Drag & Drop (Windows)

[Sam Neil]

Am I missing a step while dragging an image into Photos and if I drag another, rather than opening it, it places it on top of the already opened image.

[Aad Slingerland]

Hasn't that always been the case? I dont recall it was different in the past (AP 1.8.5 now)

[Sam Neil]

6 minutes ago, Aad Slingerland said:

Hasn't that always been the case? I dont recall it was different in the past (AP 1.8.5 now)

Well this is not good! Pretty useless and a flaw in design....

[telemax]

[MEB]

Hi Sam Neil,
If you drag the document over the main and context toolbars (or over the application frame without any document opened) Affinity will open them as new documents. If you drag the images over an existing document/canvas they will be inserted as new (Image) layers.

[GarryP]

6 minutes ago, MEB said:

without any document opened

Opening a new document that way also works if you already have an open document.

[Sam Neil]

Hi MEB

Thank you for the clarification - However I think in terms of UX, this is a flaw as the natural tendency is to drag and drop over the image. May I suggest at least to have an option to hold a certain key why dragging to signify drag & drop so the app should open it as new document.

Sam

[MEB]

@GarryP,
I should have been more clear: without any document opened refers to when you drag over the application frame only - i've added parenthesis to the original post to make it more clear.

[Sam Neil]

2 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Opening a new document that way also works if you already have an open document.

What I meant was not a new doc but an existing doc that has been dropped. 

[Sam Neil]

18 minutes ago, telemax said:

Thank you for that as @MEB has also explained. I personally think this is unintuitive and flawed design as there is no visual feed back (Cursor change for example) to indicate the action...

[GarryP]

Sam Neil: Are you talking about documents (e.g. AFPHOTO files) or images?
You first post mentions images but your latest post mentions documents.
Can you be more specific in what your requirements are as, as far as I can tell, you can get what you want just not in the way you want?

[Sam Neil]

1 minute ago, GarryP said:

Sam Neil: Are you talking about documents (e.g. AFPHOTO files) or images?
You first post mentions images but your latest post mentions documents.
Can you be more specific in what your requirements are as, as far as I can tell, you can get what you want just not in the way you want?

Sorry - What I meant is the file (image) I refer to it as document. I think there is a flaw in the way Photos handles drag and drop as the normal behaviour should "Open the file (document) as new" when it is dropped in the application. If you have an image (document) opened and you drop another, it pastes it on top of the currently opened file (document) and this should not be the case and Photos should handle it as new (document) and open it rather than paste it on top of the existing one. I have just been told if I drag the image on top of the toolbar it will "Open" it - which I think flawed and unintuitive. Hope this is clear.

Photos should open each image that is dragged and dropped into it within the canvas area and not on top of the toolbar.

[Move Along People]

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[Move Along People]

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[Sam Neil]

Just now, haakoo said:

If no document is open and you drag a file to the workspace it will open that file in the workspace
If you drag aother file to the same workspace it will add the file to the document and places it.
If you drag a file to the surrounding frame/contexttoolbar of the app, it will open a new document and will indicate you with "loading 1 document" top right of the app.

We have established that. So I have no idea what your point is...

[Move Along People]

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[Sam Neil]

1 minute ago, haakoo said:

You're welcome 😞

I am sorry I did not mean to sound rude but the point I am trying to make is there should a better feedback in terms of this process. I had no idea I could drag it on the toolbar. Affinity make truly amazing software and yet are let down by the most basic elements such as this or (Loading document...) to top right hand side of the toolbar. These are not good design and UI/UX practices for such a great application.

[telemax]

12 minutes ago, Sam Neil said:

I think there is a flaw in the way Photos handles drag and drop as the normal behaviour should "Open the file (document) as new" when it is dropped in the application.

In my case, this will slow down working with layouts! Different tasks, different logic.

What is the conclusion from this?
We need to choose the behavior in the settings.

[Sam Neil]

2 minutes ago, telemax said:

In my case, this will slow down working with layouts! Different tasks, different logic.

What is the conclusion from this?
We need to choose the behavior in the settings.

I suggest assigning a key and while you hold it it will open it otherwise it will do what it currently does.

[Move Along People]

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[telemax]

1 minute ago, Sam Neil said:

I suggest assigning a key and while you hold it it will open it otherwise it will do what it currently does.

I agree. This is a good solution!

[GarryP]

Changing the software to remove useful existing functionality – being able to drag and drop an image to create a new layer at a specific place in an existing document – is not something I can support.
However, making the mouse pointer change to show a difference in functionality depending on where the pointer is – as mentioned above – is something I can support.
Note: Adding a key modifier to the drag/drop process will not work as the key will have to be pressed (and kept down) outside of the Affinity applications’ scope of control.

[Sam Neil]

14 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Changing the software to remove useful existing functionality – being able to drag and drop an image to create a new layer at a specific place in an existing document – is not something I can support.
However, making the mouse pointer change to show a difference in functionality depending on where the pointer is – as mentioned above – is something I can support.
Note: Adding a key modifier to the drag/drop process will not work as the key will have to be pressed (and kept down) outside of the Affinity applications’ scope of control.

I disagree as most of the time when you drag the file the original window would be on top of the host application (Photos) and once you drag it over you have the focus of the application. So I do not see why pressing and holding a key would present a problem. Anyhow the cursor would definitely be very helpful.

[Pšenda]

46 minutes ago, GarryP said:

the mouse pointer change to show a difference in functionality

I have already suggested this, for example, for distinguishing the function with/without aspect ratio in the Move Tool. It is a pity that Affinity does not use such basic UI/UX principles.

 

48 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Adding a key modifier to the drag/drop process will not work as the key will have to be pressed (and kept down) outside of the Affinity applications’ scope of control.

Why? Pressing the modifier key is important before performing Drop action, not before Drag action, which only indicates the object with which the operation is to be performed.

[R C-R]

I don't know about Windows but on Macs, if you drop a file into a workspace area containing an existing canvas, artboard, or page, it is placed in that canvas, artboard, or page. If you drop it outside of a workspace area containing an existing canvas, artboard, or page (even if it is in the same workspace window or tab), it is opened as a new document.

To me this seems completely logical & intuitive. After all, a workspace area containing an existing canvas, artboard, or page defines the boundaries (or if you prefer the extent) of that document's canvas or of one of its artboards or pages, so it seems completely natural to me that dropping anything within those boundaries will be added to that document, & conversely that dropping anything outside those boundaries will not become a part of it.