Odd Vector Brush behaviour Designer - remembering last brush and brush pressure properties being removed

[Secret Goldfish]

Mac OS 14.1.2, hardware acceleration on, Designer 2.3.0

When I draw with a vector brush in Designer, the chosen brush will still be used for each new stroke √

.....but if I leave the vector brush to use another tool (ie direct selection/pen tool) and then go back to the vector brush it acts inconsistently and sometimes remembers the last brush in the category used and sometimes does NOT remember the last brush used ....and instead just appears to choose (randomly) another brush in the same category. X

Also.....

When I draw with a vector brush and do not use the pressure controller (turned off), the pressure attributes inside the brush properties in the chosen brush (ie size/opacity) get turned off in each individual stroke made ........and then have to be turned on manually for each stroke before a custom pressure profile can have any effect

The brush properties should probably remain unchanged (even with the controller turned off) and just the pressure profile flattened instead when choosing 'none' in the pressure controller.

[NathanC]

Hi @Secret Goldfish,

On 12/3/2023 at 1:44 AM, Secret Goldfish said:

When I draw with a vector brush in Designer, the chosen brush will still be used for each new stroke √

.....but if I leave the vector brush to use another tool (ie direct selection/pen tool) and then go back to the vector brush it acts inconsistently and sometimes remembers the last brush in the category used and sometimes does NOT remember the last brush used ....and instead just appears to choose (randomly) another brush in the same category. X

After quite some trial and error of switching between every tool in my toolbar combined with drawing and altering different objects I can't re-produce a problem with this, for the entirety of the app/document session my original brush selection was always maintained whenever I switched back to the tool, I've tried a few different categories and the brush selection remained consistent. Could you try and possibly capture this issue on a screen recording?

On 12/3/2023 at 1:44 AM, Secret Goldfish said:

hen I draw with a vector brush and do not use the pressure controller (turned off), the pressure attributes inside the brush properties in the chosen brush (ie size/opacity) get turned off in each individual stroke made ........and then have to be turned on manually for each stroke before a custom pressure profile can have any effect

The brush properties should probably remain unchanged (even with the controller turned off) and just the pressure profile flattened instead when choosing 'none' in the pressure controller.

I'm not sure I follow with this one or at minimum I can't replicate this. I created a new solid vector brush in a new category with a 75% size variance and 50% opacity variance, I select that vector brush with my controller set to 'Pressure' along the context toolbar the size/opacity adjusts accordingly with the pressure applied in line with the graph of my chosen profile. If I change the context toolbar controller to 'None' the brush stops responding to pressure, if I then change this back to 'Pressure' it then applies the same opacity/size variances originally set, the action of changing my controller has in no way changed my variances on my custom brush.

Could you possibly provide a recording/screenshots demonstrating this issue as well?

Screen record FAQ:

Many thanks

[Secret Goldfish]

Thanks for the reply Nathan......I'll create and post a screen recording shortly for the first issue.

Edit.....this first issue appears to currently be resolved with a system and Designer restart (I'm using lots of custom brushes which may have caused issues).

Edit 2......the problem persists but inconsistently.

When going back to the vector brush from another tool, the last chosen/used brush is also sometimes highlighted and sometimes not in the brushes palette.

With regards to the second issue;

If you choose one of your previously made strokes where you had the pressure controller set to none, you'll notice that the pressure (size/opacity) in each brush stroke property has been turned off (overriding your original/overall brush properties).

In order to add a pressure curve/profile back to these strokes you have to first open the brush properties for each affected stroke and turn size/opacity pressure back on before any curve/profile can be applied.

It would make things far less convoluted and clearer if;

.......when setting the pressure controller to NONE it changed/flattened the PRESSURE CURVES/PROFILE rather than adjusted the original BRUSH STROKE PROPERTIES.

As any pressure curve/profile setting will have NO effect on these strokes UNTIL each individual stroke has its size/opacity properties adjusted (turned back on to their original brush setting).

Leaving brush properties unchanged (regardless of controller settings) and flattening the pressure curve/profile instead when setting the controller to none would make far more sense as the pressure curve/properties unfortunately become irrelevant in/to any stroke when the original/overall brush pressure properties (size/opacity) have been adjusted (turned off) by the controller choice (none).

Pressure happens in three places in affinity, the original brush (properties), the controller and the profile/curve which can cause issues like this when brush properties get changed via another setting.

A change to Designer's behaviour here (or a changeable preference setting ie...... 'NONE controller affects (creates) curve/profile rather than (changes) brush properties') could solve/clarify this issue.

.......which would also keep things consistent with the controller behaviour when set to 'pressure'  .......which creates a curve/profile (rather than changing overall/original brush properties/attributes).

When the controller is set to none, flattening the curve/profile......and/or remembering the last selected/adjusted brush stroke pressure curve/profile might work better.

Adobe Illustrator implements this 'remember' idea in a similar way with its 'new artwork has basic appearance' on/off appearance setting but I'd much prefer to use Affinity ......for MANY reasons.

 

[NathanC]

13 hours ago, Secret Goldfish said:

Thanks for the reply Nathan......I'll create and post a screen recording shortly for the first issue.

Edit.....this first issue appears to currently be resolved with a system and Designer restart (I'm using lots of custom brushes which may have caused issues).

Edit 2......the problem persists but inconsistently.

When going back to the vector brush from another tool, the last chosen/used brush is also sometimes highlighted and sometimes not in the brushes palette.

Thanks, with it being as intermittent as you've described throughout your app session it's possible that one certain action is causing this, i'll keep trying a few different things but ultimately if you can capture it happening on a recording that would be great.

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Thanks for providing further information in regards to your second point, with the current functionality of the 'none' controller removing any variance properties on any curves previously drawn being the expected behaviour currently i'd suggest posting this functionality request for profile flattening over on the feedback section of the forum. 🙂

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/forum/122-feedback-for-the-affinity-v2-suite-of-products/