No layers panel in affinity photo 2.2.1

[old-senior80]

System: Mac M1 (new computer): OS: Sonoma 14.      Affinity photo 2.2.1

Opening program fails to show the layers panel. Studio right panel was ticked. I have ticked/ unticked/ reset to default/ tried Tab. I have re-downloaded affinity from the affinity site and of course rebooted the computer a number off times to see if that helps. I have seen advice that the panel has been empty but can found by looking for the icons at the bottom of the panel. These are not present.

I have years of experience with affinity on windows and my wife has similar experience on a Mac. Her version of affinity photo operates perfectly on her M1 Mac. Her OS is 
Ventura 13.5.2 and affinity photo is 2.1.1

Help would be great;y appreciated.

 

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums @old-senior80,

Have you tried doing a Control Run Up?

Press and Hold the Command Key (Control on Windows), then launch AP. Keep holding down the Command key until you see the Clear User Data dialog window. By default Clear User Data should have the top 3 options selected. One of those being Reset Studio. Press the Clear button at the bottom, AP should continue to load.

Are you running multiple monitors? This shouldn't be applicable here, since you've reinstalled, but just something else to try. IF so, and the studios are not docked, (floating), try Dock All found under the Windows>Arrange menu (in windows OS), not sure if it's the same for Mac.

 

[old-senior80]

No joy so far. Launching AP with the command depressed did not show a clear user data window. Also I cannot find the Mac command 'Dock all' command in the menus. There is no arrange menu in windows on the Mac version. Presumably another example of how apple software hides items!! No second monitor. 

[Ron P.]

Ok, I didn't think Mac has a Control Key. However Serif's instructions for resetting the apps, mention pressing and holding the Control key..

 

[NathanC]

To confirm, it is also the CTRL key that needs to be held down on MacOS while launching the app to get the 'Clear user Data' menu to prompt, at which point you can immediately press 'Clear' as one of the defaults will reset window states and studio panel positions.

If the above works, if you could confirm if you're using external/multiple monitors that would be great, as there is a known issue with external monitors in V2.2.X.

 

 

[old-senior80]

No joy so far. Launching AP with the command depressed did not show a clear user data window. Also I cannot find the Mac command 'Dock all' command in the menus. There is no arrange menu in windows on the Mac version. Presumably another example of how apple software hides items!! No second monitor. 

[old-senior80]

Once I understood it was the control key on the Mac that was needed rather than the translation of the control key in a windows set up all the appropriate options appeared and after clearing everything I now have a normal default screen.

Thank you Ron and Natham

[old-senior80]

I forgot to answer the monitor question. I am not using an external monitor but thanks for the warning.

[thomaso]

For future use it is easier to return to a certain panel arrangement if you have it saved as a "Studio Preset". If you don't find the option in the menus you can type "preset" as search term in the "Help" menu to get various menu items listed, one of them says "Add", hovering over it will open + highlight the according menu. Below an example in APub V1.

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, thomaso said:

If you don't find the option in the menus you can type "preset" as search term in the "Help" menu to get various menu items listed, one of them says "Add", hovering over it will open + highlight the according menu.

@old-senior80, in case you were not aware of it, that Help menu feature is built into the macOS & works with most other apps as well.

[old-senior80]

Thank you both for the advice about using the help menu