GRH

For what it's worth, when I changed to metal there was not much of an improvement, but then I cranked up the available RAM to the mid-way point and things improved greatly.

Thanks for your answer, I think I comprehend it, have to let that one mellow a bit whilst it sinks in. In the meantime, surprising, bogus, correct or otherwise behaviour, it is going to be very useful to me, and I shall fiddle with it to see what else I can do with it.

So it seems, but what I find interesting is that when you have done the work with the 'flood select tool' (in this case) on the image layer, then create and select a pixel layer above it (I haven't tried it below) the marching ants are still apparent on the pixel layer and can be filled with the 'flood fill tool', leaving the original image layer unaltered. Nothing has been done with the image layer other than make selections, which have not been copied nor pasted to the pixel layer, so how does the new pixel layer have the active marching ants on it which are able to be flood filled in?. If anything should happen, surely it is the original image layer that should be altered?

I was trying to work something out and fiddling about in photo as you do. I had a new pixel blank layer as the top layer - visible - i.e. 'is visible' check box checked. Below there are number of png image layers - not visible. I was on a 'not-visible' png layer (selected) and, with the 'flood select tool' enabled double clicked on the blank 'paper' of the layer (no idea why), when the marching ants appeared showing the outline of the invisible texture, which I thought was interesting. I selected the top visible pixel layer and the marching ants were still there, so I experimented with the 'bucket fill' and was able to colour the background. It occurred to me to invert the selection and then I could flood fill the separate elements - flowers in this case. On pressing cmd+d the ants disappeared and I was left with a the coloured in pixel layer. The original png image layer was not changed. I found I could also do this with the png image layer, visible or not, by using the 'flood select tool' and then creating a new pixel layer when the marching ants appeared, selecting it and flood filling it in; I haven't tried doing anything else so far. In either case, the original layer is unaffected. I hope I have made this clear. So the question is 'Is this a bug, an unintended feature or just my ignorance of Photo's awesomeness'?

Thanks Carl123, works a treat now; thanks also Bruce - we got there in the end.

Thanks Bruce, though I still can't get any distances to show, the nodes slide along left or right but no measurement showing up. I'm wondering if this is a Windows only feature - I'm working on a Mac.

I recently watched an Affinity Designer video in which a measuring tool was being used, as you will see, but I can't find it anywhere and the YouTuber didn't say. Has anyone any idea? The relevant part starts at 1:36

Glad to see your avatar has a mask on RCR, however these posts are not two metres apart as per social distancing rules.

I don't know this plugin, but looking at the two images, could it be the zoom? The top image is at 9% and the bottom one is 38%.

If I understand you correctly, try pressing \ (back-slash), that should reveal the shapes, etc., and show/hide items stored off the page.

+1 for that

I can't help thinking that the ' dark look ' (yes, I have heard the arguments; easier on the eye and so forth) is a fashion statement of the 'Emperors New Clothes' category. Recently, the bank sent me a new shiny pin pad. Guess which one is the new one. Dark mode, it seems, is not limited to user interfaces.

Hi Dan, Thanks for getting back and your efforts. I will look into the vector solution.

Could it be the print 'quality' settings in the print dialogue being set to 'draft' instead of 'High Quality'?

Drawplus X8 ?