Affinity Designer Global Layers

[NAR]

Hi all,
our office switched from Adobe Illustrator to Affinity Designer recently. We have some questions about the layers and artboards function.

1. We struggle with the artboard function which is connected with layers. We need global layers with recurring elements (like logo, client, etc.) which we can switch on/off and lock easy on one layer and not individually on every single artboard. We suceeded in creating these global layers, but if you move the artboard these global layers are not moved with the artboard. Why???

2. Every new element we create is automatically moved to the artboard on which the element is created instead of a defined global layer. So you have a lot of moving of elements afterwards...

Is it possible to detach the artboard and layer function like in Illustrator???

Attached is a Screenshot with global layer (Ebenen) and the artboards.

Thanks a lot and I hope someone can help!

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, NAR said:

We suceeded in creating these global layers, but if you move the artboard these global layers are not moved with the artboard. Why???

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, @NAR.

The Affinity applications do not have "Global layers". You have created Layers which are separate from all Artboards, but that is a different function, not related to Global layers.

Basically, what you want doesn't exist in Designer or the other Affinity applications. There have been requests raised for this in the Feature Requests & Suggestions forums.

[NAR]

Hey Walt, thanks a lot for your quick reply. Is there a kind of workaround to achieve what I want? Or is it simply impossible?

[walt.farrell]

For specific functions such as visibility, Symbols might help. But it would depend strongly on what you're trying to accomplish.

If you created a logo, then made a Symbol from it, I think that if you turned off visibility for one of the Symbol objects they would all become invisible. I haven't tried that lately, though, so I might be misremembering.

[NAR]

It is more used as a kind of footer, which is used on every page/artboard and slightly adapted (such as date, scale, etc). Something you would put on a master page in Adobe InDesign...

[NathanC]

Hi @NAR as Walt mentioned it may be worth looking into using symbols for this function, symbols can be slightly adapted from one-another by turning off sync. More information on symbols is available in the help guide below.

@walt.farrell toggling symbol layer visibility will affect all other symbol's visibility unless sync is disabled 🙂

 

[Paul Mc]

Hi @NAR, I have this need also. In my world these are called Title Blocks. For now I use a linked PDF file created separately. Of course this could be edited in AD but in my case I wrote an application for the job. Using a linked file means that the format can be setup once and the contents not accidentally edited while you are working on the design. Also, when I update the contents AD detects that (if the file is open, or the next time I open it) so the details are always up to date.

[Pšenda]

9 hours ago, NathanC said:

toggling symbol layer visibility will affect all other symbol's visibility

Very unsuccessful and still unfinished/ill-considered implementation of Symbols, which greatly complicates their usability.

 

[Olidoesaffinity]

I agree with OP, there needs to be a "Global Artboards" button. I want my artwork to live on layers above all the artboards. Separate layers that I can toggle (eg, base color, photos, type) then be able to export the artboards as separate pages. Having the same set of layers for every artboard, especially for large files is cumbersome and very difficult to navigate. The artboard needs to be its own thing. I need to be able to select all the type at once for example across multiple artboards. This just isn't workable with the current setup of Designer.