QR Code Tool

[Archangel]

1 hour ago, Patrick Connor said:

This thread is not for feature requests and barcodes are unrelated to QR code as far as implementing them, so this doesn't help advance Barcodes, sorry.

Thanks for clarifying this @Patrick Connor. It's good to know where both you and we stand. The only reason I asked is because I have an app which produces both QR and barcodes from the same utility code base. Although, I understand you focusing on one thing at a time.  After all the algorithms would not be the same for each type of barcode.

[fde101]

44 minutes ago, Archangel said:

the algorithms would not be the same for each type of barcode.

No need for algorithms for a simple 1D barcode.  Just use a font.

[baoyu]

Can we have customizations of 

 QR Code symbol version (1 - 40)

and 

Error correction level           [choices: "L", "M", "Q", "H"]

 

[JohnPNJ]

I dig it.

[Viktor CR]

How does this interface with Data Merge, e.g. I want to produce

• 15 business cards with unique QR codes
• or 300 unique vouchers / gift cards

[Patrick Connor]

56 minutes ago, Viktor CR said:

How does this interface with Data Merge, e.g. I want to produce

• 15 business cards with unique QR codes
• or 300 unique vouchers / gift cards

Data Merge is not part of this feature, but we understand that it's likely to be a priority for implementing a way to achieve it 

[Hangman]

On 4/20/2024 at 9:54 AM, baoyu said:

Can we have customizations of 

 QR Code symbol version (1 - 40)

and 

Error correction level           [choices: "L", "M", "Q", "H"]

 

Hi @baoyu,

Based on a great deal of testing it looks as though these are both applied automatically based on the complexity of the QR Code... e.g., when the data bits reach their maximum, i.e., 3Kb, the file created is a 'Version 40 QR Code' with an 'Error Correction' Level of "L" vs a simple QR Code with 52 bits of data which creates a 'Version 1 QR Code' with an 'Error Correction' Level of "H"...

Version 40 - Error Correction Level of L (Left) | Version 1 - Error Correction Level of H (Right)

[Hangman]

I'm proposing this as a bug because while the QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports the vCard (.vcf), VCALENDAR and VEVENT (.ics) formats it's not possible to create QR Codes with the Affinity apps using either format since both require a CRLF (Carriage Return/Linefeed) after each line entry which the single-line Payload format used for QR Code creation in the Affinity apps don't accept and means the following formats fail:

• \n = LF (Line Feed) → Used as a new line character in Unix/Mac OS X
• \\n = An escaped LF (Line Feed) → Used as a new line character in Unix/Mac OS X
• \r = CR (Carriage Return) → Used as a new line character in Mac OS before Mac OS X
• \r\n = CR + LF → Used as a new line character on Windows
• %0a = a URL encoded (Line Feed) → Used as a line feed character on Unix/Mac OS X
• %0d = a URL encoded (Carriage Return) → Used as a carriage return character on Unix/Mac OS X
• %0d%0a = a URL encoded (Carriage Return/Line Feed) → Used as a carriage return/line feed character on Unix/Mac OS X
• %0d%0a%0d%0a = a URL encoded form of CRLFCRLF → which tricks the server into inserting a CRLF sequence on Unix/Mac OS X

This means that while it is possible to create a vCard QR Code with the QR Code generator library using this format:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:LastName;FirstName
FN:FirstName LastName
ORG:Company
EMAIL;type=INTERNET;type=WORK;type=pref:name@company.com
TEL;type=WORK;type=VOICE;type=pref:Work Number
TEL;type=CELL;type=VOICE:Mobile Number
ADR;type=HOME;type=pref:;;Address
NOTE:Notes
item1.URL;type=pref:Web Address
BDAY:2000-02-28
END:VCARD

or an 'Add to Calendar' VEVENT QR Code with the QR Code generator library using this format:

BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:Spatie calendar-links
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90bbafd033c512f7590d844a0d65b449
SUMMARY:Run the London Marathon
DTSTAMP:20240421T080000Z
DTSTART:20240421T080000Z
DTEND:20240421T130000Z
DESCRIPTION:I'm running the London Marathon
LOCATION:London
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR

it's not possible to create a QR Code using the Affinity apps because of the single-line format which results in a No Usable Data Found error message when scanning the generated QR Code using the iPhone camera's built-in QR Code Scanner...

Note: I've not tested this on Android but my assumption is that this will result in the same issue...

[Hangman]

For anyone who may be interested, in addition to the options provided with the initial post for the new QR Code creation tool here are a few additions that work with iOS...

Syntax Provided in the Initial Post for QR Code Creation in Affinity 2.5 Beta Apps

SMS

Payload structure: SMSTO:number:text message
Eg. SMSTO:07513123456:Hello mate!

GEO location

Payload structure: GEO:lat:lon:height
Eg. GEO:40.71872,-73.98905,100

WIFI credentials

Payload structure: WIFI:S:ssid;T:type;P:password;;
Eg. WIFI:S:MyWiFiSSID;T:WPA;P:MyPassW0rd;;

 

Note: I've not tested these on Android but I'd be keen to know which work (with the applicable options) and which don't if anyone is happy to test...

Additional Syntax Options for QR Code Creation in the Affinity 2.5 Beta Apps

Phone
Payload structure: TEL:number
e.g., TEL:07772123456

Email
Payload structure: MAILTO:email address
e.g., MAILTO:jon.doe@example.com

Email Additions (Cc, Bcc, Subject, Message)
Payload structure: MAILTO:email address?CC=email address&BCC=email address&SUBJECT=subject&BODY=message
e.g., MAILTO:john.smith@example.com?CC=john.doe@example.com&BCC=jane.doe@example.com&SUBJECT=Friday Drinks&BODY=We are all meeting at the Dog & Duck on Friday after work, hope you can make it.

FaceTime
Payload structure: FACETIME:mobile number
e.g., FACETIME:07772123456

YouTube
Payload structure: URL:https://youtubeurl
e.g., https://www.youtube.com/AffinitySuite

WhatsApp
Payload structure: URL:https://wa.me/internationalnumber?text=message
e.g., https://wa.me/447772123456?text=We are all meeting at the Dog & Duck on Friday after work, hope you can make it.

Note 1: The mobile number needs to include the international dialling code without any prefixed zeros, e.g., UK 44 and US 1 as opposed to 0044 or 01.

Note 2: Reserved characters need to use URL encoding when included as part of the message, i.e., ‘Dog & Duck’ should be typed as ‘Dog %26 Duck’ otherwise the message element is truncated at ‘Dog’.

Examples of Reserved Characters

Spotify Track
Payload structure: https://open.spotify.com/track/songlink
e.g., https://open.spotify.com/track/3Z5VaAEN7NWkgBXbCXNilW?si=91dfd85f75df4009

Spotify Playlist
Payload structure: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/playlistlink
e.g., https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7y40TSg305MTZ3n3Q2LqSF?si=dc0c24f1a6a34cdd

Address Book Contact (vCard)
Payload structure:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:LastName;FirstName
FN:FirstName LastName
ORG:Company
EMAIL;type=INTERNET;type=WORK;type=pref:name@company.com
TEL;type=WORK;type=VOICE;type=pref:Work Number
TEL;type=CELL;type=VOICE:Mobile Number
ADR;type=HOME;type=pref:;;Address
NOTE:Notes
item1.URL;type=pref:Web Address
BDAY:2000-02-28
END:VCARD

While the QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports the vCard (.vcf) format, currently Affinity apps don’t because of the requirement to use a CRLF (Carriage Return/Linefeed) after each line entry which the single-line Payload format used for QR Code creation in the Affinity apps don't accept and means the vCard formats fails with a No Usable Data Found error message.

The alternative for Contact QR Codes is to use the more limited MECARD format which is accepted by the Affinity apps when creating a new Contact QR Code…

Address Book Contact (MECARD)
Payload structure: MECARD:N:Last Name,First Name;ADR:Address;TEL:number;TEL:number;EMAIL:emailaddress;NOTE:note

e.g., MECARD:N:Cook,Tim;ADR:One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States;TEL:+14089961010;TEL:+17513123456;EMAIL:tim.cook@apple.com;URL:https://apple.com;BDAY:19600111;NOTE:”Apple Vision Pro, You navigate simply by using your eyes, hands, and voice.”;;

PDF File
Payload structure: https://hostlurl/file/pdflink
e.g., https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WZD6wOgG1bkPQfcNA_MMCIuPhKVhWWQf/view?usp=sharing

Add to Calendar Event for Apple and Google Calendar (.ics)
Payload structure:

BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90bbafd033c512f7590d844a0d65b449
SUMMARY:Run the London Marathon
DTSTAMP:20240421T080000Z
DTSTART:20240421T080000Z
DTEND:20240421T130000Z
DESCRIPTION:Run the London Marathon
LOCATION:London
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:DISPLAY
DESCRIPTION:London Marathon Tomorrow
TRIGGER:-PT1440M
END:VALARM
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:DISPLAY
DESCRIPTION:Time to leave for the London Marathon
TRIGGER:-PT60M
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR

While the QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports both the VCALENDAR AND VEVENT formats, currently Affinity apps don’t because of the requirement to use a CRLF (Carriage Return/Linefeed) after each line entry which the single-line Payload format used for QR Code creation in the Affinity apps don't accept and means the VCALENDAR AND VEVENT formats fail with a No Usable Data Found error message.

[Hangman]

Feature Request for QR Code Creation...

The QR Code generator library (used in the v2.5 Beta for QR Code creation) supports Quiet Zone Border Modules.

It would be great if an option could be added to both the Create QR Code tool and the context toolbar so a Quiet Zone Border Module value could be specified whether using either a Module value or a value based on the currently selected Affinity UOM...

It's a bit of a pain having to manually add a Quiet Zone Border to a QR Code so the proposal is this... 

 

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, Hangman said:

Quite Zone Border Modules

Spell check won’t save you!

 

[Hangman]

33 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Spell check won’t save you!

That's what a long day of testing does to one's ability to spell 'Quiet' (or anything) correctly...

Post amended accordingly...

[delbot]

Meant to post this link a couple of months ago, while looking for a solution within affinity (posted it elsewhere on forum)

as this will work as an interim solution - combining inkscape and affinity publisher [+ found it very stable]:

https://gitlab.com/moini_ink/vcard-qr-code-creator

it is an update of an older plugin but not maintained or updated for a while

https://inkscape.org/~sergey15th13/★vcard-qr-code-generator

would need hook-up to a .csv file for multiple data output 

written in python 

Edited April 22, 2024 by delbot
forgot source language..

[baoyu]

13 hours ago, Hangman said:

Based on a great deal of testing it looks as though these are both applied automatically based on the complexity of the QR Code... 

Thanks for the insight, Hangman! 

I'd prefer manual control over those settings though.

[Hangman]

2 minutes ago, baoyu said:

I'd prefer manual control over those settings though.

I see no reason why an option couldn't be added to the context toolbar to allow manual selection...

[Powerhorse]

It's the same here

 

[walt.farrell]

4 minutes ago, Powerhorse said:

It's the same here

"It"? 

Not sure what you are referring to as being the same, or who you're referring to.

[Hangman]

7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Not sure what you are referring to as being the same, or who you're referring to.

I'm assuming @danberlyoung's post on the first page of this thread...

I think it is intentionally blank since there are no QR Code Presets, you'd have to create your own for them to have any validity...

[Powerhorse]

Thanks for the hint @Hageman, now I understand how it is meant to work

[myclay]

On win 11, I can´t create a category while creating a preset.
Styling wise while keeping the QR mode intact (not converting) you can do some subtle changes to the shape.

[Hangman]

1 hour ago, myclay said:

On win 11, I can´t create a category while creating a preset.

That does feel like a bit of an oversight as you have to do everything via the 'Manage Preset' panel...

1 hour ago, myclay said:

Styling wise while keeping the QR mode intact (not converting) you can do some subtle changes to the shape.

Though they no longer perform as QR Codes of course... which tool/s did you use to manipulate the QR Codes out of interest?

[myclay]

32 minutes ago, Hangman said:

Though they no longer perform as QR Codes of course... which tool/s did you use to manipulate the QR Codes out of interest?

Yeah, the insides need to be filled or it wont work.
I just edited the Stroke settings and used different joins.


Align Stroke to Centre, Align Stroke to Outside will break the recognition (tested with Google Lens)

[Hangman]

You can see the effect error correction has when including a logo of differing sizes which highlights the benefit of being able to set the Error Correction level manually when creating QR codes, something which is supported in the QR Code generator library...

As has been suggested above, adding UI for all the different QR Options would make the creation of QR codes much more user-friendly...

You'll need to test by clicking on each image to view it full screen. Note: I've only tested these using the iPhone camera's built-in QR scanner.

Error Correction Medium | Quartile | High
All three QR Codes scan without issue...

 

Error Correction Medium | Quartile | High
The QR Code to the left set with Error Correction set to Medium fails to scan but with Error Correction set to both Quartile and High, the QR Codes scan...

 

Error Correction Medium | Quartile | High
The QR Codes to the left and centre set with Error Correction set to Medium and Quartile fail to scan but with Error Correction set to both High, the QR Code scans...

[Ezbaze]

Will a QR code be editable after creation?

[Hangman]

1 minute ago, Ezbaze said:

Will a QR code be editable after creation?

Currently for content only via the single line in the context toolbar... you can of course edit colour and size etc., as per any other shape.