Can I save my Affinity Settings?

[Stephen Babb]

I'd like to save my settings in Affinity on my computer, so that I can mirror the settings on another paid version of Affinity on my wife's computer. Is this possible?

[Alfred]

Are you using version 1 or version 2? The locations of the version 1 settings files are detailed in the following thread:

 

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, Alfred said:

The locations of the version 1 settings files are detailed in the following thread:

And for V2, here: 

 

 

[D.VE]

Imo there should be an in-app feature to import and export all settings.

 

Dave

[loukash]

On Mac, you can copy the corresponding Affinity folders or files from ~/Library/Application Support, ~/Library/Containers, ~/Library/GroupContainers and ~/Library/Preferences folders. I also sync them via ChronoSync with my backup Macs. Usually it works without a hitch, for Affinity v1 even between MacOS Ventura and as far back as El Capitan.

But I 100% agree with this: 

1 hour ago, D.VE said:

there should be an in-app feature to import and export all settings.

[R C-R]

10 hours ago, D.VE said:

Imo there should be an in-app feature to import and export all settings.

I wonder how well that would work for settings that can't be the same on different computers, like various Mac vs. PC differences or anything related to screen sizes if they are not the same on each one?

[D.VE]

7 minutes ago, R C-R said:

I wonder how well that would work for settings that can't be the same on different computers

Why not... Other applications allow the settings to be synced between devices via cloud or network...

[R C-R]

32 minutes ago, D.VE said:

Why not... Other applications allow the settings to be synced between devices via cloud or network...

It isn't how the settings could be synced I am asking about, but how they could be applied if the settings are not all compatible with different computers.

[loukash]

15 minutes ago, R C-R said:

how they could be applied if the settings are not all compatible with different computers

I'll leave it up to the developers to solve it…  

[R C-R]

14 minutes ago, loukash said:

I'll leave it up to the developers to solve it…  

It would be challenging, to say the least. Some things are obvious like the differences for shortcuts in Macs vs. Windows but beyond that, consider that I might have one set of shortcuts for my Apple Extended keyboard but if I had a MacBook as well, some of my extended keyboard shortcuts use keys that do not exist on the MB so I can't just export one to the other & expect it to get sorted out automatically, particularly if I want to use some different ones on the smaller vs. larger keyboard.

Then there are things like Studio Presets -- obviously, what works well for a 27" iMac probably won't for a 13" laptop, & again there is the problem of exporting/importing back & forth between them & trying to decide which ones to use each time.

I can also see potential problems for favorite fonts since there is no guarantee all the computers will have the same ones installed. Yet another possible problem is the Assets, because the different computers might have significantly different amounts of free space to store them.

[loukash]

For example, my favorite audio metadata editor Yate has an Export Preferences feature:

There are currently two feature-identical Yate versions – the "legacy" version is still backward compatible as far as early Intel Macs like my antique MBP 2008 with El Capitan, the other "regular" version is optimized for current Macs with Apple Silicon. Both versions are still being actively mantained. However, the actual ~/Library/Preferences/com.2manyrobots.Yate.plist is not compatible = syncable between the two versions (yep, I tried since I painstakingly keep my three MacBooks in sync) but the Export Preferences solves the issue. And it's necessary because Yate is in the same league as GraphicConverter in that you have options for literally everything.

The developer of Yate of course knows the hardware differences, hence the two versions because – as he once explained in the release notes – some functionality is hardware dependent. Very obviously, he then ignores specific hardware preferences that are not compatible. 

I'm pretty confident that the Serif devs would figure it out as well, eventually.
It's as simple as that.™

[loukash]

Speaking of Yate:
You, @R C-R, and their forum admin (I don't know if it's the developer himself) have something in common. Let me see if you can find out what it is…  

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, loukash said:

I'm pretty confident that the Serif devs would figure it out as well, eventually.

If I understand what your screenshot shows correctly, it would not be a matter of figuring out how to do this automatically, just force the user to tediously choose from a huge list of what to export or import, & I'm still not clear how that could work unless each computer was set up with its own list of  items to include in exports & ignore on imports.

Otherwise, how would any of the computers know what I wanted to use or discard on each machine.

It just seems like a lot of work & overly complicated to bother with.

[loukash]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

I'm still not clear how that could work

Are you a programmer?
If not, stop worrying and enjoy life.  

[R C-R]

3 minutes ago, loukash said:

Speaking of Yate:
You, @R C-R, and their forum admin (I don't know if it's the developer himself) have something in common. Let me see if you can find out what it is…  

I can't imagine what that would be.