fde101

Correct, this is why I gave my set of potential improvements.  I don't think it needs to be dragged onto the picture; I think the picture should be selected then click (or maybe double-click) on the frame in the assets panel... but the Affinity team would obviously need to be the ones to decide if any of this happens at all and how.
 
Probably because this is not picture book software and no one likely thought of this use case or spent the time on it yet.  I do think this should be an easy enough request to flesh out if they decide to do this and it does not seem at all unreasonable.  Also, assets can be exported/imported so even if there are not frames included by default, if the functionality to swap them onto the pictures is provided, this would be a relatively easy thing for a 3rd party to offer a library of (even if they DO include frames by default, 3rd parties should be able to offer additional frame collections...)
 
Now that I am starting to think of groups in the mix, here is the behavior I am thinking would work:
 
If an asset in the panel is double-clicked on (or maybe single-clicked, not sure what the exact action should be here), it should be checked for the presence of a single picture frame or text frame object, possibly as the asset, or as a child layer within it.
If such a frame is found, and there are one or more objects selected in the document:
Loop through the selected objects.  For each one:
    if the object is an image or pixel layer and the asset contains a picture frame:
        check to see if the object is currently inside a picture frame; if it is, send that frame into step "replace frame" below
            if it is not currently inside a picture frame: add a copy of the asset to the document scaled to match the transform
                of the frame in the asset to the transform of the selected image or pixel layer; move the selected layer into the new
                frame as its content layer
    else if the object is a text frame and the asset contains a text frame:
        replace the selected object with a copy of the asset, scaled so that the text frame in the asset matches the transform
            of the one that was selected to begin with; if the original text frame was linked, connect the replacement frame in the
            same manner as the frame being replaced and reflow the existing text - otherwise, add the text from the object being
            replaced to the new text box
    else if the object is a picture frame and the asset contains a picture frame:
        send that frame into step "replace frame" below
end loop
 
to replace frame:
    add a copy of the asset to the document, scaled to match the transform of the contained frame to the transform
        of the frame being replaced.
    move the content layer of the frame being replaced into the new frame added as part of the asset (replacing any
        that might have been included in the asset)
    delete the original frame

Correct, and you cannot rasterize a pixel layer...
It is an image layer you can "rasterize" (probably a convenient reuse of an existing menu option) to turn it into a pixel layer.

The differences between image and pixel layers were discussed here. An image layer retains the original image data and as such cannot be directly edited at a pixel level - you can apply adjustments/filters to it or transform it globally (scale, rotate etc) but you can't change its pixels - think of it like an embedded document. Pixel layers are the equivalent of what you are used to in other raster apps - layers where you can paint/perform any type of pixel based operations.

A "layer" in Affinity terminology is basically just an object within the document - not the same as a "layer" in InDesign or other similar products.
The Affinity products distinguish between an "image layer" and a "pixel layer" for some reason, though both are raster.  I think an image layer cannot be edited but a pixel layer can?  You can "rasterize" an image layer (even though it is already raster) to convert it to a pixel layer.  
A "vector layer" is not sufficiently specific - is it a curve (path) as would be drawn with the pen tool, or a shape (and which one), or a text frame, picture frame, ...
Each of those is a different type of layer.

I don't think anyone here disagrees that the use of linked text boxes on master pages is the superior solution for this, and the Affinity team has reiterated several times that master page functionality for Publisher is currently incomplete.
I'm sure that will be coming, it just isn't here yet.  The autoflow suggestion is about the best "for now" option we can suggest until more complete master page functionality is available.

I would like to request that a calendar be included in Publisher for both PC and MAC.

Spreads of more than two pages are not currently available in Publisher, so agreed that guides are probably the best way to handle for now.

There is already a big long thread on this:
 
 
Less important, but note that the first version of Affinity Publisher will be 1.7, there is no 1.0.

Make sure snapping is turned on for object bounding boxes. Drag out a picture frame that is slightly larger than the pixel layer. Resize the frame to match the layer by snapping to the edges of the pixel layer; if it does not snap at first, while dragging one of the handles, hold the mouse pointer over the pixel layer for a moment to promote it as a snapping candidate. Delete the pixel layer from the layers palette Place the desired replacement image in the frame.

This isn't exactly photobook software, but this does seem like a reasonable extension to the assets panel.  I believe you can already set up a custom group of objects and store pre-designed "frames" there:
You could store them to be used as masks; to use them as masks (currently) you would need to drag one out, resize it over the picture/frame, and drag it in the layers palette to the mask position of the image/pixel layer.  Potential improvement would be able to mark it as a mask in the asset panel and clicking on it with an object selected would replace the object's mask (if any) with an appropriately scaled copy of the asset.  Note that using as a mask would not allow for them to become "borders" - they would constrain the shape of the image but would not add a border to them.
You could alternatively use them as preset frames, which would allow for a border; for this you would convert them to picture frames before storing them in the asset group, then you would drag one out and have an empty "fancy" picture frame to add your photo to.  Currently I do not believe this would allow for dynamic switching; potential improvement would be for the asset panel to replace a selected container with a scaled copy of the one clicked on in the palette when another frame of the same type is selected (ex. if a picture frame is selected and you click on a picture frame in the asset palette, the selected frame would be replaced with a scaled copy of the one clicked on in the palette, which would receive the content of the one that was replaced - similar could be done with a text frame).

And don't forget Font Squirrel. They have the same fonts, plus some more. Often times font updates at FS happen faster. Which then also makes (to get back on topic) packaging for people that send native files around to others or print establishments all the more important as often kerning is one of the things that get updated (different metrics, letter spacing and kerning often happen) and this affects text flow.
But in conjunction with packaging, it would be nice if Affinity applications, once packaging is included, would also make use of a function of packaging that ID uses. That is, any document that has fonts in the packaging folder will use those versions of the font for that document even if the other person and/or print service provider also has the same or different version(s) of the font and so guard against text flow changes.

This isn't exactly photobook software, but this does seem like a reasonable extension to the assets panel.  I believe you can already set up a custom group of objects and store pre-designed "frames" there:
You could store them to be used as masks; to use them as masks (currently) you would need to drag one out, resize it over the picture/frame, and drag it in the layers palette to the mask position of the image/pixel layer.  Potential improvement would be able to mark it as a mask in the asset panel and clicking on it with an object selected would replace the object's mask (if any) with an appropriately scaled copy of the asset.  Note that using as a mask would not allow for them to become "borders" - they would constrain the shape of the image but would not add a border to them.
You could alternatively use them as preset frames, which would allow for a border; for this you would convert them to picture frames before storing them in the asset group, then you would drag one out and have an empty "fancy" picture frame to add your photo to.  Currently I do not believe this would allow for dynamic switching; potential improvement would be for the asset panel to replace a selected container with a scaled copy of the one clicked on in the palette when another frame of the same type is selected (ex. if a picture frame is selected and you click on a picture frame in the asset palette, the selected frame would be replaced with a scaled copy of the one clicked on in the palette, which would receive the content of the one that was replaced - similar could be done with a text frame).

Yes, that is how I am interpreting "placeholder"

Do you have View > Show Tools checked? the Text Frame ('text placeholder or text box.') looks like a square with a T in it. It is up near the top of the tools. Select that tool and then click and drag on the page. I think that @fde101 means is that using a Text Frame on a Master Page will not be blank on pages it is applied to and allow you to put text into it on those pages. This method will be available later on we all hope. If you want text on the Master Page repeated on each page then yes use the Master Page with a Text Frame. I use it for page numbers and Section Names and static stuff too.

I was just pointing out the misinformation when you wrote:
I fully & completely understand the issues re fonts being packaged and transmitting said files to a print provider.
The exact same issue can apply to stock (or commissioned) artwork depending upon the license agreements. And it can apply to supplied text.

You can scale to a percentage of the *current* size by typing something like 50% into the width/height fields in the transform panel.  This does not represent a percentage of the *original* size but of the size at the time you enter the percentage.
Percentage of original size is not currently possible in Publisher from what I understand.

Simply one page with respective guidelines.
As a long time InDesign and QXP user I did it always this way, although both apps have a multipage/spread feature.

A few of those look like they could be done with the shape tool then apply styles to them?
You can convert a shape to a picture frame using the "Convert to Picture Frame" option in the Layer menu.

A few of those look like they could be done with the shape tool then apply styles to them?
You can convert a shape to a picture frame using the "Convert to Picture Frame" option in the Layer menu.

Appears you might have been looking at the old icons on Windoze 10 with its tiny task bar.
On the Mac the old icons (displayed at more reasonable sizes in the dock, or in other places) looked fantastic.

Not yet, no.

It actually exports "live" as you are making changes, not just when you save.  The option is called "Continuous" and it is tied to slices, so you would need to define slices for the layers or areas of the image you want to export, then set those to export continuously.
 
This video tutorial is for Designer but the export persona in Photo works essentially the same way:
 

Actually, it makes sense in a lot of cases, but granted not all of them.  This should be a checkbox on the context toolbar, probably off by default, to indicate if it should crop or not.

I've been wondering this too, and there does not currently seem to be an option for that.
It would be nice to have some kind of inspector for a symbol or a selected layer within a symbol that would show which attributes/properties are detached and have an option to resync them either by applying the change to the symbol and other connected members and connecting or by taking the value from the symbol and reapplying it to the current one, syncing it again or leaving it detached after setting the value once...
That said, at a minimum there should be an option to maybe right-click on a symbol and "Resync All Properties to Symbol" to match the symbol back to the original and set everything to sync again.
There is another thread where someone was asking for an option that would cause all instances of the symbol to be resynced to the original, which is not a bad option to have either...

I don't see that comment but I do see your comment now that referenced inability to use SVG - sorry, I did miss that earlier while reading your responses.
 
the initial version of PNG was not released until 1996...     but I hear you...