Tupaia

Hello! Often there can be the situation that you want to move (more exact: translate) selected object(s) by some distance given by other existing objects/snappable targets on the artboard. I'd like to propose a very simple way to achieve this - by being able to use the Center as a handle. See attached image. Maybe holding CTRL while dragging the Center could invoke this 'locked' mode. Most 3d graphics apps have an Axis tripod (= the analogy to the Center here), and in some (Cinema 4D, Rhino, Softimage, ...) the axis can be used in the exact same way. It's called "temporary pivot", or "working pivot". Very useful! Example: imagine a ladder, with equidistant rungs. One rung is missing, and you want to copy the neighbour rung to fill the hole. How would you get the right snapping distance quickly? With this method, it'd be simple. The Center, by now, is used to 'assist' Rotate and Scale. It could easily be utilized to assist with Move, too. Hope it's clear. Thanks for considering!

+1 for a scripting and/or tools SDK! Would be very interesting to know if there are any plans for this from Serif's side. Thanks!

Hello! Regarding 2), de-selecting nodes: I just found out that for this works with the right mouse button! So far, so good, but the procedure is unsatisfactory yet, because one has to: - click-hold the left mouse button, THEN the right mouse button (in that order, because otherwise the context menu would pop up) - draw the selection marquee - release the left mouse button, THEN the right mouse button Is this documented anywhere? Can't seem to find it. However, it's just too fumbly, especially with a Wacom pen. Feels like a makeshift solution. Same goes for 3), that (very handy) auto-intersect-select feature. Look like in V1.7 there will be a lot of nice new features - maybe you will even bring better/simpler shortcuts for this. Thanks for reading! Best regards Eugen

To conclude this - AD 1.7 will have this feature. Very nice!!

Corel Painter has this feature, btw., for quite a while now.

Thanks! No, I did not set different button assignments for different applications. Clicking the RMB over the canvas does nothing by itself, neither with the mouse nor the pen. Is there anything supposed to happen? Over various icons and buttons it shows a context menu.

Yes, that is correct. Just could not get it to work in AP. Edit: just tested it again in AP, just to make sure. I always get the color picker, never brush resize.

Hello! Using a Wacom Cintiq Companion with a Pro Pen. Sidenote: to be able to emulate all mouse buttons with the pen, I configured the rocker switch like shown in the attached picture. Works perfectly in practically all applications that I use (also 3d or CAD apps). That being mentioned: The current shortcut for resizing the brush is (unfortunately) ALT-LMB-RMB. However, in Affinity Photo I just can't manage to resize the brush using that key combination on the pen! I always end up being in color picker mode (like with ALT-LMB). It works with the mouse though, and also in Affinity Designer, so it must be a bug in Affinity Photo! Anyways: Can we please at last have another shortcut for resizing?? With the pen, pressing LMB+RMB at the same time is no good, because it means putting the pen tip on the tablet AND hold the right rocker switch! Awkward. Also, using "Decrease/Increase Brush Size" is not a good option. It's simply not fast and fluent enough to fiddle with shortcuts like that. Neither is using the size slider in the toolbar. Understand, this simple shortcut issue severely takes the speed out of the workflow when painting! (Allow me to mention I do professional storyboard and inking work for like 14 years now. Used Corel Painter, Photoshop, Clip Studio. Never a problem with brush handling.) Why not just do it the Photoshop way and we're good? I don't believe this is a difficult thing coding-wise. You just have to want to move it up in your to-do-list. I'll go on nagging you with this as long as this is unfixed... .'p Thanks for reading! Best regards Eugen

One more: Rotating the selected nodes numerically (or with the slider in the Transform Panel) rotates only the points, not their tangents! So, that does not work properly. I'd classify it as a bug actually. Best regards Eugen

Thank you!

Was hoping for it! =) Want to give me a like? Cheers Eugen

Yep! Both interactive and numercial scale should be possible. Sometimes you want to work 'visually', sometimes precise. Talking about the interactive part here. Imagine a cartoon character's outline (or something). You want to select the nodes that make up the head and scale/rotate it around. Things like this for example...

I can move them, yes. What about interactive rotate and scale, using the Centre?

What I mean is: - pick a curve, select some nodes on it - transform only these selected nodes, with a bounding/transform box. That's not possible as of now, is it? Best Eugen

Hello! Apologies if this has been discussed before... When working with many overlapping objects, the current selection engine shows it's weaknesses, so: 1) For the Move and Node tool, there should be modifier keys to: always and reliably ADD to the selection, maybe SHIFT, always and reliably SUBTRACT from the selected obejcts or nodes, like CTRL, and one to INVERT what is selected, like CTRL-SHIFT. I just discovered that there is no way to SUBTRACT nodes from a selection of nodes. That's a no-go! Besides 2d vector programs I also work with numerous CAD and 3D programs also, and the aforementioned system has proven to be the cleares and most efficient. You might take my word for it. 2) For the Node tool, there should be a modifier key to select ALL nodes in the object, maybe by double-LMB-clicking on a node, and maybe the same modifier key to de-select all nodes of the object, without de-selecting everything else, too. It's very handy to be able to 'mix' a selection of single nodes and whole objects (by just selecting all their nodes)! 3) The option "Select object when intersects with selection marquee" works automatically when you LMB-drag over the object(s), and then additionally hold-release the RMB. This has been asked a year ago - can you please change this, so that no 2 mouse buttons need to be pressed at once? That's just not handy, especially if one works with a Wacom pen instead of a mouse. The ALT key could simply be used when drawing the marquee, or, like in other programs, the drawing direction of the marquee (from right to left or left to right) could make the difference. 4) Curve segments should be selectable! (a segment the part of a curve between two nodes) The simple version would be, if some modifier key is pressed (maybe ALT) and a segment is clicked, it's two neighbouring nodes are selected. If SHIFT and CTRL would work as selection-add or -subtract, more segments could be added to or subtracted from the node selection. The fancy verison would be that segments are actual, selectable, movable components of the object. 3ds Max for example has this concept implemented. I'd be fine with the node selection version, though. =) Please don't repeat the big mistake that Adobe Illustrator makes, having a crappy, awkward selection engine! Thanks!! Best regards Eugen

Like the title says... Thanks! Best regards Eugen

Hello! Could it be possible to transform only the selected nodes with this transform/bounding box? Selecting nodes and switching to the Move tool only displays a bbox for the whole object, not the selection. Thanks! Best regards Eugen

Hello! It would be handy if guides could be moved/edited with the Node Tool also, not just with the Move Tool. Because otherwise, how can I move a guide to snap to nodes of selected objects? The moment I switch to the Move tool, the objects's bounding box is displayed instead of it's nodes. Thanks! Best regards Eugen

Hello! A few suggestions to make the Isolate mode actually usable: - It should be possible to isolate multiple separate objects(=layers) at once. As of now, if multiple layers are selected, ALT-clicking one of the selected layers isolates only this layer, not all of them! Workaround: Group the objects, then isolate. This is not really practical, however. Better than ALT-clicking: a separate command with assignable keyboard shortcut for 'Isolate'! - Also, a better way to leave isolate mode than clicking empty space would be good! Why? What if I have multiple objects(=layers) isolated and then want to select parts of them, to group, arrange, cut, or isolate further, ... not possible because the moment you click somewhere, you fall out of isolate mode. -> There should be a separate command with assignable keyshort for 'Unisolate'. An clean Isolate mode with this functionality is very important to master complex scenes, and in the meantime it is supported by practically all CAD, 3d, or 2d vector programs (Rhino, Cinema4d, 3ds max, Softimage, Maya, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, ...), for good reasons! Thanks for considering! Best regards Eugen

Sorry for the double-post, my mistake. See https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/52579-isolate-mode-improvements/

+1 for this! I regularly have to create a contact sheet for storyboards, and sometimes they have up to 50 pictures. If you do it, don't forget to add an optional caption for the filename, please. Thanks!

Hi! The Wacom pen does not have a zoom wheel... ; ] I'm using both a Wacom Cintiq Companion and a desktop-Windows-PC with an older Wacom Intuos 4. On both, I constantly switch between all available input options - pen and mouse on the PC, pen, mouse, touch on the Cintiq. However, when I'm drawing with the Pen, and want to brush-resize or zoom, I don't want to grab the mouse or use impractical keyshorts. Users shouldn't be forced to do so.

At the time being, this thing plus the nonsense of having to press SPACE-CTRL, not CTRL-SPACE to invoke the interactive zoom tool, are the nastiest little workflow-breakers when painting.

Appreciate any tips! I'm aware of how to redefine keys. However, it's a workaround here, not the solution. As I tried to explain, single-stepping up or down with any keys is not as comfortable as click-drag-resizing a brush to the desired size. Instead of of ALT-LMB-RMB, just assign CTR-ALT-LMB for example instead , and we're good! That shortcut is still free. There NEVER should be the need to press the left AND the right mouse button at the same time! It's just not Wacom-Pen friendly. Thanks for considering!

German keyboard... My left hand always rests to the left of the keyboard, so CTRL, SHIFT, ALT, TAB and all those keys are is easy reach. Lifting the hand to press any keys anywhere else is neither comfy nor quick. Also, I'd like to resize 'interactively' - scrub the mouse and see the brush tip resize in realtime, and be able reach the desired size immediately. Using keys for up/downscaling, this is only possible to do in steps, which means one has to probably press them many times to reach the desired size. Not comfy, either.