affinity designer transparent background by default

[Affuser1]

Is it possible to turn transparent background always on? I've never needed a background and for every file that I didn't create I have to manually click 4 tabs to finally disable it. Is there a way to disable it or toggle with a shortcut? It can be tedious to use this if I have to turn off the transparency for every drawing I edit instead of just having transparency turned off in Affinity Designer by default (or at least a with a toggle).

[loukash]

There's no direct method or keyboard shortcut in Designer.
But if you also have Photo, it takes only three keyboard shortcuts:

1. File > Edit in Photo
2. Document > Transparent Background
3. File > Edit in Designer

Additionally, you can automate the above as a global macro triggered by a single shortcut.
On Mac I'm using Keyboard Maestro which can directly execute any app's menu commands, but it will also work by using Automator, AppleScript UI scripting and the like.

[NotMyFault]

When creating new documents, use template files with transparent background. The setting works per document and is preserved during its life.

[loukash]

39 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

use template files with transparent background

You don't need to use templates. Presets will do just as well.
But that's obviously not the issue here:

4 hours ago, Affuser1 said:

for every file that I didn't create

[v_kyr]

Under MacOS it's easy to do via the defaults system ...

Quote

Reading out the actual associated defaults setting value for NewDocTransparentValue :

> defaults read -app "Affinity Designer" NewDocTransparentValue
0

The returned 0 means, here that NewDocTransparentValue is actually set to False/No and thus the checkbox is disabled (not checked) for new created docs!

Quote

Writing and changing the Designer defaults setting value for NewDocTransparentValue to True (aka enabling it):

> defaults write -app "Affinity Designer" NewDocTransparentValue -bool True

This enables the transparent checkbox default setting for creating new documents.

Usage is as always on own risk and thus making first a backup copy of the "com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.plist" file is recomended!

[loukash]

2 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

NewDocTransparentValue

Good catch!

4 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

it's easy to do via the defaults system

For the less nerdy individuals, it's even easier with Prefs Editor.

[45Matches]

On 2/24/2023 at 10:51 AM, v_kyr said:

Under MacOS it's easy to do via the defaults system ...

Usage is as always on own risk and thus making first a backup copy of the "com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.plist" file is recomended!

I tried defaults write -app "Affinity Designer 2" NewDocTransparentValue -bool True with AD 2 and it the value was set, but it did not have the desired affect of setting the default document setting to always be transparent.

[loukash]

1 hour ago, 45Matches said:

it did not have the desired [e]ffect

Have you quitted Designer first?
Also, since preferences are being heavily cached, you even may want to log out and log in to make sure the change will stick, although in theory it shouldn't be necessary.

[45Matches]

I did restart Affinity at the time. I have since restarted my computer. I don't know how to log out of affinity (day 1).

If I save a favourite preset with transparency that new document opens with transparency, but it feels like the preset is doing that.

If I select any of the other default presets, they apply their transparency setting to the new document - which is false to transparent background - and I get the opaque background.

Seems like updating each preset is a reliable way forward. 

Thanks all.

Edited February 21 by 45Matches

[loukash]

Just now, 45Matches said:

I don't know how to log out of affinity

Not logging out of Affinity, I meant temporarily logging out of your Mac user account: Apple menu → Log Out [your user name]
This may be sometimes necessary "voodoo" because it restarts the user-owned background processes of the MacOS.

[45Matches]

Thanks for clarifying that.

So with this set like:
> defaults write -app "Affinity Designer" NewDocTransparentValue -bool True
 

your expected result is that regardless of what the preset has defined, every new document opens with transparency?

[loukash]

36 minutes ago, 45Matches said:

your expected result is that regardless of what the preset has defined, every new document opens with transparency?

I don't remember, sorry. It's been 2 years since we've discussed it, and I'm only ever using transparent background in APh, not in ADe or APu.