matt.baker

No, this isn't possible at the moment unless you go to the trouble of making a gradient texture to use in a vector brush... We have much grander plans when it comes to gradients and I'm not prepared to mention what it is right now because it won't be as much fun when we do the big reveal in the future if you already knew what was coming! ;)

So im here 4 years later needing high definition gradient along the path and if i get it right those "grander plans when it comes to gradients" are still just on paper somewhere archived in basement or is it finally comming in reasonably near feature or it was completely rejected somewhere in the process?

Hello. I have the 3 products, Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher.
I request the feature "Resource Manager" for Designer and Photo too, like Publisher.
This is possible?
For now, is impossible for Designer and Photo to set a object as linked to an external file.

Add linked files option to designer

Kotaru,
Relax. I didn't say anything to suggest that the feature is not important. I just made a passing comment about the various names for it.
JET

(...)

Broken for me when uploading 1.1 MB MP4 file
Alternates between error 7 and unable to render the file format when uploaded

Seems the forum upload function is having a break,cannot upload anymore and saw some others complain about it too.
Give it some java(script) and make it work again 😉

Hi Lars,
Welcome to Affinity Forums :)
There's no way to style the text frame itself. The only way to achieve what you want is creating an independent rectangle shape, style it as you see fit and place it below the text object as you already seem to be doing.

Is there a way to collapse the side palettes to icons and have them reappear when selected/hovered over?
Similar to Adobe:

 
I can expand the width, but the minimum I can shrink them to is ~265 px .

Re-adding this as it's still not implemented and seems the most logical approach.
I imagine the majority of users wouldn't want to nudge by pixels when their document is set to millimetres, or nudge by mm when their document is in inches.
At the moment the nudge distance is absolute/fixed, why not give an option to make it relative to the document units.
Existing:

 
Suggested:

 
 

Add option to nudge by document units using the nudge distance and modifier values as increments relative to this.
 
E.g.
Initial set-up
Nudge distance: 0.1
Nudge units: Document units
Document units: Millimetres
 
Nudge distance = 0.1 mm
 
Change document units to pixels.
Nudge distance = 0.1 px
 

Click here to download the latest beta
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: A valid product key (for Affinity Store purchases), or an installation of the full retail version from the Microsoft Store

As this is a beta it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that may be adversely affected by the application failing, including the total loss of any documents. We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post a new thread in this forum and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback. 

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.
Fixes
Disabled WinTab by default (tablet users must now check Windows Ink is enabled in their tablet settings) Improved points delivered from Windows Ink (process point history) Fixed 32-bit Colour Chooser dialog Improved embedded document bounding boxes Improved error messages when running out of disk space Fixed Expression Parser incorrect optimisation of subtract op sequence Fixed deletion of brushes / styles / etc to actually remove the raster data (to reduce file size) Fixed PSD export to include checks for empty rasterised layers Fixed PSD export of hidden layers Fixed angle cursors when the view has been rotated Fixed Layer Effects not handling changes to document DPI when the dialog is open (using Points as a unit would continue to use the old DPI) Fixed crash on vector export for specific arrangement of composites and clips Fixed renaming a colour on the swatches panel not updating correctly Fixed inconsistencies between font family ordering on macOS and Windows Changed copied Global Colour names to have a "copy" suffix to prevent accidental editing of the original Added Remove Columns button on the context toolbar for Designer and Photo for text frames with columns for documents created in Publisher Fixed crash dragging fill layer to bottom of layer stack Improvemented memory use with branching undo history and with replacing image nodes Fixed crash editing colour via double click in swatches tab Fixed failure to open older documents in 1.8 beta Fixed failure to apply "Touch for gestures only" to open documents Fixed "Make a copy" and "Continue" buttons when opening a non-beta project file being reversed Fixed Print dialog not removing the red overlay on a scaled image Updated PANTONE Solid and Bridge Palettes Fixed Create Palette from CMYK images results in RGB colours Fixed inconsistent document tabbing order Improved performance of operations with large selections Fixed sporadic crash when drawing text Fixed crash after closing document with artistic text tool active Added Stock Page to Studio menu Fixed inconsistencies in aspect ratio when dragging assets via different methods Fixed selection problems with multiple objects of varying line weights Fixed Artboards becoming out of sync if added/removed in linked afdesign document Fixed changing DPI using Anchor to Page resizes document 1.8.0.486 release notes

Hi @matt.baker,
Thanks for spotting this. I logged it with our developers. 
Gabe. 

Hi matt.baker,

This is a redraw issue - if you zoom out it will correct the view. This is something that we already have logged, so I'll get it bumped with development.

Unfortunately, it doesn't produce as good of a result when compared to PS and requires lots of messing around to get it close when dealing with complex cut-outs.

Yes, we removed the beta overlay when the logos changed so that users could see the old and new icons next to each other on the Taskbar clearly. We'll be re-instating the beta overlay shortly.

Unfortunately, it doesn't produce as good of a result when compared to PS and requires lots of messing around to get it close when dealing with complex cut-outs.

This is the only thing for me that keeps me using my old version of Photoshop. It's so simple to use the magic wand tool on a an image with clear edges to create a good cut-out in PS, but in AD it creates a horrible jaggy edge. I see that you already support anti-alias for the freehand selection, so I'm surprised it hasn't also been added to the magic wand tool. Or is it because it's the freehand selection creates a vector selection (while drawing) and therefore easier to anti-alias the edges vs. antialiasing a pixelated selection?
Actual:

 
 
Expected:

This build has been superseded by the release of 1.7.1 announced here
We are pleased to announce a major update for the Windows release of Affinity Photo, version 1.7.0
The changes in Affinity Photo for Windows 1.7.0 over the last Affinity Photo patch 1.6.5 (1.6.5 PK) are as follows:
CHANGES SINCE LAST VERSION
EDR
Added support for EDR displays to Photo. When editing a 32bit document. Brushes
Photo 1.7 introduces a new “sub-brush” mechanism, developed in conjunction with Paolo Limoncelli (DAUB® Brushes). This exciting feature allows any brush to have a list of other brushes attached which will draw at the same time. Each sub-brush has a fully separate and customisable set of dynamics. You can control when the sub-brushes are drawn and how they blend with the main brush. The brush engine in Photo has been improved. Symmetry (up to 32-way) is now supported - including on-canvas controls and optional mirroring. Wet edges and accumulation are now available on colour brushes and brushes with HSL variance. Brushes with multiple nozzle textures have always chosen the nozzle at random. In 1.7, the nozzle choice has a dynamic controller and ramp for greater control. All brush tools now support left and right arrow keys for rotation - a common feature request. Fixed ABR brush import (would ignore "random" controllers). RAW
The RAW processing engine in Photo has been rewritten - producing better results and improved performance. RAW files now load much more quickly. Reimplemented support for XTrans sensors. The denoise algorithm has been rewritten. It produces better results and takes advantage of the new GPU architecture. Hot pixel removal is now automatically performed by the Serif Labs engine. Profiled lens correction are more stable, apply more quickly, and can be toggled in the Develop UI. The histogram in the Develop persona is now presented in the output colour space - as opposed to always being linear. Develop now respects the output profile when previewing. Show which autofocus rectangles were in focus and which were selected by the camera (yellow, green respectively). A large number of new cameras are supported for RAW development (we will provide a list of the new supported cameras as soon as possible!). Filters
New “Procedural Texture” filter with advanced presets support. New “Voronoi” filter. Denoise, Clarity and Shadows / Highlights filters have been rewritten (using technology from the Develop Persona). More filters are now available as Live Filters - including the new Procedural Texture filter. Live filters have been rewritten to improve performance - especially when multiple filters are used in a document. Improved Polar to Rectangular and Rectangular to Polar filters. Added round dot type to the halftone filter. New “Lens Correction” filter - apply lens correction from the built-in lens database. Bilateral blur accuracy improvements. Adjustments
The HSL adjustment layer has been rewritten. It now supports custom hue ranges, a new algorithm, new UI and picker controls. The Levels adjustment layer now supports output levels - a common feature request. The White Balance adjustment layer has been rewritten. The Selective Colour adjustment layer has been rewritten. PSD import / export of adjustments has been improved. The Vibrance adjustment layer has been rewritten. The Recolour adjustment layer has gained a lightness slider. Layers
Layers Panel - added option for transparent background for thumbnails. Layers Panel - added multiple thumbnail size options. Layers Panel- added ability to tag layers with a colour - including PSD round-trip. Allow adding an empty group from the Layer menu. New “Duplicate Selection” item in Layer menu (old behaviour). Duplicate now duplicate the whole layer ignoring pixel selection. Alt / Option is now used to make a pixel selection from layer luminance. You can now also hold shift to add the result to the current selection. Hide / Show / Show All Layers options in layers menu. Ability to either rasterise or rasterise and trim a layer. Previously recorded macros will trim. Selections
Significant improvements to selection refinement. When using selection tools with no pixel selection, default to New / Add as appropriate. Added “Alpha Similarity” to Select Sampled Colour tool. Tools
Grouped tool shortcuts now default to needing the shift key held to cycle (option in preferences). The Crop tool has been rewritten - it now supports resolution changes, absolute pixel size and has a much improved preset mechanism. The Sponge Brush tool now gives more correct / pleasant results. Allow brush rotate / size key changes while dragging. Added a “Reveal Canvas” checkbox to the crop tool - defaults to off. Added new “Transform object separately” mode into Move tool. A general tools overhaul has been performed - providing editing of grids, guides, page origin, across multiple tools (not just in the Move tool) Patch tool now supports arrow keys for rotate / scale. All brush tools can now be axis constrained once brush has started - not just the pixel tool. History
“Alternate futures” for document history have been added. Traditionally, if you roll back the undo history then do something else all your changes after that point are lost. Photo will now display a small branch icon in the history tab when you do this. Pressing that button will cycle between all the different “futures” after that history entry - meaning you will never lose work you have done. The History page now has an “advanced” mode - which shows thumbnails and time info. I/O
HEIF images can now be loaded directly into Photo. If they contain a depth map, this will also be loaded as a second layer. Because depth maps are typically lower resolution than the main image, optional “smart” upsampling will be performed. TIFF export now has user selectable compression method. Added support for 12bit TIFF files. Introduced new metadata mining - completely rewritten to improve performance, flexibility and correctness. Metadata is now dynamically synchronised with your document - so if you resize then export, the values will be correct. Added Focal Length to metadata summary view. Added a button in general preferences to open a folder from which Photo will read LensFun-style XML files - if users wish to add / experiment with their own lens profiles. Support 16bit CMYK TIFF import. General
New ability to control how macros are scaled / aligned when playing back. Added an “Assets” panel to Photo. New cube setup mode for grids. Add “Fill with Primary / Secondary” to the Edit menu for fast access. The batch process dialog now fully supports expressions for height and width - available constants are “w”, “h” and “dpi”. “Lock guides” added to menus. Support for drag dropping .afstyles into Photo. Support for drag dropping .afpalette into Photo. Photo now supports custom document presets - a popular feature request. A new blend mode - Linear Burn - has been added. New “Move inside / outside” commands have been added - useful for quick operations on clipping masks etc. The Hard Mix blend mode has been improved. New provider options have been added to the stock panel - support for Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay. All of these providers offer full-resolution stock imagery which is free to use. Numerous text improvements have been made - including new features. Significant stability improvements when working on non-local files (network shares, USB drives, etc.). Significant PDF import / export improvements and fixes. Huge macro and batch processing improvements. New welcome screen layout and all new samples.  Numerous other bug fixes - too many to list! This thread is for commenting on this announcement. Please do not post bugs or problems that you find when using this version of the software in this thread, instead make a new thread in the Photo Bugs on Windows section and questions about usage go in the Desktop Questions forum.
UPDATING TO THIS VERSION (Free for existing customers)
For purchases from the Affinity Store the software: Each time you start the software it will check for updates and offer any available update, or it can be downloaded from here. The new build will install over the top of any earlier version, with no need to uninstall. Alternatively you can log into the affinity store here and find the order in your account and use the download button in there.
For purchases from the Microsoft Store: These are done automatically by the operating system (next time you start the application)

Looks good! Here is a screenshot with settings for reference on the parallel lines.

= and + share the same key (ignoring numeric keypad which may not be present on all devices) on common keyboard layouts, with = being the default and + only working if shift is also pressed.
Ctrl + = seems logical to me because it functions without the shift modifier.
Ctrl + + could imply that the shift must also be pressed.
 

Click here to download the latest beta
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: A valid product key (for Affinity Store purchases), or an installation of the full retail version from the Microsoft Store

As this is a beta it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that may be adversely affected by the application failing, including the total loss of any documents. We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post a new thread in this forum and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback. 

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.
Fixes
Added support for HDR monitors (new HDR options in 32-bit Preview panel, now visible by default in Photo) Fixed stroke phase failing to work when adjusting dashed line Fixed creating palette from CMYK images imports as RGB Fixed brush body option not reflecting the correct value Fixed Flip/Rotate toolbar icons not correctly reflecting the state they're in Updated Welcome Screen Fixed 'Open folder in Explorer' not working with special characters Fixed Expression trig functions to use degrees by default (same as 1.6) - in previous 1.7 patches, angles had become radians Fixed failure to report errors when exporting single items Improved handling of non-displayable characters (control and formatting characters could be presented due to copy+paste from web pages, etc.) Fixed drag and drop not honouring the insertion target Added support for TIFFs with old-style JPEG compression Fixed colour picker clamping values in 32-bit documents Fixed crash when converting documents to 32-bit Select tool will share common options with related tools Added option for continuing the selection when adding new curves in Pen tool Renamed "Show Rotation Centre" => "Enable Transform Origin" Added User Rotation Centre to Node tool transform mode Changed "Add to Curves" mode, to clear other selected objects when closing a curve Fixed Colour panel's Lab opponent sliders to go from 0 to 32768 rather than 32896 Fixed inability to create unbounded colour values on advanced colour dialog Fixed Character Variants failing to show up in Typography panel Changed default shortcuts for Precise Increase/Decrease Leading (to avoid conflicting with Windows default text editing shortcuts) Fixed ability to switch to a tool in a different Persona by cycling tool shortcuts Fixed poor quality app logo in menu bar Use cornered curves for snapping bounds calculations Point Transform tool now ignores logical groups for snapping purposes Added support for 16-bit CMYK TIFF Improved handling of document save failure during close (previously a failure to save during close would be ignored) Removed Delete key from list of available keys for shortcuts (Delete is always delete) Fixed Grid colours not being saved correctly Fixed thumbnail viewer (thumbnail previews should now work again in Windows Explorer) Fixed grid system failing to work in anything other than pixels Fixed Add swatch from Fill as Global only works once Renamed "Create Colour Chord" => "Add Chord to Swatch" Fixed crash if paragraph panel undocked in non English and DPI is scaled Fixed crash on Reset Studio with no document open Fixed Layers panel drag indicator when not using small thumbnail sizes Fixed crash converting colours of embedded document Fixed crash opening a RAW file Fixed Erase, Blur and Sharpen Brushes are missing Symmetry, Mirror and Lock options Changed Lock Colourspace on the Colour Panel to be on by default Fixed Shape preset thumbnails being clipped in Light UI Improved Transform handle hit testing Fixed errors caused by attempting to save a file to a destination with no available space Artboard positions are now shown relative to the spread Fixed Delete button on Appearance Panel sometimes disabled Fixed View Mode to reset when switching documents Fixed Point Transform panel to allow negative numbers for rotation Changed Arrowheads to be grouped Added missing Constraints panel min/max fit tooltips Fixed asset thumbnails of some drag / drop files Added ability to import TIFF assets Asset names now use filenames by default Fixed crash when deleting fills from the Appearance panel  1.7.0.293 release notes
 

Petar - I think it's pretty much established that modern compilers are able to produce much better machine code than a human (generally) would.  With optimisation for speed, the compiler will find the best order for instructions, and sometimes apply a few unexpected tweaks to gain better performance.

So, just being able to write 1:1 instructions is not always the best (if ever), and quite often not faster.   I doubt they will be measuring the cycles used for each op and reordering for maximum speed.  This is just something that is either not possible for humans, or the developer time cost massively outweighs the benefits.
 
Writing assembler for very specific tight code can sometimes yield results, but writing a whole app? It won't be any faster, and potentially slower.

It absolutely is not. When you've written an application the size of Designer, or Photo, or Publisher, purely in assembler, then please come back and discuss this with me.
We know what assembly is, when to use it, and when not to use it.
This discussion is not helpful to the ongoing beta process, so let's just leave this alone.