IndieGuy

Click here to download the latest beta
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: New features, performance, fixes
Requirements: A valid product key (for Affinity Store purchases), or an installation of the full retail version from the Microsoft Store

As this is a beta it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that may be adversely affected by the application failing, including the total loss of any documents. We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post a new thread in this forum and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback. 

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.
Fixes
Added initial support for hardware acceleration (must be enabled in Preferences | Performance, "Enable OpenCL compute acceleration") Added benchmark capability (Help | Benchmark) Added Text on Path Added more filter support for masks / adjustments / spare channels (Add Noise, Perlin Noise, etc.) Added ability to edit a spare channel in the Channels panel to edit it like a layer (single click the channel) Improved Blend modes to work on “alpha only” layers (masks, adjustments, live filters, etc.) Added a new Divide blend mode Added "Create from centre" for the Elliptical Marquee tool Added ability to snap to the bounds of the pixel selection Added ability to create brushes from the current pixel selection with one click 1.8.5.703 release notes

Click here to download the latest beta
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: A valid product key (for Affinity Store purchases), or an installation of the full retail version from the Microsoft Store

As this is a beta it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that may be adversely affected by the application failing, including the total loss of any documents. We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post a new thread in this forum and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback. 

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.
Fixes
Added initial support for hardware acceleration (must be enabled in Preferences | Performance, "Enable OpenCL compute acceleration") Added Contour tool Added Select Same / Select Object Improved performance with large documents Added a new Divide blend mode Added ability to snap to the bounds of the pixel selection 1.8.5.703 release notes

Project Brush Set 04 Ammonite 
Used to create Ammonite Hotel
Updated the brush set to version 2...I can draw some more Ammonites now!
Changes/improvements as below
Version 2.0
1. Removed old versions redundant now..
2. Made significant changes to the brush dynamics and nozzles. All nozzles are now vector based replacing previous raster versions (as much as possible)
3. There is a significant number of new nozzles for the brushes Which means they are not like original sets..
4. Made use of the 1.7/1.8.2 brush engine in AD/AP using subBrushes.
5. The old brush set was appearing darker and less intense with 1.7/1.8 update...I have fixed that with this version!
6. Updated the Sample sheets to newer (latest) layout..Sub brushes are displayed in red.
Updated for Affinity 2 but retained version 1 brush set
Affinity 01
Affinity 01: Original Brush set (Sample sheet removed)
Affinity 02
Affinity 02: Updated version 2 set with adjustment to dynamics to include Distance and Interpolate (Sample sheet as below). Updated Texture bases to new versions extracted from PB 19 Inker 
Archived the Older Brush set and updated Library information

Sample Sheets

Brushes
Affinity Version 01
ProjectBrush-Ammonite V2.zip
Affinity Version 02
PB 04 - Ammonite A2.zip

Added a PDF tutorial describing some of the methods to create vector brushes from a personal perspective.
Some of the techniques are a bit unconventional.. but I hope you find it useful!
Created using AD and APu (1.7 beta)
Sample pages as below:



 
Create Vector Brush_06.pdf

Texture Brush Fur 
Updated 03 02 2022
Adjusted the Brush dynamics so that they perform better
Zip file contains 30 brushes (1 pack x 30)
PDF sample file added

 
TB 4 FUR Set 4-37-39.pdf
 
TB4 Fur Brushes - 0A V2.afbrushes

A free font from Studio Najbrt, funny "COVID INFECTED" is now available to download.


https://www.najbrt.cz/en/detail/covid

Thanks all for reacting. All interesting, although as a relative novice it is not all that clear to me (e.g. not sure what an asset is). So, back to the original question, would it be an idea to ask the development team to consider implementing the following:
Once the user has developed a nice sequence of adjustments / live filters, allow the user to select them all in the layers panel and offer the option (on a right mouse click) to "save as macro".

After using Affinity products professionally for quite some time and observing the development team’s patience and openness to new ideas on the forums, I have a few “unsexy” suggestions to enhancements to take the tedium out of repetitive tasks and keep designers organized.
I am truly impressed with Affinity’s products.  In gratitude for that, I am inspired to create this Wishlist with some new ideas, and to chime in with some support for the classic, already-suggested ones.  Thanks for reading/listening!
Most of these suggestions can span all the affinity desktop products some are Designer specific.
 

1.      Organize Assets, Swatches, Brushes, Style Libraries with an edit mode, using an interface like the the "Presets Manager" in Shapes, to allow for re-arranging, renaming, moving between categories.
2.       Stoke Pressure Profiles can be saved on an application level. Organize and manage, with an interface like the "Presets Manager" in Shapes.  It’s all about efficiency, and not having to reinvent the wheel (stroke!) every time.
 

3.       Layers Panel – Select objects and groups and rename them with a multi-rename tool.  Instantly get organized so you and even other people can understand the layer groups and objects in your Affinity document.  Interface would allow the user to add a numerical counter as a prefix or suffix when renaming.  Handy before using Export Persona to create some basic naming conventions.
 

4.       Sort Layer Groups or artboards in the Layers Panel alphabetically, ascending, descending.  Yes, it will change the arrangement order, but properly organized groups can make complex file layers much easier to navigate. Handy for PDF Exporting where the order of pages depends upon the artboard order.

5.       Save selection sets that can select items spanning multiple artboards and also within groups. Often similar objects need to be adjusted or moved, but they are on multiple artboards or nested in other functional groups.  This can quickly solve that problem.
 

6.       Select by object trait (stroke color, stroke thickness, fill colour).  A handy way to quickly select and adjust objects with similar properties.  Otherwise selecting these can be a nightmare in complicated projects.
 

7.       Select and replace non global identical colours. Does your client want all the red elements blue?  What would they look like in teal or taupe?  Play rapidly to your heart’s content.
 

8.       Search Assets Panel ACROSS BOTH categories and subcategories, results displayed as filtered choices.  Do you have multiple categories/libraries and need to find the right icon fast?  This can save you time.  Currently a search has to be made within each asset category, which can take some time if you have multiple asset categories.
 

 9.      Handy Show Grid checkbox in Isometric Studio Panel.  True, you can use a keyboard shortcut, but it would be nice if this button was upfront.  Handy when you are working in Isometric view you have to turn on and off the grid to see the artwork uncluttered.  Chances are you have the panel open to constantly switch planes anyways…
I hope this helps to add votes for the unsexy underdog features. 😊

I have found no fewer than 5 existing threads in this forum to request the ability to setup a KEYBOARD SHORTCUT for the purpose of RENAMING LAYERS.
Is renaming layers via keyboard-shortcut still not possible? These threads go back to at least March2017. 
I'm using v1.8.3 and I do not see a "rename" anything in the shortcuts for the different menus. 
The only way I know how to rename a layer is to double-click the name on the layers panel (which itself has a bug where it will accept a couple of characters and then deselect like you had hit enter - but that's neither here nor there.) However, if you are creating very geometric illustrations, there should be no need to touch the mouse.
 
 

Hello,
here some styles, you may like...
Some of the styles are two layer based: Glass, SwampCamping and SanFrancisco.
( As soon as I have more time, I will write an additional tutorial. )
Have fun.

TextFX_05.afdesign
MartinsTextStyles1.afstyles

Camouflage II Pattern Styles
Created a new set of styles using some of the base textures built for the organic pattern Brushes Sets I and II using multi layer symbols to extend the effects

30 independent styles (set with maintain fill aspect ratio/wrap)
File size is Larger than usual! ....Exported the .png but a t higher res (400dpi)
Sample Sheet as below with .zip file for assets:
 


Camouflage II Pattern Styles.zip

So im here 4 years later needing high definition gradient along the path and if i get it right those "grander plans when it comes to gradients" are still just on paper somewhere archived in basement or is it finally comming in reasonably near feature or it was completely rejected somewhere in the process?

Starting from the same thing but oriented differently, the gradient is placed differently on the line.

There is a free program called Cyotek Palette Editor, and the version 1.7+ includes support for exporting .ase files and importing .aco files. A full list of supported file types are listed here. The program is 100% free to use. 
https://www.cyotek.com/cyotek-palette-editor/downloads (Make sure you download a version 1.7+) (Windows Only)

Saving a Tint swatch from a Global colour should keep its parent colour and only record the tint value.
That's the usual way to work with Pantone colours and use them at different values in a document with accuracy — not needing to find and check another object's colour to use the same value —, and being able to modify a colour accross a whole document.
As they are implemented now, saving a tint as swatch is no more than using the colour picker and adding a new swatch that won't be connected to its parent's colour: we already can do that.
Example of correct use of "Tint swatches":
I've got a Pantone and different tints of this colour:

I can select another Pantone, Tints will be modified accordingly:


 
In APub:


They behave as completly different and autonomous colours, that's completely useless. If I wanted that, I would have use the pick colour and added a swatch this way.

Hey @Ben, thanks for the reply.
 
I really need to have a go myself as it's difficult to explain and understand via a forum but I think by looking at the work through that @GarryP did and what you've said the isometric function and edit in plane look great if it has the option to expand the SSR effect.
I understand that Designer has a different approach to handling the SSR formula but SSR has only one task and it's super simple.
To take an existing shape and convert it to an isometric/axonometric projection. Either top, right or bottom.
The reason of this is that the original shape, dimensions and scale may be very important to the end (isometric) result.
All the important making and doing is done in the flat elevation and then converted not the other way around.
It's kind of the fundaments of working in isometrics.
That could have it's use but it's like putting the horse behind the cart if you get my drift.
You make flat,  then convert and then build.
That shape is then the basis for building whatever you want to make and you've left SSR behind at that point.
Creating in the isometric plane is okay but you're already in a distorted view so it can't be accurate from the start.
I've been working making isometric designs and illustrations for 32 years now so I can see it from a practitioners view point and although these tools look great they do seem to be missing the point a little from what I see but enough to render it almost useless to build complex shapes and designs that are faithful and accurate to the original.
I started off doing isometrics on a drawing board using pens, iso guides and rulers and then Mac Classic's came out and someone worked out the SSR formula in Freehand.
That was the big transformation but the rule has stayed the same: Make your flat shape. Apply SSR. Build your isometric object.
 
To show you how I work and use SSR to build isometrics I wanted to take something that's original (flat) appearance is very important so I chose the Affinity Designer icon/logo.
I made a flat, paths version of it, converted it to iso using SSR and only then started to build the 3D.
All the information I needed is in step 1.
All the conversion is done in step 2.
Everything after that is just embellishment, faffing about and building using the same principles as the "cube with a punched out corner" I did above.
I can't imagine recreating the Affinity Designer logo using "edit in plane" with any degree of accuracy.
Please don't get me wrong here.
I have HUGE respect for you guys that put these packages together and I'm telling you this with the very best intentions (I want to use Designer for isometrics) but when it comes to this area I do feel you may be missing the point a little and that would be a great pity.
 

 
 
 

<EDITED> Please note, Affinity Designer 1.8.2 for Windows is now live so this thread is locked </EDITED>
We are pleased to announce a major update for the Windows release of Affinity Designer, version 1.8.0
Changes in this Build
The changes in Affinity Designer for Windows 1.8.0 (over the last release Affinity Designer for Windows 1.7.3) are as follows:
New Features & Improvements:
Template support – save documents as template files to re-use time and time again, share templates across all apps and even access files on multiple devices through cloud storage. New document dialog – it’s now simpler than ever to find, create and manage document presets with customised, saveable presets and thumbnail previews. Boolean operation improvements – add, subtract and combine shapes to create custom designs better than ever before. Updated PANTONE© library – work with a seemingly endless range of colours, including updated PANTONE© Color Bridge and PANTONE© Formula Guide solid palettes (coated and uncoated). Massive expand stroke improvements – get incredibly accurate results with far fewer nodes than before. New Stock panel – quickly access royalty free images through the app’s brand-new Stock panel. Many other improvements and fixes. Fixes
(some of these are phrased in the negative but nevertheless fixed)
Vector brush is slow to draw quick lines and draws them straight instead of curved Cannot drag objects into Assets Right click does not function for surface pen Strokes not printing correctly Printed line is not correct thickness Crash: Include colour bars with a certain file Cog shape only allows up to 48 teeth Wacom Tablet starts drawing straight line after changing focus. Software now requires Windows ink for pressure to work Grids fail to display correctly on Artboards Print dialog isn't removing the red overlay on a scaled image Cannot set margins for artboards using Guides Manager Microsoft Surface - Cursor jump if drawing close to the edge User file: missing elements when importing EPS Tools disabled when starting the app with hidden UI Unable to alter Mask's visibility options in Export Persona Open folder in explorer should be greyed out until you've saved the file Changing DPI using Anchor to Page resizes document Create Palette from CMYK images imports as RGB Global Colour dialog's colour picker always uses RGB Choosing a specific page in the print dialog prints all pages Brush Outline missing when using Tablet/Surface Clip to Canvas should be greyed out for artboards Studio panels can be wrong size after reset Pointer device triggers straight lines when using the mouse Focus doesn't go to active document when multiple documents are open Extend the limit on the number on favourite fonts New document panel should select Letter as default in the US. Show Left Studio / Show Right Studio need adding to Studio menu Unable to set Arrow Keys as shortcuts Tablet cursor jumps about when using High Precision Input Drawing with Wacom creates stepped curves Boolean Add can create duplicate nodes in the same spot Hidden layer's pixel content is lost when exporting to PSD Add to swatches > As global colour fails with multiple objects Tool Settings/Presets saved showing in other applications that don't support them. Add operation fails on curves with only two points Layer thumbnails on the Layers panel don't get updated after changing a a global colour from the swatches panel User file TIFF Alpha does not render correctly Pixel Selection appears incorrectly when started near page edge Live filters and PDF export: live filters not being processed/rendered when exporting to PDF Other minor fixes and improvements  
UPDATING TO THIS VERSION (free for existing customers)
The software version can be seen on the splash screen and the About dialog (in Help > About Affinity Designer).
If you’ve purchased from the Affinity Store— each time you start the Affinity Store software it will check for updates and offer any available update. The latest update will install over the top of any earlier version, with no need to uninstall. You can download the latest installer by logging into the affinity store here and find the order in your account and use the "Download" button in there. Alternatively, this new release (and previous versions of Affinity Designer for Windows) can be downloaded from this link (that installer is NOT for Windows Store purchases and needs a product key).
If you’ve purchased from the Microsoft Store— Microsoft Store updates are done automatically by the operating system (each time you start the application). If this does not happen for you, open the Windows Store app and click the three dots in the top right corner of the app and then go to Downloads and Updates. Click Get Updates. This should hopefully force the update to show.

This is in chennai city coast (India). These fishermen take enormous risks when they go out into the sea. When I saw their boats and trawlers, it was looking heavily used up and I think they customize the operational tools or other mechanisms related to their activity. I think the main share of the catch do not go to them . It will be going to the intermediate traders and other levels in the business chain. When they go out on rough sea days, they do not know whether they will be back. They earn on a daily basis, so no sail, no money. In july, there was a flood in Kerala state (India) which was happening after a 100 years. Around 35 dams were opened and overflowing ! State machinery and military was supporting the rescue but their modern boats could not go into all the flooded lanes of the city due to its design. During this time, similar fishermen from the neighboring towns and other districts took their boats and went all out for the rescue operations. It was just a spontaneous urge to save lives due to the confidence they have in working on rough waters.Their boats were powerful and could move through shallow waters. Operating round the clock, these guys saved several hundreds of lives. In the end, after a week or so, they returned to their homes. Many of their boats were unusable at the end of this operation and they refused to accept a single penny from the people they saved or from the government. What they said was that the honour given to them by the society was of highest value and they are satisfied by that. If you google on "kerala flood", similar news can be seen with details.

This is my first try on a panorama. The AP software is doing a wonderful job. One image is just after the stitching of 5 RAW images without any corrections. The other one is processed. I have used the warp tool to correct the distortion . After warp, went back to develop persona for lens distortion option for further correction. Then  inpainting to remove the central drum and house on the right side. Unsharp mask for sharpening and luminosity mask used for curves adjustment of some dark areas of the palace. Camera is Nikon D3100, 1/100 sec, f8, ISO 100, hand held, kit lens 18-55.
The palace is built sometime in 1750 and name Krishnapuram Palace, Ochira, Kerala, India. The pond extends into the middle of the palace from the underground. Wiki gives more details.
The image below is processed.

 
The image below is not processed. Only stitched.

Thanks @John Rostron
The image below is from 200 frames and taken with 10X objective, processed in AP. Its a very small bee. I am reprocessing the raw files from repository with AP. I have only a few. This work needs around half a day including processing. I have to freshly charge the flash and camera batteries, etc. So eventually ends up with lesser of this category ! I think this was taken at less than 5 micron movement per step. SO half division in my setup.

Camera: D3100 Nikon
Lens: Tamron 90mm macro
iso 100, f8, 1/125sec, Godox TT600 handheld external flash and X1T-N wireless remote on camera, 1/32 flash power.
Camera Handheld. (Left hand flash and right hand camera with left hand fingers supporting camera lens barrel farthest end.)
 
Processing:
No settings modified in develop persona. After opening in photo persona, made color adjustments in LAB color space.
Back in RGB space, made multiple curves adjustment targeting flower outer petals, inner white petals, greens and bee body.
luminosity masks were used for the targeted adjustments. Flattened the layers, took it to LAB, used unsharp mask on lightness channel.
Brought back to RGB color space, exported image to jpeg.
Image below processed in AP. The second image is without any processing.

Click here to download the latest beta
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: Features, Improvements, Fixes
Requirements: A valid product key (for Affinity Store purchases), or an installation of the full retail version from the Microsoft Store

As this is a beta it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that may be adversely affected by the application failing, including the total loss of any documents. We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post a new thread in this forum and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback. 

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.
Fixes
Fixed crash when entering Export Persona/Slices Panel Fixed Corner tool handle appearance Fixed path text incorrectly snapping to original position  Fixed ABR import crash Fixed PSD import crash with embedded ICC profiles with non-ASCII names Fixed Transform panel behaviour when transforming a sheared object with aspect lock Fixed export of layered TIFF sporadically saving invalid text data Fixed crash when install location contains a non-ASCII character 1.7.2.464 release notes

How to remove or change the background in Affinity Photo with refine the selection. 
 

Hello, 
I have tryed brushes, blanding modes an effects on paper surfaces. I think it is interesting to work free in Affinity.
This one it is done in AffinityPhoto.

The Neon type/text effect is fantastic for adding nighttime glamour's poster & flyer for a great event. In this tutorial, we would be showing you how to make a neon light effect on text in Affinity Designer with simple blending options and effects. We can also create it in affinity photo. I hope you like the video, Thanks for watching.... See my Tutorial