'Move by Whole Pixels' doesn't work when option-dragging

[Hicksdesign]

In AF 2, when option-dragging an element, such as artboard or path, it's nigh on impossible to move it by whole pixels. With 'Force Pixel Alignment' and 'Move by Whole Pixels' turned on, this shouldn't be possible, but I consistently get positions with decimals. This is with a new document, and all elements exactly on the pixel grid. 

This has been an issue ever since I started using AF Designer with v1.5.

[walt.farrell]

Using Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while dragging disables all Snapping, as you should see in the Status Bar and (though I haven't looked) in the Help

If your intention is to duplicate the object, that would be done with Cmd (I think) on Mac, and Ctrl on Windows. Again, the Status Bar should tell you.

[woefi]

Thanks, Walt!

I just realised, I was always "cloning it wrong" because I ALWAYS used <option>, like in my old Illustrator days 🤯.

Strangely it always worked, but as you explained it also disables snapping and so you had to release <option> midway and this always felt incorrect.

So now that I know to use <CMD>, it was the first time in 5 years of using affinity apps, that I saw it behaving just like <option> did in illlustrator. (mindblown...)

[Old Bruce]

@Hicksdesign, @walt.farrell, and @woefi

Hold down the Option/Alt key, click and start dragging, let go of the Option/Alt key while still dragging. You'll get a copy and as soon as you let go of the Option/Alt key Snapping turns back on.

But yes, using the Command key is cool too.

[Hicksdesign]

Apologies, I thought I was getting notifications for this thread, but I wasn't.

Thanks for the pointers - it seems mad to me that there is even a key command for 'without snapping', especially when every other graphics app I've used is option-drag rather than cmd-drag. But there we are, at least it can be done, and it's just remembering to use cmd instead! 

[loukash]

36 minutes ago, Hicksdesign said:

it seems mad to me that there is even a key command for 'without snapping', especially when every other graphics app I've used is option-drag rather than cmd-drag

Initially in the early ADe versions there was just cmd-drag to duplicate and option-drag to bypass snapping, as far as I recall. But users kept on asking for option-drag to duplicate as well, as it's historically the standard Mac OS shortcuts dating back to the olden days of System 7 (or even earlier, I don't remember), so it was added while keeping the already somewhat "familiar" Affinity shortcuts intact.

The crucial trick is to remember when to press the Option key:

• drag-then-option-drop to bypass snapping without duplicating
• option-hold-drag-drop to bypass snapping and duplicate
• option-hold-drag-unoption-align-drop to duplicate with snapping

And then you still have the good ole cmd-drag to duplicate with snapping.

Thinking of it, it should have been the other way around from the start, since cmd-drag is also a longtime MacOS X Finder shortcut to move files without copying where otherwise copy would take place, like when dropping files onto a different volume. It would have thus made more sense if cmd-drag was a bypass snapping command instead.

But here we are now left with this Affinity mess…  

[Old Bruce]

6 hours ago, Hicksdesign said:

Thanks for the pointers - it seems mad to me that there is even a key command for 'without snapping', especially when every other graphics app I've used is option-drag rather than cmd-drag. But there we are, at least it can be done, and it's just remembering to use cmd instead! 

I learned to use Option + Drag to copy the item, then I let go of the Option Key (so as to turn snapping back on) as I continue to drag the copy to its location.