Request to have doc title at top of MacOS window be clickable to show path

[cchris]

It would be a feature similar to how Word and most other apps do it (see attached image).

 

 

[loukash]

+100!

[garrettm30]

I agree with this. I am of the opinion that an app should respect the conventions of the OS when it is possible and reasonable. This is one feature of macOS that I occasionally try to use in Affinity apps only to find it does not work.

[MikeTO]

This could only work in Separated Mode of course.

[Old Bruce]

15 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

This could only work in Separated Mode of course.

Should work in Consolidated mode too.  The active document (or selected tab) has its file name in the window's frame. Plus File > Reveal in Finder shows that file.

[Dazmondo77]

+1

[MikeTO]

On 6/29/2021 at 4:13 PM, Old Bruce said:

Should work in Consolidated mode too.  The active document (or selected tab) has its file name in the window's frame. Plus File > Reveal in Finder shows that file.

It's not possible with an "Integrated" title bar, one which has the toolbar integrated with the title bar. The document title isn't displayed when a window's title bar and toolbar are integrated. To do what you want Serif would have to stop using an Integrated title bar which would take up more vertical space. From Apple's HCI guidelines:

In Photoshop 2021 with Application Frame disabled (similar to Separated Mode disabled in the Affinity apps), each window has its own title bar and can you interact with Photoshop's title bars like normal macOS windows. I think it's reasonable to ask Serif to do the same, all Mac apps should offer this.

Photoshop 2021 with Application Frame enabled doesn't use an Integrated title bar and doesn't display the current document title there, wasting the space and losing the ability to interact with the title. Serif also designed the toolbar to be identical between platforms but used the Integrated approach so that the sizing controls could be placed to the left of the toolbar controls, saving space for all of their Mac users. I think they've done the best they can.

Apple created this Integrated title/toolbar design for apps that aren't document-centric like Safari and which didn't need to display a document title or interact with it. But it was adopted by apps which are short on space and want a cleaner look.

[Old Bruce]

14 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

Apple created this Integrated title/toolbar design for apps that aren't document-centric like Safari and which didn't need to display a document title or interact with it. But it was adopted by apps which are short on space and want a cleaner look.

Many thanks for clearing up some stuff I didn't understand. Apple's guidelines have become more and more complex over the years.

[MikeTO]

16 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Many thanks for clearing up some stuff I didn't understand. Apple's guidelines have become more and more complex over the years.

Agreed, and with iOS's design concepts bleeding into macOS it's getting to be a bit of a mishmash. I'm hoping that Monterey will clean up some of the inconsistencies introduced with Big Sur but I'm not holding my breath.

[garrettm30]

7 hours ago, MikeTO said:

It's not possible with an "Integrated" title bar, one which has the toolbar integrated with the title bar. The document title isn't displayed when a window's title bar and toolbar are integrated.

Except that in Publisher's case, a document title is displayed, even in the "integrated" title bar. Probably that means it is not displayed using any macOS API, but a title is still there, and if Serif coded their own approach (as it appears to me), there is no technical reason why they could not also make that title clickable to display a path to perform similarly to the macOS titles.

[Guest]

+1, yes please!

[MikeTO]

10 hours ago, garrettm30 said:

Except that in Publisher's case, a document title is displayed, even in the "integrated" title bar. Probably that means it is not displayed using any macOS API, but a title is still there, and if Serif coded their own approach (as it appears to me), there is no technical reason why they could not also make that title clickable to display a path to perform similarly to the macOS titles.

Agreed. The "status" control in the toolbar isn't a native macOS feature so Serif would have to duplicate Apple's code. I think it would be better to just lose the integrated titlebar if they wanted an interactive title. While I'd find it useful, I work exclusively on a laptop so I'd prefer to keep things the way they are to save a few pixels.

I think the reason Serif doesn't make the titles clickable even in Separated Mode is because they're also using the space for the zoom level. I assume the "status" toolbar control was added as a way to provide the same information when Separated Mode is off. It's an odd control because it looks clickable but it's not, and if the title is too long you can't see the zoom level anyway.

I'd happily lose the integrated title bar if there was a way to combine the toolbar and context bars. I know the Affinity toolbar is intended to be static while the context bar is dynamic but I use only a handful of toolbar commands so I'd have space. I know I can hide the title bar entirely but it feels weird not to have the friendly stoplight controls in the upper left.

[sbe]

On 6/29/2021 at 5:39 PM, cchris said:

It would be a feature similar to how Word and most other apps do it (see attached image).

 

 

yes, yes, yes, pleasee! +1 

And yeah I know I can use the Menu "File→Reveal in Finder", but the interactive Title Bar is much fastet and more convenient and it shows the whole path 👍