[Delete empty layers]

It would be very nice if empty layers could be deleted through a command or automaticly on save / exit?

Helps creating order in the creative chaos and should be better for filesize too right?  :)

[Croping the whole Document]

I was playing around with the cropping tool too.

Dragging an area in your document and hitting enter, Mac makes bleep sound, hit enter again, same bleep... Hmmm...  :huh:

 

I was expecting "standard crop functionality" because the tool looks like that, because that's what I'm used too.  ;)

[Will there be a public bug forum / list after release?]

I think it's great that you have a place to post bugs for the beta and that you respond to topics. (Just having it is only half...)

Will the forum (or something similar) still be there after release?

 

I really hope so because it gives people a chance to report things and find out if there is a fix.

And it makes it easier to find out if you're the only one on the planet experiencing a problem/ bug.

 

 

[[ADe] Is there any line smoothing? (implemented)]

Flash has the simplify feature too. 

I think it's good to be able to control the smoothing, for maximum control.  :)

[Some of illustrator's better features]

 

 

How should we solve this before we release? Customisable keys are certainly coming - but almost certainly after the initial release..

 

 

 

I'd say take full advantage of peoples' "muscle memory" the shortcuts that have been engraved into longtime Adobe illustrator users' brains.

That would make your new software feel really familiar to a lot of people, which should speed up learning to work with it a lot.

Use all shortcuts exactly the same as AI does.

 

And then improve after release with maybe changing some + making them customisable. 

 

 

 

I agree that we need to get this right - but so far, guidance from the beta testers on this forum has been as inconsistent as our own initial effort to get this right by ourselves. This is not meant as a criticism - just an observation.

 

 

Maybe a poll would give better insight?

[symbols!]

Great! Symbols / movieclips are one of my favourite things when drawing in Flash. 

Helps keeping things organized.

I'm hoping there will be layers in the AF symbols? 

[Cable Monk]

How did you achieve the white outline?

 

 

Thanks guys!

I drew it, because the expand stroke feature isn't hooked up yet.  :)

[Cable Monk]

Just finished this guy:

 

Liking the (beta) software sofar, this could "work" for me if finished right.  :)

More on my instagram account.

[Art Boards & Pages]

Artboards? yes please. 

Allows you to organize the creative output (chaos..?) in your document.

[[ADe] Select same color / fill / stroke / appearance]

It would be very useful to have functions to select the same:

 

• Color
• fill
• stroke (color / width)
• Appearance

To quickly select all your outlines, or background element in 1 color. 

Speed is everything.  :)

[Roadmap / Feature List]

I'm tempted to put something up but I've done it before and regretted it. People don't see their favourite feature on the list and use the opportunity to shout down the other features and it all ends badly.

 

 

Yeah, that is a "risk".

And while there will always be few people shout down other features I think the majority of the people will appreciate your openness and bravery.

The shouting people will be there anyway, roadmap or not.

While you guys may remember the "shouters", users will look past that and see a company that is willing to take them seriously, letting them know what to expect, that wants to know what we think. 

 

By being transparent about what's coming (Even if it's nog written in stone...) you let us know where we're going with you, before we get on the Affinity Designer train.

[Roadmap / Feature List]

Yes! This would be awesome.

I think there is so much to gain in being open about these things, so we know what's coming and help improve that.

[Expand curve to shape]

Ah! I was looking for this one, thought I'd gone mad...  ;)

[[ADe] Keyboard shortcuts wishlist]

Read that you were working on more/ changeable shortcuts. Nice!  :)

 

I think shortcuts and the ability to change them have a big influence on your overall software experience.
The less you have to navigate to menus and panels, the faster you can draw.

 

What I think would benefit the Affinity Designer experience:

 

• Adjustable shortcuts
  Save your under your own name and be able to change them all.
   
• Shortcuts for everything
  I understand that the developers might not want to add a shortcut to every program "action", but as a user if there is something that I do a lot in my illustrating process, I want to reach it superfast through a shortcut. If it's under a dropdown, menu or even submenu that takes too much time. I want to shorten that time. The "everything" part is about the clickable icons and sliders that don't have a (default) shortcut. (New layer, lock layer, increase line width) Giving the user the freedom to edit those.
   
• Changing the location of your shortcut file. So you can put it in your Dropbox, or on a part of your Mac you wont format when doing a clean install. It could be a window during install like the one asking where it can install. "Where would you like us to save your keyboard shortcuts (for easy backup if you do a clean install later)"
   
• Default shortcut sets
  Based on different other (vector) software. This would make it easier for a person coming from Adobe illustrator, Coreldraw, Sketch or Manga Studio to jump in and use the shortcuts he's been using for years. I imagine a window after first start asking the user: If you tell us which software you used most before finding Affinity Designer, we will make sure (most of) the shortcuts are in the same place.
  
  Kind of like the browsers do after install, trying to get your bookmarks and stuff from other browsers to increase the chance you never go back to your old browser.  ;) 
   
• Live editing
  Being able to edit the shortcut of an icon by (cmd?) clicking on it and having it open a small window with the current (if there is one) short cut and the option to add your new one. Now there are just too many steps to edit a shortcut. 1. Remember what the function is called (i.e lock layer / increase line width) 2. Find the shortcuts menu. 3 Search for the function. 4. Edit it. 5. Save it. 6. Close the shortcuts menu. Being able to do that on the fly could reduce the actions by half.

I think shortcuts with the options stated above would translate to (super) speed & focus.

Compare it to wanting the interface to be as calm and subtle as possible so you "see" it less and focus on your drawing.

Being able to add a shortcut to everything allows you use the interface less and focus even more.

[Stroke Width]

Another thing that would improve (my) workflow is being able to adjust the line/ stroke width in the top menu bar (next to curve / fill) too.

Place the slider on the right of those. I know that slider is in the line panel too, but that panel is on my other screen, about 1400 pixels and a 20 cm arm slide on my tablet away.

The top menu bar is closest to where I've just drawn a line.

 

The way it is now is that you have to first click that window open to slide adjust your line width. That and moving to the other panel takes more moving / time.

It would also be neat if there was a shortcut attached to it, like cmd + something for thicker line & cmd + something else for thinner line. Like you adjust brush size in Photoshop.

[Some of illustrator's better features]

Yeah, combine both. Standard AI shortcuts and the posibility to adjust them or load other standard shortcut sets.

[Some of illustrator's better features]

Adobe's applications do a lot of clever and subtle things with keyboard chording which — if you want to claim superiority — you would do well to imitate or improve upon. They have a huge effect on productivity.

 

I agree. By keeping most (maybe all) of the Affinity Designers' shortcuts the same as Adobe illustrator you decrease the time which people need to adjust and make it easier for them to switch and say their goodbyes to Adobe. Bring world vector domination one step closer!  ;)

[Locked Layer]

I was looking for this too, was expecting it under a rightclick...

You could also place the lock symbol the layer in light grey, that way it's subtle but right there when you need it.  :)

[Add url to instagram account]

Found this the easiest way to leave a note.

The Affinity instagram account doesn't have a url in it's profile.

If added it might lead designers to your website, download a beta & maybe buy stuff.  ;)

[Select options > 'include partially encompassed objects' and 'hover-highlight']

I get the idea behind it, selecting more than you want happens a lot in AI.

But now it seems like selecting the thing that you need is getting harder, might be the getting used to the program...

 

I'd throw the modifier around, drag select everythings / always and alt select to select less.  :)

[Tool UI size.]

I was changing the settings and expecting the toolbar icons to change in size... 

[Introduce Yourself]

Hello! Boudewijn Danser here, Freelance illustrator from the Netherlands. Like many creatives looking for a good alternative to Adobe products. You can view my illustration portfolio here if you like. 

[Stroke Width]

Just downloaded the beta and it looks promising!

Line width was the first thing I was looking for, I use it a lot in Illustrator.

 

I found the pressure button after searching the forums and landing here.

Here is how I think it could be improved:

 

• Put the adjustment / controls on the anchor point. 
  You want to be able to adjust lines and point right on your artboard after you've drawn them, not through menu's and panels.
• Show preview lines of what my width will look like after I release the controls.
  Now you you see it happening while making points in the pressure window, but it's too far apart / not linked enough.
• Keep the lines fluid, don't auto-add to many points.
• Make it more about controlling "point thickness" like in Illustrator.
  I think a lot of (vector) illustrators want total control over their lines, the width, but also the anchor points and how they bend/ curve.

 

If done right I think this would be a great selling point / feature for Affinity Designer!