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Tools shortcuts in Affinity Photo on Windows 10 require holding Enter instead of Shift?


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I've noticed that only some of the shortcuts for Tools work with the Shift key. Here is a list of those that don't (meaning nothing happens at all):

  • Shift+H for Hand tool
  • Shift+V for Move tool
  • Shift+I for Color Picker tool
  • Shift+S for Clone Brush tool

Instead, one needs to hold the Enter key while pressing the designated letter shortcut - something I stumbled upon completely by accident as I was writing this post and compiling the list above. Also, holding either the Enter key or Shift key seems to works for the rest, with one exception -  I was unable to find any keyboard shortcut that works for this tool set probably because it's mapped to the 'B' key, used for other brush tools - but this group isn't in that toggling:

  • Blur Brush / Sharpen Brush / Median Brush / Smudge Brush

I don't believe I've done any custom keyboard mapping. This inconsistency of Shift only working for some, while Enter works for all but one, seems bizarre. Is this a bug, or something I missed somewhere?

 

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Usually the default keyboard shortcut keys should be like those shown here ...

Just press the indicated key letter without SHIFT !

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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Also, sometimes none of the shortcut keys for Tools work at all 😔 It's as if something causes them to stop completely, then start again, but with the same issues mentioned in my prior post. I can't figure out what the trigger for that is.

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Just press the indicated key letter without SHIFT ...

Quote

Tools shortcuts

Action Key
Flood Fill Tool / Gradient cycle G
View Tool H
Move Tool V
Colour Picker Tool I
Crop Tool C
Selection Tools cycle W
Pen and Node Tool cycle P
Zoom Tool Z
Clone Tool S
Shape Tools cycle U
Text Tools cycle T
Dodge, Burn and Sponge Brush Tool cycle O
Retouch Tools cycle J
Painting Tools cycle B
Erase Tools cycle E
Marquee Selection Tools cycle M
Freehand Selection Tool L

 

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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7 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Usually the default keyboard shortcut keys should be like those shown here ...

Sorry, should have specified that I'm working in the Photo Persona. Looking at your links, it seems just pressing the designated key by itself works, no Shift or Enter key needed. Thanks! Must have got my wires crossed. Still, odd that they stop working entirely at times, but then I randomly seem to lose ALL of the shortcut keys at times, and sometimes my ability to right-click. Can't figure out why. I've decided "it is what it is."

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14 minutes ago, stepfull said:

Also, sometimes none of the shortcut keys for Tools work at all 😔 It's as if something causes them to stop completely, then start again, but with the same issues mentioned in my prior post. I can't figure out what the trigger for that is.

 

2 minutes ago, stepfull said:

...Still, odd that they stop working entirely at times, but then I randomly seem to lose ALL of the shortcut keys at times, and sometimes my ability to right-click. Can't figure out why. ...

You are not alone. One thing that doesn't work is swearing at the monitor.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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Okay, I've found something more specific: I'm copying a single layer from one file, and pasting into a new file, after which I need to adjust the object's position, then save it as a new file. Here's how I'm doing that:

  • Click on desired layer
  • Ctrl+C to copy it
  • Ctrl+N to start a new file. It defaults to the same preset I've been using (just a blank of a specific size, 6 x 6 inches), so I just hit ENTER to confirm and the new file opens. (I'm not using "New form clipboard" because even though the object is roughly 5 x 5 inches, I instead end up with a file that's 16 x 16 inches. No idea why.)
  • Ctrl+V to paste the copied layer into the file
  • V to select the layer with the Move tool
  • Alt+A for the Arrange menu, choose "Align Center"
  • Alt+A for the Arrange menu, choose "Align Middle"

If I want to use any other Tools at this point, I can't get to them via a shortcut. The Tools shortcuts are dead at this point. 

So maybe it's something I'm doing, but I don't understand why this kills them. 

*Additional Info* If I mouse to use the Arrange menu instead of using the Alt+A shortcut, the Tools shortcuts remain active.

Edited by stepfull
Left out a step and realized I'd posted the wrong shortcut for the Arrange menu. Adding some more info
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I don't do Windows but ... Isn't Control + A for Select All? Here on Mac I don't recall any shortcut for the Arrange/Align options.

2 minutes ago, stepfull said:
  • Ctrl+A for the Arrange menu, choose "Align Center"
  • Ctrl +A for the Arrange menu, choose "Align Middle"

If I want to use any other Tools at this point, I can't get to them via a shortcut. The Tools shortcuts are dead at this point. 

So maybe it's something I'm doing, but I don't understand why this kills them. 

 

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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1 minute ago, Old Bruce said:

I don't do Windows but ... Isn't Control + A for Select All? Here on Mac I don't recall any shortcut for the Arrange/Align options.

 

Yes - I had posted the wrong shortcut - was apparently editing the post while you were replying. Should have said Alt+A, not Ctrl+A. It's using the shortcut for the Arrange menu an arrow keys to select from that menu that is killing the Tools shortcuts. If I use the mouse instead, for that operation, they remain active. Seems like a bug?

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38 minutes ago, stepfull said:

If I want to use any other Tools at this point, I can't get to them via a shortcut. The Tools shortcuts are dead at this point. 

You didn't mention closing the Arrange dialog to finalize that operation.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
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2 hours ago, stepfull said:

Should have said Alt+A, not Ctrl+A. It's using the shortcut for the Arrange menu an arrow keys to select from that menu that is killing the Tools shortcuts.

I am on a Mac so maybe it is different for Window, but I cannot find any keyboard shortcut to open (drop down) the Arrange menu (or any other menu for that matter). I can use builtin or custom keyboard shortcuts to apply any of the items on that menu without having to open it, but you seem to be talking about something very different.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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15 minutes ago, R C-R said:

I am on a Mac so maybe it is different [for Windows]

It’s a standard thing on Windows that you can use an ‘accelerator’ (usually indicated by an underlined character in the name) to open a menu; e.g. Alt+F for the File menu, Alt+A for the Arrange menu, Alt+H for the Help menu.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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2 hours ago, stepfull said:

(I'm not using "New form clipboard" because even though the object is roughly 5 x 5 inches, I instead end up with a file that's 16 x 16 inches. No idea why.)

‘New From Clipboard’ uses a document resolution of 96 DPI, so if the original object was 5 inches square at 300 DPI (i.e. 1500 pixels square) it will be roughly 16 inches square in the new document.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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On 8/2/2022 at 6:47 PM, Alfred said:

‘New From Clipboard’ uses a document resolution of 96 DPI, so if the original object was 5 inches square at 300 DPI (i.e. 1500 pixels square) it will be roughly 16 inches square in the new document.

Ah - I didn't know that, but I see that you're right. I suppose "New from Clipboard" is useful for something, but definitely not for my purposes. Thanks for the tip!

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2 minutes ago, stepfull said:

I suppose "New from Clipboard" is useful for something, but definitely not for my purposes.

Can’t you simply shrink the new document to the desired size? :/

 

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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On 8/2/2022 at 6:21 PM, R C-R said:

I am on a Mac so maybe it is different for Window, but I cannot find any keyboard shortcut to open (drop down) the Arrange menu (or any other menu for that matter). I can use builtin or custom keyboard shortcuts to apply any of the items on that menu without having to open it, but you seem to be talking about something very different.

Definitely different in Windows then. I see Alfred has addressed this. I couldn't function without keyboard shortcuts. I can't use a regular mouse, and even using a trackball is dodgy. 

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7 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Can’t you simply shrink the new document to the desired size? :/

 

That would be fine if it was for display on a screen. Since I'm creating things for print purposes, I have to be mindful of total pixels. That said, I'm thinking of using a larger size than the 6 x 6 I originally mentioned, which makes this something of a moot point. Thankfully, I'm working with vector objects, so scaling doesn't present a problem. 

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16 minutes ago, stepfull said:

Since I'm creating things for print purposes, I have to be mindful of total pixels.

I do not think just shrinking the document should change the number of pixels, just the DPI. What happens when you try doing that?

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
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1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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On 8/10/2022 at 2:56 PM, R C-R said:

I do not think just shrinking the document should change the number of pixels, just the DPI. What happens when you try doing that?

The DPI (dots per inch) doesn't change when you resize an image. The number of total pixels does change. For example:

An image that is 10 inches x 10 inches at 100 dpi would be 1,000 pixels x 1,000 pixels, or 1,000,000 total pixels. 

Reducing that image to 5 inches x 5 inches, it would remain at 100 dpi, and would be 500 pixels x 500 pixels, or only 250,000 total pixels. 

Now, apply that to an image that is 6 inches x 6 inches at 300 dpi (3,240,000 total pixels), copying that image, then using "paste new from clipboard". What you get is an image 18.75 inches by 18.75 inches, reduced to 96 dpi. Even though the size in inches is larger, and the dpi is less, this is still a document that has 3,240,000 total pixels. Now, if I reduce the resulting image to the actual size I want (6 inches x 6 inches), the dpi doesn't change - it's still at 96 dpi. It's now a document that only has 331,776 total pixels. 

In other words, Affinity preserves the total pixels when you "paste new from clipboard", but instead of preserving the size in inches and the size in dpi, you get the above. I don't know why. I suppose this is "expected behavior" as far as the way it's programmed, but it's not what I expected to happen. 

Why worry about the size in inches at all? Because of its relationship to dpi - dots per inches. If I'm designing something specifically for a print size of 6 x 6 at 300 dpi, I'm not going to design it to be 18.75 x 18.75 inches at 96 dpi, even thought it's the same total pixels. It might work just as well, but should I do that if its not the specification I was provided for the images? I think not. 

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31 minutes ago, stepfull said:

The DPI (dots per inch) doesn't change when you resize an image. The number of total pixels does change.

That depends on whether or not you allow resampling.

31 minutes ago, stepfull said:

An image that is 10 inches x 10 inches at 100 dpi would be 1,000 pixels x 1,000 pixels, or 1,000,000 total pixels. 

Reducing that image to 5 inches x 5 inches, it would remain at 100 dpi, and would be 500 pixels x 500 pixels, or only 250,000 total pixels.

If the original image is 10″ × 10″ @ 100 DPI, changing it to 200 DPI without resampling will double the dot/pixel density and therefore shrink the physical size to 5″ × 5″. If you allow resampling, you can retain the original pixel density but shrink the size by discarding pixels.

For your ‘New From Clipboard’ image that started out as 6″ × 6″ @ 300 DPI but gets pasted as 18.75″ × 18.75″ @ 96 DPI, simply change the DPI to 300 (without resampling) and all will be well: you’ll still have an image resolution of 1800 × 1800 pixels, but those pixels will be more densely packed when you print the image.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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2 hours ago, stepfull said:

The DPI (dots per inch) doesn't change when you resize an image.

What @Alfred said.

All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7
Affinity Photo 
1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7

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4 hours ago, Alfred said:

That depends on whether or not you allow resampling.

If the original image is 10″ × 10″ @ 100 DPI, changing it to 200 DPI without resampling will double the dot/pixel density and therefore shrink the physical size to 5″ × 5″. If you allow resampling, you can retain the original pixel density but shrink the size by discarding pixels.

For your ‘New From Clipboard’ image that started out as 6″ × 6″ @ 300 DPI but gets pasted as 18.75″ × 18.75″ @ 96 DPI, simply change the DPI to 300 (without resampling) and all will be well: you’ll still have an image resolution of 1800 × 1800 pixels, but those pixels will be more densely packed when you print the image.

This is a sidebar to the topic of the original post. (R C-R didn't mention resampling vs not resampling in his question to me. Is it really necessary for us to go down this path?)

What I would like is answers about my original question about keyboard shortcuts ceasing to work, and whether what I'm seeing in that regard is expected behavior in the application, or some sort of bug. 

Editing to add: As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I've changed my mind about using a 6-inch x 6-inch image anyway. 

Edited by stepfull
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