Dazmondo77

Still waiting for true vector brushes - all but the basic vector brushes are actually rasters along a vector path, which is pretty useless for creating vector artwork and is a much requested feature - I still use an ancient version of illustrator to plug the gaps

I would imagine RenWaller is probably requesting the same font search capability when you open a document or PDF that doesn't have the correct fonts - really bugs me too that you can't just type in the first couple of letters, having to physically scroll through hundreds of fonts gets me down too

I call it an everyday basic vector functionality

Brilliant stuff Murfee - Works like a treat - Have to remember that one "DO NOT PLACE DATA MERGE NODE IN GROUP" lesson learned

Thanks for the tip Murfee I'll take a look

AWESOME stuff Adam - ran test on business cards and works perfectly - although I'm having problems generating from a database that's setup to use FX on the text - is this a current limitation - see screen grab: Screen_Grab_2020-10-19_at_14_44_40.mov

Ahhh I usually just click on the palette panel icon to add globals - I'll give it a try - surely they should work the same, if you're building a globals palette why would you want anything being left un-assigned? Personally, (as I stated on the forum many times) I would love to see an option in preferences that allows globals as standard but looks as though we'll probably never get that option

Or thought clouds - super simple: Screen_Grab_2020-10-15_at_14_14_35.mov

I find this to be a more flexible option for my needs, and you van use stars, clouds and all that and save them in your assets panel : Screen_Grab_2020-10-15_at_14_05_18.mov

Yes would be good Just thought I'd test to see if multiple strokes via the appearance panel has been fixed ie even if all strokes are setup as global, only the last selected stroke actually links, only workaround for me is to setup any multiple strokes separately. Also tested fill gradients which has been a bit hit and miss in the past with globals and glad to say it's working although if you save the gradient to document swatch and use all colours are still unlinked and no longer global so workaround is to select object, copy and paste style and all colours remain global - or drag to assets panel - really fiddly trying to maintain a flexible global workflow

I got the wrong end of the stick on this and thought that you create an object and use the colour slider to make a colour then add that colour to a global document palate, then thought that the object you created the global from would automatically be global - no - now see that the next shape you create will be filled with the global - would be handy if the original object was global - at least now we have 'select same' this is far less of a problem when trying to work with a 100% global workflow

Forgot to mention above, clicking on the new icon in the bottom left of the data merge manager panel does nothing - Tried resetting and still not working

Good to see with PDF passthrough, generating pdf/x files no longer bombs Pub, although it still doesn't passthrough even on PDF/X 4 but works using PDF(for print) (not had chance to test other non X formats) although all my print service providers need PDF/x Data Merge is now broke with this build with the data merge manager no longer able to import or create new, and opening an existing data merge template (that worked really well by the way in previous build) either bombs pub (when other pub docs are open) or shows no info in the data merge manager panel (when opening on re-start) Attached crash log: Affinity Publisher Beta_2020-10-15-091519_DazMacPro.crash

I need to distort vectors on most of the work I do "would be nice" to have had this standard ability five years ago, gradually losing faith we're gonna get even a basic distort tool - I'm guessing (and hoping) serif are quietly working on something that's gonna be a really big deal when it lands, would have been nice to have a very basic version from day one though

Working great for me for 8up business cards - made a template - tested - NICE!

Just reset both Pub and Designer and now layers work as normal - 👍 As with the previous beta, pub still bombs when saving a pdf with passthrough using all PDF/X presets but works great using PDF (for print)

Can no longer move layers in the layers panel with the mouse, the shortcuts still work. - same with latest beta for Designer Also bombs when saving a pdf using pdf passthrough

Same here, although it fired up the first time but wouldn't allow me to drag layers around in the layers panel, so quit, restarted, and now splash screen then quit: "Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV) Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000038 Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY Termination Signal: Segmentation fault: 11 Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 0xb Terminating Process: exc handler [50865] VM Regions Near 0x38:" Designer 1.9.0.3 Crash log.rtf

Blimey - just discovered LibreOffice does genuine vector perspective warping - ACE! - plus I've been using it for years on the Mac to open clients sent .CDR coreldraw and .PUB MS publisher docs - pretty handy - noticed you can copy paste from Affinity apps into LibreOffice but only pastes bitmaps back into Affinity but save as pdf retains vectors but defaults to RGB Not bad for a FREE office suite

The above brings to mind the first version of Designer (was 2014 I think) and I was having a play around but thought I must be missing something regarding dragging a corner, couldn't believe this wasn't the backbone of engine, but was to be included in a future update - 5 years on, maybe I'm being impatient but 5 years and no hint in sight of getting this ability is starting to churn negativity in the pit of my soul, and I really really love Affinity, but there are lots of missing basics that 5 years ago seemed to be a maybe a couple years off but are nowhere in sight - I just find it a little insulting that on the Designer web page it states: Serious business No bloat, no gimmicks, just all the tools you need, implemented how you always dreamed. Affinity Designer is a stripped back, pro-end workhorse that will always get your job done. But I'm still copy pasting between Illustrator CS5 if I need any type of distortion, real vector brushes, vector fills / patterns etc... Sorry for the rant

Just tested and it does work - but no substitute for a proper vector tool - I still use Illustrator cs5 every day for this purpose and more recently VectorStyler which does a fantastic job but can be temperamental and buggy but it really does have I really hope that Affinity can come up with something this good and super responsive - shame copy / paste has problems with anything but simple vectors - definitely one to watch although its still in Beta with no release date, and five years on, still no sign in sight from serif for this much requested standard capability Screen_Recording_2020-10-05_at_17_16_59.mov

A work around in designer is to first, in photo, create a simple shape and add the live perspective, group it then goto file, edit in designer, then drag the group to your assets panel and from there you should always be able to access live perspective within designer - at least that's the theory - I' d best test it to see if it works - back soon

And me +1 - Guess the general consensus regarding Mesh fill/gradient is there's far more important "missing basics" whereas Mesh fill/gradient is a nice "feature" that may come in handy once in a while, especially if there would be a way to generate vector gradients on output

I've had a few documents perform the same way which I now know is down to having an unflattened photo montage with live blends and wot not, in the last document I had this problem with, I just duplicated the group and flattened it then turned off the unflattened group and it solved the problem - no worries I'll just have to duplicate and flatten - just wondering if anyone has a better solution?

+1