Why isn't Affinity Photo's batch job not applying macros?

[emkatherine]

Maybe there's something I'm doing wrong, but I don't think so. Doing a batch job is pretty straight forward and easy. 

When I run one and apply a macro on the photos, the macro is never applied. The batch job is not editing the photos. Is there a bug going around?

 

Thank you for your time,

--mk

[David in Яuislip]

Does your batch setup look like this screenshot? If so, could you upload the macro so that it can be checked

[Dan C]

Hi @emkatherine,

Welcome to the Affinity Forums

As David has shown above, please ensure you are 'applying' the macro to the batch job and not simply selecting it in this dialog.

I'd recommend unticking 'Parallel Processing' in the bottom left and then running the macro again, to see if this changes the current experienced behaviour.

If you're still having the same issue, then please attach a copy of your exported Macro, as David has also requested above - Many thanks in advance!

[emkatherine]

Tried unchecking Parallel Processing and the same problem occurred. Here are the screenshots I took. I applied a macro I named "Levels & Balance", but after the job was done, when I opened one of the photos, it was unchanged and the macro was never applied. 

 

[walt.farrell]

4 minutes ago, emkatherine said:

and the macro was never applied. 

What kind of files are you using as input to the batch job?

What does the macro do?

It would help us understand your problem if you provided a copy of the .afmacro file, as requested above.

[Old Bruce]

My 2 ¢ here. I have never had any success with Batch Processing and saving into the original location. With or without macros. Never had it work.

[emkatherine]

27 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

What kind of files are you using as input to the batch job?

What does the macro do?

It would help us understand your problem if you provided a copy of the .afmacro file, as requested above.

Okay, I think this is what you were referring to. 

levels&balance.afmacro

[Dan C]

Thanks for providing your macro and screenshots of your Batch Processing dialog!

I've imported your macro here and added this to my library, then started a new Batch Processing, added 5 JPEG images, applied the macro and ensured my settings match your screenshot above.

The Batch Processing then proceeded as expected, 5 .afphoto files were created in the same folder as the JPEG files, with your macro applied.

Please see this below -

Are any of the steps shown in my above video different from the steps you are taking? As Walt asked above, what file format are you using for the 'before' files in the Batch Processing dialog?

[emkatherine]

Interesting discovery: I tried the batch job again, but saving it in a different location this time. And it worked! I don't know why it doesn't when trying to save to the same location. 

[iconoclast]

3 minutes ago, emkatherine said:

Interesting discovery: I tried the batch job again, but saving it in a different location this time. And it worked! I don't know why it doesn't when trying to save to the same location. 

I don't really know but possibly it is intended not to overwrite original files. As many things in AfPhoto are non-destructive.

[Dan C]

8 minutes ago, emkatherine said:

Interesting discovery: I tried the batch job again, but saving it in a different location this time. And it worked! I don't know why it doesn't when trying to save to the same location. 

Thanks for letting me know, this is certainly interesting information, alongside Bruce's similar report above - 

44 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I have never had any success with Batch Processing and saving into the original location. With or without macros

But as shown in my recording, this is working as expected for me - therefore I'll be logging this with our QA team for further investigation, to see if we can determine an exact cause for this.

4 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

I don't really know but possibly it is intended not to overwrite original files. As many things in AfPhoto are non-destructive.

I can confirm the Batch Processing dialog is able to 'destructively' overwrite original files, using my example above with 5 JPEG images, if I was to apply the macro in Batch Processing and select JPEG as the target format, with Save into original location enabled, then my JPEG files would be overwritten with the macro-applied edited JPEG.

FWIW, I have just tried the above steps and this too worked as expected, edited and overwriting the original JPEG files

[emkatherine]

12 minutes ago, Dan C said:

Thanks for providing your macro and screenshots of your Batch Processing dialog!

I've imported your macro here and added this to my library, then started a new Batch Processing, added 5 JPEG images, applied the macro and ensured my settings match your screenshot above.

The Batch Processing then proceeded as expected, 5 .afphoto files were created in the same folder as the JPEG files, with your macro applied.

Please see this below -

Are any of the steps shown in my above video different from the steps you are taking? As Walt asked above, what file format are you using for the 'before' files in the Batch Processing dialog?

I think Dan here solved my problem. Or at least highlighted a careless human error I was making. I didn't know you had to select the macro AGAIN after it's been applied. 

Also, the file format was an AFphoto. All photos started at camera raw, then processed in Affinity Photo. 

[Old Bruce]

29 minutes ago, Dan C said:

But as shown in my recording, this is working as expected for me - therefore I'll be logging this with our QA team for further investigation, to see if we can determine an exact cause for this.

Try with some .afphoto files.

[emkatherine]

On 4/28/2022 at 11:19 AM, emkatherine said:

I think Dan here solved my problem. Or at least highlighted a careless human error I was making. I didn't know you had to select the macro AGAIN after it's been applied. 

Also, the file format was an AFphoto. All photos started at camera raw, then processed in Affinity Photo. 

Nevermind. Selecting the macro again a second time worked, but not anymore. Now batch jobs are back to not applying the macro(s). Disappointing. 

[Dan C]

Apologies for the delayed response here - I have been performing further tests and I can confirm I'm able to replicate this issue when working with .afphoto files & saving into the original location. The macro is not added and the files do not change, which I am logging as a bug with our team now.

However in all of my testing, when batch processing .afphoto files, to be saved as .afphoto files into a new location, this always works as expected.

Can you please confirm if you are seeing the same behaviour?

[emkatherine]

On 5/3/2022 at 10:05 AM, Dan C said:

Apologies for the delayed response here - I have been performing further tests and I can confirm I'm able to replicate this issue when working with .afphoto files & saving into the original location. The macro is not added and the files do not change, which I am logging as a bug with our team now.

However in all of my testing, when batch processing .afphoto files, to be saved as .afphoto files into a new location, this always works as expected.

Can you please confirm if you are seeing the same behaviour?

Whoa, I completely forgot to check this and now it's the end of the month. Apologies! I did a quick test on saving a batch job in the same file location, and this time it worked! 

[Dan C]

No problem at all, many thanks for letting me know!

I can confirm I've since logged this as a bug with our developers, as it certainly should export to the same file location - so hopefully it should be fixed shortly

[milhamcreative]

@Dan C

Hi Dan,

I have been trying to do a batch job where I import a spread 11x 17 pdf at 144 dpi, resize it to 6.5 wide x the proportionate measure at 144 dpi, crop it to 3.25 wide in pro (468 x 606), and save as a png file on my iCloud folder called LR. They're previews.

The macros don't apply though. I do the batch and my end result is a disproportionate 11x17 squished into a (468 px x 606 px).

When I run the macros on and opened file in photos, the macro runs fine, it works. It just WON'T batch it.

I have tried everything I can but can't figure this out. I read this chain and there does not seem to be an answer in here.

I have tried running it into a different 1. inside the actual original folder, 2. inside a folder on my desktop (which is on iCloud) 3. On my computer's HD

No success.

FWIW: I have tried running the files in actions in Photoshop too.
Photoshop also fails with a HD error message but the action works without batching in an opened file.

Has anyone come up with answers on this?

[John Rostron]

I take it that the dimensions of your spread are inches except for the 468 by 606. What is 'pro'  (crop to 488 x606 in pro)?

After cropping or using Resize Canvas, I find that I usually have to follow this in the macro with Rasterize and Trim. Did you do this?

John

[Dan C]

Welcome to the Affinity Forums @milhamcreative!

15 hours ago, milhamcreative said:

The macros don't apply though. I do the batch and my end result is a disproportionate 11x17 squished into a (468 px x 606 px).

When I run the macros on and opened file in photos, the macro runs fine, it works. It just WON'T batch it.

Unfortunately I'm a little confused by your report, as you seem to mention the macros don't apply in batch - however you then confirm they do apply in the batch, but seemingly with incorrect results compared to when run in an active document through the Library/Macro Studios.

Therefore can you please verify for me:

1. When running this macro from the Library/Macro Studio against a singular open document, does the macro apply?
   If yes, does it apply as expected?
    
2. When running this macro from the Batch Processing dialog, does the macro apply?
   If yes, does it apply as expected?
   
   If it does not apply as expected, is the image/document you are processing in the Batch Dialog the same dimensions as the original image/document you were using with the macro singularly?
    
3. I understand you are exporting to PNG once you've run the macro - what format are your origin files please?

Finally, can you please attach a copy of the .afmacro here for me, so that I can test further? If you need help exporting this macro from your app, please don't hesitate to ask