iPad Designer/Photo: Files versus App’s storage?

[VectorCat]

I’m still having a problem maybe visualizing the difference between Designer and Photo’s own “gallery” / file storage place, and Affinity apps’ folders within the iPad OS Files app.

Sometimes, I see things in both places, wondering which is the “real” one..I want to manage my files, and know with certainty where things are, and know which is which.

Thank you!

[Dan C]

Hi @VectorCat 

With files shown in the homescreen of the Affinity app, these can be documents opened from a variety of sources, and may have never been manually saved at all, as any document here that has not been saved is technically a 'temporary' file.

When creating, or opening a document within Affinity iOS, you are working on a temporary copy of this file, which can only be accessed through the iOS app.

Once you've manually saved this file to a physical location, such as within the Affinity folder through Files, this is the location for the physical file but it will still show in the Affinity app - hence the 'duplicate' you're seeing.

I always recommend dealing with the physical files in the Affinity folder through Files (or wherever else you have manually saved the file), as these are the 'real' hard copies of your Affinity documents.

I hope this clears things ups!

[VectorCat]

Yes, Dan C, that is most helpful.

What’s the cause when there are 2 instances of a drawing in the Affinity forum? I didn’t (knowlingly) make a duplicate of it..both contain the same things, have same name, yet have different “tiles” in the Affinity home folder.

Thank you for any clarification on this bit!

[Dan C]

No problem at all!

2 minutes ago, VectorCat said:

What’s the cause when there are 2 instances of a drawing in the Affinity forum? I didn’t (knowlingly) make a duplicate of it..both contain the same things, have same name, yet have different “tiles” in the Affinity home folder.

Apologies, are you referring to documents that are showing as 'Open' in the homescreen of the Affinity app, or a document file that has been saved into the Affinity folder within Files?

[VectorCat]

I mean that in the Affinity "home" folder - within Affinity Designer, I see 2 tiles of the same drawing. They have the same name, and when I open them, they contain the same things I drew. That seems puzzling..I did not knowingly duplicate the drawing, not sure how it could've happened.

 

Thank you, Dan

[Paul Mudditt]

18 hours ago, VectorCat said:

I mean that in the Affinity "home" folder - within Affinity Designer, I see 2 tiles of the same drawing. They have the same name, and when I open them, they contain the same things I drew. That seems puzzling..I did not knowingly duplicate the drawing, not sure how it could've happened.

 

Thank you, Dan

Think of the Affinity home page like having Safari browser open with two tabs both looking at the BBC web site. The Affinity home page is just a temporary sandbox, a tab on a web browser not a storage location. Just like with an open web browser you can move forwards and backwards in your file history like your browsing history so long as you have the tab open.  Always save your work outside of the app in On my iPad or in iCloud folders and remember to close the temporary file on the Home Screen.

 

[VectorCat]

Based on the timestamp of that affinity designer file - the timestamp I see in the Files app, I’m pretty sure that that file is saved to On My iPad > Files > Affinity Designer.

Using your Safari Tabs metaphor, Paul, I have no idea how or why there’d by 2 instances of a file on the Affinity home screen. When I see duplicate files - whatever the reason - I get a queasy feeling that, right there, before my eyes, is evidence that I’ve lost control of my files.

To me, this does not feel good at all. It’s most worrisome.

 

[VectorCat]

**Also, I just closed one of the “instances” of the file in question on Affinity’s home screen. The other instance remained, but then got a spinning gear, as though saving. That was over a minute ago. Its tile is now black, spinning gear still going..  I just quit Affinity, and re-launched it, and the 2nd instance of that file is now gone!!

The copy or instance in Files is still there. Browser metaphors aside, I simply feel my trust in what I’m seeing unravelling. I feel very concerned that I can not trust what I’m seeing..

Are my files there or are they not? Which is which? These are questions requiring a hard, firm, resounding answer. Either yes or no, not kinda-sorta, sometimes it’s here,  sometimes it’s there.

Help, Please!

[VectorCat]

I just rebooted the iPad, re-launched Affinity. File not there. Tried to open from the Files app. File not there.

Something is gravely ill here. Files app shows the file is there, inside Affinity Designer folder. Affinity Designer can not open it because it does not see this file which Fill app shows as there, modified yesterday afternoon at 3:20pm.

Where could the file have gone and why am I being shown non-truth as to where this file is, and how many instances of it there are?

PS: I was able to move the file from Files to a USB Drive, then back to files. From there the file opened in Designer.

I’m mystified as to the origin of this problem.

[Paul Mudditt]

2 hours ago, VectorCat said:

I just rebooted the iPad, re-launched Affinity. File not there. Tried to open from the Files app. File not there.

Something is gravely ill here. Files app shows the file is there, inside Affinity Designer folder. Affinity Designer can not open it because it does not see this file which Fill app shows as there, modified yesterday afternoon at 3:20pm.

Where could the file have gone and why am I being shown non-truth as to where this file is, and how many instances of it there are?

PS: I was able to move the file from Files to a USB Drive, then back to files. From there the file opened in Designer.

I’m mystified as to the origin of this problem.

Once I realised that iCloud files is just like a hard disk drive, and you can create your own folder structures from the root upwards, that is where I now store all my files and generally ignore the auto-created folder that apps create in those locations. So I have a 0-Affinity Photo, 0-Affinity Designer, 0-Raw, 0-Slices, 0-Affinity Resources etc folders and manage all files my self. The 0 means I see my folders first alphabetically. My home screen in the app only has the files I am currently working on, nothing else to avoid problems like you are seeing.

[VectorCat]

Your scheme sounds good, and I assume it could also be done ON the iPad?

I am not interested in using iCloud, and I hate the feeling of being slowly corralled into using it.

[Paul Mudditt]

1 hour ago, VectorCat said:

Your scheme sounds good, and I assume it could also be done ON the iPad?

I am not interested in using iCloud, and I hate the feeling of being slowly corralled into using it.

Sure but to be honest the biggest innovation about the iPad is iCloud. I use now the 2TB option, the file optimisation means I have nearly 400GB of files and 40’000+ photos on my 128GB iPad Pro, with plenty of free space. The way infrequently used files are offloaded but accessible anytime I need them is great. Plus this is a secure backup so if I lost my device I won’t ever lose my data.