Perspective Tool

[Soulartist]

When I use the perspective tool, it does not maintain the proper ration. For example, using the tool to create a roughly square image gets elongated into a rectangular shape.

[crabtrem]

It almost sounds like you are wanting to use the Crop Tool and not the Perspective tool.  But it is difficult to say without an example of what you are trying to do? 

[Soulartist]

Yes. In photoshop there is a perspective crop tool. 

 

I place the points on the four corners that I want to crop and straighten, but AP does not keep the proportion.  

 

I would include screenshots that I could upload from my hard drive, but I don't see a function for that.

[crabtrem]

Just to be sure, I made this quick video.

The crop tool in Affinity Photo is the third tool from the top on the tools panel.

Once you select crop, the crop grid comes up.

The default mode is unconstrained.

As can be seen on the context bar at the top left area.

I switch this to the 1:1 ratio mode and the grid changes.  I can move and resize this.

Once I get the crop I desire, I apply it.

This is not to be confused with the perspective tool and the mesh tools on the lower left side.

 

 

[Soulartist]

Thanks for the movie.

 

If you are familiar with the PS perspective crop tool, then you know what I'm after.

 

For example, I have an image of a framed piece of art, which is askew. I want to straighten it and crop out unnecessary background. 

 

With AP, so far, I must be missing something to get the same results. 

[barninga]

if i understand what you mean, i guess you have to split the task into two steps. first you apply the perspective correction so, then you crop the image. the crop tool can be set to maintain proportions between h&w.

[Soulartist]

Hi barninga:

 

When I apply the perspective correction, it alters my roughy square image of the framed art to an elongated rectangular image … which is the problem. Cropping the rectangular image I don't think would work, and is unnecessary tedious. 

 

PS made this easy in one step. 

 

Is there a way to upload screenshots from my hard drive to a response here?

[barninga]

if you click on the "more reply options" button on the right of the "post" one, a "choose files" is displayed.

[Soulartist]

Here are the screenshots:

 

Image 1 shows how I want the perspective crop.

 

Image 2 shows how when applied, it has distorted the image to a rectangle. 

[barninga]

i got it now.

same here, i tried on some shot of mine and i confirm that the perspective correction in source mode introduces a distortion in the proportions of the cropped detail. i have no clues, but using the tool in destination mode and then crop in a subsequent step.

i don't know if this is by design.

[evtonic3]

Crabtrem this is what he wants to do https://youtu.be/nyDGSXb4B48?t=38s 

 

I get the same distortion you get Soulartist, not sure how PS does this but it works great. AP may need to get this tool updated is all I can say.

[Soulartist]

i got it now.

same here, i tried on some shot of mine and i confirm that the perspective correction in source mode introduces a distortion in the proportions of the cropped detail. i have no clues, but using the tool in destination mode and then crop in a subsequent step.

i don't know if this is by design.

A serious oversight by AP, unless I am missing how to accomplish this simple task. 

[Soulartist]

Crabtrem this is what he wants to do https://youtu.be/nyDGSXb4B48?t=38s 

 

I get the same distortion you get Soulartist, not sure how PS does this but it works great. AP may need to get this tool updated is all I can say.

Precisely, evtonic3 … someone from Affinity should respond to these posts so we know what is what.

[barninga]

from what i read here https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/14359-perspective-crop/?hl=perspective+crop a true perspective crop tool was not implemented as of october 2015, and not even in the roadmap.

so, chances are that it was introduced with th 1.4.1 release (i did not check the new features list, however), or the behavior we are experimenting is not intended as a real crop tool. i could not find a different meaningful definition, however.

[JimmyJack]

No perspective crop combo..... yet.

 

That being said:

You might be able to get away with the Straighten feature in the crop tool.

 

but...

If you really need to do more.... which it looks like you do...

The warp tool works a bit different than you're used to (perhaps it needs some.....um.... streamlining).

If you place your "web" using Source and then hit apply, it thinks you want to warp your selection to the document size.

This is where your rectangle result is coming from.

What you need to do is, with source selected, draw out your web (place the corners ) on the skewed subject. Then click destination and reposition the corners. They snap to perfect horizontal and vertical, so that part is painless. then hit apply.

If you haven't made a selection first the whole canvas will reflect the change.

 

Then crop.

[Soulartist]

from what i read here https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/14359-perspective-crop/?hl=perspective+crop a true perspective crop tool was not implemented as of october 2015, and not even in the roadmap.

so, chances are that it was introduced with th 1.4.1 release (i did not check the new features list, however), or the behavior we are experimenting is not intended as a real crop tool. i could not find a different meaningful definition, however

 

AP may have some fine features, but it may not be for me for the reason we've been discussing and lousy print support.

[Soulartist]

No perspective crop combo..... yet.

 

That being said:

You might be able to get away with the Straighten feature in the crop tool.

 

but...

If you really need to do more.... which it looks like you do...

The warp tool works a bit different than you're used to (perhaps it needs some.....um.... streamlining).

If you place your "web" using Source and then hit apply, it thinks you want to warp your selection to the document size.

This is where your rectangle result is coming from.

What you need to do is, with source selected, draw out your web (place the corners ) on the skewed subject. Then click destination and reposition the corners. They snap to perfect horizontal and vertical, so that part is painless. then hit apply.

If you haven't made a selection first the whole canvas will reflect the change.

 

Then crop.

JimmyJack: thanks for the tips, but when I have 30 or 40 images to perspective crop, this would be way too tedious!

[JimmyJack]

Totally agree!

It needs some work.

[R C-R]

from what i read here https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/14359-perspective-crop/?hl=perspective+crop a true perspective crop tool was not implemented as of october 2015, and not even in the roadmap.

so, chances are that it was introduced with th 1.4.1 release (i did not check the new features list, however), or the behavior we are experimenting is not intended as a real crop tool. i could not find a different meaningful definition, however.

Open Affinity Photo Help, type "Perspective" in the search box, hit return, & you should get three help topics at the top results list, Perspective, Perspective Tool, & Perspective Filter. They explain what the tool & filter is intended to do & how to use them.

 

Regarding the distortions the tool causes vs. the results shown in the YouTube PS video, from Soulartist's screen shot, it looks like the selection end points are placed at the corners of the frame. You can clearly see from the grid that by doing this, selection grid is not parallel with the bottom of the picture. This may be why it produces distortions.

 

Note: edited for clarity (I hope).

Edited February 16, 2016 by R C-R

[Soulartist]

RC-R

 

Thanks for your comments. I need the perspective tool to work like the perspective crop tool in PS.

 

Whether the endpoints are on the frame or inside on the art itself shouldn't make difference for the desired crop.

[R C-R]

Whether the endpoints are on the frame or inside on the art itself shouldn't make difference for the desired crop.

But it will make a difference in how the art is distorted if the end points are placed such that the crop box grid is not parallel with the art itself. That looks like what happened from your first screen shot. The arrows in the attached show what I mean by this better than I can describe in words.

[Soulartist]

Yes. But, I'm looking for a that looks about right, which should work as in PS's perspective crop tool. 

[R C-R]

Yes. But, I'm looking for a that looks about right, which should work as in PS's perspective crop tool. 

 

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "I'm looking for a that looks about right" but Affinity Photo is not PS, nor is it intended to work exactly like PS or any other image editing app. If you want something that does, AP may not be right for you.

[Soulartist]

You may be right, but I can't be the only user who expects usability rather than … difficulty. 

[R C-R]

You may be right, but I can't be the only user who expects usability rather than … difficulty. 

The difficulty is that it doesn't work like PS, not that it is unusable. It takes time to learn how best to use Affinity's apps, just as it did with Adobe's. If you don't have the time for that, then stick with the ones you already know how to use.