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Affinity Photo - Constrain drawing tools to straight lines


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  • 1 year later...

The only solution I've found for this lack is, as seems to be the norm on so many common functions, a multi-step work-around.  Since using the "click on the beginning, shift-click on the end" usually has me tapping around like a blind person feeling for the curb, I've started first placing a guide where I want to draw the straight line.  Then the click, shift-click works fine.  But the more usual method of "click, hold down a modifier and draw" would be so much simpler.

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It would make drawing straight lines for design work much easier.

 

PIXEL and BRUSH TOOLS

Holding down Shift Key constrains tool to straight vertical and horizontal lines.

 

 

+1 This would be SO handy to have in Affinity Photo. I'm actually a bit surprised that it isn't in the application already.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 6 months later...

Being a Photoshop user for over 12 years and recently moved on to Affinity.
Beside it's a very promising software, it also lacks in several features - this one mentioned above is one of them and I must say, it's a pretty damn important one. So if you would be so kind to implement it as soon as possible, you will make the world a better place :)

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  • 1 month later...

I'll add my name to this one.

 

BUT!

 

It should not be just horizontal or vertical, it should be any angle:

 

Modifier key to set the line by click-drag. Then release and you've set the angle.  Draw your line, or lines, then Modifier click again to dismiss the constrain.

 

Simple and incredibly useful for precise accurate work.

Grumpy, but faithful (watch out all you cats)

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22 hours ago, GFS said:

I'll add my name to this one.

 

BUT!

 

It should not be just horizontal or vertical, it should be any angle:

 

Modifier key to set the line by click-drag. Then release and you've set the angle.  Draw your line, or lines, then Modifier click again to dismiss the constrain.

 

Simple and incredibly useful for precise accurate work.

 

I understand the utility in the method you describe, but I do think there is also value in the simpler approach as well, as it is less cumbersome and more fluid for sketching purposes, allowing for gradual layering of value, coverage, grain, gradients, while also not interrupting the overall experience of drawing as much as a procedure that would require multiple steps (in your case it would be a matter of initiating a "press", "align" and "release" action with your fingers in that order, as opposed to just a "press" or a "release" at the respective ends of the period spent working in the constrained mode).

 

It is also worth keeping in mind that, as demonstrated in Corel Painter, 45-degree diagonal angles could easily be supported as well within the same modifier-behaviour utilised in Photoshop. Straight lines could also be made arbitrarily by clicking between end points with the modifier key activated.

 

Perhaps there is a way to enable all solutions, depending on the users preferences?

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The solution could be a 'base grid' = 'construction plane', which defines the 2D space to which everything relates. Now it's fixed to the page.

Every CAD or 3D program has this, but of course it makes also sense in 2D

This plane would be placeable/rotateable freely.

 

In Photoshop or Illustrator, if you click/drag the corner of the page ruler, you can place the origin at least - something not possible in Affinity yet.

If you could also rotate this base point, you would get what I mean.

 

The Transform panel should reflect the base plane, as well as guides, and also brush strokes.

It would be sufficient then to have SHIFT-draw snap to 45° angles, like we know from Photoshop etc.

 

If we think it through, the Transform Panel could have a mode "page/world" (the values would be relative to the page), and "plane" (values would be relative to the base plane).

That's how it works in 3D software, called differently, of course.

 

Best

Eugen

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In fact, Illustrator has this already, although a bit hidden and unhandy.

If you open the General Preferences of AI, there's a 'Constrain Angle' parameter - which is exactly this.

 

However, I'd prefer this being some litte axis icon that can be dragged out of the ruler corner and rotated freely by some handle.

Of course, as always, there should also be a way to enter the position/rotation numerically.

 

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