nezumi

I am just working on 16 artboards document - no problems. Background bitmap, rest vector - lot of formatted text. Size of each artboard - 109.56in X 82.847in. Thats 32868px x 24854px. Everything works like a dream. Adobe illustrator would die on me or I would die waiting for it to complete task on such document I don't say YOU don't have problems - I am saying I don't. I am missing some options, but so far the only complain I have is crashing randomly when using pen tool. I was on Photoshop/Illustrator really long time. Not sure since when exactly - I remember my first PS was version 4. At the beginning Photoshop was rock solid on release. Later on it was bloated with nonsense (3d, 3d printing, movie editing etc) and more buggy. I remember one time when there was a bug in writing tool - text couldn't be properly justified, numbers in the tool options were going crazy. It wasn't fixed for three months. My experience with Adobe are bit different. Adobe updates on illustrator are laughable. There was virtually nothing new introduced for couple last updates. Some meaningless bits and pieces - and its not like it is so mature it cant be improved. Just to be clear. I know Affinity needs some work but I cant agree with a statement that it isn't production ready simply because I am working on it for the last half year or so. It might be the case sometimes but it isnt right to say that as general statement.

@JohaWeber @grapher - I get it, you have problems with 1.5 so you are hoping that 1.6 will fix it. I sure do too. But again - we should expect that from final build. We surely work on different things because I did a collection of surf board designs and whole line of sport supplements labels on Designer. All printed out and was produced without issues. So I guess "production ready" may or may not be true depends on what you are doing. In any case - good luck to you guys! Lets hope 1.6 will bring much needed improvements.

You know they were not joking when saying about beta " not suitable for production use " ?

I have waited few days hoping for some info about that "levels improvements" and "looks persona", but looks like we have reached a delicate point in this discussion ;)

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Guys, its not personal. Its not that I say "you will not finally add those options". I believe you will. Since I bought it there were two updates already. If I didn't believe in it I would just come back to Adobe, wouldn't I? And I am not. Thing is - you have a list but there is no order and timescale. I cant say "in 1.6 there will be bitmap tracing! Fantastic, cant wait!". I cant say "two more versions and it will be there, cool!". All I know is that you are planning to add it. Someday. How is that "useful, substantive information" R C-R? Would you take the job if client told you "You can be sure you will get paid! You can ask anybody around - we always pay what we said we will! When? In the future, of course, not sure when"? Or MEB - would you give the job to somebody if he said he will definitely do whats expected of him, but in unspecified time? Talking about information - in Photo roadmap you have "Levels improvements". I looked for the explanation what you mean by this - one person asked in the roadmap thread and it was never explained. So in unspecified time I will get unspecified update... But hey, its your software - do as you pleased. I like it a lot as it is and surely I will like it more with more features that are to come. You have been very responsive - WAY more then Adobe and I said it many times already. Whats more . I have convinced at least two persons to completely switch to Affinity and we are doing ok, sharing workarounds :). That doesn't mean I will not share my honest opinion with you guys when something not so positive appears. Have a good one - no hard feelings!

I owe you explanation I suppose. I fully support Affinity - I wouldn't moved from Adobe to Affinity 100%, converting old files, risking incompatibility if I didn't liked, believed in and supported the software. Yesterday was just one of those days... Frustrated the hell out of me - I had to jump through loops and hoops to finish quite simple job. I know solutions are coming and I know it takes time and isn't easy. Just it isn't exactly a pleasure not being able to to do something, jumping between software's with deadline approaching. But it was my decision to switch whole workflow. Not a tragedy, just one of those days. @R C-R Let me explain what I mean by "means nothing". First of all - I dont doubt people are working on improving the software and I dont think its easy. However, when I am looking for solution of a problem and as response I am getting answer that it will be there ONE DAY - it means nothing. It really is. There is no substantial information in the statement that devs are having it in mind and will work on it one day. What can I do with that info really? It is empty and means nothing. I am not being judgemental or negative here - just stating simple fact. Imagine you would get same info about package you are waiting for, which contains something very important to your present job. "Our people are working on it, keep in mind that its really long distance and its not easy to get to you, but we have in mind you need it and we will get to you eventually! When? Well, we dont know". How helpful is that? Means nothing.

Fun fact: live symmetry tool (with one or many number of angles) is present in... 1995 Deluxe Paint for Amiga computer. I was kind of shocked to find it lately on Amiga emulator. And it works pretty damn well. In modern software its available in free Krita, in Paintstorm Studio, in Autodesk Sketchbook on my tablet an in variety of different types of software. Where its NOT available is Photoshop and Affinity Photo... Industry standard and industry standard wannabe (I hope it will be). Illustrator has it implemented in extra awkward way - instead of one click solution it needs setup like I am freaking trying to land a rocket on a flying comet. Frustrates the hell out of me. When I am working on quick concepts I am starting in Krita to block symmetric shapes. Then I go through another free software - Inkscape - to trace that concept there because... Well you know exactly why. And then I can finalize things in Affinity Designer. I know you guys cant work on everything. But understanding doesn't take my pain away ;) Life symmetry, knife tool, transforming selected groups of nodes, warping options for vectors - those are absolute must have to work comfortably without jumping between 3+ different programs. Rant mode off. Good luck devs.

I agree that better surprise is when you are announcing release date shortly before release date. Pixologic is doing it with ZBrush. They are known for looooooong time between releases, but when they do release something new its a bomb. Other way is making it the Blender way - everybody knows exactly whats coming, where we are development wise, where we are going. Full transparency and great information at any given time. What I really do not like is constant "its on the roadmap" answer. It means nothing - some things are on road-map since 2014 and three YEARS later are not touched. Better don't say anything instead of giving false sense of hope for near future. People will still keep on asking, sure. But not giving them details at least will not turn to disappointment when the time of release comes

We got half year to go... 2017 doesn't mean January 1st necessarily...

So we are down to suggesting "brain check", ha? Looks like YT comments level has been reached :) I watched the video but I have blocked whole comments section on YT long time ago to keep myself sane. However one doesn't have to dig into that pit full of madness to know why there are many comments about icons. Dude in video mentioned icons as something he likes so they just jumped on this part as they cant really say anything negative about other, obviously positive aspects he mentioned. Low hanging fruit. They couldn't say "hey its better, that in Photoshop you cant see what you are doing!" so they just criticized...icons :D "Maybe my Photoshop needs 10 more click to achieve the same, but you have ugly icoooons! I won! Plus "industry standard, babe! Beat this! Hey mom, I won argument on internet!". Meanwhile I just finished whole bunch of banners on Affinity Photo without even looking at those icons. Have a good one everybody.

Thanks :) That is making life lot easier! It still would be nice to see that as more obvious part of UI rather then a secret.

@toltec - thanks man! You see I am mostly working on shortcuts and all this time I just assumed that hitting "esc" will cancel adjustment. Its not. Thanks for the hint lol - so obvious. What would be the shortcut for canceling/deleting adjustment then.. need to look if theres a way. @Good news, everbody! - I still dont find "export" somehow necessary but I dont mind. What I do mind is lack of any visual indication on export options I am choosing. I want to see how visually jpg compression will affect document I am exporting. Also lack of percentage input in size (I know I can type in "*=50%" to get 50% size but thats trully pain in the neck). As for antialiasing of fonts check this thread - this is what I mean: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/10612-text-anti-aliasing-method/ @Orphydian - I dont imply the same people are working on icons and coding new features. But surely the same people that work on icons will have to create new UI elements for new features, dont you think? Thats why I would prefer their limited work force go first, thats all. No, I dont have good icon examples as I mostly use shortcuts. UI I see most of the time you can see after pushing "tab" ;) I find clicking on icons highly ineffective, slow way of working.

Change icons in options to monochromatic. One of your problems gone in an instant. I can fully and wholeheartedly agree that UI needs work. But the least of a problem is icons look. I am working on weird UIs every day (ZBrush, Blender) but some of things in Affinity are weird even for me :D Like the "export" option instead of "save as" with different formats. Theres no reason for it to be separated at all. Or the fact that when I am checking some adjustment (like levels for example) I cant just play with it and in the end cancel it. I have to add it and then delete it - no cancel button? Or utterly weird way of dealing with font antialiasing - no simple drop down list with presets but... curve? Those are imo valid concerns because are affecting fluidity of our work, making possible to work faster and more efficiently. Look of icons? Sure, to some extent but.. It will always be somebody who will not like them. For example I really do not like the look that Orphydian presented as example of good looking icons. Who is right? Nobody because de gustibus non disputandum est. Can Affinity have better looking icons? Sure. Maybe. Whatever. Its a tool, I want it to first and foremost work. I dont want to see it becoming Adobe software - where they are modernizing UI in Illustrator while adding practically nothing to its functionality (one of the latest updates that in fact made me move to Affinity).

Fascinating. OK, let me put it this way. I like the icons just as they are now. Whats more - I really dislike the ones you have showed. Now, if you excuse me I will get back to work.