image placement: 2 questions

[BKFC]

I'm evaluating Affinity Publisher as an alternative to the now expensive Adobe InDesign CC, which I've used to create photo albums in the past.  Since I'm new to Affinity Publisher, there may be easy answers to these, but I haven't found them so far:

1. When placing an image, I have the option to drag and resize the image (keeping the aspect ratio) as a percentage of the original.  For editing a photo book page, I need to specify the size of the image on the page with LxW dimensions, not some percentage of an original.  Is there a way to do this?

2. I find that when I place a photo that I took in portrait mode, my camera and my photo management software understand that, but Affinity imports it in landscape mode, so then I have to rotate it back to portrait.  When I try rotating, Affinity rotates the entire document.  In any event, I'd like not to have to rotate every photo that was taken in portrait mode.  Again, is there a way to do this?

 

[Old Bruce]

32 minutes ago, BKFC said:

I need to specify the size of the image on the page with LxW dimensions, not some percentage of an original.  Is there a way to do this?

Use the Transform Panel enter the number and unit like so 4in making sure that the little 'linked chain' symbol is on and the second dimension will be calculated and applied. If you want a frame unlink the chain symbol and the Frame will be sized to both dimensions then you can place your image into the frame.

[BKFC]

Thanks for that input.  I still need advice on the first question, since at this point I have no way to place photos taken in portrait mode.

[walt.farrell]

On 2/26/2020 at 5:30 PM, BKFC said:

When I try rotating, Affinity rotates the entire document.

Perhaps you're not rotating it properly?

When you've placed the image, click on it with the Move Tool, and the bounding box should have several control handles. Grab the one on the top center and drag it to rotate that object. (Hold the Shift key while dragging, or use Snapping, to get it rotated exactly.) Or with the object selected, you can use the Transform panel which has an R field for rotation.

[MEB]

Hi BKFC,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Regarding your second point you're probably using the Rotate command from the View menu. This command only rotates the view for accessibility purposes during that work session - it doesn't really rotate the document. The command you are looking for (other than using the handles of the image itself in the canvas as walt suggested) is Layer > Transform > Rotate Left/Right (make sure the object/image is selected).

[BKFC]

Thanks for that additional information.

Upon further research, I think the basic issue is this: can Affinity Publisher utilize the orientation information in the EXIF metadata from a digital photo?  Other software packages that I use, including InDesign, can do this.  If not, then I will need to manually rotate every portrait-mode photo by hand as an edit - potentially a deal breaker.

[emmrecs01]

@BKFC

I just tested this in APub 1.8 by creating a New Document and then selecting at random a Portrait orientation image, choosing Open on the Explorer screen and clicking on the Document screen: image imported and placed with correct orientation.  So, on my system at least, the answer to your question is Yes.

HTH

Jeff

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, BKFC said:

Upon further research, I think the basic issue is this: can Affinity Publisher utilize the orientation information in the EXIF metadata from a digital photo?

Yes, in my experience, but it may depend on your camera manufacturer and camera type, and how they record the orientation information.

[BKFC]

Many thanks to you all - I'm not sure what I was doing earlier, but the placement process (including portrait mode and resizing with units) is working now!