Different default directories for import and export

[Liak]

I would like to suggest different default directories for import and export, because I think that usually, people have their files organised in different folders for their source material and their exported layouts. 

Right now, if I add a new image to my layout from my 'Resources' folder, Affinity will offer to export to that folder, so I have to navigate to my, say, 'Instagram' directory. Then, maybe, I want to add a new image to the layout, so I place an image frame and have to navigate back to the 'Resources' folder in order to add it — and so and, and so forth.

Maybe Affinity should save two directories (one for imports, one for exports) instead of one (for both)?

[Old Bruce]

What you are asking for is the exact opposite of what others want.

On Mac OS I can set up a 'sidebar' to the open/place and save/export dialog windows which have my most used locations. Is there nothing like that with Windows?

[walt.farrell]

20 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

On Mac OS I can set up a 'sidebar' to the open/place and save/export dialog windows which have my most used locations. Is there nothing like that with Windows?

Yes, that exists on Windows, too. It's a function of File Explorer, which is used to generate those dialogs (as, I presume, Finder is used on MacOS).

[MikeTO]

19 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Yes, that exists on Windows, too. It's a function of File Explorer, which is used to generate those dialogs (as, I presume, Finder is used on MacOS).

The features have different names on Mac and Windows but they have similar designs and end results. Yes, users can just set up shortcuts for their import and export folders.

I do understand the ask because I work in a similar fashion, I have one folder for the images that I use in production and other folders for my source materials. I realize that not everybody works this way but the original ask is valid, you could choose to have the import and export defaults the same or could set them separately.

But it's easy to live without this feature given that users can simply add shortcuts to their Mac and Windows file dialogs.

[Liak]

On 2/13/2022 at 8:34 PM, Old Bruce said:

What you are asking for is the exact opposite of what others want.

Why would that be the case? Affinity would open the same folder every time you import, because usually, the stuff to import is collected in one place. It would then either open the SAME OR A DIFFERENT folder for your exports, depending on what you chose last when exporting. This can either be the same folder as for imports or a different one. Everyone wins here, unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean.

[Wosven]

1 hour ago, Liak said:

Why would that be the case? Affinity would open the same folder every time you import, because usually, the stuff to import is collected in one place.

No.

For example, you can have servers with folders like this:

server/type of work (= booklet, books, magazines, etc.)/template by document (= a lot of folders)
server/usefull/type (logo, recurrent pictures, documents, etc.)

server for archives/year/client/type of work/specific document
server for archives/year/type of work/specific document #n issue

 

So you can have multiple pathes you use daily on different servers to get templates or usefull items, the folder in which you work on your computer, the server on which you archives or work/share files or export...
And you'll have your own set of folders (local or shared) when working on files, until it's complete and you can exporty/archive them.

 

That's why we ask the apps to memorise some paths globally (export, archive…), or by document's folder (open/import/save/save as...).
Because when working on different documents in the same day, sometimes opening them simply to do minor corrections, or importing a new picture and exporting a new PDF, and closing the file... it's a pain to search where you exported this last PDF since the app use the previous document's path.

[Liak]

I'm pretty sure we're misunderstanding each other. Right now, Affinity always uses the last directory navigated to as the default directory when importing AND exporting. It just saves only one last directory for both, which is, in my opinion, often bad. With my suggested change, you can, of course, still use the same directory for everything (let's call the folder 'All the Stuff' for clarification), while you could ALSO choose to use 'Stuff I want to import' for importing as well as 'Stuff I have exported' for exporting by simply choosing these directories when importing or exporting, respectively. It only improves the current situation, there are no downsides at all.

[Wosven]

I don't want generic paths for all the files, but paths by document, saved inside each document.

And possibly last name used for export, since nomenclature of working files can be different from the name use for a PDF send to the client. But keeping the last name used, as in "Blabla_v2" can be usefull, to use "Blabla_v3" at the next export. It's possible to do it in the export persona, but not in APub, and it's annoying, since you need to check or not overwrite a file if you try to guess.

This means:

• for saving an new Afinity file for the first time after creation (new document panel): path to the last used folder
• for saving an new Afinity file for the first time after opening it in the app (images, PDF...): path of the original file
• for "saving as" a file for the first time: path of the original file
• for "saving as" a file for the next time: last path used for this action for this file
• for exporting a file for the first time: path of the original file
• for exporting a file for the next time: last path used for this action for this file
• for importing a file for the first time: path of the original file
• for importing a file for the next time: last path used for this action for this file

Since we tend to organize work in folders, it would be logical to use the original file's path as default, or the one set after a first use (this one saved inside the document).

We could also have 2-3 options in the preferences, to set (or not) default paths for all imports, exports and packages.

 

And if the path is unavailable for an action when the file is open on another computer, it would use the default path if the one saved in the file isn't available, and only overwrite it if the action is done. Different users can open and work on the file, but not all of them will export/import (some will only work on text, some will just drop images from Explorer/Finder, etc.), so the paths set by the main user stay in the file.

[Liak]

I'm still not entirely sure, but it seems to me that we actually want the same, but you want even more control?