Project loss after trying to save

[MeltingLead]

Project loss after trying to save on affinity designer v2, this is the second time in 3 days on my ipad pro 12,9. Even after i have had saved previously, the project is lost. Just a blank file in my file. As if it deletes the project. 
Any info and solutions would be much appreciated because it is extremely frustrating to start a project that I’ve spent hours and days on from scratch….

Edited October 16, 2023 by MeltingLead

[DM1]

1 hour ago, MeltingLead said:

Project loss after trying to save on affinity designer v2

Are you saving externally?
Your Home Screen shows dozens of files retained in sandbox (this is intended to be a temporary storage area). The (M) next to a file name on Home Screen indicates file not saved.
Tap the 3 bar menu and tap Save to create a ‘real’ file external to sandbox. Save this to a folder (other than the default app folder) and you will have a file you can access, backup etc.

[walt.farrell]

28 minutes ago, DM1 said:

Your Home Screen shows dozens of files retained in sandbox

And also, I think, Projects (collections of files) which cannot as easily be managed in the external file system.

[MeltingLead]

12 hours ago, DM1 said:

Are you saving externally?
Your Home Screen shows dozens of files retained in sandbox (this is intended to be a temporary storage area). The (M) next to a file name on Home Screen indicates file not saved.
Tap the 3 bar menu and tap Save to create a ‘real’ file external to sandbox. Save this to a folder (other than the default app folder) and you will have a file you can access, backup etc.

Hi, thank you for your response.

I save on my icloud, and on an external hard drive 3 times a week.
I noticed that the “M” next to a project name shows up, when there has been a change in the project, even after saving it. 

But a funny thing happened today. 
when exiting a project, there is always a load time before i can press save. After it finishes loading, i try and open the project again just to make sure its still there. Thats when i got the "Load Failed". Then i saved, then closed and reopened Affinity Designer = project lost. That was the first time i lost the project…..

This time i didn’t save, and didn’t close Affiinity Designer,

this morning i opened the app, it reloaded, then the project was back, but from where i saved last time!!!

So the project is not completely lost after all. 
 

Is there a way to save directly, without exiting the project?

[walt.farrell]

30 minutes ago, MeltingLead said:

Is there a way to save directly, without exiting the project?

There is not supposed to be, in V2, but you can try Cmd+S.

[MeltingLead]

23 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

There is not supposed to be, in V2, but you can try Cmd+S.

I work on an ipad, and don’t have a keyboard 

[walt.farrell]

37 minutes ago, MeltingLead said:

I work on an ipad, and don’t have a keyboard 

Yes, we know you're on an iPad.

Without a keyboard, I think the answer is: No.

[MeltingLead]

20 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Yes, we know you're on an iPad.

Without a keyboard, I think the answer is: No.

My saving rituals need to be altered and more frequent, so this doesn’t happen again.
I appreciate your help and rapid responses. 
thank you🙏🏿