Pixel layer, extension of canvas during painting

[NotMyFault]

Hi,

when using pixel layers and paint brush, Affinity has some method to automatically extend the canvas - or not - in case you are painting beyond the visible canvas

1.  Normally painting stops at the canvas - expected
2. if the layer is rotated, the canvas gets extended automatically but only to the top and left, using the original orientation of the layer. If the layer is flipped horizontally, the extension is applied to the top right.
3. if you duplicate linked and move the duplicate into a position where more of the canvas is visible, the canvas gets extended even when painting on the original pixel layer.
4. the size of the the extended area is kind of random, often very large parts like 50% of canvas size get added

can you please:

1. document the actual behavior of layer extension in help
2. check if the observed  behavior is correct, specifically:
   1. why is the extension only in top left direction?
   2. why is extension only possible if layer is rotated?
   3. Is there any direct way (no workarounds) to allow extension in case layer is unrotated?
   4. the amount of extended area in case of rotated layer is often excessive (far larger than required to contain the actually painted pixels)

 

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

Is there any direct way (no workarounds) to allow extension in case layer is unrotated?

Unclip Canvas?

[NotMyFault]

1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

Unclip Canvas?

That does not really help. 

this post is about (intentionally or accidentally) painting outside the visible canvas, and what influences the behavior of Photo / Designer to allow or block. Unclip canvas can reveal parts laying outside the canvas after there were created, but does not help allowing them to be created.

In some situations you need to rely on beeing allowed or beeing blocked, and currently it is almost random. 

[walt.farrell]

12 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

Unclip canvas can reveal parts laying outside the canvas after there were created, but does not help allowing them to be created

It allows you to see what you've painted outside the canvas, doesn't it? I'm other words, you're not stopped from creating outside the canvas, only seeing it. Unclip is what allows you to see it, by expenyding the canvas to incorporate what you painted.

[NotMyFault]

44 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

I'm other words, you're not stopped from creating outside the canvas

You are stopped in certain undocumented circumstances. And while you are painting you have no way to know.

unclip canvas is not even required, just activate move tool and it shows if layer extends beyond canvas.

 

[NotMyFault]

To add: i try to avoid unclip canvas as it can lead to fractional pixel positions (depending on other layers in document)

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, NotMyFault said:

unclip canvas is not even required, just activate move tool and it shows if layer extends beyond canvas.

But you can't see the added content you painted until you Unclip.

[NotMyFault]

4 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

But you can't see the added content you painted until you Unclip.

yes, I know. This makes it even more important to know if and when such content is created.

But I can use  linked layers and place a copy in reduced size inside the canvas area. Unfortunately this again impacts the behaviour wrt out of canvas painting.

[NotMyFault]

To summarise my findings:

1. A fresh pixel layer does not allow to paint outside canvase
2. several conditions trigger extending in top-right direction (relative to layer original orientation), like moving layer to partially fit outside canvas, or rotating layer
3. Some conditions trigger unlimited layer extension in any direction 
4. if you rasterise and trim layer, it gets back to state 1

But even if auto-extension is active, it is totally inconsistent. e.g. some parts on the edge get cur off anyways.

 

This should be sorted out, e.g. by having a settings which either disables layer extension, or enables layer extension (but then consistently in any direction).

Could be combined with layer lock (against unwanted editing of content)

• L1: layer editable, with auto-extension beyond canvas
• L2: layer editable, but limited to canvas bounds (even if rotated or sheared)
• L3: layer locked / protected against editing

 

[stokerg]

Hi @NotMyFault,

Well this is a strange one.  I can replicate this on iPad, Mac and Windows so it's not just an iPad issue and from speaking with QA we can't see a valid reason for this to happen with a rotated pixel layer.

I'll get it logged with the Developers and will update this thread with any information I'm given