[Usability request] Default gradient colors

[Jowday]

The default gradient is white to grey - it should be white to black like in fx Photoshop
Black to white is the most widespread colors used on layer masks in photography - and it is a pain to change the grey color stop to black in Photo. And every bloody time you draw a gradient it defaults to useless grey.
Here is Photoshop's gradient toolbar - ready for an efficient workflow:

 

 

[Guenter Diel]

+1

Yes, please change that!

The default white to black would save me hundreds of unnecessary clicks.

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[Jowday]

35 minutes ago, haakoo said:

tip:style

Tip: DEFAULT

usability

/ˌjuːzəˈbɪləti/

 

noun

 

1. the degree to which something is able or fit to be used.

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[Move Along People]

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[Jowday]

Now that you have proven that you don't understand the core principles of usability, and even showed us the problem and annoyance with an example, I rest my case.

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[IPv6]

Would be great to have an ability to have several gradient tools defaults. Which remembers colors, points on line and gradient type altogether.

Initial state of gradient tool (including color and type of gradient) should not be "hardcoded"

Just like choosing brush predefines size, blend mode, etc (if set in brush)

[IPv6]

15 hours ago, haakoo said:

1==1 click

2==1 drag

very usable

what that cryptic stuff should mean? just curious

[AndyQ]

10 hours ago, IPv6 said:

what that cryptic stuff should mean? just curious

like, how do you set the colours of the gradient start and end points BEFORE clicking and dragging? I'm trying to match existing colours on an image and want to pick start and end point colours from that image, but I seem to have to draw the gradient first and it's always white to light-grey, which then obscures the image I'm trying to pick the start/end colours from. I can't fathom the gradient tool at all.... and why default to white and light grey when making gradients on masks? Surely white to black would be the default choice?

[IPv6]

7 hours ago, AndyQ said:

like, how do you set the colours of the gradient start and end points BEFORE clicking and dragging? I'm trying to match existing colours on an image and want to pick start and end point colours from that image, but I seem to have to draw the gradient first and it's always white to light-grey, which then obscures the image I'm trying to pick the start/end colours from. I can't fathom the gradient tool at all.... and why default to white and light grey when making gradients on masks? Surely white to black would be the default choice?

imho there is no single default, better to have gradients present that can be choosen like brush... this would be much more useful

 

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[Murfee]

8 hours ago, AndyQ said:

I'm trying to match existing colours on an image and want to pick start and end point colours from that image, but I seem to have to draw the gradient first and it's always white to light-grey, which then obscures the image I'm trying to pick the start/end colours from

Hi Andy, I understand your frustration. There is a trick to making this simple, draw you shape that you are adding the gradient to, make this shape's layer invisible, Draw your initial gradient over the shape, you will notice that only the stops are visible, select your first stop and alt/opt click on the colour you need, click along the gradient line to add further stops and alt/opt click to directly add your picked colours. I have used Publisher for the recording but the principle is the same for all Affinity apps.

You could save your gradient as a style, or add the current fill to a swatch.

Hope this eases some of the pain until the gradient tool is improved.

 

 

 

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[IPv6]

3 hours ago, haakoo said:

There's nothing cryptic about it;

Create a style from the gradient and it is there to click when ever you need a certain gradient with the fill/gradient tool

And create an asset of it and it will be exportable and there to drag on the canvas.

Also one can create gradients and store them in the gradients swatch, part of the colour swatches panel, so you can address them by clicking a swatch.

 

I see. Unfortunately this is not working in Q mode // For me this is the quite frequent way to put partial transparency for brush stroke
And initial grayness indeed is not useful here.

Also, dragging is not fast comparing to choosing right gradient from the start

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[AndyQ]

10 hours ago, Murfee said:

....draw you shape that you are adding the gradient to, make this shape's layer invisible....

Clever; Thanks (I was replacing a sky but wanted to pull the gradient colours from the original sky, but that was obscured as soon as I made the gradient). You get bonus points for beating this level..

[Fritz_H]

On 11/12/2020 at 2:12 AM, Jowday said:

The default gradient is white to grey - it should be white to black like in fx Photoshop
Black to white is the most widespread colors used on layer masks in photography - and it is a pain to change the grey color stop to black in Photo. And every bloody time you draw a gradient it defaults to useless grey.

1. I fully agree with you suggestion - one more example of those many usability-issues the Affinity-Products have...
2. I fully understand your frustration with people who refuse to understand the principle of usability...