is now safe. To recall the Studio If the studio go astray, or the toolbar plays hide and seek on you: Quit Affinity Designer Copy back com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner to its original location (From where you saved it above) — Replace the existing files Note that the studio will come back the exact same way you had it at the time you copied the file for the first time. Changes you made between the two procedures will be lost. Forever. I have not tested it yet, but I'm sure that some other preference settings will be affected as well, I just don't know to what extent. Multiple Studios: You can make multiple Studio arrangements and save them independently. Just copy com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner to different locations. Be sure to label them properly, so you remember what they are. Very useful on a laptop that uses an external monitor that is not always connected. If you're comfortable with MacOS Automator, you can even create series of app/scripts to save or restore your Studio configuration(s) automatically. Not the smoothest process and I wish there was a prebuilt function for that… But until it does, or someone proves me wrong, it's a workaround. Enjoy!
  13. Thanks for the tips, I'll run some tests based on the above. Sounds like there is plenty of functionality I was not aware of, so I'm eager to check it out. Hopefully I'll aso be able to debug my current setup with Aperture.
  14. You are correct, it was not the actual RAW file that was placed. I guess i should have used a differend word “version” to describe this, it is technically incorrect. What i mean was “converted copy”, or JPG as you mentioned. I guess the point is that you could buid mock-ups directly from a photoshoot. Once a photo was approved in the layout, you’d still need to export properly, convert it to CMYK, color-corect it for press - newsprint is different coated paper, etc. But at least you could build mock-ups quickly and explore option without the extra work.
  15. It would actually be nice to be able to drop a raw file (or an automatic version of it) directly to a layout without having to export it first and deal with a bunch of extra files. Something you could do with Aperture, BTW.
  16. Hey guys, I was just wondering. We’ve all pretty much assumed and wished that Affinity's DAM would be in the likes of Aperture, Lightroom or Capture One. All these have one thing in common: they are Cataloguing tools. What if (please bear with me for a minute here), Affinity has something more Like Bridge in Mind? Yes, I just wrote the sinful name that should not be mentioned, but... The main thing with Bridge is that it's NOT a cataloguing tool. Let's call it a glorified Finder or Windows Explorer (the file manager, not the deceased browser). It allows you to browse your files and has some fancy features and labelling options on top. For a photographer handling hundreds of thousands of photos, it's pretty much an abomination and it makes very little sense. I do know who use it, but let’s not go there. However, for a publishing studio who needs to manages projects assets and collaborate with many team members on a same project, it makes a lot more sense. For example, you are working on an InDesign file or a website and have tons of linked images — Usually, you're no longer dealing with RAW images at that stage, but you may still need multiple versions of the same subject, or need to rate and tag photos that may or not make the publication. You also need something that will preview all graphic files and give you info about images metadata at a glance, etc. What you need is to be able to browse your project as it evolves in collaboration. A catalogue system like LR or AP just does do the job here. Not even a bit. Now, as much as I'm crying for the loss of Arperture, which no longer runs under High Sierra, as far as I have tried, or doesn’t read my newest Camera RAW files, I have to be prepared to the eventuality that maybe, Affinity has something else in mind. If I look at it objectively, the current road map for Affinity consists of three pieces of software: Photo, Designer, and Publisher. As a whole, this much closer to a publishing suite than a Photography suite. In that light, something similar to Bridge would make more sense. Tears. Unless, of course, someone has the brilliant idea to make a DAM that handles individual projects (like Bridge does) AND cataloguing (like LR, AP, or Capture One). Let say through two different personas, for example.
  17. CS2 was release in 2005. It’s likely not to run at all on modern OS and will be even less compatible than Affinty is right now. Going to CS6 from CC is a often challenge and so many incompatible fearure already existed between CS2 and CS6. Simple things like gradiends were already collapsing between CS3 and CS4, not to mention artboard that did not exist before CS4 or CS5. Variable Line width, perspective and much more were not even on road map back then.
  18. One option is to export your work as an EPS or PDF (For Export) from Affinity Designer. It has some limitations, but basic objects export well and you should be able to open it back to edit with Illustrator. Keep in mind that many features are not supported and just like opening illustrator files, like mentioned above, some objects will be rasterized. Examples are Gradients, Effects, Custom strokes, Pressure, and many others. Symbols will lose their synching abilities and shapes (hears, water drops, etc.) will be converted to curves. If you want to know in advance what will break, you can export your project as an EPS from Affinity, then open it right back in Affinity. You'll see what's there and what's not. Be sure to actually analyze your file, as everything may look fine, but not be editable the way it was created. This can, however, be a good option for working on logos or simple vectorial geometry where all your curves and filling will translate nicely. It really depends on the nature of your projects. Same procedure in Illustrator, except that you need to save as a PDF and uncheck "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capability". Otherwise, things will look like they are editable, but they may not be back home. That said, PDFs are often more editable in Affinity than in Illustrator... So you'll need to try them at home as well.
  19. I really, really, really, like that new handle in the Frame text objects. Nice improvement! I think it's a brilliant new approach to make the text frame very flexible. Especially when used in Symbols. However, there are many cases when I created a Symbol using Art Text, which seemed suited at the early design stage; usually before the editor wanted extend copy. Now I need that single line to wrap because i became too long. Of course, that warp needs to be adjusted per symbol instances, which is well achieved by the Frame Text object. It's the conversion process that's not as nice: Current steps are : • Select the Art Text object; • Copy the text from the Art Text object; • Creating a new Frame Text object (Which usually implies that some Symbol instances will have to be adjusted after the fact); • Paste the text in the Frame Text; • Insert that new Frame Text object correctly in the Symbol; • Align the Art and Frame Text object (Which had to be done by eye); • Delete the Art Text object; • Adjust the wrap as needed. It works, but it's a lot of steps for something very "mechanical" that requires no human interpretation. What would be nice is : • Select the Art Text object; • Convert to Frame Text • Adjust the wrap as needed. I supposed that we coud use the Frame Text by default, but sometimes the frame just gets in the way. For that reason, it would also be nice to be able to convert a Text Frame to an Art Text as well — I can see the nightmare the latest would produce in case of a symbol with different warps... Ouch!.
  20. I'm glad to see it's not me who's going crazy. I noticed that too and was wondering if some setting got mixed-up somewhere, but I could not find it. Clicking the "Create slice" button from the layer palette in the export persona is handy, but it's more than one extra step we did not have to do before when duplicating an artboards. Creating a new slice, instead of duplicating one, also requires to reconfigure the export settings for that new slice, which could become much more complex, even with presets. Especially if you have multiple exports from one slice. On top, if one has many many artboards, it's easy to miss a few at the time of exporting. If anyone knows how to turn that feature back on it would be great.
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