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AffD & AffP : Little niggles


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I do not pretend to be a pro, I’m just a hobbyist and my main program is Affinity Designer.
I do not make heavy use of Photo, and do not use Publisher.
I have used AffD & AffPhoto (Mac) since the beginning and always to my great satisfaction.
 
Over time there have been numerous updates to improve the programs..
However, there always remained some little niggles, rather small things that have been overlooked or maybe simply forgotten to be implemented in such an update, or even deemed unnecessary (??)
Nothing earth-shattering, just small issues that would make using the programs just that little bit more pleasant. Little niggles that I’ve come across during everyday use.
Below I’ve listed a few that in my humble opinion, could mean improved user experience if implemented.
So, this list pertains to AffDesigner & Photo on Mac only.
Perhaps some of the issues are valid for Windows versions also, I’ll leave that to the Windows users.
 
AffP & AffD
LOCK WORKSPACE
The workspace cannot be locked, even when used in Full Screen mode.
This can cause annoying sudden unexpected visual screen changes to happen.
This particularly occurs when dragging a Vertical guide onto the canvas but
putting the mouse pointer in the left hand Studio panel separation bar by mistake.
The result is an enormously wide studio panel while the rest of the workspace goes haywire.
 
CORNER TOOL
First select type of corner in the little dropdown menu, then actually create the desired corner.
Now it is the other way around.
 
GUIDES
1. Double click to delete individual guides from canvas in addition to dragging off canvas.
It would be very handy to be able to just double click-delete an individual guide
2. Guides to extend to ruler at all times.
This feature was included in the first few releases, but has disappeared along the way.
When first dragging a guide onto the canvas, the little indicator line over the rulers
isn’t even visible. 
It only shows after placing the guide. However, it’s just a tiny little line
just about as thick as the guide divisions.
The indicator line moves along when moving the guide, but this is by no means a clear indication of positioning.
It’s simply not very visible.
3. Guides should extend all the way over the rulers always.
4. Guide color.
It should be possible for the user to change the color of the guides.
This would make them better visible when working over the dominating color of the project being worked on.
 
DUPLICATING
Pressing ALT & drag overrides snapping.
It also performs duplication when used in a particular order.
Press Alt first & then drag : = Duplication
Drag first & then press ALT : = Snapping override.
Please limit it to one function exclusively only make creation of an extra keyboard shortcut possible.
It is extremely annoying to discover that a duplicate has been made inadvertently when trying to fine-tune positioning of an object.
In such a case the object-movement is usually minute, and when a duplicate is made its position is almost always on top of the original and not always noticed.
 
NUDGING WITH ARROW KEYS & DUPLICATING
After nudging an object's position with the arrow keys, power duplicating that object is no longer possible.
That means that fine-tuning the position of an object in order to power-duplicate it can only be
done by using a pointing device such as a mouse, not by the keyboard. 
The keyboard method is sometimes more exact than a pointing device.
 
DEFAULT PLACEMENT OF DUPLICATE TO BE SET IN PREFERENCES
It would be handy if the user could enter the preferred default placement of a duplicate in the
preference panel, AND once set, to be toggled on/off with a Toolbutton/shortcut key.
The latter in order NOT to interfere with the power duplicate function !
Entering by measurement units chosen, (N/S/E/W of the original)
 
VISIBILITY OF ROTATION CENTER POINT
The centerpoint is only visible when expressly turning it on.
Should be the other way around : ON by default, OFF by choice.
Size of Center Point : A little bigger, please.
Colour of centerpoint : by user-choice, same as Guides.
Right now It’s hardly visible in a crowded drawing.
 
ALPHABETICAL ORDER in STUDIO PANELS
Brushes, Styles, etc. etc.
Please have them sorted in alphabetical order. As it is now it’s simply too messy.
 
AffD
TOOL HANDLES
Tool handles disappear while dragging an extra guide onto the canvas.
When dragging an (extra) guide onto the canvas, with an object selected, the toolhandles disappear from view.
I know this is by design, but it makes it difficult to pinpoint when nearing the toolhandle, even when snapping is ON.
 
AffP
CUSTOMIZE TOOLS
The Warp and the Perspective tools are 1 combined little tool icon.
Please separate them so that each can be dragged individually into the tool sidebar. That way it’s easier to select the one needed.
 
Thanks, C.L.

 

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27 minutes ago, catlover said:
AffP
CUSTOMIZE TOOLS
The Warp and the Perspective tools are 1 combined little tool icon.
Please separate them so that each can be dragged individually into the tool sidebar. That way it’s easier to select the one needed.

They are already available that way in the View > Customize Tools dialog:

image.png.86674eeb394a96ab4708fea20027458f.png

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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  • 1 year later...

Pretty much everything Catlover suggests is a good idea. I found this page while searching for info on the strange behaviours of guides, and I quite agree with his suggestions for guides, plus 'tother ideas seem pretty good too.

 

iMac (2013); OS 10.15.7; Affinity Designer w/ lion & crocodile splash page

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