Jim Monson

R C-R: What you say is correct and clear when editing, but this does not get me back to the Home tool. I do not want to edit the text box but only bring up the Home tool (the solid arrow, to left in the tools panel). cratrem: I just saw you attachment and would very much like to see it, but it does not appear to be active any more. Perhaps they become inactive after a day or so. Could you send it again, or tell me how I can get to it from your former post. Many thanks!

I've tried that, crabtrem, but I don't get the Move tool. Of course, there are all kinds of options that I use all the time (rotate, resize, etc.), but I do not see the Move tool. I've tried every combo of modifier keys and explored every possibility I can imagine, but the actual Move tool no direct way to get to the Move tool I have found that when using the Frame Text tool I can click outside the text frame which shows me the symbol for the Frame Text tool. At that point I can use my Move tool shortcut to bring up that tool. This is okay, but I wish there were a way to go from editing inside a text directly to the Move tool without the intermediate step. As I have said elsewhere, a simply pressing the CMD key could change the Frame Text tool to temporarily show the Move tool, and then another click could keep me on the Move tool, even when I let up the CMD key. Here's hoping AD is listening since this quick interchange of tools could speed up editing, at least for me.

I was agreeing with you, Matthias. FH was fantastic, although it, too, had its problems. What I liked about it was the natural ease with which everything happened. Yes, AD, is much like FH, but its developers have to solve the problem you have described. They should use a modifier key (I vote for CMD) to temporarily get to the Move tool. While CMD is held down, a double click would make the Move tool permanent. Then a simple key stroke would take the user anywhere. BTW, I have my own keyboard shortcuts in AD (same key stroke shortcuts I use in Illustrator). Thus going back and forth between programs (until I get everything over to AD) is quite easy. My only problem is that using a key stroke when editing inside a text simply enters that key stroke into my text. This should be fixed soon if the AD developers are listening to us.

That worked, MEB. You're up late there. Your help is very much appreciated!

Thanks much, MEB. I was thinking that this is the only thing left for me to do, and then your message came with the "how to." I'm not sure what I did to get rid of the Toolbar, but I've tried everything to get it back. My problem was that I thought these were simply tools. You cleared that up for me. Thanks for your patience and insights.

Thanks, barninga, but this does not seem to work, unless I'm doing something wrong. I'm not sure where the title bar of the app is. I tried dragging to the title "Affinity Designer" at the very top left of the screen (where the currently used app is listed), and the doc title I'm currently working on, and to the Affinity Designer in my doc. I tried with a doc open and then restarting the program without a doc up. Thanks for any clarification you can provide. Much appreciated!

I've just noted that "Tools" is different than "Toolbar." The Toolbar is what I am missing, even though I have turned it on and off (in View and via a Shortcut) dozens of times. When View shows that Toolbar is checked (visible), I see nothing different on the screen, nor can I drag the bar from the Customize Toolbar window to any where on the screen or in AD. I believe that AD should rename Toolbar to Command Bar or something like that since one would think that a Toolbar has tools in it. Again, am I missing something. Thanks.

I saw the Flip commands in the Customize Toolbar window, and that tells me that dragging them was an option. If it is not, then why do they appear there and why does it say to drag what I want to the toolbar? I'm not questioning your answer but asking why AD shows this. Also, I do not find these commands (Flip, etc) in AD's menu commands, that I understand to be the top menu = File, Edit ... View, etc. When I first entered AD I saw the horizontal list of icons along the top of my AD screen, but since I wanted more editing space on my screen so I got rid of them, how I now forget. I have not yet found any way to get them to appear again. How do I get them up again? Perhaps that is what you mean my "Menu Commands." Thanks much.

I mistakenly created two identical threads, Matthias, and you posted the following in the thread now not used, thus I'm continuing by responding in your thread. You might want to look at the answers in my original thread ( Your post: ”My take on this would be a double click outside of the textbox to switch back to the selection/move tool. Check this out. After all this time I still think it’s obvious: a click for a new textbox, a double click for back to move tool." You are correct, Matthias, that with many tools (but not all) one can return to the "Move" tool by double clicking outside a selection. I now use my old Illustrator keyboard shortcuts now in AD, i.e., an "s" for the Move tool (my old Illustrator Select tool) and a "d" for the Node tool (my old Illustrator Direct Select tool). I use a "c" for the Pen tool. I find that this works well with everything except when I am editing text. That is where my problem is since touching any key when editing a text will enter that key stroke in the text. Very frustrating but I understand why this must be the case. Illustrator has a very useful toggle = when one has the CMD key down, the Illustrator Select tool replaces the Text tool. Holding down CMD and double clicking makes the Select tool permanent. This toggle, however, does not exists in AD, at least I have not found it. Lastly, when editing a text in AD and then double clicking outside the text a new artistic text is created with an “a.” Continuing to click gives various accents for the letter "a." At least this is what I have found. Thus your solution of double clicking works for everything except when I am editing a text. I hope this makes sense, and also that developers of AD will soon solve this problem. Going back to the toolbox to choose the Move tool slows up things and makes more mouse moving rather than simply having a toggle with the CMD key (as explained above). BTW, I loved Freehand, too, in the old days, but those days are gone. Greetz, Jim

This should be quite easy, but it does not work for me. I have opted for a floating toolbar and would like to add the Flip Horizontal tool and others to this toolbar. I've tried dragging from everywhere to the toolbar (via Customize Toolbar and Customize Tools in View), but nothing pops into the toolbar. This may have something to do with the fact that I have no tools along the horizontal top of my AD screen. I chose not to have ithere and now can't find how to get it back there. Where am I going wrong? Thanks.

Thanks to all. Yes, Asha, you have stated it much better than I did. It is simply a toggle. Another nice feature in Illustrator is that once I toggle to the Select tool and click on the screen, I remain in the Select tool This is a great help in editing instead of going back to the toolbox each time as in AD to get the Move tool.

Thanks, crabtrem. Yes, you did understand my question. I had looked there but with your response I looked again and found it under "Appearance," which for me was "Appearance" in Illustrator. I'm getting used to AD's titles, which actually are quite good. Much appreciated!

As far as I can tell there is no way to name a color swatch and view swatch names in list view. Correct? If not, how is this done?

When editing inside a text box in Illustrator I simply used my left thumb on the CMD key to change the cursor to Illustrator's "select" tool, and when I lifted my thumb I could go back to text editing. As far as I can see (and I may be wrong) the only way I can get from inside a text box back to then "move" or 'node" tools is to go to the screen and choose it from the toolbox. Otherwise I have typed my shortcut in the text box. Is this correct?

In my work flow in Illustrator I constantly used my left hand on the left of the keyboard (s, z, x, c, d, etc.) for quick tool selection. In Illustrator one has to use the space bar also. I have now replaced these AD shortcuts, except for a couple great Illustrator keyboard helps. One of these is when editing inside a text box in Illustrator I simply used my left thumb on the CMD key to change the cursor to Illustrator's "select" tool, and when I lifted my thumb I could go back to text editing. As far as I can see (and I may be wrong) the only way I can get from inside a text box back to then "move" or 'node" tools is go to the screen and it from the toolbox. Otherwise I have typed my shortcut in the text box. Is this correct? If so, then AD should think up one of their creative ways of doing this since one is always going back and forth from working elsewhere to the "move" or 'node" tools. BTW, AD's technique of a simply click on the screen when nothing is selected to get back to the desired cursor is ingenious. Great idea when one gets used to it.

In my work flow in Illustrator I constantly used my left hand on the left of the keyboard (s, z, x, c, d, etc.) for quick tool selection. In Illustrator one has to use the space bar also. I have now replaced these AD shortcuts, except for a couple great Illustrator keyboard helps. One of these is when editing inside a text box in Illustrator I simply used my left thumb on the CMD key to change the cursor to Illustrator's "select" tool, and when I lifted my thumb I could go back to text editing. As far as I can see (and I may be wrong) the only way I can get from inside a text box back to then "move" or 'node" tools is go to the screen and it from the toolbox. Otherwise I have typed my shortcut in the text box. Is this correct? If so, then AD should think up one of their creative ways of doing this since one is always going back and forth from working elsewhere to the "move" or 'node" tools. BTW, AD's technique of a simply click on the screen when nothing is selected to get back to the desired cursor is ingenious. Great idea when one gets used to it.

Thanks! The arrow tool in the shapes dropdown is a nice start but primitive. I'm awaiting the addition of many more options for choosing beautiful arrowheads.

From my few days of working in AD I believe that one can only making arrowheads in AD by creating a separate graphic and attaching it on to a shaft. The arrowhead can thus be manipulated as a separate part of a group. Is that correct or does AD have an "arrowhead maker" that I have not found yet? I should add that I imported at lot of my Illustrator work. Arrowheads I made in Illustrator come out beautifully in AD. Hats off to you at AD who thought of all of us with tons of previous work in Illustrator. This makes AD more fabulous than ever!

From my few days of working in AD I believe that one can only making arrowheads in AD by creating a separate graphic and attaching it on to a shaft. The arrowhead can thus be manipulated as a separate part of a group. Is that correct or does AD have an "arrowhead maker" that I have not found yet? I should add that I imported at lot of my Illustrator work. Arrowheads I made in Illustrator come out beautifully in AD. Hats off to you at AD who thought of all of us with tons of previous work in Illustrator. This makes AD more fabulous than ever!

Your guess is right on, JimmyJack. I had noted the two types of layers and started with a simple layer rather than a Pixel Layer ... but then my Illustrator experience moved in and I created the Pixel Layer on the right without noting the "pixel" by each layer name. You guys have a lot of patience with a newcomer. Much appreciated. All is well, and I'm extremely happy with AD.

Thanks, MEB. If this message is not cleat then I'll try a dropbox link. Thanks much for your help. Jim 1) I imported an Illustrator file, and everything went well and was visible (great option!!), but only objects appeared in the layer structure. No Illustrator layers appeared. 2) Then I organized these object by creating layers and dragging the objects into a layer, but as I did, the objects disappeared from the screen. 3. I always dropped an object into a layer I had created and not in another object. 3) When I dragged an object or group of objects out of aa layer, they again appeared on the screen.

I am new to Affinity Designer (AD). Although it is straightforward to learn, I still do not understand why groups of objects are visible when outside a created layer but when placed within a layer they are no longer visible. When moved outside again they are again visible. (They are always checked visible.) Could you point me to a post on this or explain. Thanks.