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[AD 1.8.3] After exporting Affinity thinks something has changed


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After exporting to a file (to svg or jpg for example) of an already up-to-date-saved afdesign-file, Affinity thinks something has changed to the file (even though nothing has changed), and asks us to save the file when closing the tab. Even if we didn't change the export settings.

This makes this confirmation box unreliable and therefore error prone, as we can't tell by this message if something really has changed, or it's this issue again just saying something has changed, but is not.

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Something must have changed, as far as Designer is concerned, even if you think it didn't. Probably it's export settings.

To start figuring out what:

  1. Save the file.
  2. Look at the History panel, and note the last entry in it (or take a screenshot)
  3. Export
  4. Look at the History panel again. You will probably see a change has happened, because it is changes to the History that trigger that confirmation message about saving.

This is how the Affinity applications have worked since at least 1.6, and probably much longer. I don't recall if Serif considers this a bug, or an area that could be improved (Feature Request), or working as they want it to work, though I know it has come up before. Maybe another user knows, but if not I'm sure one of the Serif staff will let us know.

-- 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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If the export setting are the same as the last time you exported the file you will not be asked to save it.

If you change the export settings, say from png to jpg or change the quality setting for a jpg file then you will be asked to save the file as those last used values are hardcoded into the file. I would say that this ia not a bug as it's very useful to open an old file and to see/use the same export setting you used previously.

But "certain other settings" (not including the exported w & h values) when changed do not prompt you to save the file, but if you continue working on the file and save it, then those ""certain other settings" you changed are actually saved with the file even though you were not prompted to save them. This looks like a bug

So, I can conclusively conclude it is not a bug and it is a bug, a bit like Schrödinger's cat.

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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@walt.farrell @Wosven @carl123

Guys, I know what's happening here. That's why I posted this issue. Telling what I already know doesn't solve this issue. That's up to Serif.

To clear things up further:

1) I saved the afdesign-file right before exporting, so I'm sure nothing has changed.
2) I didn't change any export settings.
3) Export settings and export path aren't saved in the afdesign file, but globally instead at app space. To verify this just open file a.afdesign, export it to a jpg and save a.afdesign again. Open file b.afdesign and export it to a svg. Than open a.afdesign again and see it's not on jpg, but on svg. That proves the settings aren't saved into the afdesign file. Also the export path is clearly not saved into the file, but stored globally too.
4) I test things several times and don't post an issue if I'm not sure

 

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2 hours ago, wigglepixel said:

Guys, I know what's happening here.

But that would mean that you already know that Exporting did make a change to the file, because you know that the History changed. And since the file was changed, you also know that the prompt to save is appropriate.

In that case, rather than reporting a bug, shouldn't you be posting a Feature Request asking that Affinity not consider that kind of change to be important, or not record that change to the file?

-- 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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On 4/17/2020 at 2:20 PM, walt.farrell said:

But that would mean that you already know that Exporting did make a change to the file, because you know that the History changed.

Not sure what your motivation is for these kind of responses, but it's not coming across as helpful to me. 

 

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4 minutes ago, wigglepixel said:

Not sure what your motivation is for these kind of responses, but it's not coming across as helpful to me. 

 

Sorry.

But you're saying "nothing changed" and also that you understand what's happening. I'm trying to point out that something did change, and how you can verify that. You did something that Affinity considered to be a change, and recorded in the History. Once the History has changed, you will be prompted to Save when you try to close the file.

Perhaps you should Export first, then Save?

-- 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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22 hours ago, Sean P said:

I've spoken to development and they've said that the command shouldn't be added to the History list which is what is causing it to mark the document as modified. I'll get this reported.

Thanks @Sean P. That's very much appreciated!

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