Holy crip there’s still no batch export workflow, it’s still crappled!

[JonnyPanic]

Version 2 and still no way to quick expot a project, it  cripples the work flow, we should be able to export a projects worth of files… should not have to open each individual file to export.

it… just… makes… no… sense…. that… I … still…. can’t… quickly…. export…. a… projects…. worth…. of…. files…. without… monotonously…. opening….  files…. to…  export…. each.

[DM1]

48 minutes ago, JonnyPanic said:

just… makes… no… sense…. that… I … still…. can’t… quickly…. export…. a… projects…. worth…. of…. files…. without… monotonously…. opening….  files…. to…  export…. each.

Perhaps this is a workflow issue? Using the Home Screen as a file management area is fraught with risk unless your project files have been saved. Files in LiveDoc Home screen are effectively just open ‘Tabs’ and for security should be saved as soon as created. This creates actual files outside of apples restricted memory location. These files are easily accessible (unlike  protected memory). This takes a few seconds only. Once saved they are accessible for batch processing with outputs in a range of formats.

[JonnyPanic]

Perhaps it’s an application design issue.

What is this risk of which you speak in iOS’s “protected area”?

Why must save files again “for security”, what does that even mean?

I’m not sure there’s a whole lot of lost or damaged  files being reported in these forum…  if the app can’t save a file have we all invested in lemon?

Users should not need to create more files outside of any stable storage system in order to create the file we need to use, that’s just crazy.

 

“This takes a few seconds”, and (I think) about four taps, per file, so let’s simplify this…

1 file, 5 seconds, 4 taps

2 files, 10 seconds, 8 taps

4 files, 20 seconds, 16 taps

 8 files, 40 seconds, 32 traps

16 files, 80 seconds 64 taps

 QUEUE SEVERE RSI

 

So,  don’t take the easy route and blame the user, create what they need in this otherwise great application’s.
Don’t make them d*ck around in menus & click a few menu items that “take just a few seconds”.

just enable.

 

 

 

 

[DM1]

10 hours ago, JonnyPanic said:

What is this risk of which you speak in iOS’s “protected area”?

The risk is that the protected files can and do get corrupted. When their happens you cannot open them, you cannot access them, cannot reopen them, and because you chose not to Save them you need to start over from scratch.

10 hours ago, JonnyPanic said:

This takes a few seconds”, and (I think) about four taps, per file, so let’s simplify this…

Lmao. You are using a touch device and you are concerned that you need to tap save, name a file and tap ok to ensure you have a file saved that you can backup, move, share etc.

if you save each file as it is created you won’t notice the few seconds it took. You also won’t need a batch export function to relocate 100's of files at some later stage.

10 hours ago, JonnyPanic said:

I’m not sure there’s a whole lot of lost or damaged  files being reported in these forum…  if the app can’t save a file have we all invested in lemon?

There are reports of 'damaged' sandbox files. As sandbox files haven’t been saved it is not possible to rebuild the file from a saved backup. 

If your preferred workflow is to not Save your work so that you have copies or backups to fall back on in the event of corrupted files or worse, the loss of your device, then that’s your choice. Depends how important your files are to you.🙂

10 hours ago, JonnyPanic said:

Users should not need to create more files outside of any stable storage system

I’m one of the millions of electronic device users who like to have their devices securely backed up on external storage. If my devices are lost, stolen, accidentally damaged or simply cease to function, no need to panic, Jonny, I just replace them and access my 'saved' copies. Nothing lost. 😁

[JonnyPanic]

“The risk is that the protected files can and do get corrupted.”

I’ve had a quick search for file corruption issues in the Affinity forum, and found a few relating to installation and SSD connection, none to internal memory on iOS devices, I’m not saying it’s not a “risk” (everything can, technically be described as a risk) but while the severity may be catastrophic, the likelihood of it occurring is rare, hence the choice not to have backups all over the place.

I could apply the “it might fail” logic ad infinitum, and backup forever, but there’s a diminishing return.

 

“If your preferred workflow is to not Save your work”

It is to save, obviously,  but in a more convenient & project friendly way, rather than a per unit way.

 

“the loss of your device…” blah blah

Files are saved to the cloud, and I also have a local backup strategy in place for originals and completed work, thanks for your concern.

“Lmao. You are using a touch device…”

Yip, that’s the forum “Affinity on iPad”

 

“if you save each file as it is created you won’t notice the few seconds it took.“

Yes, yes I will.

If I do something in in one shot, or broken up, I’ll still have the same amount of time out of my day, and my RSI will still be have to deal the same number of taps.

 

”You also won’t need a batch export function to relocate 100's of files at some later stage.”

True, that’s a called a work-around, used when a required feature doesn’t work, or isn’t present.

 

”I’m one of the millions of electronic device users who like to have their devices securely backed up on external storage. If my devices are lost, stolen, accidentally damaged or simply cease to function, no need to panic, Jonny, I just replace them and access my 'saved' copies. Nothing lost.”

Well done there, have a medal.

You know ios devices (and most others) backup to the cloud automatically so there’s no need for the local backups of which your so proud, welcome to 2022.

 

 

So your argument seems to be this….

Batch export of projects is not needed because there’s a workaround that shuffles the tedium around into more, smaller bits of tedium, both require the same time and the same number of user interactions, so do not solve the real issue, but…. backups(?).

 

[Paul Mudditt]

Documents on the home screen sandbox are IDENTICAL to open tabs on any desktop application, handy that you can easily undo and redo any edits WHILST you have the document on a tab.

You would not go on holiday and leave all your work on open tabs on a desktop, so our 7 years of Affinity users experience says don’t leave your important completed work in the live docs sandbox on the iPad, it will bite you one day.

I have a full home screen too but full of my scrap work tests only.

If a file is worth saving then it is worth giving it a unique name in a unique folder, whether you start with that intention and do it when you first start working with the occasional save whilst you complete important details or leave it until you have finished working before you save is your decision.

 

[JonnyPanic]

Paul, very true, if I had many tabs open on a desktop app I’d hit the “save all” button, just to be sure they are all saved, but I can’t here. I need to open each individually to be sure they are saved.

(In this case saved==exported)

Of course, I’ve no intention of leaving files “open” forever. I’ll continue to save each separate file, by opening, saving and closing each one, one  at a time, since there’s no choice.
 

As you say it’s been the case for 7 years, or “we’ve always done it this way”.

 

[beatrixwillius]

Sigh... as software developer I need to create multiple versions of icons and screenshots all the time. I really had hoped for some improvements on the batch/export features in Affinity Photo and Designer. I have a clunky AppleScript to make the different versions in RetroBatch. But batch/export should be a core feature for the Affinity apps.

[StudioJason]

7 hours ago, beatrixwillius said:

Sigh... as software developer I need to create multiple versions of icons and screenshots all the time. I really had hoped for some improvements on the batch/export features in Affinity Photo and Designer. I have a clunky AppleScript to make the different versions in RetroBatch. But batch/export should be a core feature for the Affinity apps.

Assets, Symbols, and/or Export Persona wouldn’t work?