Color Picker for External Programs/Windows Failure

[boberto]

[Apple M1 Pro, MacOS Ventura 13.4, Affinity Designer v2.1.0]

Right now in Designer I have no ability to select/sample colors from other program/windows outside of AD.

No matter how I mouse-drag either color picker (the color-swatch-panel eyedropper or the "other" color picker from the tools), whether or not I hold the alt-key, as soon as I move out of the Affinity-Designer window (even on a single screen), no matter what other windows I'm hovering over, all the color picker registers is my desktop-background (which happens to be a solid color).

I have the Source set to Global in the top-bar. Have tried changing the sampling Radius, but no change. 

I can just use another app to do this for the moment, but thought you should be aware...

[Hangman]

Hi @boberto,

If you enable Screen Recording for Affinity Designer found under your System Settings that will allow you to sample colour outside the Affinity Designer UI. The same applies for Affinity Photo and Publisher...

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

2. Click Screen Recording.

3. Turn screen recording on or off for each app in the list.

 

[velarde]

Hello

Just updated all Affinity apps to v2.2 and I lost the ability to sample colors outside de Affinity windows

Note: It was woking correctly in v2.1 .  (Had done these steps before)

 

I went to the Screen recording preference in Mac OS, deleted the apps and added them again but still not working.

Is this a bug or should I do other steps?

 

thanks

[Old Bruce]

16 minutes ago, velarde said:

Just updated all Affinity apps to v2.2 and I lost the ability to sample colors outside de Affinity windows

Works here on Mac OS 12.6.9. Just to be certain, the way it works for me (the way I use this feature) I use the Colour panel's eyedropper icon click on the Icon and then drag over to wherever and release the mouse button when I am over what ever is outside of the Affinity Designer consolidated window, eg. the desktop. The colour is put into the little tiny well by the eydropper. I then need to click that to load it to the fill or stroke.

[velarde]

Hello

 

Thanks for the quick response.. It was working before as expected ( I've used it before correctly)

 

A little more information on the behavior.... The color picker looks like IT IS working but when the picker is  outside the window it always shows.. R 255 G255 B 255...

IF I pick a color inside the work area the colors change as they should

The v 2.2 stopped making it work on my end.  

 

My computer:

iMac 21.5 - Late 2015 - Intel Iris Pro graphics 6200

MacOS 12.6.9

 

[walt.farrell]

14 minutes ago, velarde said:

A little more information on the behavior.... The color picker looks like IT IS working but when the picker is  outside the window it always shows.. R 255 G255 B 255...

IF I pick a color inside the work area the colors change as they should

That certainly sounds like you have not granted the permission for the application to perform screen recording.

Where did you install the app from, and how did you perform the update?

[velarde]

Hello,

Downloaded them directly from the Mac App Store (As always) just clicked on the update button.

Here's a screenshot.... of how they look  in my preferences

Sorry to repeat but, this was working correctly before the v2.2 update I did yesterday. I Immediately noticed the difference in the color picker behavior since I use it daily.

 

I deleted them, added them back again in the preferences, restarted the software (and my computer) but still only showing R255 g255 B255 outside the App...

Any extra step I should take?

 

P.D. Thanks for trying to help me solve the issue.

 

 

 

[velarde]

Hello again

Any idea or suggestion why this stopped working for me...?

It looks like I have everything set up correctly, or is this a possible bug for my particular computer and specs...?

 

Regards,

fjv

[walt.farrell]

I have no ideas, but with luck someone else will have some.

[Hangman]

35 minutes ago, velarde said:

Any idea or suggestion why this stopped working for me...?

I'm afraid I don't either but it is working as expected for me under 12.6.8, which I realise is of little comfort but more to clarify that it doesn't seem to be specific to v2.2 as far as I can tell...

[velarde]

Thanks Hangman and Walt.

 

I'll check on my end more exhaustively and see what's the problem...

Have a nice weekend

[NathanC]

Hi @velarde,

Just to rule out there being a user environment based issue, have you tried creating a new temporary MacOS user, assigning record permissions and then trying again in Photo 2?

[jmwellborn]

It is working correctly here with both Designer 2.1.1 and Designer 2.2.0.  Both devices using Ventura 13.6.  

[velarde]

Very strange but have NOT solved this issue.. 😟

• I deleted Photo and installed again. 

• I've unchecked the "Enable Metal compute acceleration" checkbox (which I remember has caused some issued back in my particular Intel Computer) 

• I've added and deleted Photo to the screen recording allowed apps several times (until I get the system dialog)

 

But I can't make the color picker grab color outside the Affinity App...  The latest update "broke" it for me on my System...

By any chance does any of you have my same computer?:   iMac 21.5 - Late 2015 - Intel Iris Pro graphics 6200

 

thanks

 

[NathanC]

Hi @velarde,

We don't have the exact same Mac model to hand but we do have a late 2015 iMac with very similar specs running 12.6.3, I've just tested the colour picker from the colour panel in Photo 2.2 and sampled outside of the application, with the app closed down I gave it recording permission, re-loaded and and the picker is working as expected when sampling externally.

Any chance you could try just setting up a new MacOS user and testing this for comparison? There could be a problem specific to your user/user environment.

[velarde]

Hello Nathan

I allowed a Guest user... is this good to test...?

I logged out of my Admin account and logged in as a Guest.

I opened Affinity and it didn't recognize my license so I started the 30 day trial there.

I went to the screen recording preference to turn on the preference (Photo was already there)  I deleted it , added it again but still the same issue.

my color picker only shows  a R 255 G255 B 255 value outside of the app and doesn't sample the color...

 

 

[Gitmesteak]

I have the same problem. I opened both Beta and production programs and they are not sampling the color correctly. I was just using the functions perfectly. This is super frustrating. What is the issue? All these issues with affinity make it super hard to ignore how bad the program could be. Like how does it "suddenly" stop working? 

13.4.1 MacOS/studio/ photo beta 2.2.0(2005) and designer 2.2.0. 

 

[NathanC]

Thanks for trying, just a quick update I've managed to replicate this issue on an M1 Mac Mini running Ventura 13.4.1. I've not found this to be caused by any specific 3rd party app or trigger, and following a full factory reset of the app and disabling Hardware acceleration the problem has persisted.

Rolling back to 2.1.1 on the same device it functions as expected, so it's certainly a regression in 2.2. I've now collated this information and logged it with the developers for further investigation.

 

[thedivclass]

(If it helps, I also have this issue with a M1 mac mini, 12.1 - AD 2.20 (beta 2005))

thanks

[velarde]

On 9/28/2023 at 2:17 AM, NathanC said:

Thanks for trying, just a quick update I've managed to replicate this issue on an M1 Mac Mini running Ventura 13.4.1. I've not found this to be caused by any specific 3rd party app or trigger, and following a full factory reset of the app and disabling Hardware acceleration the problem has persisted.

Rolling back to 2.1.1 on the same device it functions as expected, so it's certainly a regression in 2.2. I've now collated this information and logged it with the developers for further investigation.

 

Thanks, I'll wait for the fix... I see there are threads starting to pop in the forum with this issue... Hopefully this can be a quick patch

[Chaazaam]

Bonjour, exactement le même problème sur un  

  Identifiant du modèle :    MacBookPro16,1
  Nom du processeur :    Intel Core i9 8 cœurs
  Vitesse du processeur :    2,4 GHz
  Nombre de processeurs :    1
  Nombre total de cœurs :    8
  Mémoire :    32 Go
J'ai fait la mise à jour vers SONOMA, mais le problème était apparu avant la mise à jour,
je ne pense donc pas que ça vienne de la. 

J'ai créé un post similaire juste un peu avant toi (Velarde)... Comme toi j'utilise l'outil de façon quotidienne et comme toi ça me manque.
En attendant, j'utilise le Sélecteur de couleur Apple 

On croise les doigts pour un correctif rapide !

[Chaazaam]

Hello, exactly the same problem on a  

  Model identifier: MacBookPro16,1
  Processor name: Intel Core i9 8 cores
  Processor speed: 2.4 GHz
  Number of processors: 1
  Total number of cores: 8
  Memory: 32 GB
I upgraded to SONOMA, but the problem appeared before the upgrade,
so I don't think it came from there. 

I created a similar post just before you (Velarde)... Like you I use the tool on a daily basis and like you I miss it.
In the meantime, I'm using the Apple Color Selector. 

Fingers crossed for a quick fix!

[nigelrumsey]

Hi,

I'm on a Mac Mini running 13.6 and I have exactly the same problem.

I've tried the usual, turning off the screen recording turning, turning it on again. All to no effect, I'm afraid.

 

[velarde]

Hello.

Just wanted to report this issue has NOT been fixed with the 2.2.1 update (at least on my system and hardware configuration)

I applied the update using the Mac App store.

Restarted my computer .

Deleted and added again the Affinity Photo screen recording permission in System Preferences

But still the same problem as reported.

Regards,

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, velarde said:

Just wanted to report this issue has NOT been fixed with the 2.2.1 update

They know that.

It's a recent enough issue that if they thought it had been fixed, there would be a post from Serif Info Bot here saying it was fixed and telling us which release fixed it.