I really wish the program was more intuitive and things like 'CTRL X' worked the same as other programs.

[keithsCADservices]

Right now I'm simply trying to eliminate the background of a pixel image using the "pixel" personal in affinity designer. Should I actually be in Affinity photo? If that's the case I don't see the point of even having the persona if it just throws users off. I can select the background but can't find out how to get rid of it.

This task from zero knowledge to 100% complete in Paint.net (and even Paint Shop Pro back when I was a dumb kid with horrible computer skills) took minutes to learn and seconds to perform every time thereafter.

I'm liking more and more things about the program the more I use it. But so many things in the Affinity suite are insanely unintuitive. And the explanations of how functions work aren't much help either. The "assistant" is like having Clippy come back from the dead and has proven useless so far. Along with whatever information is provided on the bottom of the screen. I've finally found a really good YouTube channel and have been watching that guy's videos but there are only so many hours in a day.

The suite isn't that bad but this rant is well-warranted. I'm running into so many situations where I just get stuck and can't perform a task that literally takes minutes to learn in every other software I've used.

 

[walt.farrell]

I don't think you've actually described your problem. More details of what happens vs what you expect, and possibly a screenshot of the complete application window (including the Layers panel) would be useful.

[firstdefence]

I personally don't think there should be Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer, I think the two apps can quite easily be merged, I find the fact they aren't to be an over complication for the sake of it. In Affinity Designer you have a cut down version of pixel editing and a slight confusion over what layer types there are.

You need to make sure the layer is a pixel layer and not an image layer, if you make your selection then press delete and the whole layer disappears you have an image layer and you need to right click and rasterise that layer, else make your selection and simply press delete and everything within your selection will be deleted.

[thomaso]

10 hours ago, keithsCADservices said:

Right now I'm simply trying to eliminate the background of a pixel image using the "pixel" personal in affinity designer. Should I actually be in Affinity photo? If that's the case I don't see the point of even having the persona if it just throws users off. I can select the background but can't find out how to get rid of it.

If you convert a layer of type "image" to "pixel" (-> rasterize) then you can eliminate a selected pixel area with the "Cut" menu command or its shortcut (ctrl-x / cmd-x on mac) or the delete key as expected.

This is a condition / works this way in AD, APub and APhoto.

[keithsCADservices]

Thanks for all the help! Next time I encounter this I'll check and see if the layer needed to be switched to "raster". I ended up completing the task in something called Paint.net. I was worked with an imported (well either a dragged or copy/pasted in image). I don't think it's ever taken me more than a minute to figure out how to do something like this in any other program; just select an area with the magic want tool and delete it.

It was the "Assistant" I think that triggered me. I was literally almost about to throw my laptop against the wall. This wasn't the only small thing that ended up taking a lot of extra time to figure out.

I do actually have Affinity Photo (in case I actually have to use that program to complete the task) but I never guessed that I would have to switch programs for something so simple.

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, keithsCADservices said:

I do actually have Affinity Photo (in case I actually have to use that program to complete the task) but I never guessed that I would have to switch programs for something so simple.

You don't have to switch programs to rasterize an Image layer, if that is what you mean. A right-click on an Image layer in either AD's Designer or Pixel Persona will pop up the menu with the 3 rasterize options.