Adding a measurement to a line that automatically displays size value

[ChrisScale]

Hi,

I draw a lot of scaled drawings with measurements on them for building projects. I just want to be able to draw a line with a flat start and end and a label in the middle that displays the scaled measurement in relation to the document. At the moment I use Graphic for Mac that does this. I want to switch over to affinity fully but this seems missing. I normally add a layer in the diagram with the measurements so I can switch them on/off when needed.

This seems to have been asked a few times with no real answer. Love the Photo and Publisher just this big niggle with Designer.

[v_kyr]

Welcome!

Yes, even ADe v2 can show up distance point & area measurements etc., it yet doesn't offer to take these shown measurements then over and so glue them into a graphics doc on demand. - But hopefully this missing feature will possibly be added for/in future ADe updates.

Actually you would need to make some manual workarounds, like making yourself some reusable assets which then do include vector groups of "... a drawn line with a flat start & end and a label value placeholder in the middle ..." etc.

[Old Bruce]

9 hours ago, ChrisScale said:

I draw a lot of scaled drawings with measurements on them for building projects. I just want to be able to draw a line with a flat start and end and a label in the middle that displays the scaled measurement in relation to the document. At the moment I use Graphic for Mac that does this. I want to switch over to affinity fully but this seems missing. I normally add a layer in the diagram with the measurements so I can switch them on/off when needed.

I would continue with using the other application. The key words in your question are A Lot and Measurements. Working with Designer would get real old real quick.

[ChrisScale]

12 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

I would continue with using the other application. The key words in your question are A Lot and Measurements. Working with Designer would get real old real quick.

 

21 hours ago, v_kyr said:

Welcome!

Yes, even ADe v2 can show up distance point & area measurements etc., it yet doesn't offer to take these shown measurements then over and so glue them into a graphics doc on demand. - But hopefully this missing feature will possibly be added for/in future ADe updates.

Actually you would need to make some manual workarounds, like making yourself some reusable assets which then do include vector groups of "... a drawn line with a flat start & end and a label value placeholder in the middle ..." etc.

Thanks for the replies. It seems an odd feature to leave off when even one of the graphics on their website shows clearly a floorpan with measurements all over the place. I suppose I could add them manually but why bother to scale the document at all then? I use Graphic to plan large scale super car events 1,500 plus stands to scale with each car marked out. Guess I will stick with that even though I bought Designer...  

[v_kyr]

@ChrisScale

As far as I recall, the free LibreOffice Draw can do what you're after, see ...

• LibreOffice Draw (44) Dimension Lines Part 1 Dimension Layer (Tab)
• LibreOffice Draw (45) Dimension Lines Part 2 Dimension Line Dialog Box
• LibreOffice Draw (46) Dimension Lines Part 3 Dimension Line Scale

[pd42]

I've been going round and round in circles, searching the web, the user documentation, the forum...

and now find that this feature isn't in ADe2. You got to be kidding me. <weeps>

I bought the whole suite, looking to move away from Intaglio (no longer supported), Photoshop, Indesign.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. Literally!

[Hangman]

Hi @pd42 and welcome to the forums…

This feature is currently being looked at by the Serif team which is positive though there are no guarantees at this stage that it will be added.

[firstdefence]

With every release Affinity apps get better and better with new features such as texture fills coming in the 2.1 release, the Affinity team are working hard with lots of fixes and improvements to established tools coming in the 2.1 release, maybe it's not everything you want but they are moving in the right direction and I'm sure measurements will turn up at some point.

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/138-21-new-features-and-improvements/

[ChrisScale]

9 hours ago, Hangman said:

Hi @pd42 and welcome to the forums…

This feature is currently being looked at by the Serif team which is positive though there are no guarantees at this stage that it will be added.

I honestly thought this would be included in the release since it pushes scaled documents as a big feature. I am happy that you are looking into it. I have had to use the Graphic package on Mac to re-design my living room as you can do things like add scaled sofa's etc. It even displays a scaled box size when you click on it. I have a lot of normal drawings too but I have not moved because I don't want to investing in learning when its missing a key feature for my needs. still a good set of products. I use Photo a lot and publisher.

[Hangman]

17 minutes ago, ChrisScale said:

I honestly thought this would be included in the release since it pushes scaled documents as a big feature. I am happy that you are looking into it.

It's not me personally looking at it, I'm just another end user like yourself but it was mentioned by Serif themselves that they are looking into possibly adding this feature, though as mentioned, it's not guaranteed... there have been many requests for this to be added so I'm sure it will be given serious consideration by the Serif team.

[Roger Langham]

I'm an architect and I think Affinity Designer is almost there in it's ability but I can't use it if I cannot quickly tap on a couple of points and leave a permanent dimension there  as I can in say CorelDraw. It's such a shame because there would be many more users if this simple thing was added. The measurement tool almost does it but then the measurement just disappears when you move to another tool. 

[Suetonius]

H'mm.  Me too!  Looking at it since February 23, eh?
Let's face it ... it is a bit of an obvious omission given that the measurement tool actually displays (if only momentarily) what's needed.

I hate to highlight the elephant, but, I have, after all, drawn the darn object.  I know it's 400mm (or whatever) and I certainly wouldn't use the measurement tool for drawing accuracy.
What I want is the ability to tell someone looking at the plan that it's 400mm so they don't have to get their scale out.

So, really, I guess the real question is what's the point of the measurement facility?

Yours in extreme puzzlement.

 

[GarryP]

26 minutes ago, Suetonius said:

So, really, I guess the real question is what's the point of the measurement facility?

The Measure Tool ‘does what it says on the tin’, namely it lets the user measure things.

When I use a ruler to measure something on a drawing I would not expect the act of measurement to modify the drawing in any way.
Accordingly, when I use a Measure Tool I would not expect the act of using that tool to modify the design in any way.

What I think you want is a Dimensioning Tool, which has been requested many times over the years, but a good one would also need to handle such things as angles, radii/diameter, etc.

[Suetonius]

Quite agree about the further idea, but the frustrating thing is that the 'Dimensioning Tool' or whatever you like to call it, is nearly there.
It's like an unfinished job.

Ah well.  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Pšenda]

3 hours ago, Suetonius said:

I hate to highlight the elephant, but, I have, after all, drawn the darn object.

Even though I drew the damn curves, I wouldn't have measured this any other way (not even with an elephant :-) - thanks to Serif for the Measure Tool.

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, Suetonius said:

... but the frustrating thing is that the 'Dimensioning Tool' or whatever you like to call it, is nearly there.

Not really "there" yet. Typical dimensioning tools found in CAD apps create "live" dynamic measurements that change as the object(s) being measured are changed, & offer various options for the text, arrow styles of dimensional lines, etc.

The Affinity Measure tool lacks almost all of that.

[thomaso]

9 hours ago, Suetonius said:

What I want is the ability to tell someone looking at the plan that it's 400mm so they don't have to get their scale out.

What you want is a CAD application 😉

In Affinity I use a workaround via 'Contraints' to be able to scale the width of a group [ lines + arrows + text ] while maintaining specific properties. Well, I still need to type the numbers manually. – Attached an .asset …   Measure-Constraint.afassets

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, thomaso said:

What you want is a CAD application 😉

In addition to your workaround for Affinity, in a real CAD app, not only would the numbers automatically be added, they would update if the object's size was changed & there could be options to choose among various working units, different line weights, & so on.

I remember in the now very old & obsolete Deneba Canvas app that will not run on anything newer than System 7 or OS 8 there was even a feature that when a dimensional callout line was moved, the line could be bent or curved to place it in a location not obscured by anything else.

[Pšenda]

9 hours ago, thomaso said:

What you want is a CAD application

Yes, but the old DrawPlus already had some form of dimensioning tool.

 

It can therefore be assumed that users will expect a similar tool in ADesigner, while the Measure Tool is an absolutely necessary basis for this tool. I personally believe that Serif will add something similar over time, but it may not have a high priority - as already said, ADesigner is not CAD.

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Yes, but the old DrawPlus already had some form of dimensioning tool.  … It can therefore be assumed that users will expect a similar tool in ADesigner

Therefore it could also be assumed that Affinity offers a much wider range of tools … maybe after 25 years of development, for instance tools & features like Arc / Spiral / Vector Flood Fill / Knife / Connector / Roughen / Blend /… / CutOut Studio / Autotrace / Instant 3D / 1-click material Filter Effects / Keyframe Animation / …

The addition in Affinity V2 of a Vector Flood Fill + a Knife Tool doesn't necessarily mean the others have to or will follow.

Particularly given the number of persistent bugs, automated layout and production processes, calls for artificial intelligence, decreasing hardware size (iPad ... -> iPhone? -> Smartwatch -> 🧠 ?) or 3D-print, may feed speculations in another direction: Fewer individual features but rather ready-made or automatic and web-based apps, designs and layouts … finally with no need for users to measure a dimension anymore 😉

"AD, create a design with very very very very very perfect dimensions."

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, Pšenda said:

It can therefore be assumed that users will expect a similar tool in ADesigner....

Why should anyone assume that? They are apps built on two entirely different codebases; DrawPlus only runs on Windows while AD can run on Macs, Windows, & iPadOS; & the Affinity apps share a common native format while as I understand it the same is not true for the old Serif Plus apps.

It's an apples to oranges comparison that users should know isn't a reasonable one to make.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Why should anyone assume that?

Try asking these users individually - there are hundreds of such requests.
Despite the fact that the gradual addition of functions and tools from the original applications has been confirmed many times by Serif himself - always with a call for patience, because it will take some time.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

They are apps built on two entirely different codebases; DrawPlus only runs on Windows while AD can run on Macs, Windows, & iPadOS; & the Affinity apps share a common native format while as I understand it the same is not true for the old Serif Plus apps.

It's an apples to oranges comparison that users should know isn't a reasonable one to make.

??? And this should be some reason that Affinity apps never have again Knife Tool, Vector Flood Fill Tool, Spiral Tool? (ah, they already have them - how is that even possible when it's a completely different codebase!).
Your reasons just correspond to the fact that the transfer of these functions and tools is not easy, as confirmed by Serif with a call for patience, not that it is not possible.

[R C-R]

43 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

??? And this should be some reason that Affinity apps never have again Knife Tool, Vector Flood Fill Tool, Spiral Tool? (ah, they already have them - how is that even possible when it's a completely different codebase!).

What do you find difficult to understand about this? It is quite possible for two completely different code bases to be developed to include code for similar if not exactly the same functions. The code does not have to be identical; in fact, it would be quite unlikely that the code used in an app that runs on only one platform could be reused to provide the same function on another app that runs on several of them. So in no meaningful sense is it a "transfer" from one to the other; thus the inappropriateness of this 'apples to oranges' comparison.

1 hour ago, Pšenda said:

Try asking these users individually - there are hundreds of such requests.

What does that have to do with anything? My question was about assumptions about what was included, not requests for what could or should already be included.

Instead of assuming anything about this why not check the online help topics or tutorials, or the installed versions or betas if you have them, or the trial versions if you do not; or just ask in this forum? If you were contemplating buying any other kind of product wouldn't it be imprudent just to assume something was included? How is this any different?

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

reused

Nobody here is talking about "code reuse" except you. If you looked at the posts, you're responding to "users expecting some functionality", not that anyone expects or even requests that the same code be reused in a completely different application. What is difficult to understand about it?

Just to be sure, I'll remind you - where do you see any request for repeated use of the same code?

Edited November 1, 2023 by Pšenda