jmwellborn

@Patrick Connor In the meantime, perhaps something similar to the really excellent "Spotlight" article "Quick Photo Beginner's Manual" might help. I had watched the video tutorials related to Unsharp Mask about a trillion times (fun evening at home with Apple TV), and each time thought: "Got it!" Then a day or two later, I was back to floundering. One run-through with the affinity-photo-practice-file and I now understand Unsharp Mask perfectly. For people who need to DO versus just to WATCH, James Ritson's "Beginner's Manual" is surely a delight. Meanwhile, Photo, Designer, and Publisher are really wonderful!

Hi @MEB So glad you are better! Six files have been uploaded to the Dropbox link you have provided. I was unable to find two of the original zip files, even though I searched through Time Machine. Also, it appears that I must have simply renamed the original four .afstyles categories "Flowers/leaves-1 through -4" to "Leaves-flowers-1 through -4" when I was struggling to solve the issue, in order to prevent any confusion on my part. I cannot locate any "Flowers/leaves-" files anywhere in Time Machine. Hopefully what I have sent will be enough to see what the problem might be. As noted above, I originally created these styles using Publisher. After following @v_kyr's excellent advice, I switched to Designer, and recreated all of the styles that had been in the original files. In the process I decided to change the name of the four .afstyles files to "Botanicals-1 through -4" in order not to confuse the issue at all. (All very confusing!)

Hi MEB: I am so sorry that you are having difficulties. I hope so much that it isn't the health problems recurring! I am going back through Time Machine to extract all of the files created using Publisher (.afstyles and zips) related to the four Flowers-leaves .afstyles files that would not upload to the Forum, the four Leaves-flowers.astyles files that replaced the first four (renaming them so that there wouldn't be confusion) and that seemed to upload but turned themselves into blank "Leaves" .afstyles files when I downloaded them and tried to import them into Designer or Photo. I will be glad to send them, but I don't think I should try to upload the lot here. Could you provide me with a DropBox link? When I tried back on January 18 to upload an .afstyles file directly to the Forum without zipping it first, it was rejected.

To quote the Schmoos from the long-gone Li’l Abner comic strip: “Urp.”

Munch, munch.

Yes. You are correct.

I have no problem with any of the three, with these differences. Pixabay and Unsplash allow the category to be selected from the Stock Panel, with immediate results shown in the Stock Panel. But when I choose Pexels and enter a category (i.e. sky) nothing happens. But if I leave the category blank and click on the gearwheel, the website opens immediately and I can enter any category I wish with immediate results.

I am attaching a link to @MEB for you here, because unless you quoted him, an alert wouldn’t go out to him regarding your question. I hope you will be able to resolve your issue.

@v_kyr Another huge thank you! Without your knowledge I was destined for failure, and it became a matter of principle not to give up. You have been so gracious with your time and I truly appreciate all your help!

@Pepperdog2 It is so nice to see that the downloads of these files are actually working. Thank you!

@v_kyr Thank you so much. That was my conclusion as well, around 3:00 a.m.! I am going to move all these styles files to a flash drive, remove them from my computer, and then start over in Designer. You have been so splendid in helping me. I hope I will get this thrashed out in a day or two!

So now I have another problem. I have created all of the Styles Categories in Publisher and dutifully populated them with workable styles. But now four of the files will not "Export As Styles Category" with any content. For example, a new .afstyles file named Flowers/Leaves-1 was populated with 8 Styles, and exported to my Affinity Styles Folder. When I try (repeatedly) to Import that category into either Photo or Designer, the Styles Panels enter a new category named Leaves and are completely blank. I have tried deleting everything and starting from scratch. No luck. Exactly the same thing happened. There were four files: Flowers/Leaves-1, 32.6 MB Flowers/Leaves-2 28.7 MB Flowers/Leaves-3 31.6 MB Flowers/Leaves-4 28.9 MB Each of these files happily zipped, showing exactly those file sizes. Yet they are all empty. Help? @MEB? @Callum? Dare I ask @v_kyr for another rescue? I am really stumped.

Here are -2, -3 and -4. Fingers crossed. Two files resulted in "Decompression failed." Patterns-3 seems to download and install properly. Back to the drawing boards! Patterns-2 seems to have worked. Patterns-4 has a file which is quite a bit larger. Rembrandt needs rework. @v_kyr I am so grateful for your kindness in following this snarl. Tomorrow I will start all over with the balance of these styles. Live and learn. Monday, Jan. 20: Here are most of the balance. Tuesday, Jan.21: Here are all the files except for 2 animals files and a revised PDF. Fabric patterns-1.afstyles.zip Fabric patterns-2.afstyles.zip Fabric patterns-3.afstyles.zip Fabric patterns-4.afstyles.zip Added: Jan. 21, 2020 Free botanicals-1.afstyles.zip Free botanicals-2.afstyles.zip Free botanicals-3.afstyles.zip Free botanicals-4.afstyles.zip Added: Jan. 22, 2020 - the remaining two files and the revised and final PDF. Fabric animals-1.afstyles.zip Fabric animals-2.afstyles.zip Free fabrics - patterns, botanicals, animals.pdf

Hi v_kyr: I used medium sized image files, because I wanted the colors and definition to be extremely clear. Probably my first of many problems. For what it is worth, my latest attempt -- just before this next to last message of yours, seems to have downloaded back to me, and I managed to open it in Designer. The file is 39.4 MB and uploaded in about 5 minutes. So I am now going to try fabrics-2 and 3 and see what happens. You are so kind to help this way. I was about to throw in the towel!

Here goes. Fabric patterns-1.afstyles.zip

Alright. I will try again. It is so kind of you to keep trying to help. A walk with the dog has given me new life. Barely.

Thank you so much. I will give it the old college try tomorrow. Don’t think I will redo the pdf though. I have been using my Mac’s zip utility, which creates an “archive.zip” file. I wonder whether I should avoid the “compression” option, since the styles are based on bitmaps, made from jpgs and pngs. Perhaps compression may be corrupting the zip file? Anyway, after 4 hours of trying, “tomorrow is another day,” to quote Scarlett O’Hara.

Thank you so much!! I have just done it and am now testing to see whether the zip file can download and open. Nope. I get this message.

Wednesday, Jan. 22. These styles are now several entries below in this topic. To while away the winter hours I decided to fiddle with making Styles. It was going to be simple. Well, it wasn't. After scrolling through umpteen thousands of pages of royalty free fabric images from different sites, I have created 29 styles of fabric patterns (mostly paisleys), 29 styles of fabrics using botanicals, and 13 of whimsical animals. I used the charming Affinity cat shape to create the" patterns" styles and to test them out which turns out to have been a mistake, because unless one wants a cat shape, the "patterns" styles have to be dragged around a bit to fit correctly into -- for example -- a rectangle . I learned my lesson with the botanicals and animals. I also made a PDF with each of the styles suitably draped inside said cat. The PDF is also several entries below. Perhaps some forum members may find these fun. These Styles were never going to save the world. But without @v_kyr's extremely kind help, unfailing patience, and elegance in following my struggles with solutions, I could not have managed it. I am leaving the various "I am stuck" entries below, in case anybody else ever tries and fails as spectacularly as I have. As an update, it looks as though the main problem was creating the Styles in Publisher. I remade them, using Designer, and everything worked very well although I have definitely found that zipping the files has not been entirely error-free. I think the problem must have something to do with my OS, because after one or two tries I can manage it.

@carl123 so you closed Wilson’s eye! Good editing job, but did you ask his permission? Was he really thinking, “won’t somebody, ANYBODY, play with me?” My dogs go from food to tennis balls to food to tennis balls to food to . . . Followed up by a Very Important Nap, before food to . . .

How nice to meet Wilson! I have particularly enjoyed his presence in your “How To” videos and have always suspected that he is a Man Of Parts. So nice to see him in other views!!

Hope you are on the mend. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!!!!

@paolo111 Have you tried VIEW>Studio>Layers and be sure that there is a check mark before the word Layers? That should add your Layers panel back. Also, your screen shot looks as though all of the panels are gone. Did you try VIEW>Studio then scroll down to the bottom of that window and click on RESET STUDIO? Hopefully this will help.

@R C-R Your explanation above should definitely be included in the Frequently Asked Questions section of these forums. So clearly explained! Hope the Affinities will consider it.

Very mild suggestion. Make a screenshot of the solution @CLC provided above, print it out, and keep it in a “How TO...” file. After a few referrals, it will surely become second nature to you. Happy New Year!