Don't reset zoom when changing pages via the page panel

[MikeTO]

Very minor request: Please change the Pages panel so that double clicking an icon simply positions the selected page/spread in the window rather than also changing the zoom level.

Most of us work on large monitors all day and the entire page can easily fit inside the Affinity Publisher so this behaviour is not that big of deal. I'm working on a personal project and am often sitting (slouching) in an armchair with just a MacBook Pro screen (and a large cat). Whenever I change pages in the Pages panel by double clicking a thumbnail, Publisher resets the zoom to fit the entire page or spread (depending on where I double click) within the window. For my document on my screen this means Publisher keeps resetting my zoom level to 49.3% and I can no longer read the type.

[loukash]

I think this is "by design" to match the double-click behavior of the Layers panel.
Personally, i like it this way and wouldn't want it to change.

[MikeTO]

1 minute ago, loukash said:

I think this is "by design" to match the double-click behavior of the Layers panel.
Personally, i like it this way and wouldn't want it to change.

This is likely because Publisher isn't resetting the zoom to something illegible for you. The Pages palette just doesn't work as expected on a 13" screen because 49% zoom isn't readable.

Fortunately, there's always Command+8.

[loukash]

6 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

This is likely because Publisher isn't resetting the zoom to something illegible for you.

Not at all. A 2×A4 spread on a 15" MacBook display zooms at ± 54 %.
And that's okay.
When I double-click an object in the Layers panel, I've learned to expect it to come to view as "fit in window". Very handy.
Similarly on the Pages panel, the pages/spreads are the "objects". Double-clicking a page/spread to zoom to fit is the logical and from the UX perspective consistent behavior. (Something that I can't say very often about the Affinity UX, sadly…)

But to each their own, of course.
I wouldn't mind if they'd add such an option to the Pages "hamburger" menu.

[garrettm30]

1 hour ago, MikeTO said:

(and a large cat)

I like the little extra detail you give.

My preference would also be to decouple zoom from page navigation. I use zoom to fit fairly often, but when I do, it is conscious decision, which I do using the keyboard shortcut. If I navigate to a different page, that is an unrelated decision, and the two very often may have nothing to do with one another. In your case, it is clearly a hindrance rather than a help. I do my work on a 27" retina display, so it is not as serious of a bother in my case.

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, loukash said:

I think this is "by design" to match the double-click behavior of the Layers panel.
Personally, i like it this way and wouldn't want it to change.

Yes, for me too. Double click to layer thumbnail fits layer contents to work area. However, it is true that in the Pages panel it could be differentiated whether to click on the thumbnail of the page or next to it (in the area of its name). Like click to left/right arrow (previous/next spread) in the Status bar.

[MikeTO]

Interestingly, the behaviour of the Layers panel auto scrolling (not auto zooming) is controllable via app preferences. I'm hoping for an "Auto-zoom to show page in Pages panel" option.