Rasterization of Linked Files from Publisher on iPad

[urbanistica]

This is the set of conditions where a problem arises:

• opening a file that is saved in iCloud
• opening it in Photo (or Designer) on iPad
• file is a Publisher file created on the Mac
• file contains linked Affinity files, also stored in iCloud
• linked files contain vector objects
• does not occur when the files are embedded

The problem that arises is that linked files rasterize when the file is open on iPad Photo or Designer. So in my case, I've created a composite image for a graphic novel in Publisher, usually a single page or spread that has multiple panels. I want to use the iPad and Apple pencil to color linework that is in the original Publisher composite file. The iPad is crucial for this – I don't get the results I need using a tablet. 

Ideally, I want to open the file on iPad, make some changes – basically coloring – and then save it, and see the results in a) the single-page or spread Publisher file, and then in the master Publisher file that contains multiple pages and spreads, each one linked to a single-spread files. 

Confusingly, If I do this, ignoring the rasterization problem, save it, back in Publisher on the Mac, there's no problem; the vectors are all cleanly rendered. But viewing the same file in the place where the work needs to be done, and needs to be accurate, I'm working on top of fuzzy images. So what seems to happen is that if a file is linked, Photo and Designer receive a preview rendering of the file, probably something that Publisher stores as a proxy for the original external file.

Supporting this further: if I change the status of the file in Publisher to Embedded, save and then open on the iPad, the vectors render cleanly, and there's no problem.

I can work around this, but it's a significant degradation of the planned workflow.

Here's what a detail of the page looks like in any app on the Mac itself in a vector-based mode:

Here's what it looks like in Designer on iPad, opened as an afpub. Notice that the table linework and the background are properly rendered vectors, while the books which are linked, are rasterized.

This is what it looks like in iPad Photo. notice that everything is rasterized, but that the books are rasterized at a different resolution/a rasterization of a rasterization. :

As a last example, this is what happens when one of the files with books are switched in Publisher from being linked to embedded, and the file is opened on iPad; all vectors that are not linked are rendering cleanly at any view level:

 

Edited June 14, 2020 by urbanistica
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[Gabe]

Hi @urbanistica,

This is not a bug. Our iPad apps do not handle linked files. So, when a project with linked files is opened, we can only display the low-res preview. I've moved this to feature requests.