Knife tool deselecting objects when cutting

[Panchdara]

Win 10, AD beta 2.3.1.2217

Make a rectangle and start cutting..... starts off fine for the first couple cuts then these cuts start disappearing... select the move tool, select the entire rectangle and the cuts reappear... strange, or deliberate?

 

??

[Old Bruce]

I do believe that this is the way the Knife tool is supposed to work. It only shows* the parts which have been cut. I guess it would make a sort of sense to be able to show the entire original shape/curve which we cut, but I can also see how the current method would be wanted. I could well be wrong though and this would be a bug.

 

* And by 'shows' I mean keeps as selected so we can make further cuts.

[Panchdara]

Well, if it's (edit: NOT) deliberate then I'll call it a bug. Why "hide" previous cuts? One would want to see where previous cuts have been made, surely? Plus some cuts aren't even made...

I think a bug.

[Panchdara]

[PaulEC]

13 minutes ago, Panchdara said:

Well, if it's deliberate then I'll call it a bug.

If something is "deliberate", then, by definition, it is not a "bug"! A "bug" is something that does not work as intended!

[Panchdara]

9 minutes ago, PaulEC said:

If something is "deliberate", then, by definition, it is not a "bug"! A "bug" is something that does not work as intended!

Sorry,  forgot the "not" in that sentence.... you really mean "undocumented product characteristic"... 'bug' for short.

[Bit Disappointed]

Definition? In the realm of software development, it is entirely feasible to classify a minor modification as a bug, as this approach exempts the change from undergoing the extensive development process typically reserved for medium to major alterations. This is a practice that can be experienced, as I do, as a customer in professional setups. When dealing with a smaller or less professional supplier in a different context, other behaviors can be incredibly disruptive and, indeed, unprofessional or quarrelsome. With a good supplier, one approaches a partnership. Consequently, the semantics of this issue are often endlessly and fruitlessly debated online, predominantly by individuals lacking relevant expertise but possessing ample time. However, in the business world, assuming one has secured a robust contract and a competent supplier, the focus shifts to ensuring the client receives the desired product with minimal or no inconvenience, prioritizing the reduction of any inconvenience's duration. The supplier's emphasis is on delivering quality; lacking such a supplier necessitates finding one. The objective is to accomplish tasks for one's own clients or personal goals. The crux of the work and challenges lies in quality and functional solutions, with a good supplier concentrating on delivering quality and satisfaction. This is the essential aspect. Whether the issue is a bug, clumsy usability, or worse, a lack of understanding of the customers' workflows (indicating a disconnection from the market and its customers, which is disastrous), the client is indifferent to these terminologies.

In this instance, it might be a bug, but I lean more towards an underthought implementation. There may be some dependencies on selections that unfortunately come into play. This is something Serif needs to clarify internally. Nonetheless, Designer distinctly differs from other market solutions I have tried.

Affinity:

When you cut an object in Affinity, part of the object is deselected, and cutting is only possible within the selected area. Keep an eye on the layers panel.

Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and others:

Select an object, then cut it using the knife tool. You can cut across the entire object without selections interfering or selections being altered. This is exactly also how I would expect the knife tool to work.

Should Serif have deliberately implemented this behavior, believing it to be ingenious and useful, a toolbar setting for "Sane Behavior" would be appreciated. As it stands, I am unable to work with the current behavior.

Having now spent my time comparing this to competitors and market practices, the ball is in Serif's court to decide how and when to make changes – or, regrettably, not to.

[Sean P]

Hi Panchdara,

I will get this passed over to development, as I do feel both methods (retaining the whole selection vs selecting what was only cut) have their benefits. So it would be nice if users could switch between the two.

[Panchdara]

Thanks Sean. I was confused. I'm sure dev-squad will get it sorted.

Cheers