[Add a setting panel to recolor object(s)]

Bump this even harder!

[CANNOT EXPORT WITHOUT RASTER]

I don't really use much gradients, but today I discovered that I cannot export or copy objects from Affinity Designer to Adobe Illustrator without having all objects with gradients rasterised!! I believe this is the most ridiculous limitation ever. I wasn't sure if this was related to the complexity of the design, so I tested with by creating a new document and adding a simple rectangle with basic linear gradient. After copying the element to Illustrator, I got en error that "An unknown shading type was encountered". And indeed, the element became a path with colour bitmap inside. 

I just cannot believe it.... Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it worked properly in some earlier versions of Affinity Designer. Well. this software is becoming more useless to me over time... I hope it's just a temporary bug.

[Reset Bounding Box]

16 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

If you don't mind it being converted to Curves, select it and click the Add button on the Toolbar, or Layer > Geometry > Add from the menu.

That worked! Thank you Walt! 

I only don't quite understand why some random objects have different bounding boxes then the others and what causes it... Any thoughts? Cheers!

[Reset Bounding Box]

Working with bounding box in Affinity Designer is really a nightmare. I cannot accomplish a very simple and basic task... I just cannot. I don't even have the energy to write a post about it, please just watch the video instead and tell me how can I reset the bounding box in one of the elements...

[Affinity Designer quit unexpectedly]

I don't know what happened but I cannot work on AD 1.9 as it crashes very often when I paste simple objects from Illustrator and add them as symbols. When I start playing with the symbol, scale, rotate, change shape, sometimes I see glitches on screen, sometimes not, but suddenly AD quits. I don't know exactly what causes it, so I've attached the crash report. Hopefully it will be helpful. 

Regards

 

AD-crash-report.txt

[Converting brushes to curves]

6 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi waveman777,
Currently most vector brushes (except the first two in the Pens category) do use a raster texture stretched or repeated along a vector path. These brushes cannot be expanded/converted to curves because their texture is based on raster data. We do hope to improve the vector brush tool later to also be able to deal with  pure vector brushes (based on vector objects). Currently there's really no way around it other than eventually tracing the painted strokes using a third party app if feasible/applicable.

I see. I'm a bit puzzled with it to be honest. I'd like to have a clear distinction in my mind about what's vector and what's not when I work on my projects. This is how I understood the Designer Persona and Pixel Persona. I though this is how you separated the two words from each other. The idea in my mind was that when I start a vector project, I simply stick to Designer Persona, but when I wanted to add some bitmap content to it, I'd switch to Pixel Persona for that reason. If it doesn't work like this - why do we need Personas? 

As for the brushes, it's just very confusing to have a Vector Brush Tool which draws bitmaps...

[Converting brushes to curves]

I've been wondering, why there it no option to convert vector brushes to curves? I'm in Designer Persona, brushes supposed to be vector, but the only vector thing about them is that I can edit the trajectory of the brush. Yet, when I wanted to make a 100% vector file out of it, I realised that vector brushes are exported as bitmaps. So, even though the brush tool is labeled as "Vector Brush Tool " it actual isn't. This is all so mixed up - I would expect such behaviour only in Pixel Persona, not in the Designer Persona, where all should be 100% vector graphics.  

Any tip how to deal with it?

Thanks

[AD 1.9.0.11 - Luminance Brushes - how to access them?]

24 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Check in the Pixel Persona.

Thanks Walt. 

[AD 1.9.0.11 - Luminance Brushes - how to access them?]

I just installed Affinity Designer Beta 1.9.0.11 and I also installed Luminance Brush Pack to test it out. Although it installed properly, and don't know how to locate the brushes. I spend the last hour installing, reinstalling, logging in, logging out, reading countless forum posts, to no avail. 

Could you please let me know how can I access the Luminance Brush Pack within the app?

Thanks

[How can I offset the path of an object?]

6 years later.... still no "Offset Path" option.... not nice...

When I invested in AD years ago, I was hoping for the best, as at that time AD was really evolving fast. Still no chance to have a decent workflow in AD because it's lacking the most basic and crucial tools. 

😞

[Creating Offset Paths in Affinity Designer]

Has anything changed in AD in the last year regarding offsetting paths? Is this cumbersome and frustrating option posted here still the only way? This basic feature like "Offset Path" which has been in Illustrator for 20 years still unavailable in AD? Is there any chance to see this coming any time soon? 

[1.8.1 - stuck in "Divide shapes"]

Sure. it was a new file so I didn't have a copy of it, by I managed to recreate the scenario. Here is how I did it.

• 1. I created a new file this way: new > web tab > changed units to pixels >  changed values to 600x400px > changed resolution to 72dpi
• 2. copied an object made of 3 shapes from Adobe Illustrator
• 3. pasted to the newly created document in AD 1.8.1
• 4. deselected and selected all by CMD+A
• 5. clicked "Divide" icon on the top right 

And then after a second the progress bar appears and nothing is happening and the software become unresponsive. 

The file I uploaded is a saved version in the moment after I pasted the objects from AI to AD. All you need to do is to open it, select everything by CMD+A and then click "Divide". I can replicate the problem each time with this method. 

Please let me know if the same is happening on your side. It's been done in version 1.8.1, but I see that the new version is available, so I upgraded to 1.8.2 and I cannot replicate it anymore... so, either the problem was resolved, or something else was I trigger on my side. Hard to tell at this point. but if you still have versions 1.8.1 available, this file might be helpful. 

Thanks

Untitled copy.afdesign

[1.8.1 - stuck in "Divide shapes"]

Hi, here is a bug a came across. After applying "Divide" command on fairly simple shapes, Affinity Designer has been stuck for hours now, doing nothing, shows "Dividing shapes" progress bar and nothing is happening. Since I have other documents open as well, I believe I'll need to force quite the app and loose all unsaved work. Nice. 

Screenshot attached.

[Affinity Designer Customer Beta (1.7.0.14 - RC1)]

25 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Not so! The number you’ve quoted for the beta version includes the build number, which is 14. App Store version 1.7.0 is the same build.

Thanks for the explanation, it make sense if it's the same build,  but then the message from the Beta "To participate in the beta you need to install Affinity Designer Beta from the Mac App Store"  is totally misleading and I don't understand it at all. 

[Affinity Designer Customer Beta (1.7.0.14 - RC1)]

14 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Did you perhaps try to download 1.7 directly from the Serif Affinity Store?

If so, you can't do that. You need to update via the Mac Store instead.

If you downloaded from Serif, uninstall that copy and delete the installation file. Then go to the Mac Store to find the update.

As I said, version 1.7.0 installed from AppStore, I thought I made myself clear. Also,  there are no Beta versions on AppStore.

 

11 hours ago, R C-R said:

It is doing what it is supposed to do. The reason is when the customer beta is launched, the first thing that happens is it checks for an installed retail version (because it is a customer beta). Next, it compares the installed retail version to the beta version. Then, only if the beta version is newer than the retail one will it finish launching & run.

That is because the betas are intended only for user testing & (hopefully) bug reporting, not for day-to-day production use.

So when a new 1.7.1 or later customer beta version is available, if it is downloaded & installed, it should run.

It is not. In this case the Beta version is 1.7.0.14, and the one from AppStore is 1.7.0, therefore the Beta is newer so what you're saying seems incorrect. 

Also, I don't understand the message displayed: "To participate in the beta you need to install Affinity Designer Beta from the Mac App Store" - how am I suppose to install Beta from AppStore if it's a Beta!??

[Affinity Designer Customer Beta (1.7.0.14 - RC1)]

What should I do with this? I have AD (from App Store) purchased and installed.

 

[Progress with the Affinity Designer feature road map (split)]

23 minutes ago, R C-R said:

the toggle between the Node or Move tools & the last tool used cannot be disabled

But it should. This is one of the biggest pain for users trying to switch to AD from different software. 

Is there any scenario that you have in mind where this would come handy? 

I think being able to disable it should solve the problem and would make everyone happy. 

[Problem with UNDO]

30 minutes ago, Ben said:

The changes I've alluded to above will be in 1.7.  So, no, you don't have them yet, even though the work has been done.

Do you mean, you changed the the way it works and selection is not counted as action anymore? If so, I'm sorry for the previous reply, my mind just wanted to understand how it still works. 

[Problem with UNDO]

5 minutes ago, Ben said:

No, there is a 'reason' and it's already been stated.

Ben, thanks, I get it, but what's been stated doesn't make common sense. I read the examples you provided when this solution is needed but I still don't get it. 

This is how I understand it, and this is a scenario:

 

Action 1 applied to Object A > selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc > Action 2 applied to Object B > selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc > Action 3 applied to Object C > Action 4 applied to Object D > selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc > Action 5 applied to Object E.

Now, I'm hitting UNDO and this is what SHOULD happen.:

Undo 1 > Action 5 applied to Object E UNDONE
      selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc
Undo 2 > Action 4 applied to Object D UNDONE
Undo 3 > Action 3 applied to Object C UNDONE
      selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc
Undo 4 > Action 2 applied to Object B UNDONE
      selection, deselection, selection of many different objects etc
Undo 5 > Action 1 applied to Object A UNDONE

5 Actions = 5 UNDO's. This is how it works in Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, Quark, CorelDraw, Gimp, Pixelmator, and every other piece of software out there.  AND - you UNDO > REDO as you please. 

Action is applied to an Object X and it's Undone from Object X - not any other object.

With Affinity Designer- 5 Actions = infinite Undo's depending on how many objects you selected/deselected during the process. AND - you gave to be very very VERY careful NOT TO click on any object - because ALL YOU REDO HISTORY WILL BE GONE.

Could you please tell me what's wrong with the way I think? And what's wrong the the way of thinking of all software developers out there who decided not to do it your way?

I'd appreciate it. Regards

 

 

[Progress with the Affinity Designer feature road map (split)]

12 minutes ago, ErrkaPetti said:

I think Affinitys one million paid customer is pretty satisfied eith their products... 

I paid for it over 4 years ago, when updates were rolling out all the time. I'm still unable to switch from Illustrator, because some AD solutions are making the workflow painfully slow. 

Right now I'm trying to figure out, why using a shortcut twice makes it switch to a previously used one... Whose crazy idea was that?? In illustrator, no matter how many times I click "T" tool, it's still I Text Tool, in AD, "T" can become anything, depending on what was used next, so I have to be careful all the time not to accidentally press it twice, as I'm using shortcuts constantly and switching between them. In Illustrator - I don't think about it ever, a shortcut is a shortcut! to one particular tool! AD drives me crazy.

And I'm also unable to use Undo > Redo history, because when going 10 steps back, I need to be very careful not to select any object with a mouse, because if I do, all Redo history is gone, as AD is counting object selection as an action. Another crazy idea that makes the workflow a pain. 

AD is good, for beginners, who have plenty time to play with it. If you're in a hurry and want to finish something fast, it not always the best solution. 

[Problem with UNDO]

Any updates on this one? Still unable to use AD efficiently, it is really annoying. Each time I try to switch from Illustrator, I go back to it after 5 minutes with AD. Object selection is still recorded as an action for absolutely no reason, and all redo history is gone once you select anything after clicking cmd+z a few times you cannot redo your actions, just because you might have accidentally clicked on any of the objects. This is crazy and it drives me mad. How can I work like this...

[Progress with the Affinity Designer feature road map (split)]

4 years later... Adobe Illustrator is winning all the way.

[Problem with UNDO]

I'm sorry Ben but I don't get this logic at all. How come it has never been a problem in Adobe Illustrator or any graphic design software I used? Whatever happens regarding selection should be taken care under the hood, we just don't want to have selecting objects as part of undo history, because when we click somewhere else and deselect an object, we loose the ability to redo commands that happened later. Object selection is not an action I care about. When I hit "undo" that means I want to undo certain changes I made, not to deselect an object! If I wanted to deselect an object, I'd simply click anywhere outside of it or selected another object. 

 

It looks like you're trying to reinvent the wheel. I've never encounter such counterproductive solution in any other software. Undo should undo recent command applied, not recent command applied to a "selection". 

[Problem with UNDO]

Bump! Why this issue isn't even on the roadmap list??

[align to key object!]

bump