new layer for each curve

[BerndS59]

Hi,

I'm new with Affinity Designer and try to get familiar with it.

First strange thing I recognized is, that I get a new layer for each curve I paint. So I tried to find a setting or some information in the help about that. Even searching the posts here did not show up some help for me.

While painting I would get hundreds of layers. There must be something wrong with that.

Could I get the answer reading the documentation, watching the tutorials?

What is your recommendation?

I'm familiar with photoshop, so I was expecting to work with designer more or less intuitive.

Kind regards
Bernd

[h_d]

Hi @BerndS59 and welcome!

Affinity Designer is first and foremost a vector graphics program, not a photo-editing/raster graphics program, and what you have described is exactly how it works in its main Designer Persona.

But it does have a Pixel Persona, and if you switch into that you will have access to more "painter-like" tools which will create and work with raster graphics, and won't create multiple layers unless you specifically tell it to.

The different personas are explained in the help documentation. Pixel painting is described here.

If you're coming from an Adobe background, Affinity Designer is more akin to Illustrator (although there are many, many differences). Affinity Photo is closer to Adobe Photoshop (but again there are plenty of differences).

Cheers,

H

[Pšenda]

See "Add new curve to selected curves object", 

https://affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/CurvesShapes/draw_linesAndShapes.html

or menu Layer, Geometry, Merge Curves. 

 

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, BerndS59 said:

First strange thing I recognized is, that I get a new layer for each curve I paint.

It may not seem quite so strange once you understand that creating vector curves is not like painting with a pixel brush -- each vector curve is a separate object, unlike a raster object that you add brush strokes to. You can combine curves into a "(Curves)" object layer -- note the plural -- but in typical workflows it is usually better to organize them into logical groups.

A good example of this is the Merry Go Round file you can open from the AD Welcome screen "View Samples" window.

[lacerto]

(...)

[loukash]

20 hours ago, BerndS59 said:

What is your recommendation?

This:

20 hours ago, BerndS59 said:

reading the documentation, watching the tutorials

Take your time. Explore. Learn.

[loukash]

7 hours ago, Lagarto said:

separate stroke objects created on a vector layer to be "auto-merged"

There are similar modes with the Pen tool ("Add New Curve To Selected Curves Object") and the Pencil tool ("Sculpt").

[lacerto]

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[loukash]

7 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

Not really.

Are we now going to argue about semantics…?

7 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

Sculpt mode of the Pencil tool requires connection with an existing stroke, and the Pen tool involves drawing with Bezieres.

I know that.
My post was meant as "for the record". The modes I mentioned are similar in concept.
As in:
"similar" ≠ "equivalent"

[Pšenda]

51 minutes ago, Lagarto said:

As far as I know there is no continuous "auto-merge" kind of feature available in Designer when using "vector" brushes, which you would typically use when you "draw" or "paint" using a pen

Just for info:

As you can see, this requirement, although more than a year old, has only "one" like. It is therefore clear, that Serif will not even deal with this, if it is not clearly requested by the users.

[lacerto]

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[Amdival]

Here are some options:

1. Create a layer before you get started painting graphics. Select that layer to work on (it might be selected already after creation). Now when you paint, your strokes are added to that layer. Still not perfect as Affinity is still quickly populating the panel with every little shape.

2. Edit > Preferences > User Interface > Auto-scroll to show selection in Layers panel. (un-check) . The Layers still initially expand, but now you can collapse the layer, and everything stays tucked away within the layer.

(EDIT) Additional thought:
 After un-ckecking the above option under 2. , you can use Ctrl+K to quickly find the selected object in the layers panel

[lacerto]

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[lepr]

On 4/12/2021 at 3:02 PM, Pšenda said:

As you can see, this requirement, although more than a year old, has only "one" like. It is therefore clear, that Serif will not even deal with this, if it is not clearly requested by the users.

Serif are not providing things that have had countless clear requests and "likes" from users for years.

Maybe the addition of features is inversely related to popularity. For example, astrophotography stacking.

[R C-R]

12 minutes ago, anon2 said:

Maybe the addition of features is inversely related to popularity.

I think that mostly it is related to how complicated it would be & how long it would take to add something to the existing code without breaking something that works now.

Lately, they seem to be having a lot of problems with not breaking something no matter what they add. 😒

[Pšenda]

On 4/27/2021 at 8:02 PM, anon2 said:

Serif are not providing things that have had countless clear requests and "likes" from users for years.

I know that Serif is immune to the age of the requirements, their frequency and their popularity. But I still think it has some effect on their choice.