Macro: copy / paste current clipboard data

[Gonzini3000]

Hello, 
I just wanted to re-launch this feature request:
It seems illogical to store the clipboard data of the original recording steps in a macro and then reuse it for future playbacks. 
The action to edit>CUT in a macro is not even CUT anymore… it's just the removal of the current selection, because when pasted, the original data (stored in the macro) is inserted. 
Also: being able to copy parts of an image and paste it into the same document is fundamental for many workflows. 

[John Rostron]

Unfortunately this is the way that the current implementation of macros works. Each step is hard-coded into the macro, including dimensions and images copied via Control-C. Try using Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste.

John

[Gonzini3000]

I understand.
That's why I submitted it as a feature request…
Btw: the the whole "macro" function could need some love from the folks at Affinity (edit / reorder steps, etc.)
Also: it's unclear (for me at least) what the thoughts behind the embedded clipboard was. In what way is this useful?
 

[Bogdan]

On 12/14/2020 at 12:43 PM, John Rostron said:

Each step is hard-coded into the macro, including dimensions and images copied via Control-C. Try using Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste.

Should exclude the images. Copy should be hard-coded into the macro. 

[IPv6]

Nice request! There is a workaround for SOME cases - spare channels actions are recorded properly. So you can record "Spare channel creation" on one layer and "Load spare channel into ..." on another. This gives kind of inplace copy-paste, properly recorded in macro. Mostly useful for masks

[EdTech]

Just casting our vote that we really need this feature. We can't leave Photoshop without it.

Great work overall on the product though BTW, getting super close!!

[EdTech]

Argh. A year later and an upgrade to Affinity 2 and I still can't Copy/Paste each new file in a Macro. Come on guys. Gotta have this. A Batch file should be able to copy the current file, not the original file that was used to record the macro.

[carl123]

17 minutes ago, EdTech said:

Argh. A year later and an upgrade to Affinity 2 and I still can't Copy/Paste each new file in a Macro. Come on guys. Gotta have this. A Batch file should be able to copy the current file, not the original file that was used to record the macro.

What specifically are you trying to do?

Sometimes there are workarounds when using macros

[EdTech]

We process still photos for video slideshows, where we resize and crop photos, creating a blurred background of the same photo to fill in the "sides" of the photo when it's not a pure HD aspect ratio.

So we:

• Resize to the correct height
• Copy this version of the photo.
• Resize, crop and blur it to make a correctly-sized, HD background,
• Then paste the original (copied in the previous step) on top.

I'd love to hear a creative solution if you have one. Thanks!

[carl123]

I have totally run out of time for today and tomorrow

But try something like this...

• Resize to the correct height
• Duplicate this version of the photo.  (Layer > Duplicate)
• Resize, crop and blur it to make a correctly-sized, HD background,
• Then move the original (duplicated in the previous step) on top.

 

 

[EdTech]

Hmmm . . . I almost had a different way figured out, using `transform` instead of `resize`. But when it stores my initial `resize`, it's hard-coding the width change, rather than just the vertical height resize. So it only works on images that are exactly the same aspect ratio.

Any way to record a "resize" event when feeding it just the vertical dimension? So that it just maintains the aspect ratio?

[walt.farrell]

6 hours ago, EdTech said:

Any way to record a "resize" event when feeding it just the vertical dimension? So that it just maintains the aspect ratio?

You might be able to with Filters > Distort > Equations.

[John Rostron]

Or you could do this:

 

[EdTech]

Using equations in the Transform panel ALMOST works, but for some reason you can't input the equation w*(1920/w) into the Transform panel. Specifically, it can't process 1920/w. Or any integer divided by w. It will accept w/2 or 2*w, but not 2/w.

SO much time and effort to try to reproduce something that's so enormously simple in Photoshop. I must really want to replace photoshop, haha.

[InfiniteAmbienceArt]

I had the same issue with using copy and paste. It was pasting the image from when the macro was created, not what is currently in the copy buffer. That seems like a definite bug.

THERE IS A SOULTION - Simply use the (Layer > Duplicate) function instead, (suggested by Carl123 above).

Note for the forum admin. Having to check "I'm not a robot" 3x while typing this is not helpful :)

[EdTech]

Yes, Duplicate gets it close. It doesn't quite work for me in this case because I want to paste/duplicate it in AFTER I've made some other adjustments to canvas size, etc.

[John Rostron]

On 12/17/2022 at 5:29 PM, EdTech said:

Using equations in the Transform panel ALMOST works, but for some reason you can't input the equation w*(1920/w) into the Transform panel. Specifically, it can't process 1920/w. Or any integer divided by w. It will accept w/2 or 2*w, but not 2/w.

What is the difference between w*(1920/w) and 1920?

John

[EdTech]

On 1/15/2023 at 1:44 AM, John Rostron said:

What is the difference between w*(1920/w) and 1920?

John

Right now I'm just jumping through hoops to get Affinity Pro to try and scale an image proportionally within a macro. Right now the macro hard-codes the exact value I scale it to, so if I try to adjust an image with a different aspect ratio it breaks it. So the math there is so that i can try to tell the macro to scale it based on its width. Then the height would be h*(1920/w).

So in photoshop I would just scale the image's x value to 1920, and the y value would scale proportionately. But Affinity Pro wants to hard code EVERYTHING into the macro. Ugh.

In the end, all I need is a way to tell the macro to scale the image to 1920 "proportionately". The software currently DOES scale it proportionately when you do it individually. But the macro records a hard value for both x and y, rather than just the "x" value, and let the "y" value follow along proportionately. If that makes sense.

Hopefully someone can point out the "proportionally" checkbox or something . . . 

[walt.farrell]

30 minutes ago, EdTech said:

Right now I'm just jumping through hoops to get Affinity Pro to try and scale an image proportionally within a macro.

You need to use Filters > Distort > Equations.. You'll find some macros in the Resources section for doing that. E.g., 

or 

or 

 

 

 

 

[Martin Thomas]

I came here looking for solutions to the same issue. After more than 4 years the Affinity Team still has not addressed this issue. In my case, I load 2 documents. I simply want a macro that will:

1. Resize document number 2 canvas from 4"x4" to 8"x4"

2. Switch to document number 1, select all and copy

3. Switch back to document number 2 and paste the copied document into the blank space of the current document

4. Flatten and save.

I can make such a macro, but the result is always the same. The image that was copied when the macro was made is always pasted into any subsequent uses of the macro.

I have read many posts, but have not found a suitable solution for what, in my opinion, should be an easy process. I have tried using all keyboard commands, and all mouse clicks, and combinations of both. Can anyone describe a working solution to this issue? I am a rookie with Affinity, but I have been able to find solutions to other processes I use. This one has me stumped. 

[stevencasteel]

What a puzzle!

"Duplicate" was the solution I needed to workaround both "cut" and "copy" storing the original image in the macro.

After you duplicate, label the new layer, then deselect everything.

The trick is to delete the inverse of what you were originally trying to copy.

Then on the other layer delete the inverse of what you JUST DELETED.

I used guides with the magnet snapping to place everything where needed, along with typing in coordinates directly.

Couple other notes that might help people...

At some point in the chain it may be useful to "Merge Visible" and manipulate that layer.

To get around not being able to save and export files that were macrod, use your saved macro in the "new batch job" section.