Affinity V2.0

[Fernan]

I have a solid feeling this is the "something big" that is coming:

If that feeling is precise, that would be absolutely amazing, and a game changer for a lot of people. The integration within the Affinity Suite would be simply unparalleled, and that would open a whole new world of possibilities.

Just imagine working with vector shapes in AD, and being able to access the full set of pixel tools of AP to paint some textures or add some images. All of this with just a single click and without "leaving" the Affinity Suite.

Or Imagine being able to put specific tools from the AP tool set into the AD toolbar (or the other way around). This would add a level of customization that is even hard to imagine 🙃

This would also eliminate a lot of redundancy present in the Suite right now. I think the best example of this is the Pixel Persona, which is like a "little version" of AP inside AD. I think this was a cool idea in its time, but it also brings a lot of issues; in the use of brushes, shortcuts and other things...

[rsim]

12 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

You will find out more on the 9th of November 

I presume there'll be a beta period then? I'm trying to remember back to how the Photo/Publisher releases worked, but my brain is coming up blank...

[Old Bruce]

3 minutes ago, rsim said:

I'm trying to remember back to how the Photo/Publisher releases worked, but my brain is coming up blank...

There was a Public Beta for Publisher which I joined. This was before Publisher was released for sale. I think it was organized through this forum with an open invitation for interested people to try it out.

[Tourmaline]

On 11/4/2022 at 2:17 PM, Patrick Connor said:

Yes when V2 arrives they will be optional and require a new purchase if you want to own a license.

Will v2 update v1 or will it be a seperate install all along?

[Danielcz]

AF Photo V2.0

i just hope for tillable procedural filters with better fidelity (they are kind of blurry/mushy looking).

Better fx layers (glow fx is kind of worst than PS, dont know if its need more samples or what but glow gradient looks more fine in PS and better following shape on bezier and circle objects).

Better font engine smaller font looks blurry (kind of broken too) missing crispness, blend options dont help much.

dont need another new video editing software which is worst then others, there is Davinci Resolve, Vegas which is at last 2 times a year on HumbleBundle for 25-30 euros sale, and free Blender with video editing capability and compositor and more free softwares which i didnt tried like Shortcut or Openshot...

what i would like to see is new node based compositing software on the market, there isnt much choices. (Nuke/Natron)

3D texture painting would be also good but substance isnt that expensive (steam sale, perpetual), 3D Coat textura (cheaper) also there is ArmorPaint for 20 euros and for blender Fluent Materializer for 35 USD but they are based more on a texture projection/stamping workflow, substance is more procedural.

[Patrick Connor]

1 minute ago, Tourmaline said:

Will v2 update v1 or will it be a seperate install all along?

It will be an optional separate install

[walt.farrell]

47 minutes ago, Fernan said:

Just imagine working with vector shapes in AD, and being able to access the full set of pixel tools of AP to paint some textures or add some images. All of this with just a single click and without "leaving" the Affinity Suite.

You can do that already in Publisher.

[Dave Foster]

I'm looking forward to the new releases. I remember the Affinity apps being released at the perfect time for me due to the changes to the Adobe licences.

Looking at what has been written, the idea that you cannot interchange files between V2 and V1 must mean that there is something fundamental happening to the software that is way above adding additional functionality, but something that could not have been built on top of the existing software. To me that sounds like, not just a upgrade but new software entirely. Maybe a new concept? Looking at the video I would guess at 3D or animation.

Ok. I know...9th November

[Fernan]

9 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

You can do that already in Publisher.

Oh, really? I didn't know that, because I do not use or own Publisher. 😅

Nonetheless it would be great to be able to just open one and the same program (Affinity Suite) to be able to work this way.

[Coblynau]

9 hours ago, Patrick Connor said:

Your next purchase (which will be an update to our software) is in no way restricted by any previous purchases, so yes. It's a whole new purchase if you choose, or not if you don't want to 

@Patrick Connor, If V2 is purchased, will the license allow the download/installation of V1?

To explain why I'm asking.  I've recently been asked to do some publishing work for a charity and need some appropriate software.  I trialled Affinity suite 1.10 which looked great, but learning that 'something big' is coming on 9th, I haven't committed yet as it may make sense to buy V2.0.  However, I'll be doing this work on an aged PC that could just about cope with V1.10.  If V2.0 turns out to be more demanding, it might be that PC performance may force me to use V1.10.

Thanks 🙂

[PaoloT]

1 hour ago, Fernan said:

I have a solid feeling this is the "something big" that is coming:

I wonder what is different, in this image, to what we have now.

(Edit: I see Walt already pointed to the existing integration).

Paolo

 

[Dangerous]

5 minutes ago, Fernan said:

Oh, really? I didn't know that, because I do not use or own Publisher. 😅

Nonetheless it would be great to be able to just open one and the same program (Affinity Suite) to be able to work this way.

You can 'sort of' do that with only AD & AP. FILE - EDIT IN ????? will open the other program and transfer the file to it. When you want to go back then repeat the FILE - EDIT IN ???? and it transfers back.

 

[rhmb]

25 minutes ago, Dave Foster said:

Looking at what has been written, the idea that you cannot interchange files between V2 and V1 must mean that there is something fundamental happening to the software that is way above adding additional functionality, but something that could not have been built on top of the existing software. To me that sounds like, not just a upgrade but new software entirely.

Not necessarily. For example, I have On1 Photo Raw 2022. On1 Photo Raw 2023 can read and work with files from On1 2022 and previous years but the older years cannot open files from the 2023 version. Same thing with Lightroom. 

Edited November 5, 2022 by rhmb

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, Fernan said:

Just imagine working with vector shapes in AD, and being able to access the full set of pixel tools of AP to paint some textures or add some images. All of this with just a single click and without "leaving" the Affinity Suite.

Years ago (decades actually) I used an application called Canvas from Deneba. It was good for Photos, Vectors and Page layout. They eventually stopped making it for Mac so I had to stop using it.

[R C-R]

20 minutes ago, Dave Foster said:

Looking at what has been written, the idea that you cannot interchange files between V2 and V1 must mean that there is something fundamental happening to the software that is way above adding additional functionality, but something that could not have been built on top of the existing software.

We already have seen this lack of forward compatibility in several updates to V1, so for instance many files created in v1.10.x cannot be opened in earlier versions because the file created in the later version included some feature not supported in the earlier one.

[Stepaan]

4 minutes ago, PaoloT said:

I wonder what is different, in this image, to what we have now.

(Edit: I see Walt already pointed to the existing integration).

Paolo

 

I'm just guessing, but... Your image shows the Affinity Publisher's Studiolink with limited feature set of ADesigner and APhoto. But on the first picture it seems, you just can work on a single document in all full featured apps...

[Tommy Turtle]

Will v2 be available to download from 9th or is just an announcement and they will be available at some point after?

 

really looking forward to v2, btw can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on.

[Dangerous]

Just now, Tommy Turtle said:

Will v2 be available to download from 9th or is just an announcement and they will be available at some point after?

If it hasn't been secretly beta'ed already then maybe this may be beta version we purchase at a good discount price. As it is a stand alone new install we will still have ver 1 to work with if a bug in ver 2 causes an issue.

It has been said that every version of windows is a beta version based on the number of bug fixes that follow the release!

[Fernan]

6 minutes ago, PaoloT said:

I wonder what is different, in this image, to what we have now.

(Edit: I see Walt already pointed to the existing integration).

Paolo

 

Yeah, I was not aware about the subject.

But I think it would better to have this working on a single suite, where whenever you going to edit a photo, create a logo, layout a page or draw something, you just open the same single "big" program; Affinity Suite.

I don't see what is the reason behind this working this way only on Publisher 🤔

[Patrick Connor]

@Coblynau

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums

19 minutes ago, Coblynau said:

If V2 is purchased, will the license allow the download/installation of V1?

No that is not planned, thought I appreciate you taking the time to explain why you think it would be appreciated 

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, Stepaan said:

I'm just guessing, but... Your image shows the Affinity Publisher's Studiolink with limited feature set of ADesigner and APhoto. But on the first picture it seems, you just can work on a single document in all full featured apps...

The only thing different in the first is the order of the 3 Persona buttons. There is no indication that (for instance) there is a Liquify, Tone Mapping, or Develop Persona; or for that matter that the 3 icons are actually part of any actual v2 app.

[Fernan]

15 minutes ago, Dangerous said:

You can 'sort of' do that with only AD & AP. FILE - EDIT IN ????? will open the other program and transfer the file to it. When you want to go back then repeat the FILE - EDIT IN ???? and it transfers back.

 

Sure, I use that all the time. Pretty useful stuff.

But I think that the idea of a single "whole" Suite would bring to many of us a better way of working. You would just have all the 3 apps right in there, just "separate" by a single click away.

[Fernan]

22 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Years ago (decades actually) I used an application called Canvas from Deneba. It was good for Photos, Vectors and Page layout. They eventually stopped making it for Mac so I had to stop using it.

I had not hear about it, but it sounds like it was a really cool application 😃

I hope one day Affinity will reach a point soon where all users can say something similar: "Affinity is GREAT for photos, vectors and page layout" 🤞

[walt.farrell]

32 minutes ago, Fernan said:

Nonetheless it would be great to be able to just open one and the same program (Affinity Suite) to be able to work this way.

For many (not all) purposes, Publisher is that Suite application, though Serif does not market it that way. And you also have to purchase Photo and Designer.

But once you have all three, you can start your work using Publisher, and you have all the functionality of Designer's main Persona (Designer Persona), and most of the functionality of Photo's main Persona (Photo Persona). You do not have their Export Persona, nor the other Personas from Photo, nor a few other Photo functions from the File menu. Nor the Pixel Persona from Designer, but those functions are covered by Photo. 

If you need the missing functions you can always switch to the full Designer or Photo application via File > Edit In....

So, except for users who frequently need those "missing" functions, Publisher really can serve as the Suite you want, in my opinion.

[Fernan]

28 minutes ago, Stepaan said:

I'm just guessing, but... Your image shows the Affinity Publisher's Studiolink with limited feature set of ADesigner and APhoto. But on the first picture it seems, you just can work on a single document in all full featured apps...

So, the features from AD and AP that you can access from Publisher are limited? Mmm, that is kind of interesting, and weird...

If that is so, then I think the idea of a single big Suite containing the full versions of AD, AP and Publisher have even more sense.