Shape builder tool

[Nrthbound]

This is definitely not a “critical” or “essential” tool. It’s a nice-to-have, but in no way is it necessary. Some of you are seriously as bad as children with how you “demand” things. 

[Danawoodwolf]

Bonjour,

oui oui je confirme, l'outil de création de forme est très important, car plus qu'il n'y a même pas d'outil gomme dans Affinity Designer, ce qui est décevant pour un logiciel aussi génial et performant tout de même.

Bonsoir 

[Serif_Desktop]

Hello everyone,

I have been following this topic for many years now. Serif came up with this incredible software that fulfill all the wishes I had for 12 years in adobe illustrator. But it will never replace Adobe illustrator for many reasons... The shape builder that is still missing, really push it back word. It is the only tool that I am not happy with and the reason why I still use illustrator for logo design

[G-rod]

we really need the  shape builder tool. please

[macalienx]

This tool would be a great for those who work a lot with logos and icons using the grids method. It´s possible to do it with the tools avaliable? Maybe, but it takes so much time and effort that is worthless in a work situation.

[Khasanov Sherzod]

Affinity Designer-da illyustratorda bo'lgani kabi shakl yaratuvchi vosita bormi?

[Joachim_L]

If Google translated this correctly: No, with Affinity Designer or Affinity Publisher you cannot make forms, but this is a much requested feature. 

[Jeff Kratzer]

I also would like to add that shape builder is much needed

[Phil K.]

At this point, especially since Adobe Illustrator for iPad has the ShapeBuilder tool, I would suggest just buying Illustrator for iPad.  Given the lack of response from Serif,  it’s apparent that they are not interested in creating a ShapeBuilder tool for Designer. Maybe they will surprise us, who knows?

[Jeff Kratzer]

I think they will add it at some point it just may take time depending on how hard it is to make such a function. also not everyone has or even wants an iPad

[alanoctua]

I was also looking for the shape builder function in the app and confused when couldn't find it since I remember reading a tweet about this by Serif 4 years ago. (dudes, when you promise something please take a look at your Twitter, at least delete it ) However it seems like one of the marketing team promises that engineering team could never really cared/figured. 

 

To the people who defends the lack of the feature, it's just unbelievable. Shape builder does not just add shapes. It adds, divides, deletes, closed shapes or just intersecting lines without the need of excessive copies of the same shape. It's the most used command when building geometrical work. I just select the area, press alt+m, quickly clearing out the guidelines and create the geometry in just 15 seconds, done. 

 

While doing a professional job, time matters most. If a time saving feature like this is overlooked for years, then the software is just not well suited for professional work. 

 

I really really hate Adobe and I bought all of your apps the day they released for iPad. Moved out from Premiere Pro, After Effects and Photoshop *almost*. I just want to ditch all of the Adobe software from my process but still there's a gap. 

 

Please give us a clear answer about when or if this feature and the image tracking is coming to affinity! 

 

Edit : Found the tweet: https://twitter.com/affinitybyserif/status/918024995900665856?s=19

Edited February 24, 2021 by alanoctua
Tweet link

[dode513]

Man we really need this Tool in Designer!

[LOB]

On 2/22/2021 at 1:41 AM, Phil K. said:

At this point, especially since Adobe Illustrator for iPad has the ShapeBuilder tool, I would suggest just buying Illustrator for iPad.  Given the lack of response from Serif,  it’s apparent that they are not interested in creating a ShapeBuilder tool for Designer. Maybe they will surprise us, who knows?

 

That would be an option except for two things:

• Illustrator for iPad is pretty junk.  Seriously, the drawing experience jarringly slow.  Strange because I had no problems with Adobe Fresco on the iPad.  It's not fully featured either, leaving a LOT to be desired.
• Another monthly membership needed.  It' costs $10/month as a stand alone app (crazy rip off as it's not fully featured) might be worth it eventually.  Or if you have Illustrator on a creative cloud subscription, it's $20/month minimum.  

That said, I end up using a combination of Designer, Photoshop, Illustrator and Procreate and have to annoyingly bounce between the programs to be successful.  So I'm not saying don't use any program.  One day I hope to use only Affinity Designer only because Adobe creates half baked applications at exorbitant costs.  It's infuriating.

[HANDJOJO]

Before buy something you should consider about at least two factors: The Price & The Function.

if you just chase a "Shape Builder" and you have to pay much more, then it becomes useless.

Perhaps in there also want “The Studio Link” like Affinity have it...😉

I think Affinity Serif has thinked to add this feature with their own style (not the “The Shape Builder name) and take a time to implement it...perhaps in the next version...

[Phil K.]

12 hours ago, LOB said:

 

That would be an option except for two things:

• Illustrator for iPad is pretty junk.  Seriously, the drawing experience jarringly slow.  Strange because I had no problems with Adobe Fresco on the iPad.  It's not fully featured either, leaving a LOT to be desired.
• Another monthly membership needed.  It' costs $10/month as a stand alone app (crazy rip off as it's not fully featured) might be worth it eventually.  Or if you have Illustrator on a creative cloud subscription, it's $20/month minimum.  

That said, I end up using a combination of Designer, Photoshop, Illustrator and Procreate and have to annoyingly bounce between the programs to be successful.  So I'm not saying don't use any program.  One day I hope to use only Affinity Designer only because Adobe creates half baked applications at exorbitant costs.  It's infuriating.

I use Illustrator both desktop and on the iPad, the iPad version isn’t junk, it’s actually pretty decent given that it was released back in October.  The boolean operators work consistently unlike Affinity Designers’ boolean bugs.  selecting & moving items is easy and intuitive.  I used to use Affinity Designer but just got tired of the random bugs in the app, and also grew tired of their lackluster response to fix these bugs.  I use the Shapebuilder in Illustrator often enough to justify paying for a CC subscription.  

[angelhdz12]

+1 for the Shape Builder Tool.

[ducapb]

On 3/5/2020 at 9:52 AM, mexicola84 said:

Again, from my side. If you are a professional and need to work out a lot of ideas in a quick manner, the shape builder tool is essential. It's the one tool, I - and MANY of my friends can't miss and that's why I cannot recommend this as an 100% alternative to illustrator. 

Sure, technicially spoken it does kind of the same thing as the boolean tools, but if you have plenty of shapes to combine, you may have to do a lot of work to make it happen. For me personally, I've purchased all products by Affinity, but can'T use them to my speed.

With version 1.8 I'm very happy with a lot of newly added features, but I hope for 1.9, the shape builder will be added. People desperately search for alternatives to the Adobe cosmos, but I believe, it still takes quite a bit of time.

I share the same opinion with the person above.

I also really want this tool in Affinity Designer. I work a lot with illustrator and depend a lot on this shape tool. Having to make shapes, and then other forms to be able to paint, I already consider a waste of time.

I really wanted to migrate once and for all to Affinity Designer, but the absence of this tool does not make it a viable option.

I'm rooting for an update, because then I'll totally drop Adobe.

[ra.skill]

Perhaps off topic.... but I have a simple question about the shape tools.

If I want to draw an exact size shape, say a 5x5mm square, is there a way of bringing up a window to enter measurements similar to Ai when I click once on page?? Or is the only way to draw out a shape and edit the size in the Transform panel??

Thanks

[MEB]

Hi @ra.skill,
There's no way to invoke a dialog to enter the dimensions for the shape as in Illustrator. You have to draw it and set the dimensions in the Transform panel.

[Alfred]

5 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi @ra.skill,
There's no way to invoke a dialog to enter the dimensions for the shape as in Illustrator. You have to draw it and set the dimensions in the Transform panel.

It would be nice to see this feature in the Affinity apps. DrawPlus has it, but only in the later versions.

[ra.skill]

Thanks @MEB @Alfred

A feature to look forward to 👍🏻

[7bitretro]

Yes please another +1 to the 'Shape Builder' type feature for Affinity Designer to save me having slow workflow and trying to wrap my head about various fiddling with booleans.

[BlueMarine]

The only reason I have always perished the thought of making illustrations in Designer is the lack of Shape Builder tool. Literally the only reason Adobe Illustrator still has any value for me.

Please add Shape Builder tool 👏

[Joao Silva]

I really dont know why this isn't on Affinity Designer.. this tool was present on the legacy product (Draw Plus). I do have a licensed copy of the Draw Plus.. and in many occasions it is quite useful as to achieve the same result in the geometry nodes there is a lot of tinkering (it depends on the design in question).. not only that .. but the legacy product also has the auto-trace feature... so.. if this was already implemented on legacy versions.. why not on this one?  

[Petar Petrenko]

because Affinity apps are written from scratch. They don't have anything in common with Serif's Plus apps.