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Everything posted by gdenby
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I use the pixel persona so little that I didn't even know there was a pixel tool. How 1986! After drawing the straight pixel lines, remove the vector shape. Then activate the pixel layer, and use the flood fill for the blue. Out of curiosity, sumneuron, why would you want to use a vector tool to recreate a clunky bit map image? Getting around the aliased pixels dates to, what, '75? I like retro, but this seems like trying to drive a jet down a country road.
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You can do something similar to that, but it will take more work. AD has a 3D fx. You can have multiple light sources of different colors, and a wide variety of other modification for every bump. However, the effect is applied to the vector outlines of shapes. There are a couple of ways to add those bump shapes to an existing shape. Note that the bump map in the example is already made for the app you referred to. Quite a few are pre-existing.. Something similar would need to be made in AD from vectors. Not hard, just tedious. A quick example, took me about 15 min. A suggestion of what is possible.
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Set up on iMac
gdenby replied to sqfoot318's topic in Pre-V2 Archive of Affinity on Desktop Questions (macOS and Windows)
Your system is almost identical to mine. Affinity flies. One of the fastest, if not the fastest graphic app I've used. -
Pray tell, why is moving the ruler to a different point important? The software lists the position of every object/group, and allows specific placement of other objects/groups thru the transform. Or in the current beta, a continuous update of the space between various objects via numeric display when moved manually? Seems like a waste of the dev's time replicating that feature.
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need help!
gdenby replied to hollanddesigner's topic in Pre-V2 Archive of Affinity on Desktop Questions (macOS and Windows)
I infer that you are working w. text that has been converted to curves. I just tried a letter "T" in casual font. I converted it to curves, and It converted smoothly to bezier curves when I used expand stroke. It exported as an .eps slice just fine. However, if I selected all the nodes, and clicked on the "Convert: sharp" widget, the curves became facetted. Maybe that is what you did. -
Decent review. I do think the vector drawing might be better. It is a little like the app is too responsive to human quivers. My daughter, whose work I've mentioned, was quite impressed w. a few tricks I showed her during the Christmas family meeting. Hoping to get her up to speed, she's still mostly using Photoshop.
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I've looked at the video. From my recollection of AI, a layer is sort of like a sheet of paper. This seems to be what the vid shows. Any drawing/object that is made and modified on the "active layer," which I believe is the same size as the page, happens in the layer. My recollection is that AI layers are sort of like working an a stack of onion skin paper. If you want to work in that fashion, in the layers panel, use the widget to create a new layer. That layer will be active, and any shape creation and modification will then happen in that layer. Otherwise, every specific shape becomes a layer. Other objects can be placed in it when selected and the "insert in selection" widget at the top right is active.
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Hi, Dan, Pretty good early work. I see you are getting a good grasp of many of the basic operations. Some small problems. The line between the window wall and the blue floor is uneven. But most of the other lines defining the room and desk are mostly straight and even. So it is a little disconcerting. The portraiture is quite nice. Myself, I'd go back and add some of the finesse used on the face to the room features.
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Hi, Scott.S 1.I have been using AD from 1.4.2 to to the current 1.5.5, and If I lock a layer, it is not selectable. Is the image in the locked layer? Images can be their own layer. If they are placed as a child layer within a shape that is a layer, and then that layer is locked, neither can be selected. 2. Turn on snapping by clicking on the red magnet in the topmost bar. Its off by default.Adjust the settings using the pop-down list available from the arrow button next to the magnet image. 3. I haven't used Illustrator in years, and then, not much, but my recollection is that in AI the word "layer" meant something quite different than "layer" in AD. Any single object in AD is by default in its own layer. But they can be grouped together as a single layer. The exception is text. All the letters and numbers come in as one layer, but can be converted to a group of curves, which can then be ungrouped and manipulated as separate characters. Note, layers can be locked, and they can be unselected so they disappear, reducing visual clutter. To a certain extent, you need to forget some of what you know from AI to learn some things about AD. This happens when moving between any 2 similar programs.
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I haven't noticed any lags except when I'm working w. many objects, and performing boolean operations on all of them at once. If I have lots of objects w. noise, there will be pauses as the noise is redrawn when zooming or adding other objects near the ones w. noise. I haven't had random closes, but I have had several occasions when the app quit while I was repeatedly changing fills w. opacity variations. FWIW, I rarely have more than 3 user processes going at one time. For instance, a browser, AD, and GIMP. Perhaps small text editor. I have run a system monitor while pushing AD, and have seen that it will grab memory like crazy, so the more hardware resources it can get, the better.
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I'm not so sure it is a basic. I've been using AD several hours a day for almost 4 months. Been working w. transparency and opacity a lot recently. Never occurred to me that I could put a transparency gradient on an object, and group it to itself so the group can have another transparency. Way too easy :)
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I don't have AP, but I would be surprised if AP didn't have the same capabilities as AD. I was using the Pixel persona of AD, and I have to suppose AP has equal or better pixel options. So in the list you wrote, step 1, probably you can just work in AP. Step 4, I used .jpg at best quality, which is what I messed around w. earlier. I'd expect .png would work as well. Affinity has its own way of doing things, usually quite well. But I too had some initial problems, which were mostly carry over habits from other applications.
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I've only tinkered w. brush creation, and your question got me to tinkering more. Here's a description of what I think might work for you. I've tried both texture and image brush creation. They seem to me to stretch or repeat a bit map. From what you've written, it seems you want a series of bit map splats. So, in pixel persona, I opened up the pre-existing textured brushes. Selected new round brush, and then opened up the parameter dialog for the new brush. I selected the "texture" tab, and added 3 .jpg of circles cut from a Jackson Pollack abstract ptg. You'd want some splats. Messed w. the dynamics. Did some dabbling w. various sizes and flows. See the attached image.
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Yes, a tablet helps. But, have you tried the textured vector brushes. There are also a few freebie samples made by AD users. W/o pressure control, only velocity from the mouse, natural looking strokes are pretty difficult.. The pixel painting brushes are quite nice even w just a mouse, but with the down side of not being re-scalable like the vectors.
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Maybe you should make a post in feature requests. AD is still a very new program, whereas Freehand had at least 15 years of development before it was discontinued. I can tell you that Freehand in the mid 90s, the last time I used it, was relatively clumsy I don't think the guide is over the line. Tho' the guide cyan is not very light, when I draw a default black .24 pt stroke on it, the black is what is visible. Kind of a work around to the movement problem, but if you select a line in the layers panel listing, it will show active in the work space, and it can be nudged away far enough that it can then be moused around.
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affinity designer The Workbook that makes Affinity Designer a must
gdenby replied to segts's topic in Share your work
Valuable review. AD is not just a clone of AI. Each tool has a specific way of working, and you showed how AD got the same job done. By your account, faster and easier. If you get around to it, I'd love to see a tute on how you did the face shadings.