Blend mode affecting layers outside of Group (all software)

[TimoCreations]

I am using Affinity Publisher and also the other two programs within it. When I put a texture layer with a multiply blendmode inside of a group, for some reason it is also affecting all the layers beneath it that aren't in that group. The group blendmode is set to Transfer. 

[walt.farrell]

I am not familiar with a blend mode of Transfer in the Affinity applications. There is a Passhhrough, if you mean that one.

Can you give us a screenshot including the Layers panel with the group expanded?

[TimoCreations]

Yes, I think the Passthrough blend mode is called Transfer in German. Here's a screenshot. Basically, the DAUB Paper layer with multiply blend mode is also affecting the group beneath.

[walt.farrell]

Thanks. That should help someone figure it out, but I'm afraid I'm out of ideas for now.

[TimoCreations]

Still no reply from someone other than Walt - This is pretty major and I have yet to find a solution. Any input is much appreciated.

[jaedee]

1 hour ago, TimoCreations said:

Any input is much appreciated.

 Good day, I am simply responding to provide "input" as you mentioned. I am not adept in blend modes. 

But from my limited experience with design software, it appears that similar apps (i.e. Photoshop CS4) behaves the same way.

I think in the case referred to above, it appears that the Passthrough/Transfer blend setting in the group enables the Blend mode in that group  to pass through or transfer to the other layers or groups below it, however if the group blend mode is set to Normal, the blend mode chosen on the layers in that group will only apply to the selected group.

Hope someone else can provide additional input. 

[TimoCreations]

Hello jaedee, thanks for the input. Though, the passthrough blend mode works differently in Affinity. With the passthrough blend mode, the group has no specific blend mode on its own and that's always worked for me before. When I put the blend mode of the group to normal, then the texture layer coveres the whole screen and it ignores the multiply blend mode of the layer completely. 

[jaedee]

Interested in how others may respond to better understand. Regards

[lepr]

15 hours ago, jaedee said:

 Good day, I am simply responding to provide "input" as you mentioned. I am not adept in blend modes. 

But from my limited experience with design software, it appears that similar apps (i.e. Photoshop CS4) behaves the same way.

I think in the case referred to above, it appears that the Passthrough/Transfer blend setting in the group enables the Blend mode in that group  to pass through or transfer to the other layers or groups below it, however if the group blend mode is set to Normal, the blend mode chosen on the layers in that group will only apply to the selected group.

Hope someone else can provide additional input. 

You are correct. Passthrough blend mode means the Group should simply help to organise objects without influencing the way its contents blend with the scene underneath the Group. Affinity's Passthrough does behave in that way as long as there is not a mixture of adjustment/filter and non-adjustment/filter objects inside the group. When there is such a mixture, Affinity invents its own rules and breaks compatibility with other apps such as Photoshop and a workaround is required to make Affinity behave sensibly.

[Dan C]

Hi @TimoCreations,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble!

As mentioned above, Passthrough blend mode and groups in Affinity do work slightly differently to other creative apps, which may explain some of the confusion surrounding this currently.

The easiest way for us to demonstrate the best solution would be with a copy of your .afpub file - can you please upload this to your reply here for us?
If you wish to upload the file privately, you can do so through the link below -

https://www.dropbox.com/request/8LbbMuZ4ajnwveVOyzck

Should you choose to upload to the Dropbox link, please post here to let us know once the file has been uploaded, many thanks in advance

[TimoCreations]

1 hour ago, Dan C said:

Hi @TimoCreations,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble!

As mentioned above, Passthrough blend mode and groups in Affinity do work slightly differently to other creative apps, which may explain some of the confusion surrounding this currently.

The easiest way for us to demonstrate the best solution would be with a copy of your .afpub file - can you please upload this to your reply here for us?
If you wish to upload the file privately, you can do so through the link below -

https://www.dropbox.com/request/8LbbMuZ4ajnwveVOyzck

Should you choose to upload to the Dropbox link, please post here to let us know once the file has been uploaded, many thanks in advance

Hello, thanks a lot for the response! I have uploaded the file to the dropbox link.

[Dan C]

Many thanks for the document!

As other users have confirmed above, this is not a bug in the Affinity app, when grouping layers together they will still be applied to other layers beneath it, hence why this texture layer is also affecting the background etc.

If you wish to selectively apply this texture to the group layer only, then I recommend duplicating the group and then applying this as a clipped mask to the texture layer, as shown below -

I hope this clears things up

[jaedee]

I appreciate the solution. Took me a moment, finally realized that the visibility of the texture layer had to be disabled before clipping the duplicate, doesn't appear to work in any other order. 

 

Much appreciated. 

[TimoCreations]

2 hours ago, Dan C said:

Many thanks for the document!

As other users have confirmed above, this is not a bug in the Affinity app, when grouping layers together they will still be applied to other layers beneath it, hence why this texture layer is also affecting the background etc.

If you wish to selectively apply this texture to the group layer only, then I recommend duplicating the group and then applying this as a clipped mask to the texture layer, as shown below -

I hope this clears things up

Thank you so much! This should fix my problem.

The only problem I have with this, though, is that any changes I make to the boat group will not automatically be applied to the clipping mask (if I place stuff outside the mask or change the form). This solution should work for this project, but I'm very open to finding a solution to not having to re-apply the mask, whether though an idea or through a future update.

But again, many thanks.

[TimoCreations]

Oh hey, I figured out a solution! Select the Group you want the texture layer on make it a "Symbol" in the Symbol window in Designer. Copy the Symbol Group and drag it as a clipping mask into the texture layer, like shown in the video above. Now any changes will be applied to both!

[loukash]

58 minutes ago, TimoCreations said:

I figured out a solution!

Yes, you can use symbols – or linked layers in Photo – as a "remote control". Via Photo's Links panel you can actually easily enable and disable Symbol attributes that should or should not sync. (You can achieve similar results by temporarily disabling the "Sync" button in the Symbols panel, but the Links panel gives you immediate control.) The great thing with the Affinity ecosystem is that you can seamlessly switch an open document between Designer and Photo (and Publisher, of course) on the fly.

Here's an example I posted a few weeks ago in another thread:

Another similar example screencast from yet another recent thread:

 

[jaedee]

figured out a solution!

Great simplified method. @TimoCreations

👍

 

[TimoCreations]

1 hour ago, loukash said:

Yes, you can use symbols – or linked layers in Photo – as a "remote control". Via Photo's Links panel you can actually easily enable and disable Symbol attributes that should or should not sync. (You can achieve similar results by temporarily disabling the "Sync" button in the Symbols panel, but the Links panel gives you immediate control.) The great thing with the Affinity ecosystem is that you can seamlessly switch an open document between Designer and Photo (and Publisher, of course) on the fly.

Here's an example I posted a few weeks ago in another thread:

 

Another similar example screencast from yet another recent thread:

 

 

That Links panel is so cool! Thanks for the information!