Edit Image/Document inconsistencies

[MikeTO]

Given:

• You can edit a linked image but not an embedded document.
• You can edit an embedded PDF document but not a linked PDF document.
• You can edit embedded AFPUB and PDF documents.

I'm unsure why you can't edit a linked PDF. The help page (https://affinity.help/photo2/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Media/placeImages.html?title=Placing content) states "To edit an embedded document: From the context toolbar, select Edit Document." which implies you can't edit a linked document, but I suspect that since you can edit a linked AFPUB that it's just using embedded to mean placed and not embedded vs. linked.

I'm unsure why it's the reverse for images, you can only edit linked images and not embedded. The help page (https://affinity.help/publisher2/English.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Media/pictureFrames.html?title=Picture frames) states "To edit a frame's content in a secondary tab: Use the Move Tool to select the image within the picture frame and then select Edit Image on the context toolbar." It makes no mention of linked vs. embedded.

There may be technical reasons why it works the way it does so perhaps this isn't a bug in the app but regardless I think the Help pages need to be updated.

Thank you

Edited January 27 by MikeTO
corrected

[MikeTO]

1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

Did you mean Linked for that last one?

Thank you, I've corrected that mistake in my post to avoid further confusion.

[MikeTO]

I thought about it some more and I understand why we can't edit a linked PDF. When you edit an embedded PDF (or SVG, PSD, or EPS), Affinity converts it to an Affinity document and it's no longer the original file format saved inside the Affinity document. From a user perspective, I'd expect that if I edited a linked PDF that saving it would just overwrite the PDF. But Affinity doesn't let you save as PDF, you must export, so I can understand why there's a limitation. However, it might be good to explain this a bit better in Help.

But the reverse happens for images. An embedded image is stored as a PNG or whatever inside the Affinity document but I can't edit it. If it's linked I can edit it which makes sense since Affinity can save directly to image files. But I don't understand why we can't edit an embedded image so it's either an oversight or there's some technical limitation. Even if it can't be changed, Help should mention that only linked images can be edited.

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

But the reverse happens for images. An embedded image is stored as a PNG or whatever inside the Affinity document but I can't edit it. If it's linked I can edit it which makes sense since Affinity can save directly to image files. But I don't understand why we can't edit an embedded image so it's either an oversight or there's some technical limitation. Even if it can't be changed, Help should mention that only linked images can be edited.

I think this went back-and-forth when Linked/Embedded files were first introduced, and eventually ended up as it is now.

I'm not sure of the reasons. But I've been curious, too.

[Lee_T]

Hi Mike, Walt.

Just an update on this one, i've checked with the devs and they've confirmed this is correct behaviour due to the availability of the original image.

Lee

[MikeTO]

2 hours ago, Lee_T said:

Hi Mike, Walt.

Just an update on this one, i've checked with the devs and they've confirmed this is correct behaviour due to the availability of the original image.

Lee

Thanks Lee. You might suggest updating the help page for images (URL above) to specify that it only means editing of linked images.

Cheers