Affinity Photo: How Can I Create a Smart Object?

[FotoHawk]

When editing my images in PS I'd always create a Smart Layer ("Convert to Smart Object") that would allow possible changes at a later date. Kind of like an editable history, but for individual filters like those in the NIK collection. 

Can I do the same in Affinity Photo? If yes, where can I find a tutorial that would show me how? If no, is there a similar work-around?

Edited February 21, 2021 by FotoHawk

[firstdefence]

Affinity Photo cannot create Smart-Objects, that is a feature of Photoshop (PS). In some instances Affinity Photo can edit a PS created Smart-Object but that really depends on what other PS features were used to create it.

 

[Trinity]

Live filters act in a very similar way to smart objects in ps.  You can apply one and then go back some time later to edit it.

[John Rostron]

56 minutes ago, Trinity said:

Live filters act in a very similar way to smart objects in ps.  You can apply one and then go back some time later to edit it.

But you cannot edit what you have done in a plugin.

John

[FotoHawk]

Bummer, feels like stepping back in time to the days/years we waited for PS to have such a feature. Hopefully Affinity will adopt something similar. If we could save and edit History without affecting other steps in that history would be incredibly valuable. 

The only way around this would be to save several images after adding a filter in each, like saving my steps along the way. This combined with saving multiple custom filters in NIK may be daunting, but the only way around it.

[VisionExpander]

Has the creation of "smart object" capability been added to Affinity 2.0?  Or something similar?
Best regards,

[LeoPold]

Edit/place works like smart objects in PS.
Just make sure your placed image in linked and not embedded in the resource manager, and then use the update button in the resource manager to update external files. It would be nice if AP did the updates automagically though, to skip this last step. 

[Armegalo]

On 4/19/2024 at 10:26 AM, LeoPold said:

Edit/place works like smart objects in PS.
Just make sure your placed image in linked and not embedded in the resource manager, and then use the update button in the resource manager to update external files. It would be nice if AP did the updates automagically though, to skip this last step. 

I note this is now automatically updated if your placement policy (file/placement policy) is set to linked

 

[walt.farrell]

26 minutes ago, Armegalo said:

I note this is now automatically updated if your placement policy (file/placement policy) is set to linked

It's only done automatically if your application Settings say to update automatically and the images are Linked. Otherwise it only happens automatically during Open when you have Linked images, or when you tell the Resource Manager to do it.

[Agint]

I don't understand, how do i use "Edit/place works" ? Where is the menus to make this?

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Agint said:

I don't understand, how do i use "Edit/place works" ? Where is the menus to make this?

It isn’t “Edit/place works”, it’s “Edit/Place”. In other words, it’s the “Place…” command on the Edit menu, and it works like a Smart Object in Photoshop.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, Alfred said:

It isn’t “Edit/place works”, it’s “Edit/Place”. In other words, it’s the “Place…” command on the Edit menu, and it works like a Smart Object in Photoshop.

I think it was Place from the File menu, then Edit from the Context Toolbar.

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

I think it was Place from the File menu, then Edit from the Context Toolbar.

I think you’re right, Walt! Thanks for the correction.

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome, Alfred.