Fritz_H

Since several release-versions Photo does not recognize my "Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)" although this lens is in the list. I am sure that the "Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)" and the "Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro" are the same lens. BTW: As far as I remember, I already reported the typos in the german pop-up - Info-Text. (" Für" and "ausgewählt" ). Thanks. Fritz

@MEB You invited me to add my voice to this posting and explain my request for a "full lock" for layers: In Designer and Publisher we work with objects, parts, components, whatever you want to call them, which we place and arrange on a "sheet". Usually thoses Elements (each of them is a layer) do not cover the whole "canvas"/sheet... but just a part of it. Because of that I do understand, that you see a certain "risk" of selecting an object (= layer) by mistake during "canvas-interaction". (Although I think in complex projects with many groups and layers, it may be easier to find and select the desired layer/group in the Layer panel than trying to click the right object on the canvas..esp. if they overlap) BUT: Photo-Editing is not (or just very very little) object-based work. In Photo-Editing we ususally work with layers which cover the whole canvas = very little to no risk of selecting a layer by mistake. In Fact: in most situations you have to use the Layer Panel to select a layer since its covered by other layers and therefore can not be selected directly by canvas-interaction. But even without this explanation, I think a complete, full layer-protection against any manipulation is a useful and missing feature - Please add it to all Affinity Apps. It does not hurt - but may help.

hi @MEB 1. thanks for the quick reply 2. don´t you think, it would be a useful feature to be able to "fully lock an object in Affinity apps." ?

Hi Forum, In the layers-panel of Photo there is a lock-icon. It says "lock/unlock". The german translation says more like: "protect/unprotect" - which is more specific than "lock" to me BUT The lock-icon has almost no effect: I still can paint on that layer, I can delete it without warning, I can crop it, etc. = no protection at all. Can anyone please explain to me, what this "lock" is good for, since it does not apply any protection to that layer (besides moving it...) Is there any other option available in Photo to really protect a layer? Thanks in advance!

...yes, I agree... BUT: Good Usability deals with rules that are applicable not just to Software, but to any "Human-Computer-Interaction". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93computer_interaction) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident) In your case, some of the "natural" behavior of the human being ( = "user") is additionally strongly influenced by "other, very well known graphics-software products". I think it´s very good to listen to the users, but please keep in mind, that some usability-design-rules will always over-rule user-requests. e.g. which GUI-Colors to use/not to use; most people are right-handed => main-tools are on the right by default; visual/tactile/audible feedback is mandatory to indicate successful intertaction with the "system" etc.

no, it´s not. It´s just one more of those far too many usability-issues the Affinity--Products have. Checking the postings in these forums you will see that the number of complaints about missing features is declining while more people are posting because the available tools are not behaving as expected. (#usability)

I don´t know how long ago I reported this issue the first time - sadly it´s still there (in both the release version and the most recent Beta): These artefacts (?) appear after using the Mesh Warp Tool with bicubic resampling.

well, in fact there is an unwanted side-effect when exporting images that are not rasterized & trimmed. See my posting here: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/118718-export-bug/

1. please make this tool remember the last settings. It´s annoying to enable the grid-display every time again and again. 2. please make the grid "dynamic" (?). (I am not sure if I can explain my idea properly in a foreign language..) when zooming into the image, the grid is also zoomed - which makes it harder to check if the grid is aligned to the verticals in the image. This image is perhaps not the best example .. just imagine there was only the vertical of the house on the left available...

In my mind I see the following approach to implement a better solution: the Gradient-Info (Parameters like Shape, Radius, Colors..) is stored, but the gradient itself is rasterized immediately. Since the parameter-info is still there, the user can edit the gradient at any time later. As soon as any other manipulation is done to this mask-layer, the software displays a warning, that the Gradient-Info will be lost. I guess this approach is not too hard to implement but the result is very useful. (e.g. in editing-situations where the gradient acts like a Graduated neutral-density filter for a certain effect: like darkening just the sky brighten certain areas, like Olivio shows in this Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP5PcD2iJZs )

Please allow me to be honest: I am not interested to discuss my suggestion/request with you any further since you may always find a way to construct a "..but what if.." - reply while i am trying to explain the basic-basics of Usability to you. Fact is: Photo lacks an option to create editable gradients to be used as Mask layers. I request this feature. no further replies necessary, Thanks.

Thanks, although your explanation may be technically correct, it completely ignores USABILITY! You offer proper logical thoughts about layers and pixels etc. But this is NOT how creative work is done, not how a creative process works. Any software has to adapt to the user - not the other way around. As soon as the user/artist/assembly-line worker/surgeon... has to think about how to use the tool correctly instead of thinking about the "creation" he is working on, there is room for improvement. keep in mind: "Don´t make me think". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Make_Me_Think I know, there are a lots of people in this forum who do not understand this POV and say: " We have to do it THIS way, because the of the Software.." Wrong. Do not be satisfied with the second best solution as long as you can think of a better one. There is no rule or law that stops Serif from implementing the Gradient-Tool properly in Photo OR at least make Fill-Layers work as Mask-Layers. They just have to implement it.

Thanks but sorry, far too much text. But as far as I understood, the user has to do something in a different way (create a fill-layer) to get same result as he gets in the other 2 applications without this extra-voodoo. Sorry, thats a stupid developer-approach. The gradient-tool in Photo does not behave like it does in Designer and Publisher - that needs to be fixed. same tool ==>> same usage and same features! no "you have to keep in mind that this very same feature needs to be handled completely different here, because..." - stuff. usability, u know? and, worst of all: as it seems, a fill-layer (containing the gradient) can not be used as a mask-layer.

I do not understand, why Serif does not improve the usability of their products but I still hope that this will be done in Version 2.0 in Photo: create a new document, no layers = it´s totally empty, nothing there. Why are ALL editing tools available? most of them should be greyed out (like most of the Filters are..). In a document with zero layers, there is no use for a - gradient tool - color picker - selection brush and flood selection - dodge, clone etc etc.. Filters: why are the "Auto.." -Filters available? no content = nothing to autoadjust Layer-Menu: Lock? unlock? hide? there are no layers - why are these menu-items are not greyed out? Select-Menu: the same as above: no layers = there is nothing to select why I mention this: since it´s inconsistent - some elements are properly greyed out, some are not. Crop-Tool: - there is still no shortcut to resize the crop-area proportionally from the center when dragging a corner-handle. - still no %-information about this operation, just pure pixels-info. - why do both modifier-keys (ALT-GR and CTRL) switch to the straighten tool? (at least on a german Windows-System) Straighten-Tool: - make this tool a toggle since it may take multiple attempts to find the proper rotation-angle. - change the usage of this tool: not Click+hold+draaaaag+click but Click to set start-point + click to set end-point of straighten-line. Adjustments: Please make at least the Curves and Levels Adjustments-Windows resizable and the Color-panel (esp. the Wheel) also. Thanks.

Photo, Designer and Publisher offer a gradient tool. But the version available in Photo is less useful since the gradient-information is lost as soon as the gradient is applied. Since Designer and Publisher store the information about direction, colors, midpoints etc. the gradients can be edited any time later. This is not possible with gradients in Photo. Please fix that, Thanks.