Frankentoon Studio

Well, the issue I have with the current trash/delete icon being at the top right when deleting nodes, is that it isn't accessible when one is holding the iPad and working with it in portrait mode if you will. I was swiping, trying to find something to allow the right most icons, specifically the trash/delete icon to come into view and did not have any luck.
I would love if it were relocated back to the old spot or even below the question icon on the right side.

Hi. I was about to post this. That little trash icon was extremly useful and convenient, as you could simply use your left thumb to delete anything in a snap.
Thanks,
Enrique
 

Hi. I was about to post this. That little trash icon was extremly useful and convenient, as you could simply use your left thumb to delete anything in a snap.
Thanks,
Enrique
 

Hi. I was about to post this. That little trash icon was extremly useful and convenient, as you could simply use your left thumb to delete anything in a snap.
Thanks,
Enrique
 

Hi TonyO,
I'm not sure why this icon was removed this is something I will need to look into further however you can now use a Gesture for this by swiping down with 3 fingers on the app you will open a Context menu that contains a delete button
Thanks
C

@Cealcrest This looks fantastic, love the line weights you've achieved here! 
I'm sorry I didn't see this before, haven't had much time to browse the forum lately. 
 
Cheers

To be fair we have taken a different approach. When lock down happened Serif committed as part of  ”We want to help" that all our annual commissioning budget would go to 100 freelance creatives to use our application to make content.
Was their time/work paid for? Yes of course, and we were very up front about it. Do we expect them to endorse our software going forward? No, that's up to them. Some continue to use it some don't. The only stipulation was that the commission was made using our software.
https://affinityspotlight.com/articles/tag/100-days-100-commissions/
That's a healthy balance I think. Their integrity is as important as ours. I am not sure this is as black and white to suggest it's "always right" or "always wrong".

Hello guys!
 
Just wanted to let you know that today I've released a FREE eBook for Affinity Designer: Creating a Stylish Jungle Scene
 
For $0.00 you'll get:
22 Pages PDF eBook FREE Assets Library  Color Palette Original .afdesign file  Click on the image to subscribe and get your download link. If you don't want to receive further emails from Frankentoon, just un-subscribe after downloading the eBook, no hard feelings :)
 
Enjoy!
 

Just noticed that the Monochromatic iconography setting in UX preferences is not working after updating to 1.9 on my mid-2011 iMac MacOS 10.13.6

The "No fill" and "No stroke" top dialogs display this miniature icon that is almost imperceptible. I guess it is not supposed to look like that?

@ChristiduToit Awesome suggestions. I also remember the app 'Brushes' which was the first iPad app I used back in 2012. That one also recorded time-lapse videos without hiccups within the not-so-powerful 3rd generation iPad.
I was just thinking about populating our new Tik Tok account and Instagram reels with vertical time-lapse videos. But as you point out, going beyond a really simple illustration would be impossible. All in all, I'm so hyped that Affinity has started to work on this feature already, which apparently is a must for content creators nowadays and not many desktop apps have included it already.
- Enrique

@ChristiduToit Awesome suggestions. I also remember the app 'Brushes' which was the first iPad app I used back in 2012. That one also recorded time-lapse videos without hiccups within the not-so-powerful 3rd generation iPad.
I was just thinking about populating our new Tik Tok account and Instagram reels with vertical time-lapse videos. But as you point out, going beyond a really simple illustration would be impossible. All in all, I'm so hyped that Affinity has started to work on this feature already, which apparently is a must for content creators nowadays and not many desktop apps have included it already.
- Enrique

For proof of concept, I worked on a very simple illustration and didn't even reach the colouring stage before the history started overriding - and that's with the undo limit set at 1024.

I've attached the preview of where I was at when exporting, which isn't very far along in the process. 
It's a pity, because I know the more I work on this the more of the initial process will be lost in the timelapse and there's no way to retrieve it again.
The more history states there are, the more taxing the export is on your computer too - my computer heated up and the fan went on pretty soon after the export started.
I'm sure stringing snapshots (mentioned in my original post, above) together would be less taxing than running through all of the history states one at a time.

The new timelapse feature is something I've been patiently waiting for, and am incredibly excited to start using with the official release of 1.9!

After experimenting a bit with the beta, I've noticed some potential serious pitfalls for the way that the feature is currently intended to be implemented, and I have a few suggestions on how to improve on this.
 
Firstly, the reasons why this feature may be limiting is as follows:
You would need to make sure that you don't forget to toggle "Save History with Document" otherwise your entire process timelapse (hours worth of work) would be gone - I've done this a few times already.
You're limited to your history states, and some projects (particularly illustration type projects) involve thousands of brush strokes and adjustments which would make it near impossible to ensure that your computer can save that many history states without getting really bogged down. That means you will need to cap your undo limit and subsequently override old history states meaning a chunk of your timelapse would likely be lost.
Savings those history states will also create incredibly large file sizes, which is very impractical for anyone looking to use this feature.
 
My ideas.
In the old days (before Procreate along with its timelapse feature was born) there was a little app/widget called Schnapps for Mac - http://schnappsformac.com
While the website is still up, I'm sure this app is no longer functioning or being updated in 2021, but it basically saved a snapshot of your canvas every time you saved your document.
It had no direct impact on your document or file size, and had no relation to your history states or undo limit (which can be quite volatile if you aren't careful/mindful at all times).
Upon export you could choose your desired video format (or looping gif) and also the playback rate.

My proposal.
Would it not be better for Affinity to use a similar approach?
Instead of using the "Save History with Document" option, you can include a "Record Timelapse" option under the "File" menu, which can be on by default to avoid any accidental loss - or include it in the "New Document" dialog when creating a new document.
Every time you save a document, the app can save a 1080px (1080px in height, and the width can be dictated by the canvas aspect ratio) snapshot in a folder within the app's program files which can then be recalled and assembled by the app when you select "Export Timelapse".
That way the user won't ever see the snapshots or have to deal with big file sizes with limited history states as the timelapse files would be stored elsewhere on their computer.
If, in the future, Affinity ever changed the way that the files are created, the timelapse files would remain completely unaffected since they would be existing snapshots, not past history states.
Timelapses move pretty fast, so there's no reason to include every single step of the process in the playback, so in the long run every save-state would probably be a better option that ever history-state - either that or saving a snapshot, say, every 10 history states or so.

Schnapps was a very simple and lightweight app, but it was incredibly effective at doing what it was designed to do.
The only examples could find that I did with Schnapps (back while I was still a student) were these short videos - I did a little bit of post editing with them to add transitions and video elements, but the timelapses show the process:
https://vimeo.com/111345964 and https://vimeo.com/107825113

I completely understand that the Affinity team has done a lot of work with the timelapse feature already, but I can assure you that nipping these potential future issues in the bud before it's actually released would make it a lot easier than accepting the limitations now and getting stuck them in the future after the feature is officially released. A lot of creative apps (Procreate, Sketchbook Pro, ArtStudio Pro, Clip Studio Paint, etc) now have timelapse features and have perfected them already, and it's become a highly sought after feature for the 'modern creative' so there's quite a bit of pressure to get it running smoothly and properly.

Just my two cents, and thanks for making it through the super long post! 

Status: Release Candidate
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: Purchased Affinity Designer
Mac App Store: Submitted
Download: Download
 
Auto-update: Not available
 
Hello,
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.
This beta is significantly different from the 1.8.x version available for purchase - we strongly recommend that you do not use this beta for real work as data could be lost and the files you save are not guaranteed to open in previous / future versions of Affinity Designer.
Thanks again for your continued support!
Many thanks!
Matt
 
Changes this time
- Replacing an image via the context toolbar now allows users to specify linked or embedded placement
- Fix for TIFF in the Export Preview window
- Present user with notice relating to the terms accepted in order to use H264 encoding in Export Timelapse
 
Changes Since 1.8.x
- Numerous drawing issues resolved
- Fix for paste-style leaving objects with misbehaving lines
- Fix for PDF export on an M1 Mac causing issues
- Fix for PDF passthrough failures. Disabled passthrough of multi-page PDFs (for now, at least)
- Fix for macOS beep when using keyboard shortcuts within the Export Preview window
- Numerous export preview improvements (press Escape to close the preview quickly, you can now reposition the export dialog so you can work with it and the preview window more easily at the same time, shortcuts for zooms implemented (as per the main view), click-drag with mouse to pan the preview, Apple Magic Mouse better supported
- Account-related improvements
- Added user-controlled Mitre limit to the Contour Tool
- Enabled PDF passthrough context toolbar control
- PDF import improvement with mask images
- Fixed Contour Tool's light UI context toolbar icons being invisible
- Contours now form miters (when requested) until greater angles
- Performing a boolean operation on an object with a contour no longer leaves the new object with an additional (unwanted) contour
- Double-clicking the View Tool's tool icon should zoom to fit
- Export preview UI tweaks and ensure it uses the correct ICC profile to show the colours as intended
- Improved performance of OpenType features
- Added export preview panel (for raster types) - updates live whenever you change an export parameter
- Added JPEG-XR 101010 import support (useful for screen captures from Xbox, etc.)
- Added new splash screen
- Content download service improvements
- Numerous assorted fixes
- Help improvements
- Localisation improvements
- Export Time-lapse should now draw without pixellation when showing zoomed in areas
- PDF export improvements - particularly around filter effects
- Added 'Select Same Name' and 'Select Same Colour Tag' options
- Updated Help
- A few Big Sur UI-related tweaks
- Fix for printing of passthrough PDFs
- Fix a number of potential symbol-related problems
- Text improvements - particularly relating to mid-word punctuation
- Snapping tweaks - you can now snap to column guides if they're hidden and you have 'snap to hidden objects' turned on
- Added hierarchical antialiasing control - accessed from the Blend Options dialog on the layers panel
- Added 'Export Time-lapse' feature from Photo
- Fixed insertion target button failure!
- Fixed font combo not previewing changes in the document correctly
- New cat shape (accessible on Friday 13th or if you know the magic trick!)
- Misc PDF export tweaks
- Fix for Column Guides not updating correctly
- PDF Import improvements (particularly around tinted colours and unknown fonts)
- Fix for a UI issue in Big Sur (the vertical positioning of some checkboxes)
- New samples! 
- Added Preferences item to allow auto-updating of linked images in the document when the images are edited externally
- Fix for 'Embed'/'Link' image placement preference working incorrectly from some dialogs...
- Added 'Save as package' feature for easy delivery of a complete project
- Improvements to application registration and content syncing
- Fix for pixel layers inside symbols occasionally acting incorrectly (painting may not apply to all symbol instances, items may transform oddly, for example)
- Added Studio Presets with, hopefully, complete functionality 
- Tabbing between fields in the New Document dialog should no longer crash! (sigh)
- Fixed sporadic crash with Pencil Tool (yay!) and hopefully generally improved product stability
- Fix for artefacts occasionally noticed in the noise pattern while editing objects with noise on a linear fill
- Fix for occasional disabling of some buttons
- Added registration page to the app - allows users to login and auto-install brushes (so far)
- Fix for Select Same and Select Object when they encounter text objects
- Enable image placement options in Designer (you can now choose Linked or Embedded) and also Resource Manager (from the View menu)
- Added option for Designer to be able to show/hide overflow text - particularly useful for text on a path
- Application icon updated to fit the 'Big Sur' visual style, also document icons updated. Misc other Big Sur fixes.
- Fix for terrible rendering problems - particularly affected cropped items with layer effects applied
- Added ability to rotate canvas if you have a scroll wheel mouse (or two-finger vertical drag on your touchpad) if you hold down Command. This will rotate around the mouse cursor location. Holding down Shift in addition to Command while scrolling will rotate around the centre of the view.
- Contour tool.
- Select Same / Select Object functionality. I'm happy to consider requests for extra options, so if you have a favourite, just say...
- Improved performance with large documents. I will aim to improve this further over time.
- Added a new “Divide” blend mode.
- Allowed snapping to the bounds of the pixel selection.
 
To be notified about all future Mac beta updates, please follow this beta notification thread 
To be notified when this update comes out of beta and is fully released to all Affinity Designer customers, please follow this release notification thread

Hello there,
I've just found a tiny error when attempting to open a previously closed file through the Open Recent menu. It always returns this message: "Failed to open file... The file is already open by another application", even if it's not. What I do is to close Publisher and once opened again, the file loads normally through the same Open Recent menu.
 
Bests,
Enrique
 
 

Recent. Made it in designer desktop and finished in publisher, because only publisher supports hyperlinks. Made using Organika Design Kit for Affinity Designer. Made my process easy and fun. @Frankentoon, thank you!

Hello there,
As much as I'm loving the new Brush Editor features, there's a bug that's been around since the current stable Designer and Photo versions. I've reported it a couple of times already and I hope this issue gets addressed, because it really ruins the experience when using advanced features from the brush panel.
When you add the Wet Edges option to a brush (from the editor), this option gets deactivated or non-recognized back when switching tools using the brush command key (B) and many times, when selecting the brush manually from the brushes panel. Let's say I need to erase something; I switch to the Eraser using (E), then I want to go back to my brush using (B) and when I do that, Wet Edges are switched off automatically, unless I double-select that brush... then, Wet Edges are back on. It totally ignores the stored brush settings.
This affects dramatically the way brushes were originally designed.

 

 
 Thank you!
 
 

Hello there,
As much as I'm loving the new Brush Editor features, there's a bug that's been around since the current stable Designer and Photo versions. I've reported it a couple of times already and I hope this issue gets addressed, because it really ruins the experience when using advanced features from the brush panel.
When you add the Wet Edges option to a brush (from the editor), this option gets deactivated or non-recognized back when switching tools using the brush command key (B) and many times, when selecting the brush manually from the brushes panel. Let's say I need to erase something; I switch to the Eraser using (E), then I want to go back to my brush using (B) and when I do that, Wet Edges are switched off automatically, unless I double-select that brush... then, Wet Edges are back on. It totally ignores the stored brush settings.
This affects dramatically the way brushes were originally designed.

 

 
 Thank you!
 
 

Hello guys!
 
Just wanted to let you know that today I've released a FREE eBook for Affinity Designer: Creating a Stylish Jungle Scene
 
For $0.00 you'll get:
22 Pages PDF eBook FREE Assets Library  Color Palette Original .afdesign file  Click on the image to subscribe and get your download link. If you don't want to receive further emails from Frankentoon, just un-subscribe after downloading the eBook, no hard feelings :)
 
Enjoy!
 

Hello guys!
 
Just wanted to let you know that today I've released a FREE eBook for Affinity Designer: Creating a Stylish Jungle Scene
 
For $0.00 you'll get:
22 Pages PDF eBook FREE Assets Library  Color Palette Original .afdesign file  Click on the image to subscribe and get your download link. If you don't want to receive further emails from Frankentoon, just un-subscribe after downloading the eBook, no hard feelings :)
 
Enjoy!
 

Hello there! I can confirm the app gets unbearably unstable (freezing, unable to zoom/move) when using specifically the Clone Tool too much. I mean, if you’re just going to clone certain part of a photo, it makes no difference; but, if you’re doing some serious cloning for more than 5-10 minutes, the app just freezes and prevents you from selecting other tools. It also affects panning and zooming using gestures.
It happens 95% of the times to me. I’m using a 12” iPad Pro 2018.
- Enrique 

Oh, silly me, haven't seen the updates

I'm getting this pop up in Publisher saying Designer and Photo aren't installed for the link up. They are both installed and both are the 1.7 versions, not betas.
What's the workaround for this?

Hello everybody!
 
I just wanted to let you know that FX Monkey's second free pack for Affinity Photo is out! Faux 96: 8 Color presets and 4 Overlay Textures. Click the image below for more info (the website looks pretty cool though, so check it out! It has some hints on whats coming next too...ohh)
 
P.S.: The previous Monkey Pack - Faux 77 is no longer available for download. A thousand thanks to all the people who grabbed a copy! Faux 77 was a teaser for a soon to come premium Monkey Pack: Faux 77 pro (more than 20 macros + Textures), so get your hands on Faux 96 while it's still available :)
 
Enjoy guys!