DelN

I adore Affinity. I think they are to be applauded to take on such a tyrannical 'wicked queen' as Adobe, who have over the years purchased many iconic and wonderful graphics software from other companies only to strategically 'discontinue' them later, retiring such excellent software as Macromedia Freehand, Fireworks and Flash among others (Microsoft did the same with Creature House Expression). Adobe are mercenery in their attitude to their users. It's their strategy. We do not matter to them. Their desire to rule, to be the the 'all-powerful, the big 'I am' in the industry, is well known and well documented. And they are. That's why, when they made the avaricious and unscrupulous decision to put their software in 'the cloud' and forced - yes, forced - their users to RENT their software, we 'lesser mortals' were ignored. We were insignificant, we did not matter to the great Adobe. We were not wealthy. We could not afford to rent our software. Some of us were victims of the economic downturn, had lost our jobs, others were struggling young designers just out of design school (but not yet in employment), others were simply enthusiasts with an interest in design. Pah! I am Adobe! (pounds chest with fists) You do not matter to me! The individuals and small companies who broke their backs trying to afford (and thereby support) the expensive Adobe software, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for years were simply forgotten, kicked out into the street, left lying in the dust. 'You are poor, you have no money, therefore you have no worth; you don't interest me. I seek to court the big guys, the ones with money...' But Affinity DO care about their users - rich or poor. That is why they keep the cost of their software Photo, Designer and Publisher at an affordable price. And their users are loyal and have a serf's hatred of tyranny. No empire lasts forever. Even Rome fell. Adobe's ruthless strategy will be it's downfall. So have faith. Affinity are clever, it's troops are loyal. They will see what the new AI-generated text to image software can do, will be watching it's rise with great interest, I imagine, investigating it's potential, quietly confident. We have brought it to their attention. Their finances are not limitless like the grasping, avaricious old queen, Adobe, who sits astride her throne like a whore on a war horse, snapping her gnarled fingers and screaming orders at her expendable minion. Her troops are not loyal. She rules by fear. She knows we are there, but she may not see us coming... Affinity is Strength.

I predicted AI-generated art was going to be big. And it is only in it's infancy... 'Stable Diffusion' AI art generator add-on now available for Krita. First Photoshop, then Blender, now Krita...

OK. Thanks... thought it was worth checking... 🙂

Hi, Can you use Affinity Designer or Publisher to animate slides, images, text and infographics and use it like Microsoft PowerPoint ot Apple Keynote? If not, will Affinity be releasing any software in the near future to rival these presentation software apps. Animation in PowerPoint is very basic, while Keynote animation is slick and cool, but I'd love to see 'slides' as an option (and animation of those slides, also animation of the text, graphics, images and infographics on those slides) somehow incorporated in Designer or Publisher. A kind of Affinity Presentations...

I'm with you, drstreit. This is going to EXPLODE! It's so exciting... I wish I was still working in a Design environment. Your designs are only as big as your imagination, but with a little help... I've been writing my dreams down for many years. Dreams are an untapped resource for inspiration and creativity. I have used them in my writing, in my illustration work and in my designs. You truly have no idea what creative ideas you can have access to by not writing them down. These AI text to image generator are like having access to someone else's dreams and nightmare, like having access to the Akashic Records. It's another tool, another colour in your palette, yes, but a great tool to experiment with now, while it's still in its infancy. If you think this is big now, wait a few months...

'Stable Diffusion' AI tool now available in Blender. Dream Textures...

Hi, Regarding the 'Pigs drinking champagne' images... I put the images up because I thought they were fun. It only took a few seconds to type out the phrase I used and a few minutes to generate the images. If you are interested in this new (and exciting) technology, you have to spend time reading the instructions (and there’s a lot of it!) on how to use them, which prompts to use to generate better images on the various AI text to image generator websites like DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and Disco Diffusion (I didn't). I just wanted to bring it to Affinity's attention at this early stage in the technology development. You can put in phrases like 'in the style of [your favourite artist eg Gustav Klimt, Frank Frazetta, Leonardo da Vinci] and the image created will be in that artist's style. If you don't like what is produced, you can select one of the four output images and request other images based on it. Many of the images produced are exquisite, dark and nightmarish, others are fairy tale Disney quality, others (architectural) are - depending on the prompts you put in - modern and innovative. If really depends on what you want to achieve, which prompts you use and the time you are willing to spend experimenting... There is currently a controversy that has erupted over the art prize awarded to the artist M Allen, who submitted an AI-generated piece of art at the Colorado State Fair - and won! And it really is quite beautiful... This from aljazeera.com: 'Jason M Allen, 39, and his Theatre D’opera Spatial image beat more than a dozen other entries in the “digital arts/digitally-manipulated photography” category at the Colorado State Fair.' also https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html Midjourney AI art https://www.google.com/search?q=pinterest+midjourney+ai+art&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&prmd=insv&sxsrf=ALiCzsZQ4loGq-DB3WopdOhapWSkS1A5VA:1663701711483&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNrJnsi6T6AhUWiVwKHdmwAkkQ_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=712&bih=1138&dpr=2.25 Stable Diffusion AI art https://www.google.com/search?q=stable+diffusion+art&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjVgpCEjaT6AhUKRhoKHeR-CEYQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=stable+diffusion+art&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIECAAQGDIECAAQGDIECAAQGDIECAAQGDIECAAQGDoECCMQJzoFCAAQogQ6BwgjELACECdQ4ghYugtgnRJoAHAAeACAAWSIAd8CkgEDMy4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=DhQqY9XDBYqMaeT9obAE&bih=1138&biw=712&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&prmd=insv Disco Diffusion AI art https://www.google.com/search?q=pinterest+disco+diffusion+ai+art&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjRqt-cjKT6AhUQ5IUKHf83AgIQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=pinterest+disco+diffusion+ai+art&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQogQ6BAgjECc6BAghEApQqB5Y00Ng90ZoAHAAeACAAaABiAG4DJIBBDExLjWYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=NRMqY5G8EZDIlwT_74gQ&bih=1138&biw=712&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&prmd=insv DALL-E 2 AI art https://www.google.com/search?q=pinterest+dalle+2+ai+art&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj8neqhjKT6AhVLwYUKHbMlAPkQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=pinterest+dalle+2+ai+art&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQogQyBQgAEKIEOgQIIxAnOgQIABAYUNAJWOgyYMw3aAFwAHgAgAFmiAGiCZIBBDEyLjKYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=PxMqY7yCOsuClwSzy4DIDw&bih=1138&biw=712&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&prmd=insv

'Stable Diffusion' AI tool now available in Blender. Dream Textures...

Wow! I thought it was a photograph of a Chevrolet. I had to look closer, to the hubcaps to see that you had actually drawn it. Congratulations its an excellent illustration...

Maybe Affinity will do just that... So excited by the prospect...

I totally agree with you, drstreit. This new AI-word to text and video technology is HUGE! HUGE!!! There hasn't been anything in the creative industry since... the first computer. Its a global 'pandemic' of creativity and is infinitely more exciting than anything I've ever seen. The buzz online is... electric. Are people blind to it? To the possibilities? Don't fear it - embrace it. Its not going to destroy your jobs. It's going to make them more exciting, more creative again after years of the one true (but boring) image on brochures, books, leaflets and flyers, Internet banners, information memorandum covers from the investment banks (in which I worked for 20 years) to sell a product or tell a story, now we can have rich, juicy, imaginative and dreamlike (or nightmarish) imagery again like we did before when a designer had to creatively composite imagery to sell a product. Now the creative teams can work in conjunction with AI text to word art generators like Stable Diffusion, Disco Diffusion, DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Stability AI/Stable Diffusion, Craiyon, Openart.ai etc. Its so exciting! I'm excited... by the prospects, by the creativity it will bring to the industry, to book cover, video games, the film industry. Surely, this is only the beginning! If you can't see how this new technology will benefit you then... Wake up! Open your eyes to it. See how vast and how exciting this new AI-word to text and video technology will be for you as designers, as newcomers to the industry. There is going to be a flood of jobs for creative minds who embrace it NOW while it is fresh. While it is young. Young designers, it is another tool in your toolbox, another colour in your palette and aided with Affinity Photo and Designer and this new AI generated text to image technology you will be there amid the new 60s explosion of colourful art and design. All I can say is... Wow! To witness and be a part of the union of Affinity Photo and AI generated imagery generators like Stable Diffusion or Midjourney... Bravo! You're so right, drstreit. You can see the future while ohers can't. 'To sleep, perchance to dream'... Look at all those sad Victorians who feared the motor car and the railway.... I posted this on the Affinity forum a few days ago:

Wow! I knew it wouldn't take Adobe long. And Stable Diffusion is one of my favourites (along with Dusco Diffusion and Midjourney. Not so much Dall-E 2) Thanks for posting it here...

Hey, guys! I have an idea... I have been an Affinity Photo/Designer user for a few years now, having migrated from Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign. I have been interested in and checking out the new AI-generated text to image art, which is propping up all over the internet at the moment and causing such a storm. AI-generators like Disco Diffusion, Dall-E 2, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, Craiyon, and many others. Seeing the quality, creativity and wildly imaginative images created (and amazing videos!) that derive from the people creating using these AI-art generators, I can foresee that they will be used in the photographic, media and film industry (if they aren't already) to create images for book covers, album covers, CD covers, movie posters and movies. This is not going to destroy art (as some people fear); no, this is going to open up avenues for everyone that no one had thought possible, creating openings for people who want to get into the industry but fear their ideas are not good enough or people who have had a creative block and many others. They really will help the creativity of many people (especially young, up and coming, inexperienced artists/designers. Suggestion for Affinity Designer: I would like to suggest some kind of link with Affinity Photo and one (or more) of the AI-text to image generators (before Adobe get their grubby paws on the idea and beat you to it, as I am sure they will try to). I can see the amazing potential for Affinity Photo for art that Affinity Photo users will produce and post all over the internet promoting Affinity Photo (which is so amazing, by the way!) You can put into any of the AI-text to art generators 'prompts' (text) which the AI-art generator then creates art from. As an example: I put in "pigs in chiffon dresses at a party drinking champagne" and got the image results below. The Ai image generators generate several versions of the image, which you can download individually or as one comp image. I attach three individual results of the 'Pigs drinking Champagne' so that you can look at them. Or try: "Seven tall nuns wearing purple spectacles and gold high-heels, standing on a hillside waving their hands at the sun, which has just exploded above them. Bits of sunshine fall all around them and in the distance cities are lit up, fires started, buildings exploded. One of the nuns is laughing hysterically." You can even add: 'in the style of Vincent van Gogh' or another of your favourite artists and the AI art generator will then create an image from your text prompt. If you don't like what is produced you can request another, or select one of the images and request versions of this image. They are amazing! But these are only my quick results generated at https://www.craiyon.com/ (which is great fun!!!!!). And check out the image on Reddit done by IFRIT on Disco Diffusion (I didn't do it, unfortunately - but I think its quite beautiful). I put the link here so you can see the detail that can be achieved by these AI-text to art generators. Get experimenting, guys. And check out the video further down the page of a pumping heart from Reddit! Amazing! https://www.behance.net/gallery/149644277/The-Gathering-of-Witch-Doctors?tracking_source=project_owner_other_projects https://www.behance.net/search/projects?search=disco diffusion digital art&tracking_source=typeahead_search_suggestion https://www.behance.net/search/projects?search=midjourney digital art&tracking_source=typeahead_search_suggestion Video created in Disco Diffusion. Awesome! Other people have generated some great images (links below), see Snail Harp/ Someone created this comp, which I thought was really fun.... And this YouTube video by Olivio Sarikas (who also does a lot of excellent Affinity Photo tutorials on YouTube - check them out) If you are interested, these are great articles: https://adrianroselli.com/2022/08/ai-generated-images-from-ai-generated-alt-text.html https://hyperight.com/a-revolutionary-model-that-generates-images-from-text-openais-dalle/

Wow! Thank you so much, Vetes. I had never heard of him and had to look him up. His work is dark and sinister with a bit of humour thrown in. I love the Edgar Allan Poe one with The Black Cat on his shoulders. Without knowing it, you have really hit the nail on the head because I do pen and ink illustrations too (see attached), so thank you - it's quite a compliment and a name I shall explore. DelN

Thanks, LassiP. I had to go and look Nightwish up. They've had quite a few albums. And they look amazing...🙂

Yes, he needs urgent dental work... 😆

Hi, Another attempt of mine at photobashing: 'Treacherous Rocks in a Green Mist'. It reminds me a bit of 'The Lost Continent' by Dennis Wheatley, which I read when I was at school... I love the textures you can apply to your brushes in Affinity Photo. You can achieve such strange and unexpected results...

I created this back in Dec 2021, but forgot to post it... Christmas Card 2021 that I created in Affinity Photo using the 'Nature' brushes, with the help of a few animals and birds... 🙂 DelN CMYK for Print RGB for Screen

Yes, sorryl I can see now that I should have left it there. Apologies. I watched this video on YouTube and wondered if I could create it in Affinity Photo. The answer was YES. With GarryP's help I did manage to create the 'fold' effect of the pixel stretch, which I post below. I used the Mesh Warp Tool to create the effect, but you must remember to Rasterise the layer otherwise you will not get the nodes that you need to manipulate to get the 'fold' effect.

Hi GarryP, Ha-ha! Yes, I was still struggling to find out how to do it when I discovered that you had posted the above. Thank you. You can 'fold' the selected layer over itself using the Mesh Warp tool... Thanks again...

Hi, I was watching the 'Pixel Stretch Effect in Photoshop' video on YouTube and tried to do it in Affinity Photo... GarryP posted the answer (see below). You can 'fold' the selected stretched pixel layer over itself using the Mesh Warp Tool. But you have to 'Rasterise' the layer first... DelN

Thanks, Glenn... and thanks for the info on the numbers beside the brushes. Saves me trawling through the Help files. You learn something new every day, eh? 😊 Off to bed... after seeing the scary image I posted. Hope you sleep well. He-he! Take care, Del

I looked up AP and AD and found something to do with League of Legends. A game, I think. Totally missing the obvious. Ha-ha! Yes, I'd like the brush name to appear in the Brushes palette. It does appear when you hover over the brush though. I'd like to understand the numbering to the left of the brush image. When you duplicate a brush, it retains the same number - even though you change the objects that it paints with, which is a bit annoying. I'd like to either understand the numbering of the brushes or have the brush name show and the numbers removed - or, better still, be able to list the brushes in a brush category from 1-100 or whatever . Yes, its been great chatting with you too, Glennsart. You have a great day too... This is the one I posted earlier. Actually, its not very good. I've notice a few flaws, which I may go back and correct...

I've been checking out AI-generated art like Dall-E 2 and Midjourney, which I love. Its so dark and nightmarish. So I thought that I would do a kind of 'role reversal' in Affinity Photo and create an image in the style of AI-generated art...