Saving Gradient Maps in Designer — iPad (and Mac, but especially iPad)

[DanH]

Why are we not given the ability to save Gradient Maps in Designer just as we are able to in Photo? Just, I mean, whhhhhhyy?

"I bequeath thee with the powers of Gradient Maps! ... Almost."

Workaround suggestions?

One idea is for each Gradient Map I want, clip it to a rectangle that has three shades of gray in it (if it's a three color gradient map), and save this as an Asset. 

—which is a bit cumbersome to have to make a new Asset each time I save a Gradient Map, but maybe not too bad. Probably will save Assets of different gray rectangles, each with three, four, five, or more shades in it, without Gradient Maps clipped to them, then use these Assets to make a new saved Gradient Map Asset when needed.

If it was like on the Mac where switching apps is quick, it'd probably be better to send to Photo. But it's a bit kludgy on the iPad to switch apps.

Edit: Second idea: buy Publisher and Photo too. Publisher allows both Photo and Designer tools to be accessible without having to switch apps.

Related Side Note: Wish the two apps were actually one. Edit: they effectively are if you buy Photo, Designer, and Publisher. But we should be able to switch between Designer and Photo toolsets if we own them both, and not be required to buy Publisher for the ability to do so. Sell them separately if you must, but then also have an all-in-one version for those who want them both. Or make it as easy to switch between apps on the iPad as on the Mac.

[walt.farrell]

I know this doesn't help you, but Designer (at least on iPad) has never supported creating Adjustment Presets, like Photo allows. So it's not just Gradient Maps. 

I have no idea why.

You could add a Feature Request, or comment on an existing one. https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/122-feedback-for-the-affinity-v2-suite-of-products/

[DanH]

One more way to resolve the issue: buy all three Affinity apps, and Publisher “Just like the desktop version, if you own the other Affinity apps, you’ll be able to switch between their various toolsets without ever leaving Publisher.” And, of course, this hearkens to the real reason for the lack of preset saving in Designer: it’s one of the lines drawn between the products to separate them so if one app is missing the tool you need, you will be encouraged to buy the other app which has that tool. This feature of Publisher is so nice that people not needing Publisher will often be enticed to buy it just for that one function. Clever marketing.