Placing images in Designer

[sopax]

I am a long time InDesign user, but with my new iMac M1 I cannot use my Adobe software. Affinity seems a decent substitute and I am currently testing the functions. Therefore I am embarresed that I cannot even succeed with my first attempt to place an image. I am using the downloaded version and have not made and changes in the settings. I am following the tutorial video https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/tutorials/designer/desktop/video/301627240/. The simple problem is to crop the image into a rectangle. When moving the image into the rectangle, it simply disappears. I suspect that it has something to do with the Arrange section, which is blanked out - although I have not touched it. Attached a SP of the process.

I am convinced it is some trivial setting, which I have not detected yet - but after a couple of hours of trying I hope a more experienced user can help me. Thanks.

[Joachim_L]

Welcome to the Affinity forums @sopax!

The easiest way (for me) would be simply placing the image and then using the Vector Crop tool from your left toolbar. Or making a rectangle first, placing the image, moving it over the rectangle, cutting the image, clicking the Place Inside from the top toolbar and inserting the image or or or.

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @sopax

It looks like you are cropping the rectangle with the image, which I suspect is the wrong way round.
It looks like you have dragged the image layer over the thumbnail of the rectangle layer.
Try selecting the (Image) layer, right click, then Release Mask.
Then drag the image under the name of the rectangle layer.
See attached video showing what I think you did and then what I think you want.

[wonderings]

Others can help you with what you are trying to do, I am curious if you were trying to replace Indesign with Affinity? If so you should be looking at Affinity Publisher. Designer = Illustrator. Most of my work is done in Indesign and when I want to try something in Publisher I can generally muddle my way through it as it operates in a similar way for many things.

Why does Adobe not work on your M1?

 

[Joachim_L]

20 minutes ago, wonderings said:

Why does Adobe not work on your M1?

Perhaps because of CS6 or older?

[wonderings]

8 minutes ago, Joachim_L said:

Perhaps because of CS6 or older?

Ahh that would make sense. Version was not mentioned and I just assumed CC. 

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, wonderings said:

Designer = Illustrator

For InDesign users is tempting = Designer.
How did Adobe come up with the name InDesign? Is there any context to what the program does, as in Illustrator and Photoshop?

[wonderings]

19 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

For InDesign users is tempting = Designer.
How did Adobe come up with the name InDesign? Is there any context to what the program does, as in Illustrator and Photoshop?

well you could say you are designing with Indesign. I do a lot of design work right in InDesign. I would agree the name is not really clear though on its function. I would hope no one bought software purely on the name hoping that it would do what they wanted. 

[sopax]

Joachim_L

Your first suggestion works fine, but for the second way, I do not find any command Place Inside?

Among other things I am making a weekly add for our local cinema, where the boxes with images are fixed (see attached). I was looking for a way to simply Place the movie poster Inside these boxes replacing the old image. Then I have to arrange the image - which is usually larger that the box - to show the best part. In InDesign there is an option to move the image so that the visible part is inside the box frame and the rest of the image outside the box is invisible.

If this is unclear then you might imagine the movie poster with title, actors etc and compare with the attached file, showing only part of the poster.

BB4kultur24.pdf

[Pšenda]

11 minutes ago, sopax said:

In InDesign there is an option

I think the APublisher and its Picture Frame would be more suitable for adequate work.

https://affinity.help/publisher/English.lproj/pages/Media/pictureFrames.html

[Joachim_L]

9 minutes ago, sopax said:

I do not find any command Place Inside?

Caused by my laziness to look for the correct wording.

1) Select the rectangle you want to place the image in.

2) Activate the button like in the screenshot.

3) Place image command and when you get the Place image cursor, click on the rectangle.

Next time you want to change the image, select the image in the Layers panel and click Replace image in the Context Toolbar.

[sopax]

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

Welcome to the forums @sopax

It looks like you are cropping the rectangle with the image, which I suspect is the wrong way round.
It looks like you have dragged the image layer over the thumbnail of the rectangle layer.
Try selecting the (Image) layer, right click, then Release Mask.
Then drag the image under the name of the rectangle layer.
See attached video showing what I think you did and then what I think you want.

Thanks Garry, very good video, and I can follow it untiI I move the image into the rectangle - then the image box displays a # (first SS). Consequently the Release Mask is grey in the right click menu (second SS) 

[sopax]

2 hours ago, wonderings said:

Others can help you with what you are trying to do, I am curious if you were trying to replace Indesign with Affinity? If so you should be looking at Affinity Publisher. Designer = Illustrator. Most of my work is done in Indesign and when I want to try something in Publisher I can generally muddle my way through it as it operates in a similar way for many things.

Why does Adobe not work on your M1?

 

You are right - I was using CS5

[sopax]

42 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

I think the APublisher and its Picture Frame would be more suitable for adequate work.

https://affinity.help/publisher/English.lproj/pages/Media/pictureFrames.html

You are right P^senda, together with the other helpful suggestions I think I have solved the problem for now:)