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Request: Improvements to Layer Management (1.8.3)


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I'm currently running Designer 1.8.3 on Mac OS High Sierra.

I've discovered some inconveniences in creating and managing layers.

  1. Inserting New Layers at Specific Locations in the Layer Stack: Often, I'd like to insert a new layer just above the layer or object I have selected in the Layers panel. Presently, however, a new layer always ends up at the very top of my layer stack, which can be far removed from where I want it, requiring me to scroll up and drag the new layer back down. : Please add the ability to insert a new layer above or below a currently selected item in the Layers Panel.
  2. Collecting Selected Layer Items in a New Layer: Often, I would like to quickly collect items in my Layers panel into a single sub-Layer. Presently, the only way to accomplish this is with a hack: Group the items, then go to Layer > Promote Group to Layer
  3. Converting Groups to Layers and Layers to Groups: Presently, it's possible to select a Group and go to Layer > Promote Group to Layer, but there is not a useful and complementary Layer > Convert Layer to Group. Having the two complementary commands available would be useful. Moreover, in the interest of efficiencies, it would be nice if both of those commands were available as part of a right-click contextual menu.

Thanks for your consideration.

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Can't agree any more.

BTW, can we have a solution in Affinity designer to store or mark a set of layers/objects that belong to individual artboards. Thus  when exporting in the export persona, we could use the "marks" to export certain elements been marked to several files which each file repects the relationship between the elements and artboard . This feature could help a lot of designers like me.

I do a lot of packaging design. In my workflow, I use adobe illustrator. When I make a new design, for organizing, I create layers that being named of certain material or processing method and putting corresponding design elements in them so the manufactor would easily filter and seperate elements for identical manufactoring process. Apart from the manufactor, myself could also easily export elements to their own pixel map for 3D visualization rendering.

Quick example, as you can see this is a simplified box design. The screenshots self-explains themselves.

illustrator file layer and artboard structure below:

Snipaste_2020-04-13_04-56-37.thumb.png.696d041c8ecb0db58d1b6bdef577f639.png

 

export option

Snipaste_2020-04-13_05-07-00.thumb.png.783dfb90851fc8113a92bfd4fc032bb4.png

 

the exported pngs used in 3D application

Snipaste_2020-04-13_05-16-18.thumb.jpg.11c2dd20cc7b0287cedb91df68eeb4cd.jpg

 

Due to different layer and artboard system Affinity design used, can we set some tag or mark that offers the ability to quickly select/isolate/export certain elements that share the same "material"(anything that user define property)?

Edited by baoyu
further explanation
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25 minutes ago, baoyu said:

@MEB Would you please take some time read this post?

You may not be aware, as you're relatively new to the forums, but:

1. Generally Serif staff do not comment on feature request posts, as a matter of policy. The appropriate staff members review all of them, though.

2. Generally one should not call out to specific Serif staff members who have not been involved in a particular topic. I believe it's considered impolite.

3. If you did want to call out to a specific forum user, you start by typing the @ sign and then a bit of their username, and you'll get a drop-down list of matching users. You then choose the user you want from the list. If the list is too long you can type a few more letters to filter it further. For example, here is a call out to you so you can see how it looks and works: @baoyu

-- 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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23 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

You may not be aware, as you're relatively new to the forums, but:

1. Generally Serif staff do not comment on feature request posts, as a matter of policy. The appropriate staff members review all of them, though.

2. Generally one should not call out to specific Serif staff members who have not been involved in a particular topic. I believe it's considered impolite.

3. If you did want to call out to a specific forum user, you start by typing the @ sign and then a bit of their username, and you'll get a drop-down list of matching users. You then choose the user you want from the list. If the list is too long you can type a few more letters to filter it further. For example, here is a call out to you so you can see how it looks and works: @baoyu

Sorry, I'm new to this place. I've tried to type a "@" sign and then I pasted his nickname and nothing happened. Now I learned how to call out people. Thanks a lot!

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6 minutes ago, baoyu said:

Sorry, I'm new to this place. I've tried to type a "@" sign and then I pasted his nickname and nothing happened. Now I learned how to call out people. Thanks a lot!

You're welcome :)

-- 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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