Merge no longer seems to work

[ladlon]

On the latest Affinity Photo (v1.8.2.620) update (Windows), it seems the Merge button on adjustment windows no longer works properly.

Instead, the resulting merged layer is empty.

Steps to replicate:

1) Paint a pixel layer

2) Add an adjustment layer (ex. HSL), resulting in the adjustment layer being parented to the pixel layer

3) Make an adjustment in the settings (ex. lower the saturation) in the HSL window

4) Click the Merge button at the top right of the adjustment window (beside the Cancel and Delete buttons)

5) Rather than resulting in the Adjustment layer being merged/baked into the pixel layer (...desaturated pixel layer, and no more adjustment layer (now deleted) parented to it), you end up with only the pixel layer (adjustment layer disappears/merged, as expected), but the pixel layer ends up empty

6) Apparently, there is a related bug, where merging down layers now (since update) requires a specific selection order, otherwise the same issue occurs.  However, in this (new) particular case (adjustment window Merge button bug), it's not possible to select the participating layers in a particular order, since selecting the pixel layer automatically selects BOTH that layer and the (child) adjustment layer.

 

Windows7 Pro

[Chris B]

Hey ladlon,

This is working for me. When you say 'parented' do you mean it just sits above it in the stack?

In the Assistant, you can change settings for what happens when you add an adjustment layer to a selection but that doesn't seem to matter as both work for me. Not sure what I'm missing.

[ladlon]

Hi, Chris B.  Ya, we've been trying to sort this one out, figuring out triggers/specifications.

It seems it might be partially related to a bug that was found where it seems that selection order now (after the recent update) seems to matter when merging (...select the layers in the wrong order, and the merge results in the contents from the pixel layer being erased).

I've done some tests over here, and have found some specifications for my particular issue.  It seems to be related to grouping (as well as groups within groups).

I'm going to do some further tests, and provide support with a specific list of situations and results, but here's what I have found so far (...and this relating to the Merge button on the top right of the Adjustments windows):

1) Adding a targeted adjustment (using the Adjustment icon method described above) to a single, unparented layer (with no childred) and hitting the Merge button works fine

2) Doing the same to one of two grouped layers (each without children, and with their group not grouped/parented to anything.... just two single layers grouped together) resulted in a non-responsive Merge button (Nothing happens to the layers).  Note: The command history DOES show that a Merge is triggered each time, but nothing happens to the layers... the adjustment layer child remains)

3) Doing the same to a single layer that is grouped with several other layers, which is also grouped to another set of layers (group within a group) results in the destructive/content clearing bug I noted in my previous examples.... adjustment layer is removed/merged, but the pixel layer's contents are cleared completely, leaving it empty, but still present.

There has been a discussion about this (and some other related issues we've been finding) in my thread found here: