Please don't hijack 3rd party filetypes if the 3rd party program is installed

[hifred]

Hi Developers,
Today installed Affinity Photo 1.10.4 on Windows, but my currently my main Editor is Photoshop CC. Minutes later I discovered, that Affinity Photo has assigned itself as the default Editor for a great variety of file-formats, including Photoshop native PSD.

Simply taking over the native file extension should never happen and could get avoided with a simple check. But also with non-proprietary formats and a popular alternative image editor already one should assume that users have some preferences and workflows established. These are worth being respected. A new roommate shouldn't mess everything up on the first day...

There's no potentially positive outcome of such rude manners.

Not a single user will appreciate that PSDs now open with another Editor and feel invited to edit PSDs with APhoto from now on. Every single user who runs into this will curse – and is forced to waste time to re-establish the previous assignments.

I (paying customer) took the shortcut and uninstalled APhoto. That's certainly not at all what you want – but the quickest option.
 

[Wosven]

Did you know that you can revert this in a matter of seconds and you didn't need to take so much time to post this?

Just select a PSD file, right-click and asign another app by default to open it.

[Wosven]

But an usual "associations" panel, permitting to choose which files can be associated with the apps could be fine, for sure.

[hifred]

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Did you know that you can revert this in a matter of seconds [...]  Just select a PSD file, right-click and asign another app by default to open it.

I am aware of this option. APhoto, besides its own file extensions, had also grabbed quite a few, non-native file formats (such as RAW-formats). Hence, it wouldn't be a matter of mere seconds to revert. Right now, I deal with thousands of graphics files and batch edit them with scripts. I can't afford things to break only because I downloaded another image editor.

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and you didn't need to take so much time to post this

The Affinity-Makers have it in their hands: They can choose to cause their customers inconvenience and predictable frustration… Or they could respect established customer-preferences. 

 

That's why I took the time to post.

 

[Wosven]

1 minute ago, hifred said:

Right now I deal with thousands of graphics files and batch edit them with scripts. I can't afford things to break only because I downloaded another image editor.

Unless your scripts make them opened by the default editor, I don't see how this would modify the scripts commands.

[hifred]

I stated why I dislike software messing with user-preferences, without asking for permission. I have no interest in discussing why potential consequences aren't so bad, after all – and can get reverted in "no time".

[frank26080115]

Have to agree with hifred, this is hostile behavior on Affinity's part. This stinks of a product manager not knowing what is proper etiquette in the software world, I bet you the engineer fought over this and lost.

[John Rostron]

I would also support @hifred. When I first installed Affinity Photo (version 1.5 or earlier), my recollection is that the installer asked nicely which formats to appropriate.

John