ianrb

Hi ianrb,
Do you happen to use keyboard shortcuts as part of your workflow, if so then i think you might be running into an issue that has been resolved in the latest beta, which you can download from here.  Try the beta and if it still happens, can you give me a full rundown of the steps you are taking?  

Thank you John, I haven't taken all that in yet (to early lol) 
But at a glance , resizing is not my problem in a macro. Setting "export'' into a macro seems the impossible task . Yep; I'm lazy and an extra click is just too work rof lol
Will look more closely latter  
 

Have you seen my macros to set an image size to a fixed maximum?
John

I've never understood why the 'Save Affinity layers' setting isn't included in the 'More' section.  This would make it possible to save a custom preset with this setting enabled.
 

Serif have hinted they've implemented something in 1.9, but we don't know for sure when the beta for that release will be available.

Consider as an alternative setting up an automatic live export in the Export persona and keeping a separate PNG or JPG (or TIFF if really necessary - PNG is much smaller and still recognized by most everything; JPG is lossy but if that is your final output format anyway then you already have it when you are done?) next to your .afphoto file?
That way you have a separate preview file which gets updated automatically as you work, you retain all of the settings by using the native format, and I have generally found that the native format loads and saves much faster than using PSD (or likely TIFF) as trying to work with those formats directly will generally be treated as an import/export behind the scenes every time you try to load or save, meaning that the software is converting the file back and forth every time you try to use it anyway.

"Save Affinity layers" would be a bad default, I believe, for most users. Most of us would use .afphoto files when saving proprietary Affinity data, not TIFF format.
Having a way for a user to make it their personal default seems like it could provide a good function, though.

Yes, I have the same or similar macro's. I was just asking and noting there are many effects that have gotten their 'own' tool, while it is possible to achieve the same in many alternative ways. The above alternative is the one i prefer, by the way, because it's so easy while being non-destructive.

Yes, therefore, the rules of the forum state that each requirement should be formulated separately.
 

Great suggestions here and there - thank you for taking your time taking notes and sharing your wishes.
Advice from a cranky old man - I prefer regular bullets from the editor for readability 😃

Many are familiar with the layers based dodge and burn tool using 50% grey softlight blending layer to paint with a black or white brush, or colour (or google it  .

Recently learnt, and have been using a new one that doesn't have the 50% grey 
>new blank layer >add softlight blend >paint with black, or white, or even a colour
Apparently we don't actually need the 50% grey!!

BTW the built in dodge and burn tools are great for targeting shadows, midtones, or highlights. However; always use a duplicate layer or layers

used a 30% opacity hard  brush to D+B this image



can be used to colour photos --- great for black and white photos

Hello, as there was not much for me in the last update, I thought I should start making notes when I found something missing, could be better, or just plain annoying .
Some of these requests may already be operational but I don't know them.
Many may have already been requested.

Not sure if this thread should be left open as it will likely get messy real quick – your choice moderators ;). 

In no particular order.
>> turn off LX without the need to go back to the panel (tick box in the layer panel.
>> Arrange >flip/rotate --- I'm sure in the past I did not need to click “move” before being able to flip/rotate the active layer (??).
>> Being able to select multiple panels from studio would be good start for the above
>> Save preferred measure units . Now I have an “inches” macro it's not that important so perhaps a default macro maybe an idea >> >> Smoother/softer/wider brush feathering --- especially when brush is small
>> Smart brush like Lr – I can do so much with that one round Lr5 brush .
>> Have the brush being used highlighted is the brush list.
>> Larger tick/activate boxes in layers.
>> More contrast/colour in photo name panel --- the one below the context bar .
>> Add the word “merge” when merge visibility is used in layers.
>> Select multiple brushed to drag drop when organising into groups
>> moving and personalise brush groups – colours would be handy too
>> quicker/easier way to activate a saved selection – only way I know is via channels. Keyboard shortcut option would be handy
>> add the original file name when copy flattened >save from clip board is used.
>> Library name panels could be thinner with colour options .
>> show the highlight/shadow clippings on the screen (like Lr5)
Thanks for reading. Just a few of those would make a very good program just little better IMO

In case you are in Windows this might help:
 https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/93612-windows-spaceman-workspace-manager-for-affinty/

Yes, I understand that and realize my post was a bit "pushy".  This request is three pages long and was started in 2017.  I'll have a look at how the config is saved now and make a backup script to restore it for now.

Something a delay in implementation is not due to something being difficult, but merely to it having a low priority among all the other things that Serif is working on. Or, sometimes, it really is more difficult than we might realize, since we can't see the code
In this case, Serif have said that we should watch for an implementation of studio presets in the 1.9 beta. With luck that will satisfy this request.

Actually, you CAN edit a macro - but only in a limited way.
First of all, you have to have a document open. Once this is done, right-click on the macro (in the Library panel) and choose "Edit macro..." from the drop down menu. The Macro panel will open, and all of the macro's existing steps will be listed.
You can add extra steps at the end of the macro. The easiest way to do this is (i) click on the Run button in the Macro panel to run the existing steps of the macro; then (ii) click the Record button and add additional steps at the end. Lastly, save the new macro to the Library, giving it a unique name.
If you want to edit the middle of a macro, I know of only one way to do this, and it certainly qualifies as a "workaround." Open a document, right click on the macro to Edit the macro..., and enter the Macro panel's listing of steps. If, as the OP suggests, you've got a macro with 12 steps and you want to edit the 7th step, you need to UN-check steps 7 through 12. At this point, you've got a macro that will only run the first 6 steps, as written. So, first hit the Run button to run the 6 steps. Then, hit the Record button. Perform the new version of step 7. Then you'll have to re-record steps 8 through 12. Save that new version as a new macro, with a unique name.
No, this is definitely not optimal. But it's (a little) better than nothing.

Yes, & eventually there will be the same variety of suggestions about the best way to designate topics by app, OS, and/or thematic classifications.

Waite a week or two and another will emerge with their thematic distinction  and taxonomic classifications.

If you want to maximize the ability to continue to edit them later, save them in the native Affinity file format.

Just a general comment
I have often felt that many new to all this digital photography /editing are in a too bigger rush to the more advanced editing .  If a baby rushes into running they usually get hurt . An apprentice mechanic must learn how to use the tools while doing smaller jobs before putting a complete motor together .
I'm quite sure I could not start photography and editing from scratch today . I had the advantage of starting in film days , used a minilab, doing picture framing , went to (film) photography workshop as digital came to life. So when I bought my first digital camera (nikon D1 ) and photoshop 7 happened to jump onto my spooky new computer  ; I already had a head and shoulders start. 
I have never been a great student and do have some learning difficulties ; but IMO digital photography and photo editing is not easy and certainly not "just a click here and there" . In fact there are 3 year university studies for those who want to know it all --- not that too many "know it all".

It takes time folks . It's easy when you know how , however crawl before you walk and walk straight  before you run .

Just a general comment
I have often felt that many new to all this digital photography /editing are in a too bigger rush to the more advanced editing .  If a baby rushes into running they usually get hurt . An apprentice mechanic must learn how to use the tools while doing smaller jobs before putting a complete motor together .
I'm quite sure I could not start photography and editing from scratch today . I had the advantage of starting in film days , used a minilab, doing picture framing , went to (film) photography workshop as digital came to life. So when I bought my first digital camera (nikon D1 ) and photoshop 7 happened to jump onto my spooky new computer  ; I already had a head and shoulders start. 
I have never been a great student and do have some learning difficulties ; but IMO digital photography and photo editing is not easy and certainly not "just a click here and there" . In fact there are 3 year university studies for those who want to know it all --- not that too many "know it all".

It takes time folks . It's easy when you know how , however crawl before you walk and walk straight  before you run .

Just a general comment
I have often felt that many new to all this digital photography /editing are in a too bigger rush to the more advanced editing .  If a baby rushes into running they usually get hurt . An apprentice mechanic must learn how to use the tools while doing smaller jobs before putting a complete motor together .
I'm quite sure I could not start photography and editing from scratch today . I had the advantage of starting in film days , used a minilab, doing picture framing , went to (film) photography workshop as digital came to life. So when I bought my first digital camera (nikon D1 ) and photoshop 7 happened to jump onto my spooky new computer  ; I already had a head and shoulders start. 
I have never been a great student and do have some learning difficulties ; but IMO digital photography and photo editing is not easy and certainly not "just a click here and there" . In fact there are 3 year university studies for those who want to know it all --- not that too many "know it all".

It takes time folks . It's easy when you know how , however crawl before you walk and walk straight  before you run .

Just a general comment
I have often felt that many new to all this digital photography /editing are in a too bigger rush to the more advanced editing .  If a baby rushes into running they usually get hurt . An apprentice mechanic must learn how to use the tools while doing smaller jobs before putting a complete motor together .
I'm quite sure I could not start photography and editing from scratch today . I had the advantage of starting in film days , used a minilab, doing picture framing , went to (film) photography workshop as digital came to life. So when I bought my first digital camera (nikon D1 ) and photoshop 7 happened to jump onto my spooky new computer  ; I already had a head and shoulders start. 
I have never been a great student and do have some learning difficulties ; but IMO digital photography and photo editing is not easy and certainly not "just a click here and there" . In fact there are 3 year university studies for those who want to know it all --- not that too many "know it all".

It takes time folks . It's easy when you know how , however crawl before you walk and walk straight  before you run .

You must have noticed, that there is an Affinity Suite thread, where common requests can be inserted.

You're welcome.