GreyGhost

The problem with having it always set to "New" is that you can't use a modifier to add new parts to the selection while using that mode. In Photoshop you add to your selection by pressing down shift, which is a kind of a big deal for us painters who use the selection tool to block out shapes, while using the shift and alt modifiers to fine adjust our selections.
My only workaround to this in previous versions of AP was to always set it to "Add", but now when that is no longer an option, I am stuck with having to go into the menu every time the tool resets to set it back to a setting that makes the tool functional for my type of work. This to me is a bit of a regression, which could all be fixed if you added a modifier key that will add to the selection. Right now shift switches to straight lines selection, which I think should be on ctrl instead, and "Add" should be on shift. Fix this and I will be more than happy.

Status: Beta
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: Purchased Affinity Photo
Mac App Store: Not submitted
Download: Download
Hello,
We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of the first beta of Affinity Photo 1.7 for macOS.
Photo 1.7 is a (very) significant change to the currently shipping 1.6 version, so, as ever, I would strongly urge users to avoid the 1.7 beta for critical work. This is especially true as this is the first of many beta builds we will release before 1.7 ships. Things will be broken in this build - please use it to explore the new features and not for real work.
If this is your first time using a customer beta of an Affinity app, it’s worth noting that the beta will install as a separate app - alongside your store version. They will not interfere with each other at all and you can continue to use the store version for critical work without worry.
It’s also worth noting that we aren’t done yet - we are still working through reported bugs from previous releases and hope to fix as many as possible before the final release of 1.7.
With all that said, we hope that you will enjoy the new capabilities introduced in this initial release and we look forward to any and all feedback you give to us.
Many thanks (as always),
Affinity Photo Team  
 

Affinity Photo 1.7 - Changes Since Last 1.6 Release

Performance
- The core processing engine in Affinity Photo has been rewritten to take advantage of the powerful discrete AMD GPUs in modern Mac hardware. It will now automatically use any compatible discrete GPU, alongside the Intel GPU support present in 1.6. Typically this improves compositing / editing performance by at least 1000%. Performance when using integrated Intel GPUs has also been massively improved.
- External GPUs (eGPU) are also supported - including hot-plug-and-unplug support.
- Multiple GPUs are supported - if you have more than 1 GPU (ie. Intel + AMD in MacBook Pro, or Intel + eGPU in other Macs) Photo will use them all, at the same time, to improve performance. There is no limit to the number of GPUs which can be used.

Brushes
- Photo 1.7 introduces a new “sub-brush” mechanism, developed in conjunction with Paolo Limoncelli (DAUB® Brushes). This exciting feature allows any brush to have a list of other brushes attached which will draw at the same time. Each sub-brush has a fully separate and customisable set of dynamics. You can control when the sub-brushes are drawn and how they blend with the main brush.
- The brush engine in Photo has been rewritten to use the new GPU architecture described above. With GPU support, even huge brushes with 1% spacing will perform well. All brushes / brush tools are accelerated.
- Symmetry (up to 32-way) is now supported - including on-canvas controls and optional mirroring. We have more symmetry features on the way - so stay tuned during the beta process.
- Wet edges and accumulation are now available on colour brushes and brushes with HSL variance.
- Brushes with multiple nozzle textures have always chosen the nozzle at random. In 1.7, the nozzle choice has a dynamic controller and ramp for greater control.
- All brush tools now support left and right arrow keys for rotation - a common feature request

RAW
- The RAW processing engine in Photo has been rewritten - producing better results and improved performance. It also takes advantage of the GPU architecture changes described above.
- RAW files now load much more quickly - especially if you have a compatible GPU.
- Reimplemented support for XTrans sensors.
- The denoise algorithm has been rewritten. It produces better results and takes advantage of the new GPU architecture.
- Hot pixel removal is now automatically performed by the Serif Labs engine.
- Profiled lens correction are more stable, apply more quickly, and can be toggled in the Develop UI.
- The histogram in the Develop persona is now presented in the output colour space - as opposed to always being linear.

Filters
- New “Procedural Texture” filter with advanced presets support.
- New “Voronoi” filter.
- Denoise, Clarity and Shadows / Highlights filters have been rewritten (using technology from the Develop Persona).
- More filters are now available as Live Filters - including the new Procedural Texture filter.
- Live filters have been rewritten to improve performance - especially when multiple filters are used in a document.
- Improved Polar to Rectangular and Rectangular to Polar filters.

Adjustments
- The HSL adjustment layer has been rewritten. It now supports custom hue ranges, a new algorithm, new UI and picker controls.
- The Levels adjustment layer now supports output levels - a common feature request.
- The White Balance adjustment layer has been rewritten.
- The Selective Colour adjustment layer has been rewritten.
- PSD import / export of adjustments has been improved.
- The Vibrance adjustment layer has been rewritten.
- The Recolour adjustment layer has gained a lightness slider.

Tools
- The Crop tool has been rewritten - it now supports resolution changes, absolute pixel size and has a much improved preset mechanism.
- The Sponge Brush tool now gives more correct / pleasant results.
- A general tools overhaul has been performed - providing editing of grids, guides, page origin, across multiple tools (not just in the Move tool)

General
- “Alternate futures” for document history have been added. Traditionally, if you roll back the undo history then do something else all your changes after that point are lost. Photo will now display a small branch icon in the history tab when you do this. Pressing that button will cycle between all the different “futures” after that history entry - meaning you will never lose work you have done.
- HEIF images can now be loaded directly into Photo. If they contain a depth map, this will also be loaded as a second layer. Because depth maps are typically lower resolution than the main image, optional “smart” upsampling will be performed.
- A large number of new cameras are supported for RAW development (we will provide a list of the new supported cameras as soon as possible!).
- The batch process dialog now fully supports expressions for height and width - available constants are “w”, “h” and “dpi”.
- Photo now supports custom document presets - a popular feature request.
- A new blend mode - Linear Burn - has been added.
- New “Move inside / outside” commands have been added - useful for quick operations on clipping masks etc.
- The Hard Mix blend mode has been improved.
- New provider options have been added to the stock panel - support for Unsplash and Pexels. Both of these providers offer full-resolution stock imagery which is free to use.
- Metadata is now dynamically synchronised with your document - so if you resize then export, the values will be correct.
- Numerous text improvements have been made - including new features.
- Significant PDF import / export improvements and fixes.
- Numerous other bug fixes - too many to list!
 

Great Andy! 
Also, if any suggestion about possible usage of the Sub-Brushes is needed just ask! (in another thread please) 
I'll be happy to provide tips!

I cancelled my Adobe CC subscription and switched from photoshop in large part due to how well the developers have communicated on this forum. It is exceptionally encouraging to see a company so in touch with it's users and actively working to solicit and respond to questions, feature requests, bug discoveries, etc, etc. Serif's communication should be a standard by which other software developers hold themselves to. I'd go so far as to say it's the biggest selling point for Affinity Designer and Photo. At the end of the day the amount of time I invest in learning and using a new piece of software professionally makes the $10 / month or $50 I spend basically inconsequential. Knowing that a developer is engaged and genuinely passionate about their product goes a long way toward making me comfortable with putting in all the time and effort necessary to modify my workflow.
 
So thanks you guys for putting in all that additional effort!

Passed on the news to Bradford Council design dept....get 'em off Adobe and save the tax payer some serious dosh!

The left and right brackets for rotate view should be the default keyboard equivalents, as they work natively with Wacom tablets as existing users expect. I've also added them as custom shortcuts. Great tip, thanks @GreyGhost.
 
 
 

Love the canvas rotation! And the multiple artboards, but wish it didn't act as a clipping of the art work. Is there a way to override this?

I've used the left bracket [ and right bracket ] and the equals = for resetting the document to its origin. I find the three keys work well as they form the perfect triangle.

I totally agree....Awesome work people!

I've used the left bracket [ and right bracket ] and the equals = for resetting the document to its origin. I find the three keys work well as they form the perfect triangle.

I've used the left bracket [ and right bracket ] and the equals = for resetting the document to its origin. I find the three keys work well as they form the perfect triangle.

Personally, I have say a BIG THANK YOU for the ability to rotate the canvas. This is something I requested as a feature earlier and find this an absolute essential function for my illustration and compositing work flow.
 
Well done the team loving the improvements.