Batch mode, Layer blend ranges, Open image

[User78]

Dear friends,

I need your advice on how to achieve the following:

I have a folder, X, containing 100 images, and I also have a single photo, Y, as a background. I want to batch overlay the images from folder X onto photo Y using BLEND OPTIONS -> Underlying Composition Ranges in a specific location.

How can I create a macro to open image Y and then layer the images from folder X on top of it?
The macro does not support the function of recording the opening of a specific image.

I'm having trouble understanding the logic. If I already have an open image, I don't have any issues overlaying it manually, but I need to automate this process. How can I accomplish this? Does Affinity Photo support command-line operations?

 

Affinity photo v2.1.1 macOS 13.5.1

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, User78 said:

How can I create a macro to open image Y and then layer the images from folder X on top of it?

You can't do this in a macro because as you have discovered macros do not support opening documents.

3 hours ago, User78 said:

Does Affinity Photo support command-line operations?

No. The macro feature is very primitive; however, there are plans to add scripting but as yet no ETA on when or the details of how that will work.

[David in Яuislip]

You can batch paste an image as the lowest layer in the stack by opening the image and recording
Copy
Paste
Arrange/Move to back

Now when you run the batch
An image from the list will be loaded
The background will be loaded on top then moved to the bottom of the stack

I don't understand "BLEND OPTIONS -> Underlying Composition Ranges in a specific location" so can't help with that

[markowolf]

I have created kaleidoscope movies from macros using clipping masks.  Macros will record replacing a single image into an Affinity photo file, but the file name and the folder location is hard coded in and can't be changed (in fact you can't see any detail at all).  I found this out the hard way, so each time I want to create a new kaleidoscope I had to first create 360 prepared Affinity Photo files where the image I'm replacing is rotated by 1° (these are my sort of templates). I recreate the macro to place the image in the clipping mask, and then use that.  As mentioned, in each Affinity file I rotate the image by 1° in a clipping mask which is an 1/8th of a pie.  I then use another macro to duplicate the 1/8th pie to create a full circle.  The 360 Affinity files are used in the batch process along with the macro for placing the image and the macro for duplicating the 1/8th pie.  I save the resulting images as JPEGs as per the batch process panel.