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[ADe] Align/distribute to key object: desperately needed for Scientists


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Hi guys,

 

I have recently switched my whole research group from using AI to using Affinity Designer. However, the thing that every single user heavily complained about, and that really limits the utility of AffinityDesigner for us, is the lack of an option to select a key or reference object that stays put during alignment and distribution operations.

 

This is very crucial for the preparation of scientific data plots where one really cannot have the data points shifting around when aligning them to their labels. It would also be very helpful for preparing multi-paneled figure etc.

 

Also, while at it, a 'select same color/stroke/fill/...' feature would be great, and the eyedropper tool could use some attention (eg. for text and vector objects)

 

Please make these available, and I will promise, that there will be a landslide of scientists moving away from their current overpriced rental software to using Affinity Designer

 

Thanks

 

Lars

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  • 1 month later...

Dear Affinity Team,

 

First of all congratulation on Affinity Photo and Designer. I absolutely love both programs. You guys are doing an amazing job, thanks for that!

 

I agree with the post above, and I have the same request. In Designer, when you want to align objects, it would be extremely useful to be able to select one of the objects as a fixed reference that does not move while other objects align to the reference.

 

I would love to be able to use Designer to prepare figures for scientific publications, but without this feature it is difficult. I imagine you guys are very busy, but it would be a big plus to have this feature implemented. With this feature, I would be happy to use exclusively Designer, but without it, I still have to rely on alternatives.

 

Thanks a lot, keep up the good work and greetings from Beijing. 

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I would also love for this feature to be implemented as soon as feasible.

 

Along with arrowheads (...), an option to resize canvas to selection, and being able to link and not only embed objects - after these I'm all set:) 

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I have posted about this a feature myself at some point. To me it's kinda basic; I'm surprised it hasn't come up or been added in AD long time ago.

 

The key/reference element could be picked as simply as being the Last or First object selected. No longer remember what AI or CD does..

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  • Staff

For UI design this is incredibly important when creating menu's etc that have many objects that need to be e.g. 10px apart or equally spaced within a specific area...

 

Hi leeharding,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

You can do the above already selecting all objects then going to the Arrange icon on the main toolbar, clicking on Space Horizontally, unchecking Auto Distribute and specifying the value you want to separate the items apart.

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Hi leeharding,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

You can do the above already selecting all objects then going to the Arrange icon on the main toolbar, clicking on Space Horizontally, unchecking Auto Distribute and specifying the value you want to separate the items apart.

 

No comment on the key-element selection when aligning/distributing?

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  • Staff

No comment on the key-element selection when aligning/distributing?

 

Yes this is, as you say, it could be picked up as first or last, but when drag selecting around objects it's helpful to be able to specify which is the key as you wouldn't know which it is.

Patrick Connor
Serif Europe Ltd

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your previous self."  W. L. Sheldon

 

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I'd love to see this as well, I use it all the time in Ai and it's a time saver for sure.

 

I've figured out that if you have two items and you want them centered to each other in the area of one of them, you need to align them to the left or right first (which ever one you want to keep in the position), deselect them, select them again and align them to the top or bottom of each other (again which ever one you want to keep in the position), deselect them, select them again and then align center on both. A really long process that should have taken 3 clicks at most.

 

I hope this made sense. It's a really long way about getting the objects centered while keeping them in the space of the one you wanted to keep location for.

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Hi There, This is a huge need for me as well. I never post online but went to the trouble of singing up, just to add my vote for some way of designating which object gets aligned to. I make patterns and use this all the time in AI. 

Affinity is amazing so far, but I can't completely commit yet without this feature. 

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  • 10 months later...
2 hours ago, lars said:

The release notes of the latest version state there finally is 'align to key items'. Could not find how it works in the documentation yet though LOL Thanks anyway, this has been desperately needed!!!!

Click on that Icon and then you will be able to do that operation. Keep in mind that it will only work from there. The other options to align will work as always.

Align.png

Best regards!

 

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