Shape side count can’t be changed

[User8417]

I can’t change the number of sides for any of the applicable polygon tools. I input the new number and it just changes back to the default value.

Recipe: Select polygon/star/square star etc. shape tool. Tap side count in toolbar. Type new value. Tap OK. Side count in toolbar remains at the default.

I’m using the latest version of Affinity Designer 2, I can reproduce it and it happens in a new document (default A4 option).

My iPad’s running iOS 16.3 and I’ve tried it with and without keyboard attached.  Also quit app and relaunched; restarted iPad.

Interestingly, the same thing is happening in Designer v1 as well. I’ve tried other apps that use similar inputs and they’re working okay.

polygon-bug.afdesign

[Hangman]

@User8417, does it work if you draw the polygon first and then change the value in the number of sides field with the polygon still selected? I agree that it should work prior to drawing the polygon, as it does on desktop, but just curious...

[Paul Mudditt]

Even the desktop is better suited to "draw then adjust parameters" rather than "adjust parameters then draw" workflow.

Here the desktop does respond to first change and appears to allow "adjust parameter then draw" but after the first success reverts to only responding to "draw then adjust parameters".

[Hangman]

@Paul Mudditt, if you deselect the polygon prior to setting the number of sides then the value entered will stick... though this doesn't resolve the original iPad issue of course...

[Paul Mudditt]

11 minutes ago, Hangman said:

@Paul Mudditt, if you deselect the polygon prior to setting the number of sides then the value entered will stick... though this doesn't resolve the original iPad issue of course...

 

Gotcha. Nevertheless it isn’t intuitive on either device hence settling on draw then adjust being a more consistent way to work on both platforms personally. 

[Callum]

Hi All,

I have logged this issue to be improved in the future

Thanks
C

[Alfred]

2 hours ago, Callum said:

I have logged this issue to be improved in the future

Thanks, @Callum, but I’m a little surprised that you didn’t find the issue already logged. It’s certainly been raised on these forums several times before.

[NotMyFault]

1 hour ago, Alfred said:

Thanks, @Callum, but I’m a little surprised that you didn’t find the issue already logged. It’s certainly been raised on these forums several times before.

The forum would really benefit from occasional de-duplication. ♻️

 

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, Alfred said:

but I’m a little surprised that you didn’t find the issue already logged. It’s certainly been raised on these forums several times before.

But raised how? If raised as a bug, the answer may have simply been "not a bug; we'll move your post to Feedback".

Or if raised in Feedback, that's not "logging" in the sense that Callum meant, as far as I know.

[c130]

This is still happening but the bug has gotten worse - I can't change any of the shape properties that bring up the mini calculator, whether I've already drawn a shape or not. There is no way to draw anything but the default shapes.

[walt.farrell]

15 minutes ago, c130 said:

This is still happening but the bug has gotten worse - I can't change any of the shape properties that bring up the mini calculator, whether I've already drawn a shape or not. There is no way to draw anything but the default shapes.

Which application, and which release of that application? What release of iPadOS?

[NotMyFault]

21 minutes ago, c130 said:

whether I've already drawn a shape or not.

If you have already drawn a shape, and the shape is active in layer stack, this should not happen (and never happened to me, except „see next paragraph“.

unfortunately it is quite easy that focus on active layer gets lost (without any visible indication). So if this happens again, open the layer stack and select the layer again. 

[Alfred]

21 minutes ago, c130 said:

This is still happening but the bug has gotten worse - I can't change any of the shape properties that bring up the mini calculator, whether I've already drawn a shape or not. There is no way to draw anything but the default shapes.

If you’re selecting the shape with the Move Tool, switch to one of the Shape Tools and try again.

[c130]

8 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Which application, and which release of that application? What release of iPadOS?

Affinity Designer 2, v2.1.1

iPad Pro OS 15.0.2 (I'm aware this is out of date)

 

9 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

If you have already drawn a shape, and the shape is active in layer stack, this should not happen (and never happened to me, except „see next paragraph“.

unfortunately it is quite easy that focus on active layer gets lost (without any visible indication). So if this happens again, open the layer stack and select the layer again. 

I'm very confused - the shape is now changing but I can't tell what I'm doing differently than earlier.

Before I posted I tried doing this based on instructions from further up this thread:

1. Draw shape

2. Tap Select tool (black arrow)

3. Tap shape to select it

4. Tap Shape tool again

5. Try to change number of sides (no change)

Now doing the same thing it's working. I can see in the Layers panel that if I select any object, its layer becomes selected in the Layers panel. Using the Select tool, I can deselect everything by tapping outside the canvas (no layers are highlighted), then tap the shape I want to change (its layer becomes highlighted). Whatever I was doing earlier should have worked but didn't.

[NotMyFault]

4 minutes ago, c130 said:

Whatever I was doing earlier should have worked but didn't.

depends on what you did earlier. If the document is still open, you can inspect the history panel to see what you actually did.

if possible, please save file with history, and upload it so we can check it for you.

[c130]

Looks like the history only saves the last 100-ish changes so it's been overwritten by me clicking around frantically then drawing the shape manually... If it happens again I'll do that.

[NotMyFault]

There is an „undo limit“ which you can choose in settings / general, default 128.

[Timø]

Hi, nearly two years later I’m seemingly getting the same symptoms as the original poster. That is:

• it won't allow you to pre-specify a custom number of sides of a polygon (other than the default of 5) before you draw it - however it will allow you to go back to it afterwards and change it, but only once you have reselected the object and then manually re-selected the polygon in layer menu [due to the layer being immediately dropped after drawing it], and have reselected polygon tool again [if necessary] and then manually enter a new value for the sides).

• and secondly, it will allow a line width to be pre-specified but oddly won't display that you have done so, until you've drawn it.

iPad Air 2 (iOS 15.8.3, latest for said discontinued iPad)

Affinity Designer iPad version 2.5.5.2636 (latest as of today, 20th Sep 2024)

It's not really a problem if you know to mitigate it afterwards, but it's not preferable workflow and I had to come here to see if others suffered similar and for the workaround.

is it because I'm using an older iPad?

Thanks!

edit: unsure why my first video won't work, but can't edit it out, so re-uploaded a working version below it.

Edited September 20, 2024 by Timø

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, Timø said:

however it will allow you to go back to it afterwards and change it, but only once you have reselected the object and then manually re-selected the polygon in layer menu [due to the layer being immediately dropped after drawing it],

The Keep Selected button in the Context Toolbar should help with that.