tomatohorse

Thanks for the response, thomaso. Those shortcuts (in both #1 and #2) aren't working for me, though. Are they custom?

I find myself wishing for this every time I open the app. I either get a promo panel, which I close and go to recents, or if I disable that I am greeted with a big empty blank space. It would improve the user experience on startup to at least have the OPTION of showing thumbnails or recent projects, with a "or create new empty" button as well.

I agree - this would be a good feature to have.

I agree that renaming the currently selected layer should have a shortcut. Here's another use-case: I group some layers and want to name the group right away. In Sketch, for instance, I hit command G to group (which is in Affinity) and then command R (which is not) and am right away naming the group. It's really nice when you want to stay organized.

Problems: 1) In the course of changing FX parameters, I will tend to touch an empty area on the screen (sometimes by accident, sometimes thinking to de-select the current object and move on to a different task, etc.). It instantly messes up my FX parameters. This is annoying. 2) de-selecting yourself out of the FX menu, or selecting a different object, is a pain because you have to select the move tool, then click on your new object, then click back on your desired FX. This is too many steps, and requires selecting a tool that you don't actually want to use (ex. move). 3) when you turn an FX on, the bottom bar does not automatically update to show the FX you just enabled. You have to hit the name of the FX instead. This is unintuitive. Solutions: 1) if you hit an empty area on the screen, the FX menu does not change parameters. 2) to edit a different object's FX, simply click that object to have the bottom bar / FX side studio menu change and reflect that object's settings. 3) if you turn an FX on, change the bottom bar to that FX's setting. Other thoughts: It other tools and studio interfaces in the program, you can tap an empty spot on the screen to de-select the current object. Or you can tap another object to select that one. Then, the bottom toolbar applies to that newly selected object. FX settings, however, don't work that way. I feel like I constantly have to second-guess what I'm doing when working with FX. "Will this accidentally mess up the parameters I just set? Am I working with the right object? Why don't I see the settings for the FX I just turned on?" etc.

What is assistant?

It'd be great to have an option to have Affinity switch to the move tool after each item you place. The current method is especially irksome when placing text. I have to hit escape several times in a row, and then V.... EVERY TIME immediately after putting text in. It's tedious. Sketch, for instance, switches back to the move tool after you put text in (indeed, after each thing you place). I submit that this is the most natural method. Most of the time I place an object, then drag / adjust it exactly where I want it to go. Then place another object, adjust, etc. I understand if not everyone would prefer this, but it'd be nice to at least have the option for either behavior. Thanks

You all bring up some good points.

Distributing objects should work like alignment. So, if there are four boxes within a larger box, and that larger box is selected, use the larger box as a container and distribute the smaller objects evenly within the larger box. (Assuming "selection bounds" is chosen in the align dialog) This is what happens with the align command. Distribute would simply use the same logic. This is needed frequently. For instance, if you're making a website mockup and want navbar items distributed within your navbar. Or a host of other applications. Currently the way to accomplish it involves creating objects, placing them at the boundaries, selecting everything, distributing, then de-selecting the middle objects, then deleting the outside "boundary" objects. It seems a bit hack-ey.

It would use the same logic as align. Something like, "If all objects are contained within a larger object, and that larger object is selected, distribute evenly within the container." The align command doesn't assume you want both boxes aligned; it understands that you only want one, within its selected container. Same for distribute. Distributing within a container is a fairly common task, so this would be really useful. The work-around you and Alfred suggested works, and I want to thank you both for teaching it to me. However, creating two extra objects, putting them at the edges of the box, then deleting them seems less than ideal. But I guess if I want anything different I need to make a feature request.

True, but consider the fact that all the other commands in the arrange popup work this way. If I want to center a object, for example, I select the box it is within and make sure "selection bounds" is chosen. No problem there. The distribute button is right next to those commands. Wouldn't it make sense to have it work the same way, provided "selection bounds" is chosen? Seems logical to me...

Isn't a huge part of distributing the fact that you want it evenly spaced within a defined area? Can Affinity really not do this?

I made a big box, then put 4 little boxes within it. I selected all of the boxes together (including the big, outer box). I want the little boxes to distribute evenly within the larger box. When I got to the arrange dropdown and hit "space horizontally" it just crams them all off to the right. What am I doing wrong?

Ah, I understand. Thank you! @Alfred

This is for Draw Persona. Imagine you have a large square object with a lot of smaller squares in front of it. When I click and drag to make a selection, it just moves the large square in the back. Is there a way to tell the program I want to make a selection only .... not move objects?

I'm just starting to do UI work with Affinity, and this would be a big help!

I drew a line with the pen tool -- which creates a vector, right? However, when I am editing it I see grainy pixels. Shouldn't it always be sharp-looking no matter what the zoom is? I am in draw persona, not pixel. Attaching screenshot. Thanks!

Oh, okay - thanks for the reply. Hmm...I am looking for a way to distort the letters manually but I can't find it. How do you go about doing this in Affinity?

So I'm trying to create the following text effect: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vwx8ztdmhlwgafm/Capture.PNG?dl=0 As you can see, the bottom of the text has a curve "pushing" up into it, while the top remains straight. How can one achieve this in Affinity Designer? Thanks.

Hey, I was searching for a way to do this and came across this thread. For anyone wondering, I found a way of doing it: 1. make a rectangle that boxes in what you want to export 2. make it transparent with no stroke 3. with it still selected, choose export 4. in the "area" box, choose "selection with background"

That did it! Thank you for your clear instructions.

Thanks for the reply. I did what you suggested but it doesn't provide the "distress" effect I need. However, I did learn some substantial things from your reply, so I do appreciate it :) Perhaps I was awry in my original question. Is masking is not what is needed here? I want the logo color and fill to remain, but to be lightly subtracted from, according to where the dark values are in my grunge image. This video shows what I'm going for, but it's done in Photoshop.

I am trying to understand how masking works in Affinity Designer, but I just can't wrap my head around it. In the attached image, I have two things: a logo and a grunge image. I want to use the grunge to apply a distress effect on the logo. I know the way to do this has something to do with dragging one of them inside the other (not sure which one though), with a mask layer thrown in there somewhere.... Most things are pretty intuitive in AD, but how masking works just doesn't make sense to me. Can someone help me out, please?