ladlon

Hi. I have created custom brush categories in Photo... kind of like my favorites, but in specific categories, like 'Textures', 'Inks', 'Bristley', etc, so I don't have to wade through the large libraries of brushes in each of the product categories (ex. Neptune, Daub, et) each time to re-test and re-find the ones I like. What I'm wondering, is what happens when I install an upgrade to a certain brush set (ex. Neptune). I end up with two Neptune brush categories/sets... the original, and the updated... and I assume the updated one is EVERYTHING that was in the original.. whether each brush was updated or not, making the original redundant (...or, aside from me maybe liking one of the original brush versions, is there any other reason to keep that original set?). As well, getting back to my custom 'sets/categories', they would contain (I assume) the ORIGINAL versions of any of the brushes that got updated... so, I'd have to replace each of those with the updated version (into my custom brush categories)... Is there some easy way to do that, or do I have to write down all the names of the updated brushes (in the new/updated category/folder of the purchased brushes), and then scan through every one of my custom categories, noting any that appear in them, and manually copying in the new one, and deleting the old one (from the custom folder)? Quite a chore, considering that you have to hover over each of the brush sample strokes just to get the name to show up (....I always wished you could have it so it shows the name rather than the sample stroke). Any easier way to do this? I'm using v1 of Photo and Designer.

I agree, actually. The issues I list are common to both Photo and Designer.

I really hope these are considered for a future update: -Currently, there seems to be no way to tell what brush you are currently using. After you select it and do other things, it is no longer highlighted, nor does it display the name of the brush somewhere (aside from a tooltip if you hover over it... but that would require you to know the brush you were using in the first place!) -Selecting (hilighting) brushes with a tablet pen still seems very hit and miss... sometimes trying two or more clicks to get the switchover -I'd really love to see some sort of user-friendly/convenient window/system for moving/copying brushes to/from categories, as well as to create/rename categories. The current 'one at a time' system of navigating the various categories/brushes via pulldown menus is a pain (and seemingly prone to accidental 'dropping' of a brush to an unintended category as you slide the pen down the long list of categories). Ideally, you'd have some large, overview windwo, showing the categories and contents at once (or at least a 'source' and 'destination' window), and then be able to drag and drop things back and forth (ideally, allowing mutliple selections). -Why doesn't it ask you for the category name as soon as you create a new category? Why force the user to select a separate menu item to name the newly created category? When a category is created, you should show the name edit box (with the default 'Brushes' name in the field, if you want), and allow the user to immediately name the new category then and there. -I'd love to also see an option to have larger/magnified brush 'thumbnails' in the brush list, as many of them are so small, they in no way resemble the resulting stroke on the canvas (ex. some brushes that have 'cracklike' textures just appear as 'airbrush-type' strokes in the list, giving you no indication of their appearance. An option to toggle the list display between the thumbnail and the brush name would be helpful. -Have an option to disallow copying brushes into a category it already exists in, to avoid duplicates. Also good, would be a feature which (when activated) searches for and removes duplicates within the same category.

As much as I really like/support Affinity (and have long replaced my Adobe suite with Affinity software), I have to agree, too. I totally appreciate that it's new in the game, and obviously there's real-world things preventing it from just creating everything anyone ever requested, etc. I totally get/appreciate that. That said, the ONE real 'issue/disappointment' I have with Affinity software, is (as previously mentioned) there are so many posts where people are asking about (usually) basic/standard features that appear to be missing... which is then usually followed by other users saying they noticed that too, and were curious about it.... which is then followed by an official response, which is usually 'There is currently no way to do that in Affinity, but it's something we want to add'..... and that's when you not that the thread is 3-5 years old. Again, I don't want to come off as angry or accusitive... I am a big fan of Affinity products, but it is disappointing, and I just wanted to 'point it out'. The reoccurring 'it doesn't do that' does get a bit disheartening, but the fact that you then see the conversation was many years ago (and the features are still not present) kind of hits it up to a new level of... well, disappointment. I know that I myself have also been (long) waiting for things like a 'blob' brush (vector paint brush where you paint, and it creates a final shape that is the resulting overall SHAPE of the various strokes, rather than a series of individual 'line strokes'... as well as a standard vector free transform tool (ability to pull the individual corners of the bounding/transform box around a single or group of vector shapes)... amoung other featuers I was surprised to see not present. I can't really understand why these haven't been given high priority, considering how long they have been requested for. Hopefully, this is taken as the friendly contructive 'criticism/comment on what I (we?) would like to see' it is intended as, and not an angry attack. I was actually going to post my own thread on this, but ran into this existing thread.... oddly enough, because I was confused by the apparent lack of a free transform tool, and wanted to make sure I wasn't just missing something!'. I wanted to simply do a bit of a perspective distortion on a vector background I am creating, so it was a bit angled to the camera view.

Hi. Ya, that's why I'm asking what the bare minimum Aero effects are in order to fulfil Affinity's need to run. I have an Aero theme, but like many other people, am turning off some of the extraneous effects, as they are an unnecessary strain on the system. I do not know what settings utilize DWM, so that's why I'm asking here.

This just seemed to happen to me suddenly tonight, seemingly for no reason. I've managed to get the program to run using the no warning command for the app shortcuts, but I can no longer run the program by doubleclicking an associated file, despite having Aero running. I had it running fine for years, and suddenly now it is doing this. Nothing was intentionally changed. No idea what triggererd it. Win7Pro

Hi. I've been running Affinity P and D fine for years(?), but all of a sudden, I am getting that dreaded Aero error. I re-entered the 'no warning' command line thing, and re-set up my Win7 display settings (using an Aero theme, but with several effects turned off)... but I still get the Aero error when I double click an Affinity file (...it runs fine, without the error, if I just launch Affinity itself). What are the minimum Aero features I need activated in order to fulfil Affinity's Aero requirement? Also, any idea why I would suddenly be getting this error, despite not changing anything?

@stokerg: Yes, Win7Pro (See my initial post above) @altrob: Support confirms it SHOULDN'T, ...'unless the files are corrupt and the installer needs to replace them - hoever there's no warning or log if this happens...'. They also confirm that copying and pasting the content of the AppData folder will serve as full re-configuring/installation of any modifications or additional assets (settings get set, additional assets get installed, etc). They pointed out a post that outlines this procedure (used when beta users were transfered over to the retail version of Publisher): https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/89539-copying-over-user-data-from-beta-to-retail/ I'm going to copy the folder from my 'work' (un-updated) Affinity install to my newly updated (and 'brush erased') install, and verify that works, as well as use that copying to create a backup to apply to the 'work' install, should something get deleted. I believe my previous updating erased some of the brushes, too.

Did that happen for you just on the latest update, or has it happened before? I have the feeling it has happened before for me. It's one of those things I didn't notice right away, and then I was not entirely sure what WAS originally there, so I couldn't tell exactly what all was affected. I'll definitely let you know what I have from support.

@atlrob: Hi, did you have this happen to you, too? I can't say for absolute sure if it did with my update, as I only noticed it after installing, and wasn't entirely sure what stuff I had installed previously... although I'm fairly certain that I had several purchased brush packs installed. Oddly enough, the most recent brush pack I purchased/installed is still there! But all the others are gone. If YOU had it happen too, then that pretrty much confirms it. I've written directly to Affinity, and hope to hear from them. I'll post here if I hear anything.

Well, there certainly seems to be files related to brushes there, but since you can't see the content of them, it's hard to know for sure if they are just for the settings of the vanilla brushes... or even if all they are is an inventory of installed brushes (but not whether copying that file to the User directory will actually INSTALL the additional brushes). I didn't notice if there was a file associated with custom categories, either... but I may have missed it. That all said, there may be other files (configs, whatever) outside of the user folder that are required, too. Too many unknowns... I'm also curious if copying those files into the User folder of ANOTHER Affinity installation (on another machine) would not only set that machine up with the same settings, custom categories, etc, but also install the additional brushes in there as well.

Would copying the contents of those user folders (and then pasting that in an updated install or other install) also install all the non-default brushes, or is that some other folder? My non-work version/installation is now the latest update (...it's the one I just did). My work one is the previous version (not updated yet). I wanted to update the photo/designer on the work machine, but now want to back up the configs, layouts, brush installations, and custom categories before doing so, in case it trashes them during the install. As well, I am hoping I can use that backup on the non-work installation that I just upgraded (and seemingly partially wiped the brush installations/setups of).

Thanks for that, Walt. It really seems like that gets nuked (or partially) when you do an update. It shouldn't, but it seems like it does. I wonder if I can just copy the contents of that (as a backup, or also to add to an install in another machine, so they both have the same brushes I have collected/purchased. I'm actually afraid of updating the installs on my work machine, as I have set up some custom categories (...basically a collection of my favorite brushes). I don't want to have to set that all up again...

I just installed the latest update patch, and it reminded me that it seems like doing so often removes any non-default brushes I had previously installed... possibly even custom categories I may have made. I can't fully verify it now, although my lastest update install seems to have done so (although it left the most recent one I installed). I don't recall if that particular installation (pre-recent update) had the purchased brushes installed... I believe it did. Is this a known thing? Is there something I can do to prevent/combat this? I did my recent update on my 'secondary' installation (on my non-work machine)... So, before I do it on my 'work' matchine (where I have a lot of additional brushes installed, as well as custom categories), I want to be sure of this. Is there a Affinity folder where these installations are stored, which I could copy somewhere as a backup, in case they too get wiped? Affinity Photo/Designer, Win7Pro (Premium on the machine I just did the latest update on).

Sorry, I forgot about this thread! I'll have to try and get that recording for you in the next few days. Lots happening over here...

I'll see what I can do, but it might be tricky... since once it happens, it's hard to control anything (...such as turning off the recorder and saving the file!). I may have to just record it with a mobile device pointed at the screen.

A useful feature might be to be able to rotate the Transform (Move, Rotate, Scale, Skey selection) gizmo, so you could align it to the direction of the intended squash/stretch. Perhaps you'd click a button on the context toolbar to 'unlock' it (so when you rotate it, it doesn't rotate the underlying image), rotate it to the desired orientation, and then click that button to lock it again, so it works as normal from that point (but at it's new rotated orientation).

Hi, guys. Ya, I use the warp tool and liquify, and those certainly would work (...although they can be tricky for things that will reveal any unevenness in the scaling, such as something with a grid), plus they don't allow for precise numeric amounts... but, ya, much of the time, either of those methods would work. I was just wondering/hoping the regular transform gizmo would allow for manual asignment of the axis. Okay, I'll submit it as a suggestion. No huge issue... just something I run into a few times. Thanks for your input!

Hi, thomaso. Unfortunately, none of that helps my situation. For items isolated in a layer (where you are essentially rotating ALL of the contents of that layer, it probably works, as APhoto remembers the rotation you did, and keeps the transform gizmo aligned to that. What I am referring to is (for example) adjusting a section of a pixel layer. As a specific example, let's say I paint a person who has their head tilted to the left. I decide I want the eyes to be wider, so I lasso select them, but when I go to scale them ('horizontally'), the transform gizmo only allows me to scale vertically (relative to the canvas) or horizontally ( relative to the canvas)... whereas what I would want is to have the 'north' of the transform gizmo aligned with the 'north' of the character's eyes... some way for me to rotate the transform gizmo so it too is tilted the same way as the head, so I can to a horizontal stretch (relative to the HEAD, not the screen). Since the head was painted tilted, APhoto has no concept of how tilted the head is, unlike a layer that you rotated, which it could remember the transform of. One thing I thought MIGHT work, is to rotate the entire canvas so that the top of the head was oriented 'north', and then use the transform gizmo (with the assumption that it orients based on the computer screen. Unfortunately, that's not the case, as it seems to be oriented to the CANVAS, not the viewport. A simple fix to it would be the ability to rotate the transform gizmo manually to align it to the orientation of the target item. But, I wanted to see if there WAS actually a way to do this already, and I wasn't aware of it....

Hi, Chris. I agree, the mouse and keyboard are on a different PC, but are shared to the host PC and the 'work' PC (where I have Affinity installed) via the KVM software... so it certainly is a possibility that they could be interfering... although normally I'd think it would be more of the mouse fighting the pen, as far as pointer position/movement... which is not the case here (thankfully). The tablet is directly connected to the work PC, though. Looking in Affinity's Tool preferences, the Windows Ink item is unchecked (and in fact, greyed out). That's not installed in vanilla Win7, is it? I don't think I have that installed here. I do have the Wacom control panel/software installed, though. It's odd... everything works just fine (mouse, pen, Affinity in general)... Just gets completely smacked if you move a palette... except for today, when I mention the issue(!). Actualy, the issue was worse previously (last year), as it not only would make the mouse invisible, but Windows/Affinity would suddenly become a slideshow, as if the CPU were getting completely bashed. Oddly enough, today's occurance just had the pointer going invisible, but no hit to the 'performance'. When I have time, I'll try and stress test it... intentionally trying to trigger the issue, and I'll keep note of what actions I do beforehand, and see if I can isolate the pre-trigger trigger. NOTE: Sorry, I just realized... You might be thinking I'm using a 'tablet' in the sense of a mobile device. No, I'm on a desktop, using a DRAWING tablet. I should have clarified that (.... why the heck do they have to call both items a tablet??? )

Is there currently a way to specify the direction you'd like something to scale at? As an example, if I paint a triangular shape and then rotate it at some non-specific angle (by eye)... but then decide I want to make it taller, the only thing I seem to be able to do is scale it vertically or horizontally, aligned to the page (as opposed to in the direction the triangle is now pointing). Is there any ay to specify an axis for the scale actions? If not, please consider this a feature request! :)

Agreed on both items. There should be a way to truly lock a layer (from everything, and not just selection)... and, ya, I was surprised when I realized that Alpha Lock doesn't protect alpha from blurs! So many times, I want to blur the content (ex. grain, strokes) inside a stroke/shape, but keep the edges as they are.

Hi. I'm running the latest version of APhoto (and ADesigner) on Win7Pro (NVidia card, and 32gigs RAM), and find that moving any palette (ex. brushes) causes the mouse pointer to permanently become invisible not only in APhoto, but Windows overall. The mouse still functions, but is invisible. The only thing that fixes it, is a reboot of Windows. This issue happens consistantly, any time I either break off a palette from its docked position and move it somewhere... or even (as I found out today) if I bring up a new palette (via the View > Studio pulldown menu) and move that. I'd imagine many others would be mentioning this if it were solely an APhoto thing, so I suspect there MAY be some specific additional factor on my system. One thing I would put as a possible culprit would be my Multiplicity LAN-based KVM software (from Stardock)... although it doesn't seem an obvious cause. This ONLY happens (so far) when dragging palettes, so it's also specific to that, as other dragging (ex. paint brush, sliders) causes no issue. APhoto (and ADesigner) are otherwise working great (....aside from selecting brushes from the brush palette being fairly finicky, sometimes taking a few clicks to register... and sometimes, even when the new brush's thumbnail becomes highlighted, the paint stroke still uses the previous brush stroke/profile. I made a post about this previously.) Please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to try, or if there's some internal log or something I could send. But, over here, it happens consistantly. Just move a palette, and the mouse pointer vanishes until Windows is rebooted. I'd experiement a lot to try and narrow it down, but obviously having the mouse vanish, and having to reboot each time causes the process to be quite slow (and tricky, trying to click on things to actually close down!). (PS. I could have sworn I posted about this yesterday, but I couldn't find the post, so I wrote this today. Sorry if there is, in fact, a duplicate somewhere that I missed.) UPDATE: I just tried it (intentionally) again, but (currently) it isn't triggering the issue. I tried a few combinations of things (tablet pen drag, mouse drag, mouse drag through another computer controlling the 'Affinity' one via the Multiplicity software KVM... but so far, no issue triggered (....go figure). I'm sure it will happen again, as it has happened (previously!) consistently. Must be some other action/status that needs to be present before the drag triggers the issue, although I haven't spotted it yet. I'll let you know if it happens again, and I remember what action I did beforehand. For now, I guess I'm just hoping you might have some theories on what could possibly trigger this very specific issue (...only triggered by dragging palettes in APhoto... and causes mouse/tablet pen pointer to become invisible throughout Windows).

I've installed (seemingly) everything I have, as far as brush packs are concerned. Well, it seems the exported ones are as good as regular install files, so, I'll store those as the installers in my library until I find the originals (....although, I guess there won't really be any difference between the two). Still curious where they are from, though...

Hi. I had to reset my brushes to the factory default, as I accidentally copied a brush to a category other than the one I was intending (...using a tablet pen, sometimes it would just do a phantom button click, even though I was still scrolling through the category list during the copy procedure!). So, I wasn't sure where that brush actually ended up... and I eventually decided to do the factory reset (of the brushes). Problem is (as I quickly realized soon afterwards), that meant all the other brushes I installed were removed (.....facepalm). So, I've now re-installed them all (hopefully), but in my other copy of APhoto on my other machine, I actually have a couple more brush category folders, but I am realy not sure what brush set (or whatever) generated them. At first, I thought it was categories that I made, but the brushes inside have names relating to the category, so that doesn't seem likely (...it wasn't me dragging in stuff from various categories into a 'Favorites' type of thing). So, that all said... I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if they know of any brush set (paid or free) that creates the following category folders (and brushes inside them): Effects (Effects 3, Effects 2) (Seems like fur type brushes) Texture (Grunge 6) Drawing (Drawing 1-6) Painting (Painting 2,6 and 10) Anyone recognize any of these, and can name where they are from? Also.... Am I right in thinking that even if I can't find the associated brush pack (install files), I could (for now) export these brushes from the 2nd APhoto install, and import them into the first one (which is missing them)?