Organizing macros

[casterle]

This seems so simple, but I can't quite figure out how to organize my macros within the library. I'd like to create a category to house several sets of macros I've downloaded. After I create the new category, how do I move the macro sets into the new category? 

[walt.farrell]

You can click on a macro and (without releasing the mouse button) drag it into a different category, or drag it up/down in its current category.

[casterle]

5 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

You can click on a macro and (without releasing the mouse button) drag it into a different category, or drag it up/down in its current category.

Thanks, Walt. I knew I could drag a macro from one category to another. What I'd like to do is arrange them hierarchically, with several categories  grouped together. 

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, casterle said:

Thanks, Walt. I knew I could drag a macro from one category to another. What I'd like to do is arrange them hierarchically, with several categories  grouped together. 

Sorry,, but that's not how the library works.

[John Rostron]

Affinity keeps its macro libraries within its own folders, but I would recommend that you maintain your own folders containing the individual macros and macro libraries. I would also recommend keeping a set of text files in that folder giving the explicit steps used in each macro. It is easy to forget how you created a macro (well it is for me).

John

[casterle]

8 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Sorry,, but that's not how the library works.

I wish it was 😊. How do you organize your macros (assuming you have more than a few)?

[casterle]

8 hours ago, John Rostron said:

Affinity keeps its macro libraries within its own folders, but I would recommend that you maintain your own folders containing the individual macros and macro libraries. I would also recommend keeping a set of text files in that folder giving the explicit steps used in each macro. It is easy to forget how you created a macro (well it is for me).

John

Thank you for the many macros you've shared. Do you just load the macros you're using for a specific project then? Your suggestion regarding notes is excellent, btw. I've been saving links to associated videos.

I'm just starting to play with macros and haven't figured out how to edit them. For example, I downloaded "Dave's Shifters" after watching one of his excellent videos on YouTube (https://tinyurl.com/wfhonsj). 

I wanted to add a 'fine' slider to his controls, which I was able to do easily as I was running the macro. But of course that only added the sliders to that instance of the macro, not to the source. I was able to open his macro in the editor, but was unable to find a way to edit the procedural text filter which contains the controls. Is there no way to edit these?

[walt.farrell]

36 minutes ago, casterle said:

How do you organize your macros (assuming you have more than a few)

I just use simple categories. I may not have enough to need something more advanced.

[John Rostron]

48 minutes ago, casterle said:

Thank you for the many macros you've shared. Do you just load the macros you're using for a specific project then? Your suggestion regarding notes is excellent, btw. I've been saving links to associated videos.

I'm just starting to play with macros and haven't figured out how to edit them. For example, I downloaded "Dave's Shifters" after watching one of his excellent videos on YouTube (https://tinyurl.com/wfhonsj). 

When I first started using macros, I just kept them in a designated folder in D:\Affinity\Affinity Photo\Resources\Macros. As the number grew, I began to organise them by loading them into libraries in Photo, then saving the library in my Macros folder. This meant that I had a file to upload when sharing. Because I used Filter > Distort > Equations a lot, I needed to keep text files to include the Equation text, otherwise I had trouble remembering where I had got to. These text files were also useful when I posted the macros on this forum.

48 minutes ago, casterle said:

I wanted to add a 'fine' slider to his controls, which I was able to do easily as I was running the macro. But of course that only added the sliders to that instance of the macro, not to the source. I was able to open his macro in the editor, but was unable to find a way to edit the procedural text filter which contains the controls. Is there no way to edit these?

When using Equations, you need to enable the eye icon when you are first creating the macro. I have not really used procedural textures in earnest, but I would guess it is similar. 

There is only limited editing facility for macros at present (until Affinity comes up with a scripting facility). All you can do is to delete steps from the end of an existing macro, and then add more steps to the end.

John

[walt.farrell]

I saw one post recently, I forget whose, that seemed to suggest keeping individual .afmacro files for the macros you use infrequently, organized in whatever directory structure lets you find them easily.

Then when you need one of them, you can open the Macro Panel, import the proper file, and Run it.

[casterle]

13 minutes ago, John Rostron said:

When using Equations, you need to enable the eye icon when you are first creating the macro.

Thank you. I hadn't seen that.

I'd noticed the limited editing. There's much power locked in the various functions and such we can access only through a peephole; a scripting language combined with a macro management system would really open that up.