After 6 months Pros and Cons and Questions

[Maestrorobertus]

Hi there, its now 6 month I use your tool from beta to 1.4.1 release. So far I started with Photo but got also Designer. So there are things that hold me back using Photoshop, which is a bit sad and thats why I wrote this little report.

 

PROs: Lets start by telling you, that you done an awesome job on improving many things bugging me since 20 years with Photoshop. Best of all are the wonderful integration of vector tools in both apps. Thats so great! The Text tool alone rocks over Photoshop. But honestly the idea to connect both Designer and Photo App is fantastic. 

 

CONs: This is longer, but believe me it would be very long for other Apps.

 

1. The thing bugging me most is the lack of a good transform tool. Indeed its extremely poor at the moment. For example I would like to select first, then move and change perspective without dropping the tool. Also the warp tool should work on selection not on total screen, that really is not a working solution for me at the moment.

 

2. I totally understand that you feature your own file format. Anyhow, if I open a jpg, make a transform mirror and close it I don't want to have the App forcing me to save in Affinity file format. At least I want to see an option like: save in original file format or looseness affinity file format. So please let us do this, its such a cumbersome workflow to always go via the export file format first, if you have opened a file in a different format.

 

3. Filters don't remember there previous setting. Thats a workflow nightmae to me. Sorry, but in PS I'm used to set my default setting for filters and then have them all the time. For example if I once used the sharpening mask, I don't want to start next time with zero values again. Think of the Pro users who use a filter 50 times a day... got it? 50 times per day setting the values is really dull.

 

4. Where is the polygon selection tool? I have used lasso a few times, but I prefer a polygon selection tools for getting quicker straight lines. Its missing terrible.

 

5. Alphas and Masks. I come from the post production side and an alpha is basically a black and white image. In Affinity its an image with transparence. Ok that makes it hard sometimes. You can't simple take an image for the mask of a layer. The bigger down point is that you can't invert the alpha with a command, like you could a black and white mask. Never thought I prefer PS here, but I see a big down point here. You really should consider in having an option here in the context menu. And not going via raster layer and alpha layer in the channels list.

 

6. Vector Masks. Vector mask using transparent channel too, without an invert option.. For example if you draw a rectangle and use it as alpha for an image, its a nice use of vectors, however you totally forget an invert option. So I can switch between inner and outer selection. For example: You want a black plate with cut out letters. So you do the black background and the text, use the text as mask.. and you run into a dead end street.

 

7. Direct filers. Its cool that Photo is so little destructive when it comes to color filters. But sometimes it would be very useful to quickly change the colors of a selection that filters would not be added as layer but directly used. Think of an optional way for professional artist that work quick and dirty, because they know how.

 

8. Stamp tool. Thats something you should look into. I compared the quality of the stamp tool to PS, and PS wins. The problem seems that AP stamp tool is more blurry and less sharp. I have not idea why its even different, but PS does it way better. Please check that out.

 

9. Where is the crop command? I mean if I do a selection and want to use it to crop the document? I use that in all photo Apps and I think its a terrible missing. The current option to crops the transparent area.. not so good for working with images.

 

10. Can I use the OS Color Picker? I have all my color tables there, can't find an option to do so.

 

11. Just a personal wish for texture painting, please add the affine transformation as live filter for all layers under nice. Would be cool to have.

 

Ok, I can be wrong with this, or missed some features.. if so please tell me.

[My Strawberry Monkey]

Hi,

 

I'll respond to a few points for you...

 

1. Are you referring to the Mesh Warp Tool? In my case it does work on a chosen selection and not the whole screen, unless I misunderstood your point.

2. I've opened a JPG made edits then when I hit save it gives me the option to save as a flattened image or save as, when I choose save flattened it saves back as the JPG for me.

 

10. Yes. Go to the View Menu - Apple Colour Picker you can even create a shortcut for it as well...

 

I know the team value feedback and are constantly working away to make refinements and improvements. So stick at it and continue to ask questions and share your thoughts. :)

 

 

Allan

[R C-R]

Just a couple of comments for now:

 

5. I'm not sure I understand what you mean about "alpha" basically being a black & white image. Alpha channels can be used for other things but the most common one in 2D image work is to control pixel transparency, ranging from fully transparent to fully opaque. Since this isn't color information per se, it is often represented in editing apps as a greyscale image mask, with black & white representing the two extremes. In Affinity, black represents fully transparent & white fully opaque, with grays (or the lightness value of RGB colors) representing intermediate opacity values. The bit depth (resolution) of the alpha channel is the same as that of the RGB channels, so for example "32 bit TrueColor" includes three 8 bit color values for R, G, & B values plus one 8 bit channel for transparency.

 

8. If you mean what Affinity Photo calls the Clone Brush tool, check the various context menu settings if you are not getting the results you want. In particular, make sure the brush hardness is not set too low, the flow rate is what you want, & the popup items at the bottom of the "More" window are set appropriately.

 

10. The Apple color picker is available from the View menu.

[JimmyJack]

(I assume the list is for AP... 'cuz you kept mentioning going back to PS. Some of the answers are different for AD)

 

4. hold down shift. the selection marquee won't become apparent until you move the mouse after the second click (which is, for sure, a weird UI... but it works)

 

6. move the text to the child position and set blending to erase.

 

7. if I understand correctly.... There are destructive filters under the Filter drop down.

[TheToast]

Since this is the first result googles gave me when searching for "pro contra affinity photo", it could be usefull to get a brief update on which of the 11 points are still valid today. I am a Photoshop user thinking of buying AP.

[bijutoha]

It has piqued my interest in Affinity Photo, but it does not seem to have a built-in file management system. 🤔