Affinity Designer 2 raster tools are not accessible in StudioLink (iPad)

[iuli]

In StudioLink, Affinity Designer 2 for iPad lacks the raster tools that can be accessible in the stand-alone AD2 app. In my opinion this is a major issue for those of us who work with 1bit files and use the pixel brush tool because Affinity renders pixels differently in AD and AP (an issue already reported which devs hopefully are aware of). A good workaround for this, I think, would be to have the pixel tool accessible in AD2 through Studiolink. 

If I have a 1bit file rendered correctly in AD2 (and blurry in AP2) which needs modifications with the pixel brush tool, having the raster tools accessible in StudioLink AD2 would solve the issue. Such an example is in the video below — it’s impossible to use the pixel brush in AP2 because the pixels are blurry.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by iulian
Minor edits

[loukash]

This is by design.
It's the same as in the StudioLink on desktop since v1. If you need pixel editing in StudioLink, please use the Photo persona.

[iuli]

As my post and screen recording show clearly above — Photo persona is the one where pixel editing is impossible. There are multiple instances on the iPad where Photo persona renders pixels blurry and AD correctly, and vice-versa.

Also — the post is about the fact that on the iPad, Affinity Designer lacks the raster persona in StudioLink. Because some 1bit files are  rendered blurry in AP and clear in AD, and other 1bit files blurry in AD and clear in AP — having pixel brush tool available in both Photo and Designer persona is very important.

Edited November 26, 2022 by iulian

[walt.farrell]

13 minutes ago, iulian said:

Also — the post is about the fact that on the iPad, Affinity Designer lacks the raster persona in StudioLink.

StudioLink provides only the Designer Persona and the Photo Persona. It is not supposed to provide the Pixel Persona.

But the pixel tools in the Photo Persona should do everything you can do in Designer's Pixel Persona. If that is not working, you should focus on that and help get that fixed. Or figure out if you should be using the tools differently.

[iuli]

Just now, walt.farrell said:

But the pixel tools in the Photo Persona should do everything you can do in Designer's Pixel Persona

Thank you for replying @walt.farrell,

As you can see in the video I posted above, there are certain 1bit files rendered blurry in AP but clearly in AD. These files cannot be edited in Photo persona because they are blurry, but they could be edited in the Designer persona if the pixel tools would exist there.

I hope this is a better explanation than my first. 

[NotMyFault]

One cause for different rendering is anti-aliasing, and different view modes. Turn anti-aliasing off it of in Photo. Just add one layer on top, and nest the remaining, as AA is inherited by default).

There are some hw acceleration bugs only affecting Photo, not Designer.

If you can provide one example document, i could try to find the cause or a workaround to get Photo usable for this case.

[loukash]

35 minutes ago, iulian said:

Photo persona renders pixels blurry and AD correctly

Designer on iPad doesn't have the Pixels View Mode, unlike the desktop version, which is a flaw, in my opinion. (Or at least I couldn't find it yet.)
Whereas Photo – logically – does by sheer definition of its scope.
If your artwork renders blurry in Photo, then it's because the 1-bit pixel layer isn't aligned to the pixel grid.
And looking at your video, the pattern can't be aligned because it's rotated. You can't rotate pixels and expect them to remain supercrisp sharp. Not if you obey the laws of physics of this very universe that we exist in. A pixel is an absolute unit. Photo shows you what the actual issue is.

Please search the forum for more info.

[walt.farrell]

1 minute ago, NotMyFault said:

One cause for different rendering is anti-aliasing, and different view modes. Turn anti-aliasing off it of in Photo. Just add one layer on top, and nest the remaining, as AA is inherited by default).

There are some hw acceleration bugs only affecting Photo, not Designer.

If you can provide one example document, i could try to find the cause or a workaround to get Photo usable for this case.

Considering that the question is about iPad, are the HW acceleration bugs relevant there?

[NotMyFault]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Considering that the question is about iPad, are the HW acceleration bugs relevant there?

In rare cases only.

[NotMyFault]

I tend to think this issue is anti-aliasing. Designer does not show anti-aliasing (in vector view mode), and objects seem sharper as they are in reality when exported as raster formats.

[loukash]

I just checked the Pixel persona in iPad Designer:

1. snap to Force Pixel Alignment
2. draw with the Pixel Brush, you get a perfectly sharp image without antialiasing
3. rotate the pixel layer with the Move tool (which is what appears to be the case in the video above)
4. your 1-bit pixels are rotated but (gasp!) still sharp! Say what?

Compare to Photo:

1. snap to Force Pixel Alignment
2. draw with the Pixel Brush, you get a perfectly sharp image without antialiasing
3. rotate the pixel layer with the Move tool (which is what appears to be the case in the video above)
4. your 1-bit pixels will be – logically – antialiased because a rotated pixel Does. Not. Exist.
   A pixel is always like this: █
   It can't exist like this: ◆
   (Hope you can see the correct "square" Unicode characters. )

The issue here is definitely the lack of Pixel preview in ADe and APh.

[iuli]

On 11/27/2022 at 1:37 AM, loukash said:

Please search the forum for more info.

For me personally, you’re the most condescending user I had the misfortune to “talk” to here. Again — I never asked for your help, but thank you for telling what a pixel is. I’m sure you’re a great helpful user (and your post history stands proof of that, you have an impressive activity here) , but I will avoid you from now on. It’s not your fault but mine, I simply don’t have the nerves for this.

And to conclude my take here  — I post a better video which I just recorded, with older files made by myself with the pixel brush tool, showing blurry in Affinity Photo — which, again,  regardless of the reasons, makes StudioLink hard to use because AD lacks the pixel brush tool. Which my post was all about.

—

Edit, Dec 3th — I see that the transform panel in below video showed no value — in my defence I was very tired then as it was almost morning. The recorded file had 1000x1000px, and there were no half pixels,  no misalignment etc — but I still could be completely wrong, of course. 

I didn’t know this topic would blow up like this this. I apologise for it.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by iulian
Edits

[deeds]

4 hours ago, iulian said:

5 hours ago, loukash said:

Please search the forum for more info.

For me personally, you’re the most condescending user I had the misfortune to “talk” to here.

There is an odd little posse in these forums that seem completely unable, unwilling or disinclined to concede ANY failings, flails or foibles of Affinity products.

It's odd because knowing the limitations of tools and tooling is one of the more wonderfully inspirational aspects of creativity because it's grounded in truths.

It's peculiar because some of the processes of production involve accurate replication. Where and when and how that's not possible with a given software's tooling should just be openly acknowledged, as it's also truth(s).

It's ridiculous because they don't seem to work for Affinity, and are seemingly not paid by Serif, yet do it anyways. Even football fans spend most of their time honestly analysing and critiquing their own team. Not these fans.

It's a problem because Serif seems unable to do anything about it, and it looks to be driving away users or, at the very least, leaving a bad aftertaste.