Layer Adjustments Separated

[InfaRed]

Hi guys. Hoping someone can help me. I got a couple questions regarding why certain things keep happening to me when making layer adjustments, then trying to move the layer or resize it.

First question is more simple, as I believe its what gets me into this. But next questions will be, how to get out of this if indeed stuck in it.

So lets say I have 3 layers. Pixel layer 1, 2 & 3. And now lets say I want to adjust the white balance, brightness, and saturation on the image within ONLY layer 2. I swore a long time ago I just clicked on that layer and once the bounding box appeared (tool on the cursor thing) then when I went to adjustments and stared fiddling, it would *only* effect that layer. But lately, multiple testing it effects the entire document. (ALL layers !). Is this normal ? If not, then what can I do to *quickly*  only effect the selected layer ?

So the workaround I found for now is I do as I click on that layer and once the bounding box appears (tool on the cursor thing) I then go to "Select" and chose "select from layer", this then automatically makes a selection around the image I want to adjust things on. Ok.. so is that the only way to achieve that ? Cause if so -- ok, BUT that's when question 2 arises.

Doing the above workaround works, yes. I get the look(s) I want to achieve. But now at a cost. Because now lets say I decided I want to resize or even move the layer 2 image that I adjusted some stuff on. WELL, oddly those adjustments are separated from the layer for some reason and they stay put and the image moves but not the adjustment effects. So how to I make them be a part of the layer so I can resize and move both the adjustments and layer together as one ? OR better yet, how do I approach adjustments to layers so that them things automatically are "one with" the intended layer I am adjusting them on/for ?

And what happened to the ability to just highlight a layer and once I started adjusting, it knew to only effect the highlighted layer ? Was this my imagination ? lol I swore back when I used to do that it also was "one with" that layer too when wanting to resize or move.

Please help/advise - Thanks

[Old Bruce]

You may have changed the setting in the Assistant Manager.

[InfaRed]

Thanks Bruce ! Appreciate it., that sounds like a solution to making it so this stops happening. But I guarantee I never changed that myself, because I never even seen the assistant manager, nor knew it existed. lol.

So that being said, I will check that and then adjust the setting to "child layer" if its not already on that ? If it is, then yea I guess I got bigger problems.

Now, can you or anyone tell me how I get "new layer" adjustments to be part of the layer after the fact of creating them as separate layers ?

Meanwhile I will check the status of that setting later when I got a chance.

[Old Bruce]

4 minutes ago, InfaRed said:

Now, can you or anyone tell me how I get "new layer" adjustments to be part of the layer after the fact of creating them as separate layers ?

Drag the thumbnail of the Adjustment layer onto the thumbnail of the Layer you wish to have its effect exclusively.

[Pšenda]

On 8/19/2022 at 8:08 PM, InfaRed said:

And now lets say I want to adjust the white balance, brightness, and saturation on the image within ONLY layer 2

"Group" adjustments with layer 2.

[InfaRed]

20 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

Drag the thumbnail of the Adjustment layer onto the thumbnail of the Layer you wish to have its effect exclusively.

Great, thank you. I have just tried this and verifying it works for me. It accomplishes making it so when resizing or moving, they all react together as one. The issue is, even though I can still see them individually, its not letting me adjust them still individually like I could when they were separate. I imagine this is just how it goes ? So you need to make sure you got it how you want it before doing this ? Or is there a way.

19 hours ago, Pšenda said:

"Group" adjustment with layer 2.

Thanks Psenda, so I have been looking and can't seem to find the "group" option on adjustments. Where is this ?

 

And overall update, yes OldBruce was correct. After I finally found the assistant manager (why is this just not in preferences ? lol) I seen that every option like this was set to create a new layer. BUT if you can not still adjust things separately if they are child layers, then maybe I want to keep it like this ? I have not tested that yet.

[Old Bruce]

53 minutes ago, InfaRed said:

After I finally found the assistant manager (why is this just not in preferences?)

I think about this sort of thing too. In this case I haven't been able to come up with any reason for or against it being a separate thing.

 

55 minutes ago, InfaRed said:

Thanks Psenda, so I have been looking and can't seem to find the "group" option on adjustments. Where is this ?

I think what @Pšenda meant was you just Group the layer on its lonesome. Select the Adjustment layer in the Layers' panel and use Command + G (Control + G for windows) to make a group out of that one single layer.

[Pšenda]

4 hours ago, InfaRed said:

so I have been looking and can't seem to find the "group" option on adjustments. Where is this ?

23 hours ago, Pšenda said:

"Group" adjustments with layer 2.

[Old Bruce]

See the Arrange menu, Arrange > Group.

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, InfaRed said:

After I finally found the assistant manager (why is this just not in preferences ?

Just a guess but I think this is implemented as the Assistant Manager on the View menu so users that frequently want to change any of its settings can do so by opening it via a user-definned keyboard shortcut (or by adding the Assistant Options button to the Toolbar), so they do not have to open the app preferences & find it among all the other preference settings.

It is also consistent with how all the other managers are grouped together in the View menu.

[InfaRed]

Thanks guys for all the help. Really helped me out. TBH I haven't tested everything out as to grouping and whether or not you can still tweak adjustment layers in a group or as child layers or which way is best.. BUT I get the gist of it all and its much appreciated ! I will report back if I have any problems.

Sorry most of my questions are super rudimentary, but I do not use the program much and reading any manuals is just too difficult. If I did that I wouldn't use the program at all ! lol

So @Pšenda , on a side note - I notice you have that one setting option thing in the layer window set to "passthrough" I do not believe I ever set it to that or anything other than what it is by default which I believe is "normal". To my understanding those are all different ways/approaches to how it applies blending to the said layer correct ? When I scroll through them I notice it doing stuff to the image, etc.. but never anything I like. But I swear I never even seen the option "passthrough". How do you get to that ? And what is it doing that causes a person to like to use it opposed to normal ?

[Pšenda]

18 hours ago, InfaRed said:

So @Pšenda , on a side note - I notice you have that one setting option thing in the layer window set to "passthrough" I do not believe I ever set it to that or anything other than what it is by default which I believe is "normal". To my understanding those are all different ways/approaches to how it applies blending to the said layer correct ? When I scroll through them I notice it doing stuff to the image, etc.. but never anything I like. But I swear I never even seen the option "passthrough". How do you get to that ? And what is it doing that causes a person to like to use it opposed to normal ?

No - default blend mode for Group is Passthrough, not Nornal. See help https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/LayerOperations/group.html

and https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Layers/layerBlendModes.html

 

P. S. I think it would be advisable to learn something about Affinity applications - otherwise you "use" them, but you have no idea what and how to do them. Despite the fact that asking very basic and easy-to-find questions + waiting for answers and explaining them also costs some time, including the time of other users.

[thomaso]

8 hours ago, InfaRed said:

Sorry most of my questions are super rudimentary, but I do not use the program much and reading any manuals is just too difficult. If I did that I wouldn't use the program at all ! lol

Isn't reading manuals quite similar to reading forum answers?

Don't forget the option of hundreds of existing video tutorials!

If you prefer access to information via forum posts you can use the first thread in this Questions section of the forum 😉

[InfaRed]

On 8/21/2022 at 4:21 AM, thomaso said:

Isn't reading manuals quite similar to reading forum answers?

I could see the analogy, but for me, personally, from my own experience, no. To thumb through a manual to find a basic answer is like finding a needle in a haystack. At least from my experience. Manuals are written horribly from my experience, overly explaining things I do not want to know about and leaving out things I do want to know about. I like the human interaction.

Asking human beings questions streamlines the answer quickly to what you asked. Plus you get a little personality in each answer too !

I definitely appreciate the answers and help guys. If I am wasting anyones time I apologize and by all means feel free to ignore me. I get it and wouldn't take it personally.

Videos I would love ! They relate to me very well. But again, its tough cause the needle in a haystack thing. I did indeed try to search for my answers before I came here.

 

On 8/20/2022 at 11:32 PM, Pšenda said:

No - default blend mode for Group is Passthrough, not Nornal. See help https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/LayerOperations/group.html

and https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Layers/layerBlendModes.html

 

P. S. I think it would be advisable to learn something about Affinity applications - otherwise you "use" them, but you have no idea what and how to do them. Despite the fact that asking very basic and easy-to-find questions + waiting for answers and explaining them also costs some time, including the time of other users.

Awesome. Thanks for the links. Helps tremendously.