Slicing flashcards / grid

[Ratty]

Hello,
This post is related to the one linked below, but I wonder if it's different enough to warrant a new post.

If I have an image that features multiple aligned squares (with spaces between), is there an efficient way to slice and export them?
For example, if I want to export the flashcards (attached as an example) individually, I can create guides that divide them up, but then I can't slice the guides.
I could manually slice each (snapping to guides), but with larger grids that is very time consuming.
I could use the technique of creating multiple boxes and bmp-filling them (in the linked post), but it was a lot of work to get the image to line up accurately.
I could also create multiple boxes, then post the image individually into each and slice them, but again that is very time-consuming.
If there's no way to do this quickly in Affinity, fair enough (there are lots of competing feature requests), but am I missing something simple?
I'm a teacher, so spend a lot of time manually cutting out flashcards for online work!

 

stcasefs.jfif

[GarryP]

Are the flashcards always so simple or do you need some with specific contents?
I only ask as the sort of things in your example image are easily created in Designer – each in its own Artboard – and would probably take less time to create than to slice your image up into individual cards.

I’ve attached a very-quickly-made mock-up - image and document – so you can get an idea.

simple-flashcards.afdesign

Edited November 11, 2021 by GarryP
Added the ADESIGN file for experimentation.

[Ratty]

Unfortunately, they're often a lot more complicated (pictures, long sentences, etc). Eg I might download a set of flashcards with pictures on one side and descriptions of the other, but I'll need to convert them into separate jpgs for an online flashcard application.

[GarryP]

I don’t have any experience of using flashcards, and certainly not while online, so I don’t know how they are used.

The example you gave is just 474×1195 pixels in size so each card is very small.
Is that normal? How will they be displayed?

What happens with each side of the card and do you need to ‘combine’ the front and back in some way?

Edit: Also, is there some reason why your image is a JFIF and not one of the more-generally-used file types?

Edited November 11, 2021 by GarryP
Added extra note.

[NotMyFault]

The key to less effort is to simplify and stratify the workflow.

in this example, you need to find the exact size and position of a first slice. Then, you can use power-duplicate to create a row of 4 slices, and then again to create all rows. (You know this already).

to speed up this, you might just create a grid of 4x8 rectangles of roughly the size, and then position and resize the overall grid. It will then provide the position and size of and individual rectangle/ slice, which really speeds up creating the final slides (using exact numeric input for power duplicate instead of mouse movement).

I think you request could be implemented as separate app / web service independent from Photo (similar to AI based masking, resampling and coloring tools for B/W images)

[Ratty]

Thanks for your answer.
I can make the grid, but what do I do next? If I make slices from the grid, they are blank.
I can copy/paste the background into each square of the grid (pictured), but again this can get pretty time/consuming. Is there a way to automate this?
The other thread had the 'fill bmp' technique, but this seems to work better to divide one big picture up (as opposed to 'cutting out' lots of separate pictures)

[Ratty]

I've done some messing around, and found another technique, but it's still a bit clumsy:

If I rasterise and use the Pixel Persona, I can select-cut-paste each row out onto its own layer.

Once I've done that, I can repeat the process for each column - if I select all layers (each row is now its own layer) before cutting/pasting, each card in my column will be cut and pasted onto its own layer (ie, Affinity Designer will cut the column simultaneously from all row layers and paste each resulting unique card onto its own layer).

But I'd still love to know if there's a more elegant solution - I tend to brute-force my way to results!

[NotMyFault]

1 hour ago, Ratty said:

I can make the grid, but what do I do next? If I make slices from the grid, they are blank.

Correct,  this is the reason why i replaced my older post. It creates an object slice which won’t help in this case.

The grid of rectangle is only a helper layer. You need to create the first slice matching size and position of one rectangle. Then power-duplicate the slice to create the grid of slices. This takes only a minute (snapping active), and exports correctly.

[Ratty]

Unfortunately, you can't power-duplicate (or copy-paste) slices.

You can build a slice from a rectangle, then power-duplicate the rectangle - and it will also duplicate the slice - but that returns to the original problem of the slice not including the background. I didn't know this before trying your advice though, so I've still learned something!

[NotMyFault]

1 hour ago, Ratty said:

Unfortunately, you can't power-duplicate (or copy-paste) slices.

You can build a slice from a rectangle, then power-duplicate the rectangle - and it will also duplicate the slice - but that returns to the original problem of the slice not including the background. I didn't know this before trying your advice though, so I've still learned something!

You are right again. Affinity (in the current state) is not the best choice for your task. 

[Ratty]

That's a shame!
I love Affinity, and it has helped me so much with this kind of work. I'll just power through and do things the slow way for now, I guess.

[Ratty]

Thanks! I'd tried that before without much luck, but your tutorial helps. I'll practise it a bit more.