albertkinng

See this related thread ...
 

The increasing negativity towards Affinity on these forums is becoming worrisome. I'm unsure whether it stems from disappointment or frustration, but it's unfair for some users to constantly criticize Affinity, especially with the release of a new version that has impressive features. Is there something I'm overlooking? As far as I know, Affinity is still performing well on my devices.

I would suggest two possible improvements to solve this problem.
Thicker borders for key objects on the canvas A temporary key icon in the layers panel that would indicate that an object has been selected as a "nominated key object".
(This option is debatable)

No need to. There is nothing wrong with the context toolbar in the move tool. 
In fact aligment buttons listed in that toolbar act like simplified version of what you have and can do in the alignment panel.  They allow a quick align to the selection bounds or key object. It's simple and intuitive. No need to think or remember that "first selected" is required to honor key object like it is in the main alignent panel.
The way to go:
Add a new "Key Object" category in the drop-down menu for the "Align To" option. Then it won't be so hidden anymore. Bring back the old behavior. Allow the user to select the "Align To" option before performing the alignment operation.
This option affects how the alignment operation is performed and should not be grayed out or unavailable before the alignment is performed. Move the "Size / Rotate to the same" buttons to the transform panel.
After selecting several objects, these buttons would become active in the transform panel and you could adjust the size and rotation. More sense for the user. Describe in detail in the documentation that: spacing now considers key object, set selection box considers key object,geometry Subtract will subtract any overlapping geometry from the key object, Size / Rotate to same will use key object as the source if nominated. @Ash make changes as in the points above and we users will have intuitive, simple solutions and you will have more satisfied users.

It is a bottomless pit of work and endless problems for Serif and customers, and if one expects that the exchange of files back and forth between customers and suppliers or between creatives will work, then one will be disappointed.
This is what makes it complex, not the file format:

I completely agree with you. My interest was piqued by the recent Pixelmator update. I made the switch to Affinity as soon as Adobe Creative Cloud was introduced. My clients didn't pick up on this switch, and I doubt I'll be returning to Adobe in the foreseeable future. Everything has been functioning wonderfully with the Affinity Suite, Sketch, Espresso, and RapidWeaver with Foundation. These tools have really been performing well for me.

I don't recall stating that. In truth, I prefer that Affinity not divert their development efforts towards ensuring compatibility with Adobe's standards. My inquiry was simply whether Affinity, given the updates Pixelmator has rolled out, intends to introduce the ability to open and export editable PSD and AI files, similar to what Pixelmator achieves. That was the extent of my question.

We can open and save PSD files (with some, limits most notably Text Layers in Photoshop files cannot be saved as Text Layers, they are rasterized). We can Open .ai files if they have the PDF stream saved. We cannot Save or Export as .ai files. We can Export any files as .psd files.

I appreciate your viewpoint, but you must realize that none of those functionalities you mentioned are absolutely necessary for UI design. I don't utilize them in either Figma or Sketch! Granted, on the rare occasion, when I'm away from the office and collaborating with colleagues, it comes into play. But you get what I'm driving at. In fact, multi-collaboration is possible with Affinity using this tool. Let me know if you want an invitation.

My good old friend @walt.farrell That has solved the problem! You've earned yet another prestigious award for your collection: 🏆

Does this seem right? It feels a bit off, but I believe I can make use of this technique.

Are you the creator of the software? Your perspective appears quite personal for just a regular user. Clearly, this isn't the place to exchange ideas for enhancements or speculate on what's next for VectorStyler—this is a space dedicated to Affinity. Our focus here is on anticipating developments within Affinity, not on what other software might offer. We turn to VectorStyler merely as an alternative option, not because it surpasses Affinity. Whether you're the developer or an avid supporter of VectorStyler, that's fine, but please recognize the context of this platform before initiating in-depth discussions about an external application.

Apologies for the confusion; the correct spelling is Shottr. If you'd like to see it in action, the link is functional and the app itself is truly exceptional. Additionally, I did provide you with some examples of noteworthy UI/UX design, such as VectorStyler and Inkscape. I personally find VectorStyler to be a valuable tool that I use on a daily basis as a companion to my main design app. It offers unique features that are not available in Designer. Perhaps my use of the term "awful" was not the best choice of words in this context, as I understand that it may work well for you. I apologize for any confusion caused by my comment. I was solely referring to my own preference regarding the UI/UX of the app. That's all. Shall we call a truce?

If you don’t consider it awful, I won't contend with your perspective. I'm okay with your preference. Personally, as a designer, I prefer tools that are as pleasing to look at as they are useful for my creative work. Applications such as Inkscape and VectorStyler that share a certain design ethos don’t quite resonate with my style. But if they work for you, that's great. 
 
for example, I prefer CleanShotX over Shttr. Both do the same, maybe one is less powerful than the other, however I will pay extra just for the UI/UX design effort into the app. CleanShotX is undeniably beautiful.

Are you the creator of the software? Your perspective appears quite personal for just a regular user. Clearly, this isn't the place to exchange ideas for enhancements or speculate on what's next for VectorStyler—this is a space dedicated to Affinity. Our focus here is on anticipating developments within Affinity, not on what other software might offer. We turn to VectorStyler merely as an alternative option, not because it surpasses Affinity. Whether you're the developer or an avid supporter of VectorStyler, that's fine, but please recognize the context of this platform before initiating in-depth discussions about an external application.

VectorStyler is 50% off now! Time to get it!

No. I ended up here after realizing there’s not a single video for real vector results. All of them ended up in raster format. I need to multiply vectors as vectors. I can create brushes already the way everyone does. 

hi, these lines are caused by resampling and anti-aliasing of pixels from rotated layers, leading to semi-transparent pixels.
you may try this:
 

Point taken.  It's neither, of course.

Obviously, you are aware that APh can be used for design purposes. My previous comment was directed towards those who view APh merely as a Digital Asset Management (DAM) application or, even worse, as a supplementary tool that requires a complete suite to accomplish anything.

I am as shocked as you, my friend.

So, according to your explanation, it seems that Photo is not actually a replacement for Photoshop, but rather an alternative to Lightroom. Initially, I had believed that Photo was a substitute for Photoshop. Ever since Photoshop 5, I have been using it to create promotional and advertisement designs that are filled with creativity and innovative design elements. Yes, it does allow me to make adjustments to images, but I primarily used it for design purposes after discovering its capabilities. It's good to have this clarification now, as it helps me set appropriate expectations for what Photo can offer.

Photoshop also has photo in it's name, yet it is the most common tool for graphic designers, not only photographers. Heck, I was even doing complex animations in it. IF Affinity Photo would be intended for photo only, they would never include any compatibility with Photoshop's smart objects. Smart objects are mostly used in graphic design, e.g. mockups. 

If your work consists mostly of digital materials, most of them won't exceed FHD res. Typical workflow is to edit a RAW (adjust + maybe cut bg), save it and then export into smaller res. Inexperienced designer can easily bloat such files, but this argument is so weak as it can be also done in a single AP file or AD with artboards.

AP is placing itself as an Photoshop alternative and users expect it to be one - a general graphic design tool. 

Considering that AP is most often used for photo editing, & that photos are typically relatively high resolution so they have lots of pixels, how many artboards would you typically want to have in one AP document & what size(s) would you want them to be? It seems to me this could very quickly result in some mammoth file sizes but maybe I do not understand how you intend for this to work.

Where do you think we are?