Can edit detached without editing detached if a master page's child layer is selected

[MikeTO]

If on a regular page based on a master page you draw an object it will be drawn outside of the master page group. Even if you select a layer inside the master group Affinity will create it outside of the master page group.

But if a master page object has a child layer, such as a text frame with a footnote layer, you can select that child layer and draw an object and it will be drawn inside of the master page group. You are editing detached without choosing to edit detached. It would be best if the new object was always drawn outside of the master page group.

I've done this many times and didn't realize out why it was happening at first. Although I've done it frequently most people would probably never encounter it. I'm struggling to keep my sidenotes all visible because there's a bug that hides some of them so I keep expanding my master groups to find them. Then I forget and leave the child layer selected and later add an image to that page and it winds up in the master group.

To duplicate this:

1. Create a new document
2. Draw a text frame on the master
3. On page 1, add a note
4. Expand the master group in Layers, expand the text frame group, and select the note layer
5. Draw a shape - it will be created inside the master group

Edited July 15, 2023 by MikeTO
added steps

[Return]

Same on windows with the steps provided.
 

[walt.farrell]

38 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

You are editing detached without choosing to edit detached

I wouldn't put it that way. You are allowed to edit the Content of the Text Frame, even though it came from the Master Page. You've just made another kind of edit to the frame content.

Isn't this basically what happens when you Pin a Shape into the Frame without ever touching the Layers panel?

[MikeTO]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

I wouldn't put it that way. You are allowed to edit the Content of the Text Frame, even though it came from the Master Page. You've just made another kind of edit to the frame content.

Isn't this basically what happens when you Pin a Shape into the Frame without ever touching the Layers panel?

I don't think so. When you pin an object into a text frame you're making it a child of the frame and you can still move, scale, and un-pin it. When you create an object with a child of the frame selected, the new object is a child of the master, not of the text frame. It's not pinned but also not movable or scalable. It's completely useless after creation so you have to undo or edit detached.

I think it's a consistency vs. user expectations issue. Normally I'd say it should be consistent but I think this is one of those cases where inconsistency would lead to a better outcome for the user.

But I don't think this is a huge deal - aside from trying to make sidenotes/footnotes work, I can't see why somebody would have a child layer of a master text frame selected in the first place. So it shouldn't happen very much once that bug is fixed.

[MikeTO]

But you're right, it's not editing detached. More like drawing detached. 🙂 

[stokerg]

Hi @MikeTO,

Issue replicated and logged with the Developers