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global colors and palettes


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I want to define global colors in an asset file (used by multiple afdesign files) and change the global colors later.

Step 1 (works fine):

I define global colors in a palette (in the file colors.afdesign) and export the palette to an assets file.

I then import the palette as a document palette in a new document a.afdesign and can use the global colors (works fine).

Step 2 (works not fine):

Now the global colors are changed in colors.afdesign.

The palette is exported again.

In a.afdesign the palette is deleted and imported from the changed assets file.

Issue: The global colors are not updated to the changed values.

 

Can somebody help?

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Welcome to the Serif Affinity forum.

Sorry, but Global colors won't allow you to do that.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
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17 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Sorry, but Global colors won't allow you to do that.

Agree, though I can see no reason why that shouldn't be an option (even though currently it's not)... Possibly one for the Feature Request forum...

Affinity Designer 2.5.5 | Affinity Photo 2.5.5 | Affinity Publisher 2.5.5
Affinity Designer Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Photo Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Publisher Beta 2.6.0.2861

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1 minute ago, Hangman said:

Agree, though I can see no reason why that shouldn't be an option (even though currently it's not)... Possibly one for the Feature Request forum...

I think the idea behind Global colours not updating is to prevent earlier documents from getting their global colours changed if I make a mistake.

Consider the situation where I have a corporate client (let us say it is Ford Motor company) with a half dozen defined colours. These colours have to be set up correctly for Print and Web. I have a few dozen documents for Ford. I load these global colours into a new document (by mistake) for a different client and redefine one or more of the colours. When I next open an earlier document (for Ford) to update the prices all the colours will be changed from the defined (and trademarked) colours to something different and wrong. I realize my mistake and fix the colours for Ford. Now they will be wrong for the new client. 

If I don't lose both clients I wind up making a hell of a lot of work for myself.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.6 
Affinity Designer 2.5.5 | Affinity Photo 2.5.5 | Affinity Publisher 2.5.5 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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7 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I think the idea behind Global colours not updating is to prevent earlier documents from getting their global colours changed if I make a mistake.

If the global palette is a 'document' rather than an 'application' palette (as suggested by the OP) surely that situation wouldn't arise? Still thinking this through after a long week so correct me if I'm wrong...

Affinity Designer 2.5.5 | Affinity Photo 2.5.5 | Affinity Publisher 2.5.5
Affinity Designer Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Photo Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Publisher Beta 2.6.0.2861

MacBook Pro M3 Max, 36 GB Unified Memory, macOS Sonoma 14.6.1, Magic Mouse
HP ENVY x360, 8 GB RAM, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, Windows 10 Home, Logitech Mouse

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Thanks for the feedback so far.

 

Is there any other way how I could setup my workflow to achieve what I want:

Define colors somewhere globally in a way that, when changed in the configuration, change all uses in documents?

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I think that is where the 'danger' lies, as @Old Bruce mentions above, as in, if this were to happen and it affected all instances of the asset across all files that use the asset that has the potential to be dangerous because you may not want all instances to be changed in a similar way to making say a brand name change to some text in a document, you quite likely wouldn't want that brand name text change to affect all instances across all documents where it appears...

If it were possible to create global colours in an Application or System palette then I guess this would technically be possible but currently I can't think of any easy way to achieve what you're looking for...

Affinity Designer 2.5.5 | Affinity Photo 2.5.5 | Affinity Publisher 2.5.5
Affinity Designer Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Photo Beta 2.6.0.2861 | Affinity Publisher Beta 2.6.0.2861

MacBook Pro M3 Max, 36 GB Unified Memory, macOS Sonoma 14.6.1, Magic Mouse
HP ENVY x360, 8 GB RAM, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, Windows 10 Home, Logitech Mouse

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7 minutes ago, stefan_ said:

A possible workaround for me: select one object with the color to be changed, then select same, and assign a new color.

Yes, as @Hangman mentioned before:

15 hours ago, Hangman said:

If the global palette is a 'document' rather than an 'application' palette

If the object 'delivering' the colour would be a linked resource then all instances of it in all documents may get updated to display the modified colour.

Nevertheless, the documents using this resource might not update automatically but may need to get opened to get a modified resource updated. In Affinity a linked resource updates only the top hierarchy of the linked resource, to get resources on more levels updated it requires to update them individually by opening these documents.

For instance if layout A and B use C as colour resource and B would be a resource of A then it would need to update C in B + B in A to make all instances of C appear updated in A.

macOS 10.14.6 | MacBookPro Retina 15" | Eizo 27" | Affinity V1

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