Pattern layer not working - omitting some layers

[Milomolly]

Hi friends,

I'm using Affinity Photo 2 to make a pattern.

I'm selecting all the various layers that I want to make up the pattern tile (which are arranged top left of the attached doc)

Then I select menu items: layer/new pattern layer from selection. 

It does make a pattern but only uses one of the layers I selected, instead of all of them.  

I've tried grouping the layers before making the pattern but it doesnt work at all. I dont want to merge all the layers i have as then i wont be able to tweak the design once I can see it in pattern form.

Please help!

 

 

 

test.afphoto

[firstdefence]

If you want to keep the layers separate...

1. Group them.
2. Right click and select merge visible (this will make a pixel layer of the pattern and the group will be unaffected)
3. Select the pixel layer and use Layer > New Pattern Layer From selection

Boom, new pattern layer activated lol!

[Milomolly]

Well, I cant say i understand what happened or why it worked.

 

BUT IT WORKED.

 

Thank goodness for you!

[Milomolly]

Extra questions-

After following those steps it seems to have layered my original 'tile' (the group) over the top of the pattern at the top left. 

This original tile is the only bit that remains editable/tweakable, so If I hide it, I'm then not able to rejig the elements (layers) within the tile to get the layout right, which is my whole objective. 

I see that when I select the 'pattern' layer a bounding box appears more central on the canvas, but nothing within it is editable.

helppp

[firstdefence]

You can simply hide that original group and or move it off-canvas, what merge visible does is create a flattened rasterised version.

Is there a reason why those images have missing partially backgrounds?

[Milomolly]

The problem with hiding it that its the only bit that remains editable/tweakable

So If I hide it, I'm then not able to rejig the elements (layers) within the tile to get the layout right for the pattern, which is my whole objective. 

I need to be able to adjust it while seeing the impact on the whole pattern 

[firstdefence]

I think you are misunderstanding what the pattern layer is capable of: https://affinity.help/photo2/English.lproj/pages/Layers/layerPattern.html

The way I read it, there can only be one element, the maximum space for a pattern is 1024px x 1024 px and your pattern certainly doesn't fit into that, plus you have multiple very large elements. To have multiple elements you need to arrange them within a maximum 1024px x 1024px space and have those elements rasterised, obviously once rasterised the elements are fixed and not practicably moveable. 

Your file is very large, is it meant to be that large?

The only way with Affinity I can see to do this and have elements that are editable is within Affinity Designer using symbols.

 

 

 

[firstdefence]

A resource link for patterns in Affinity Designer: 

 

Another resource that allows you to use symbols in Affinity Photo: 

 

[Milomolly]

Because of this bit of that webpage you link, i thought i could adjuat the tile in realtime and see impact on full document.

"After a pattern is added or made from a pixel selection, a bounding box indicates the "real" area of the pattern which can be transformed or edited at any time".

File is large as will be ultimatelt printed quite big

[firstdefence]

As much as I like Affinity, I will use other apps to get what I want such as a dedicated pattern generator like Patternodes (Mac only) that will produce any pattern I want and seamless to boot.

[Milomolly]

Do you know any good pattern software for Windows? I tried a few web based ones but they weren't great

[firstdefence]

Unfortunately not, I'll look later though see what I can find.

[iconoclast]

I'm not sure if I correctly understand the problem, but if you want to create a seamless pattern, there are different ways to make it - depending on the pattern you want to create. The usual way to create a seamless pattern is to cut the basic texture or image in it's vertical and horizontal middle into four pieces, so that you get four tiles. Then interchange the two tiles on top, so that their outer edges meet each other in the middle of the document. Merge that two layers to one. Then do the same steps with the two tiles at the bottom. Then interchange the top tile with the bottom tile. These steps can be substituted by using AfPhotos function "New Pattern Layer From selection " and then dragging the edges to the inside of the document.

Now that the inner edges are on the outsides and the seam is in the middle. Use the Clone Tool to retouche the seam away. If you used the "New Pattern Layer From selection " function, you will have lost the endless pattern functionality, but you can easily use this function again to get it back.

I used to create patterns in GIMP for years. GIMP has some functions that make it easier in some cases. E.G. there is a function called "seamless Tiles" (if I remember it right - in german it is called "Nahtlos kacheln"). It works pretty well in many cases, but that depends on the texture you use. You can also use the "Resynthesizer" Plugin for GIMP. That allows seamless tiling too, but more complex and often in a better way. But it needs longer to compute the pattern.

If I misunderstood the topic, simply ignore me.

[firstdefence]

Hi @iconoclast the OP would like to generate a pattern from a set of "master" elements, fill the page with the pattern and be able to edit the master elements which would then be reflected in the pattern, like, when symbols are used in Affinity Designer and a grid of those symbols is used to make a pattern grid, edit the content of any one of those symbols and that edit is reflected across the grid.

[iconoclast]

@firstdefence

OK, I understand that I didn't understand. 😊