Multiple Words Users Folder Support in Windows 10 for Affinity Designer

[RendCycle]

Affinity Designer has a bug recognizing Windows 10 Users folder name if it has two (2) or more words and divided by spaces (i.e. "John Doe" vs. "John"). The software automatically truncates the Users name and divides it into several error prompt windows based on the number of available words. This will be noticeable and can be an issue when using a third-party software like Cartoon Animator 4 Pipeline that can launch a PSD file within to open it in Affinity Designer. With this, the program will not be able to find the correct directory path to the said PSD file and will display error messages.

I've upgraded my Windows 7 Operating System in the past into Windows 10 without formatting my main hard drive and it has retained the name of my Users folder. In the past, I am guessing Windows can also generate two or more words for the Users folder name and only in newer versions of Windows was the automatic generation of multiple-worded Users folder name was removed.

But I hope this issue will be fixed in the next patch to Affinity Designer to avoid confusion to others who will encounter a similar scenario. This will also avoid the hassle of the need to possibly migrate all other installed software to any new User account created in Windows 10 just to have a single-worded Users folder name and make things work for Affinity Designer.

NOTE: I've already reported this to Affinity Tech Support and just posted the info here again in case someone is looking for answer to the same problem. Thanks for the quick action and email reply from Affinity Tech Support.

[walt.farrell]

Are you sure the issue is with Designer?

If a path name has spaces in it, then often one needs to put quote marks (") around the complete name. I don't know Cartoon Animator, but if you had to configure it to invoke Designer, and if that configuartion involves specifying an argument that includes a path or file name, possibly you forgot to include the required " around the name?

[iconoclast]

I never had problems with spaces in filenames in windows 10 - even with Affinity Software, but I once had huge problems with an umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in the name of my User-Folder, that unfortunately exists in my name, because I am german. This is also a problem with domain-names, because many countries don't use umlaut-letters. And that is also the reason why many fonts don't contain umlaut-letters. Could your problem have to do with this?

[RendCycle]

5 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Are you sure the issue is with Designer?

If a path name has spaces in it, then often one needs to put quote marks (") around the complete name. I don't know Cartoon Animator, but if you had to configure it to invoke Designer, and if that configuartion involves specifying an argument that includes a path or file name, possibly you forgot to include the required " around the name?

Based on my initial tests, there is a high chance the issue could be with Affinity Designer.  Adobe Photoshop CS + Cartoon Animator 4 Pipeline is working just fine using my current Users folder name which has two words and no other special characters. I also made another test by creating a new User account in Win 10 which generated a single Users folder name. Affinity Designer + Cartoon Animator 4 Pipeline worked in that set up too. 

Here is the cropped image I showed to Affinity Tech Support that helped us determine the possible issue. The two error prompt windows contain the truncated directory path and it got divided in the empty space section of my full username. I've blurred out my Users folder and some other info for privacy reasons. 

 

 

[RendCycle]

4 hours ago, iconoclast said:

I never had problems with spaces in filenames in windows 10 - even with Affinity Software, but I once had huge problems with an umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in the name of my User-Folder, that unfortunately exists in my name, because I am german. This is also a problem with domain-names, because many countries don't use umlaut-letters. And that is also the reason why many fonts don't contain umlaut-letters. Could your problem have to do with this?

I don't use special characters on my full username so that couldn't be it. I am guessing the code in Affinity Designer that handles empty spaces on folder names when a call originated from an external software might have been omitted. I agree with sir walt.farrell that it could just be a simple quotation mark to contain the two words for the Users folder name. But this can only be done in Affinity Designer code because in Cartoon Animator 4 Preferences screen, I can only browse and specify the EXE file of Affinity Designer and there is no way to add any text to modify the full directory path.

[Pšenda]

If the file name is passed as a parameter (or as one of many parameters), then the application called in this way has no way to distinguish, what the file name is, when there is a space in the middle - which is interpreted at Windows level and passed as two different parameters. You need to fix this at the calling application level so that you always pass the file name encapsulated in quotation marks.

[RendCycle]

15 hours ago, Pšenda said:

If the file name is passed as a parameter (or as one of many parameters), then the application called in this way has no way to distinguish, what the file name is, when there is a space in the middle - which is interpreted at Windows level and passed as two different parameters. You need to fix this at the calling application level so that you always pass the file name encapsulated in quotation marks.

hmm... You might be right. I just made another test using Clip Studio Paint Pro and a similar error happened. I've now contacted  Reallusion tech support to see what they will say about this. There is no error when using a non-CC Adobe Photoshop version though.

Thanks for the tip!

[Pšenda]

For test:
I have file with space in Name

Make file shortcuts in File Explorer,

and look into Properties:
:
 

Windows automatically encapsulates the file name, including its path, in quotation marks to eliminate space dividing issues.
This encapsulation must be performed on the calling application. If it does not do it automatically (the passed / filename parameters are encapsulated), then it would like to try to set it somewhere (as in the specified file shortcuts).

[RendCycle]

Reallusion Tech Support informed me that this issue will be fixed on a future patch. I have already reset my Windows 10 OS and it automatically generated a single word Users folder name. My main hard drive was also erased so I have to finish reinstalling all the other software I need. But I have already tested Affinity Designer in Cartoon Animator 4 Pipeline and launching a PSD is now working fine! 🙂 

I now have also bought Affinity Designer too since I just can't resist the recent 50% off promo. Thanks for all the help guys! 🙂

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, RendCycle said:

I now have also bought Affinity Designer

I thought you already had it - see your question.
But mainly that the problem is solved 🙂