Designer Cannot scroll layers panel by dragging

[GlennG]

I saw this reported in the past but find no solution.  I have version 1.9.1.979 running on Windows desktop.  I can no longer drag layers up and down in the layers panel because the panel will not scroll.  It doesn't matter how I position the mouse when I move it up or down.  This worked before and I am not sure when it stopped.  I even created a simple file with just 10 blank layers and tried to move layer 1 to layer 10 to scroll the panel but it would not.   If I scroll the mouse wheel while dragging the layer, the panel will scroll but this is very cumbersome.  I cannot find any setting related to this.  Auto-scroll is on but my understanding is that this has nothing to do with the problem I am describing.

[carl123]

4 hours ago, GlennG said:

Auto-scroll is on but my understanding is that this has nothing to do with the problem I am describing.

There are two Auto-scroll settings (not sure which one you are referring to)

The one you need to be switched on is the one associated with the Layers Panel

With the Layers panel active, click the Hamburger menu to the right of it and select Auto-Scroll there

[GlennG]

Thanks,  but that is the auto-scroll I was referring to as already on. It makes sure the layers panel scrolls to any object you click to make active.  That works fine.  My problem occurs when you try to drag a layer up or down in the panel. It will not scroll beyond the few layers visible in the panel. 

[carl123]

2 minutes ago, GlennG said:

My problem occurs when you try to drag a layer up or down in the panel. It will not scroll beyond the few layers visible in the panel. 

That also happens to me if I switch Auto-Scroll off. With it on I can drag & scroll beyond visible layers

Strange scrolling is not working for you

You may need to try a CTRL-Runup reset, if no one else has another suggestion

[Pšenda]

10 hours ago, GlennG said:

Auto-scroll is on but my understanding is that this has nothing to do with the problem I am describing.

So if I understand your problem correctly, it is directly related. If Auto-scroll is not turned on, dragging a moving layer to the edge of the Layers panel will not scroll it. If this option is enabled, the layer list will scroll automatically.

[Pšenda]

4 minutes ago, carl123 said:

That also happens to me if I switch Auto-Scroll off. With it on I can drag & scroll beyond visible layers

It works the same way for me (I have version 1.8.5).
However, as described in the help:

• Auto-Scroll—when selected (default), the selected object's layer entry immediately comes into view in the Layers panel.

I would expect a slightly different function for this "Auto-scroll". I would expect, that if I select an object on the canvas/document, it will automatically appear in the Layers panel.
But that doesn't work for me at all.

[iconoclast]

Is "Autoscrolling" in the "Preferences" ("User Interface") activated?

[carl123]

The function to bring a selected object into view in the Layers panel is controlled by

Edit > Preference > User Interface

Auto Scroll to show selection in Layers panel

(In 1.8.5 it was called Show selection in Layers panel)

 

 

[GlennG]

Yes - autoscrolling is ON in both places but the problem persists.  I will give an example.  Create a new document and create 10 layers.  The bottom layer is 1, the top layer is 10.  Set your layers panel size to show about 4 layers.  Now try to drag layer 1 up so that it is above the top layer, layer 10.  When your mouse pointer hits the top of the layers panel it should scroll the contents of the panel until layer 10 comes into view and you can drop level 1 above it.  This is the feature that stopped working.  To repeat, both auto scrolling settings are ON and this does not impact the problem.  Unless there is a setting I missed, something broke.   The only way to make the window scroll is to drag the layer up and then turn the scroll wheel on the mouse, which is cumbersome and not the way it worked befoer

[carl123]

5 minutes ago, GlennG said:

Yes - autoscrolling is ON in both places but the problem persists.  I will give an example.  Create a new document and create 10 layers.  The bottom layer is 1, the top layer is 10.  Set your layers panel size to show about 4 layers.  Now try to drag layer 1 up so that it is above the top layer, layer 10.  When your mouse pointer hits the top of the layers panel it should scroll the contents of the panel until layer 10 comes into view and you can drop level 1 above it.  This is the feature that stopped working.  To repeat, both auto scrolling settings are ON and this does not impact the problem.  Unless there is a setting I missed, something broke.   The only way to make the window scroll is to drag the layer up and then turn the scroll wheel on the mouse, which is cumbersome and not the way it worked befoer

Works as expected for me but I use a tablet & pen, I wonder if it has something to do with a mouse and scroll wheel?

I don't have one of those to test it

[Dazmondo77]

10 hours ago, GlennG said:

I can no longer drag layers up and down in the layers panel because the panel will not scroll.

Have you tried just quitting and restarting Designer, first without resetting - this has worked for me on the couple of occasions I've experienced a similar problem

[GlennG]

Yes. I have quit and restarted Designer as well as the PC itself.

[GlennG]

I just tried the same thing in Affinity Publisher and the same problem occurs.  I tried a limited reset of Designer by pressing <Ctrl> while starting and just accepting the first three options that were checked by default.  This did not help.  I have to emphasize that this problem just started recently.  It all worked fine until now.  I am a new user but have been using both programs for over a month now and on a daily basis.

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, carl123 said:

(In 1.8.5 it was called Show selection in Layers panel)

Yes, it works - I haven't had it selected in all applications.

[GlennG]

 

4 hours ago, GlennG said:

Yes - autoscrolling is ON in both places but the problem persists.  I will give an example.  Create a new document and create 10 layers.  The bottom layer is 1, the top layer is 10.  Set your layers panel size to show about 4 layers.  Now try to drag layer 1 up so that it is above the top layer, layer 10.  When your mouse pointer hits the top of the layers panel it should scroll the contents of the panel until layer 10 comes into view and you can drop level 1 above it.  This is the feature that stopped working.  To repeat, both auto scrolling settings are ON and this does not impact the problem.  Unless there is a setting I missed, something broke.   The only way to make the window scroll is to drag the layer up and then turn the scroll wheel on the mouse, which is cumbersome and not the way it worked befoer

If anyone from Affinity Support is around, I did a complete reset and the problem still occurs as described above

[jmwellborn]

Must be a Windows thing.  Works perfectly on my MacBook Pro, M1 chip.  I used a magic mouse without a scroll wheel, just left-clicked on the layer icon, held it down and moved the mouse up over the icons until layer 1 landed on top of layer 10.

[GlennG]

Thanks.  As I mentioned, it was working fine until it wasn't.  Might have been the most recent update that I installed last week.  Not sure though.

[DWright]

Hi @GlennG,

Is it possible for you to take a screen recording of this as I have not been able to replicate this on my PC 

[Wyndoella]

This happened to me too. And it also affects the brush menu and you cant scroll it. I havent tried it yet because of the hassle but i think you might have to reset the whole application to the state it was when you first downloaded it. If someone has the pleasure to do this, do it, and tell me if it worked.

however here are some workarounds. If you cant scroll the brushes just add enough brushes in that category until you get the scroll wheel to show up. Then you can use the wheel again to scroll. You may also scroll down the layers manually using the scroll wheel.

personally i think the issue resides somewhere with how affinity views its studios. For example before this stopped working i think affinity recognized that the windows were sectioned off by each other, in my case the layers and the brushes, and that the space between them should be treated as its own. Thats why it scrolled then. Now i think affinity thinks each of these windows are their full extent, because for example if i pull down the layers to reveal the full brush set theres not enough brushes to go outside the screen and thus make the scroll wheel turn up. I think affinity now view both the brushes and the layers as two fully enlarged windows.

[MikeMcE]

I have that problem now with Windows 11.

just started it recently with designer only Photos is fine. Thought it was my tablet, but confirmed it is not.

curious if others still have this?

[walt.farrell]

12 minutes ago, MikeMcE said:

I have that problem now with Windows 11.

just started it recently with designer only Photos is fine. Thought it was my tablet, but confirmed it is not.

curious if others still have this?

It would probably be better to start your own topic in the current Questions forum.