Align feature request

[udaanjargal]

Hello, I don't know if this has been requested/suggested before but I have a small suggestion to improve workflow for someone like me. 

The idea is to use the align function with a modifier key. Right now whenever you choose multiple objects and align them center or middle from the context toolbar (without going through the alignment option and choosing the first or last selected objects) they just meet in the middle of the selection bounding box. 
 

My suggestion is to use the align option from the context toolbar with the command or shift to align with the last object you selected. 

Attached is an image of what I mean. 

[fde101]

Try turning on the alignment handles in the Move tool (this can be found on the context toolbar).  Make sure snapping is turned on.

Then you will get additional handles surrounding selected objects which you can drag to align them to other objects: for this example, select the square and drag the center horizontal alignment handle (double-arrows left and right which display near the center of the square) until it snaps to a guideline at the center of the circle.

[thedivclass]

Hope this helps - you can achieve this by designating "selection 2" as a "key object".

• Select both shapes, then alt-click (⌥ + click) the "selection 2" object
• This becomes the "key object" - and is identified with a strong blue outline
• Clicking the alignment options in the context toolbar will then align everything to this "key object". In your example above, "selection 1" will be aligned to "selection 2" without having to worry about the alignment options and choosing the first or last selected objects.

This is referenced in the Affinity help guides here

thanks

[thedivclass]

(I would like to raise that key object selection does not work when auto-select is set to "objects" or "groups")

[udaanjargal]

I didn't know the ⌥ + click function existed thank you everyone.