Zoom Values Inconsistent

[wls]

When loading a small image from scratch, the one I'm using is 250x193, Affinity Photo automatically defaults to filling the available area resulting in a pixelated image that's roughly 1000%+ in size.

( It'd be nice if a small image did nothing more than 200% upon first load, which is more in line with the retina displays. )

Anyhow, to quickly set the Zoom back to normal one can double click the Zoom icon (magnifying glass) -- and the image does change size back to 100%.

However, the Zoom tool bar still has the old 1000%+ value.  Meanwhile, the Navigator shows a different Zoom value.

And, if one alters the Navigator zoom slider (the canvas area correctly resizes), then uses the pinch/stretch gesture, and then double clicks the Zoom icon -- the value in the Navigator gets copies to the tool bar, and the Navigator might (if you're lucky) jump back to 100% (often it does not), but the canvas image does.

In short, there's the visual canvas area, the Zoom Tool bar, and the Navigator -- all three fall out of sync, so it's difficult to know at any time which one is the authority for what the current zoom level is.

They should always be in agreement with the same value.

[Chris B]

Hey wls,

The Navigator Panel and Zoom Tool issue you mentioned is known. I've updated the bug report with your comments. Sorry about that.

I think the first part of your feedback is very much personal preference to be honest. If I was a pixel artist, I'd want it to open up as big as possible so I can get straight into placing my pixels etc. but I can see what you're saying.

[wls]

6 hours ago, Chris B said:

I think the first part of your feedback is very much personal preference to be honest. If I was a pixel artist, I'd want it to open up as big as possible so I can get straight into placing my pixels etc. but I can see what you're saying.

Hi Chris, thanks for the note about the Navigator Panel and Zoom Tool issue -- I did a quick search of the forums, bit didn't see anything that quite explained the different ways they could fall out of sync. Hope I wasn't too redundant, as I try not to report things already known.

I concur with your assessment that the first part is indeed personal preference and for that reason thought about not mentioning it.

However, here's why I did:  In virtually every case the photo that I'm editing is smaller than the available screen real-estate; this means that I always have to double click Zoom before doing any image work -- that's extra keystrokes/clicks every time.  On the rarer occasions I'm working with large-sensor images and want to examine details for editing, again, I'm having to double click Zoom before starting.  In fact, if I want to load an image just to see how large it is visually, I have to double click Zoom to do that.

It feels like the default behavior ought to be to just open the image at 100% so the person knows exactly what they're really starting with, to zoom-in or zoom-out ought to be the personal preference, not a mandatory step to undo a fit to screen, which incidentally varies for those of us with two monitors. In thinking about this more deeply with my professional QA hat on, I retract my 200% suggestion, given that this just isn't how images are viewed and assessed -- seeing what one needs to do to an image is the first step, higher magnification is only part of a some secondary editing processes.

The counter point, while valid, would make more sense if there were more pixel artists out there than graphic designers, web masters, illustrators, painters, photo retouchers, etc. Affinity Photo does not appear to be designed primarily for that audience, as other tools are, it's flexibility just doesn't exclude it. In short, I don't think the demographics support pixel-art behavior as the most popular use case justifying the default behavior of filling the window when initially opening an image. Usually a pixel artist has to consider the resolution at which their art will be used/view, which again suggests that 100% might be the right choice for them as well.

I hope I'm making sense in trying to explain this; it's a small change that seems to improve everyone's workflow.

Thank you again for letting me know the issue is on Serif's radar.

[Chris B]

You make a valid point.

I think the solution here is to have an option in Preferences for:

1. Set default document view on open to 100%
2. Set default document view on open to fill view-port 

[wls]

6 hours ago, Chris B said:

I think the solution here is to have an option in Preferences...

Hats off to you, that's a great solution!

The 100% value could be specified by a drop down or accept user input via text field / slider like the Zoom Tool Bar.  Then you'd be able to open to any desired fixed size in addition to dynamically filling the viewing area.

Sweet!

[Jeremy Bohn]

On 6/30/2020 at 12:46 AM, Chris B said:

You make a valid point.

I think the solution here is to have an option in Preferences for:

1. Set default document view on open to 100%
2. Set default document view on open to fill view-port 

One of the things that bugs me and I've posted about it before, is that my view % doesn't stick after certain tasks. For instance, cropping or resizing. After doing either one of those, the zoom changes to fit the screen. It drives me nuts. I aways have to change it back to the zoom % I was on before. So I would ask for a setting to NOT auto-zoom in those cases as well.