Filters not working

[dougier]

I am new to Affinity and for the most part I'm finding it easy and intuitive. I am, however, experiencing some difficulty in making the filters work. I make adjustments but nothing happens. I thought when I first tried it did work but I'm not sure. Read the help, looked at tutorials and appears I'm doing everything right. Any help would be appreciated.

[Callum]

Hi Dougier,

 

Welcome to the Forums :)

 

Could you please apply a filter to one of your projects and if it doesn't work attach that project to this post along with the name of the filter you tried to apply?

 

Thanks

 

C

[dougier]

This is very bizarre! I've been trying this over the last few days and nothing has seemed to work. After reading your message I went in and tried to replicate so I could attach a project and submit, however, everything worked perfectly.

 

Obviously something I am doing wrong just not sure what. Either that or you are magic! LOL

 

thanks again for your quick response

 

dougie

[Callum]

Glad to hear that its working now :) If it comes back let me know!

 

C

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

If I do any function such as Level adjustments, filters will not work. If I try the filters after loading the photos, they seem to work fine. Is there something I am missing or doing wrong?

[MEB]

Hi oahunet@hotmail.com,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Can you post a screenshot of  the Layers panel so we can see what's going on? Or alternatively the file you are working with?

Thanks.

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

Thank you for your quick reply.

 

Here are two screenshot examples. The Levels were adjusted in the first one, and the exposure in the second, before trying the filters. You can see that the filters are at maximum with no change in the photo.

 

A copy of one of the photos is attached.

 

Jeff

[crabtrem]

Hello,

  I am no expert. I am just trying to follow along.  And do not speak for any of the experts at Affinity.

 

That being said, my first thought is that you are not selecting your photo's layer.  When you add an adjustment, you can see it adds its own layer to the stack.  I believe you can change that behavior in the preferences, but that's for another time.

 

 

 

So I took your photo. I added an exposure adjustment. I then went to add a twirl filter, but by default I was still on the last layer I was working on, which was the adjustment.  I selected my photo layer, and applied the twirl filter.

 

If I am understanding your situation, I believe you need to just make sure you have the right layer selected you want to work on.

 

If I misunderstood, I apologize in advance.

 

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

Thank you for your suggestion. If I understand you correctly, that after copying the original:

- make the Level adjustments

- then apply the filter on that layer (which is selected.

If that is the correct process, there is no effect.

 

Also, I tried this:

- make the Level adjustments

- create a new layer

- apply filter

Again no effect.

 

Now, this seems to work now but didn't before I posted the question:

- make the Level adjustments

- apply live filter

 

If that is the way it is supposed to work, I might not understand the purpose of normal layers or maybe how to work with them.

[JimmyJack]

It doesn't look like anything is nested. Effects should pass through.

 

Can you post the .afphoto file with the adjustment layers that aren't working?

[crabtrem]

So here is my perspective on the situation.

 In this case I will use a Live filter to visualize.  

By default, the Live filter is placed as child or mask layer of the layer you select.  

So if I do nothing but open the file, add an adjustment (new layer), then add a Filter, or Live Filter it will be attempting to modify the selected layer.

Which in this case is the adjustment layer.

 

 

So from what I can tell, using the default Live filter placement. Which seems to work in the same way as a standard filter.

If you go through the steps, open the file, add your adjustment layer (exposure in this case), and then go straight to add a filter.

Your selected layer is the adjustment layer and you won't see any affect.

Select the background layer, and your filter works.

 

 

[JimmyJack]

Yeah, I get what you're saying. It just doesn't appear that anything's nested in oahu's layers.

[crabtrem]

It looks like he is using the window snapshot function in Preview or something similar.  In window mode, you will not be able to see pop-up windows, which for filters is where all your controls are at. So assuming that, I went with the process.  You would only see a nested layer with the Live filter, since the normal filter would be destructive, so only history would show if you used the command. No other trace on the snapshot.

I used the live filter to express the same idea, so you could visually see it, and I used the keyboard shortcuts to snapshot the screen, which will also include the pop-ups.

 

I am assuming a lot, but that's what I went with. If I'm wrong I apologize in advance.

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

Thanks. 

 

I didn't notice that the layers were not showing. 

 

Attached is another screenshot and the afphoto file.

IMG_1350.afphoto

[JimmyJack]

Ha.... the posted images have changed so I can't point to specifics. There's no longer a pic of his/her layers. 

But they were all one on top of each other, no arrows indicating anything nested underneath or Live filters off to the side.

The Adjustments he was using (Levels, Exposure etc) aren't available in the "normal" destructive (no layer) filter list. 

I assume that sliders were indeed moved within the adjustments themselves. In his words they were "at maximum"... if that's the case we really don't need to see the actual pop ups. 

 

Edit: okay, new pic. looking.

 

Edit 2: All woking fine here! You are opening, and adjusting, the adjustment controls yes? (sorry had to ask  :) )

In the sent file, the settings were only very slightly changed.

 

If you are indeed cranking up the sliders with no effect perhaps it's time for an app reset?

Not that's it doing/affecting anything.... but why the pixel layer on top?

[crabtrem]

I have only talked about what I see as working. I have never mentioned, or implied adjustments as being something that didn't work, or were destructive.  I only talked about Filters, and their non-destructive counterparts in Live Filters.  A simple method of what works and doesn't is the addition of an Adjustment Layer, then trying to add a Filter. When by default actions your layer selected will be the Adjustment layer and the Filter will try to apply itself to that layer, which results in zero results.

 

I have never implied that I felt any of the adjustment layers didn't work.  I only broached one scenario, that I felt was the most likely, to describe what was being described.

[JimmyJack]

Got it! No worries.

So have you taken a look at the .afphoto? Is what's setup there working on your end?

At this point I'm just trying to figure out why, in my estimation, a setup that should be working, isn't on oahu's end.

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

I don't know if this helps, but I have added same photo using adjustments (which work) and filters (which don't work if adjustments are used).

 

The (pixel) layer appears if I add a layer.

 

The screenshot shows the history.

 

Thanks for the help with this. 

IMG_1350 (2).afphoto

[JimmyJack]

So now I'm confused. I thought your adjustment layers weren't working. Okay, so not so much of a mystery after all.

 

As far as the other(s): Gaussian and Ripple.... you're trying to apply those from the Filters dropdown to empty pixel layers.

Either use those filters on layers with something in them. A destructive process as Crabtrem correctly points out.

Or....instead....

Use the live filters, in Layer dropdown, (stacked in line with the other adjustments or nest them all inside a specific image layer if you want them to be exclusive to that image..... iow not affect everything underneath them).

IMG_1350 (2) jj.afphoto

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

I see they work differently than I expected. I appreciate the explanation.

 

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to look at it and explain it.

[Madame]

If I can chime in... 

 

If you are sure that you are done with the adjustments layers, and don't want to change them.. -and have the top layer selected..

(This is destructive, you cant go back unless you delete this layer and start all over): Do a cmd. alt. shift. E.

This will pace a pixel layer which contains your picture with the adjustments.

And you are free to add a filter.

[oahunet@hotmail.com]

Good suggestion. Thanks.

[EgyptianCat]

In the Affinity program, the layers are automatically added if you use any filters, so that the layer that responds to the effect of the next filter, may become inactive. To make some filters work, you just must select the correct layer. For example, if you already applied some filters on the photo and the next filter does not work, select the "background" layer and try using the "non-working" filter on it. Hope this will help.

[PixelDude Raoul]

I have also a problem with my Live Filters. At school, attending the Affinity course on the school PC, when a Live Filter is opened the dialog screen to make the required modifications is opened immediately. Up to the last Affinity update it was working om my home PC as well. But now, nothing comes up any longer. Also clicking or double clicking on the  Live Filter doesn't help.
In the example (school exercice) nor the halftone filter nor the vignette filter is opening the specific modification box. I already closed the AP program and even restarted the PC ... no solution.

champagne4.afphoto

[carl123]

Do you ever use a second monitor at home?

If yes, reconnect it and check for the "modification" boxes on the second screen.