Major Feature: Single Sources/Assets

[JeffreyWalther]

Hello Affinity,

It would be very nice to be able to include text elements (without formatting) as well as general elements (text blocks, graphics, etc. as a whole) as single source or snippets in Publisher.

Two examples:

1. I have several documents in the project, and would like to place the same warning with icon over and over again. To do this, I create this note 1x and drag it in every time I need it. This is currently possible with "Assets", but unfortunately it is not possible to change the text once, so that all references from this asset are updated.
    
2. I have several documents where I want to use a section of text over and over again. Here I would like to be able to drag the text in as nippet and then format it individually. And as well, change the text once, so that all references from this asset are updated.

That would be awesome!

[Old Bruce]

Try using Designer to make some Symbols and copy paste them into Publisher.

[walt.farrell]

37 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Try using Designer to make some Symbols

If you have Designer, you could use the Designer Persona of Publisher and stay within one application.

[JeffreyWalther]

Though I have all 3 apps installed, it is not that thing I was asking for. 
I was asking for the possibility to create content once, and used it several times (as references). 

• Let's say you have a paragraph of text you want to reuse. In one section, you want to format the text in a different way as in another section. So the plain text can be added as as snippet/asset whereever you want and format it, but the content itself remains somewhere central. So you change the text ony on one spot, and all other "copies" of it get the update.
   
• Let's say you need a warning box, formatted and with some icons or whatever. This chunk of element should be maintained centrally.

[loukash]

55 minutes ago, JeffreyWalther said:

Let's say you need a warning box, formatted and with some icons or whatever. This chunk of element should be maintained centrally.

If you also have Designer installed, switch to the Designer Persona and save your text block as a Symbol.
Back in the Publisher persona you can duplicate the symbol as you see fit.
Changing content or appearance of one symbol changes all of them.

This is really how it works.

[loukash]

1 hour ago, JeffreyWalther said:

Let's say you have a paragraph of text you want to reuse. In one section, you want to format the text in a different way as in another section. So the plain text can be added as as snippet/asset whereever you want and format it, but the content itself remains somewhere central. So you change the text ony on one spot, and all other "copies" of it get the update.

I think this might do what you need:
affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/publisher/desktop/video/390003719

However, I haven't explored this concept myself yet.

[JeffreyWalther]

5 minutes ago, loukash said:

If you also have Designer installed, switch to the Designer Persona and save your text block as a Symbol.
Back in the Publisher persona you can duplicate the symbol as you see fit.
Changing content or appearance of one symbol changes all of them.

This is really how it works.

And how do you share your local "Symbols" over several Publisher projects?

[loukash]

2 minutes ago, JeffreyWalther said:

how do you share your local "Symbols" over several Publisher projects?

You mean how they would update in multiple Publisher documents?
Place them as linked files.

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, JeffreyWalther said:

And how do you share your local "Symbols" over several Publisher projects?

Put them in a Template, and start new projects using that Template.

Or, put a Symbol into the Assets panel.

They are still local to a particular project when changes are made.

 

[JeffreyWalther]

Thank you all.

But I still think that if even your workaround works, it is too much effort.
So I ask for this function as a new standalone solution.

 

 

[loukash]

6 minutes ago, JeffreyWalther said:

I still think that if even your workaround works, it is too much effort.

If you need a solution now, these are the workflows (vive la différence to "workarounds") that will get you there.

7 minutes ago, JeffreyWalther said:

So I ask for this function as a new standalone solution.

That's what this subforum is about.
Be aware that Serif staff likely won't comment here though.