Percentage shown in Header ?

[justwilliam]

I have started a project that is far beyond my current skills (but that is how I learn - I cannot learn much doing the things which I can already comfortably do) and a couple of questions have arisen.

 

Firstly, I did a save as (with history) after the very first layer. I have subsequently saved immediately after completing each and every arduous bit of bezier-handle massaging.  So my first question is: how often should I save, do I need to save or does Affinity Designer do that for me along the way and I just need to save when closing the Program?

 

Secondly, in the header of my project where it says "Affinity Designer - [my project name] (XXX%)" - percentage of what? Mine currently says 700%. I have an estimated 200 layers thus far in this project (as I have not been combining the elements in case I need to adjust them later on in this endeavour). I remember from my short time using Pixelmator (on a 2010 i3 iMac, 16GB RAM,  256Mb graphics memory) that when the project got up to about 10 or 12 layers, it would simply crash and I would have to then open the saved file and merge all then reopen and continue - I do not want this to happen with this project! (currently happy to be working on a 27" riMac, 4Ghz i7, 24 GB RAM, M295X so maybe that won't be an issue). So, my second question is: what is this percentage meant to tell me?

 

Here is where I am on this silly undertaking. When the time comes, I will need to make some of the fills to be like marble and make the figure to look like metal - at that point I will be back with more questions; even though I am a 'learn by doing' sort of person, I do need to be guided or pointed in the right direction at times. But all I have done thus far on this project has been trial and error and when it gets to be all errors, and after having tried all I can, I do not hesitate to ask for help.

[LilleG]

If you look in Preferences > Performance there is an AutoSave dialogue that you can set to the desired number of seconds between auto-saves.

 

The percentage in the title bar refers to the amount of zoom currently being used.

 

When you have other questions, ask away. There is always someone willing to help. :)

[justwilliam]

Thank you , LilleG!

 

Now I really feel (am) dumb; I was so intensely concentrated on what I was doing and then when I happened to notice from the corner of my eye that the percentage was changing so drastically I didn't know what to make of it! I never even noticed that it was related to my present zoom level. (this forum needs a :facepalm: emoji)

 

I have also checked my preferences and it is on the (default?) 300 seconds which should be fine as I have had head-scratchings which have lasted longer than five minutes while trying to work on this project.  :rolleyes:

[LilleG]

. (this forum needs a :facepalm: emoji)

 

 

 

I could have used that one a few times myself.  And will prolly need it again. :)

[Dave Harris]

If you look in Preferences > Performance there is an AutoSave dialogue that you can set to the desired number of seconds between auto-saves.

 

Be aware that this is saving to a separate area on the disk, not over your original file. The auto-save only gets used if there is a power cut (or if Affinity crashes), when you'll be prompted next time you run whether you want to open the saved file or the auto-saved file.

[LilleG]

Do you mean that you can only access that file under those conditions?  If so, for heaven's sake, why not have a true Auto-Save instead of something that just sounds like one and misleads users into thinking their data is safe when it isn't?  Or am I misunderstanding your post, Dave?

[catlover]

Aha, I would like some clarification on that, too please !

[justwilliam]

Be aware that this is saving to a separate area on the disk, not over your original file. The auto-save only gets used if there is a power cut (or if Affinity crashes), when you'll be prompted next time you run whether you want to open the saved file or the auto-saved file.

 

Aha! 

 

Yes; a bit more clarification, please, your BrightEyed and Fluffiness. :huh:

[Dave Harris]

 

why not have a true Auto-Save instead of something that just sounds like one and misleads users into thinking their data is safe when it isn't?

Why do you think what I wrote means your data isn't safe? It is. It's very safe.

 

Perhaps what you are really after is our Command History? If you make some changes, and decide you don't want them, you can undo them one at a time with Cmd-Z, or many at a time by using the History tab in the Studio. You can then redo them again, too. You don't need to revert to the last saved file on disk for that.

 

I agree Auto-Save is badly named, but whatever we call it, we need what it does to keep your work safe if something goes wrong, like a power cut. It happens behind the scenes; usually you won't notice it is happening. We would not want it to over-write your actual file because that shouldn't happen without your express permission. When you close the file, you'll be prompted to save your changes then, even if more than 300 seconds have gone by since your last edit.

[LilleG]

It would not be safe if you foolishly thought that Auto-Save was actually saving your file for you at specified intervals so that you didn't have to do it manually all that often.  Then you decide to quit that file when you've made no changes since your last "supposed" Auto-Save.  Yes, the program prompts you to manually Save at that point.  But it will also do that if you bring in a file, look at it, make no changes whatsoever and then start to close it.  In that case you ignore it. Which is what you also do...if you thought that AutoSave was your friend and helper.  

 

It's not that we...not that I, I should speak only for me...need the program to save itself for me.  I don't, and I usually turn them off.  But since this one not only can't be turned Off but has user-adjustable intervals, I decided to rely on it to save interim changes.  That fact that I hadn't lost anything because of that is sheer luck.  What is does do is a great feature to have and I appreciate that it's there.  But it should be renamed to reflect what it actually is...an Emergency Save or Crash Save