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Drawing should not create new mask on layer that already has one


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If I have a layer with a mask, but I've got the layer selected rather than the mask, using the brush (or a similar tool) to draw creates a new, second mask on that layer rather than add the information to the already existing mask. I cannot overstate how annoying that is, and hope that an update in the near future can make it so that if you draw onto a layer that already has a mask, the information you draw onto that layer is added to the mask that already exists rather than onto a new mask.

I cannot overstate how much of an annoyance this is and hope it can be changed in an update in the near future.

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Please attach an Affinity file that demonstrates the problem, or at least provide a ‘recipe’ for reproducing it. If doing the latter, please tell us which app you’re using.

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Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.5.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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47 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Please attach an Affinity file that demonstrates the problem, or at least provide a ‘recipe’ for reproducing it. If doing the latter, please tell us which app you’re using.

I thought the first sentence explained it, but I'll try to clarify.
1) I create a layer, let's say a curve (but the problem exists with any layer type), with a mask.
2) I move onto a different layer and work on that.
3) I want to return to the curve layer to adjust its mask.
4) If I click anywhere else than the actual mask (so on the name of the layer or the curve icon) and start to draw, instead of adding my adjustments to the already existing mask, a new mask is created. The curve layer now has two masks. I don't want two masks. This is the result:

mask.jpg.afd65e21478fa4eea001d679157a6497.jpg

As you can see, the full layer is selected as opposed to the mask, which would look like this (less saturated blue color on the selected layer):

desat.jpg.046c877fd00d9e239d51e71831f01910.jpg

The problem is that clicking on the mask doesn't actually always desaturate the color blue the way the second image shows. The saturation will occasionally be the same as in the first image even though I've specifically clicked the mask as opposed to the layer at large, which means that it's not always clear whether or not it's the mask or the layer proper that's selected, leading to second masks being created when I think I'm adding onto the already existing mask. It's incredibly annoying, and it's not infrequent that I can neither ctrl+z my way back or trash the mask, either, which means I occasionally need to scrap the whole layer and start from scratch.

I originally wrote the post in a slight hurry thinking it was an annoying feature, but now that I've elaborated I'm starting to think the masking system is just really bugged.

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8 minutes ago, Announcement said:

I thought the first sentence explained it, but I'll try to clarify.
1) I create a layer, let's say a curve (but the problem exists with any layer type), with a mask.
2) I move onto a different layer and work on that.
3) I want to return to the curve layer to adjust its mask.
4) If I click anywhere else than the actual mask (so on the name of the layer or the curve icon) and start to draw, instead of adding my adjustments to the already existing mask, a new mask is created. The curve layer now has two masks. I don't want two masks. This is the result:

mask.jpg.afd65e21478fa4eea001d679157a6497.jpg
 

Thanks. It wasn’t clear to me that you were talking about the masks that are built into adjustment layers, rather than masks that you add yourself.

Which app are you using?

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.5.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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mask.jpg.afd65e21478fa4eea001d679157a6497 (1).jpg

 

The above image does not show 2 masks, as such

You have one mask (the last icon) and a Black & White adjustment layer whose in-built mask has been drawn on (the middle icon)

All adjustment layers have an in-built mask, which is NOT shown until you first draw on the mask

In the above image it looks like you selected the Black & White adjustment layer thinking you were selecting a different layer and started painting on that layer which immediately exposed its in-built (hidden) mask. Leading you to think you now have 2 standard mask layers

If you expand that layer, using the arrow on the left you may be able to see things better

 

 

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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12 minutes ago, carl123 said:

In the above image it looks like you selected the Black & White adjustment layer thinking you were selecting a different layer and started painting on that layer which immediately exposed its in-built (hidden) mask. Leading you to think you now have 2 standard mask layers

 

 

Like I said, "clicking on the mask doesn't actually always desaturate the color blue the way the second image shows. The saturation will occasionally be the same as in the first image even though I've specifically clicked the mask as opposed to the layer at large, which means that it's not always clear whether or not it's the mask or the layer proper that's selected, leading to second masks being created when I think I'm adding onto the already existing mask." In the second image I've clicked the mask and the blue saturation reflects this appropriately, but it's not uncommon for the blue saturation to be equal to the image you've quoted even though I've made sure to click the mask rather than the layer proper, which means that the blue saturation doesn't actually accurately reflect what I've clicked. The only way to know for sure in many cases is to start drawing and see whether a random second mask appears or not.

Why is there a built-in black & white adjustment layer at all? If I want that I will create it myself. Setting it up the way it is now, where mis-clicking or a click mis-registering by Photo leads to the B&W Adjustment being edited rather than the mask I actually want to adjust, is a huge hassle and not always something that's noticeable until I've done quite a bit of masking work, leading to having to re-do multiple minutes of masking. Over the course of hundreds of images a week that adds up.

Drawing black or white on a layer that already has a mask should add to the already existing mask, not draw onto a random built-in B&W layer I neither want nor need.

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48 minutes ago, Announcement said:

it's not always clear whether or not it's the mask or the layer proper that's selected

 

1 hour ago, carl123 said:

If you expand that layer, using the arrow on the left you may be able to see things better


 

50 minutes ago, Announcement said:

Why is there a built-in black & white adjustment layer at all? If I want that I will create it myself.

Like all adjustment layers, a Black & White adjustment layer has a built-in mask. The adjustment layer itself isn’t built in anywhere, so you either started with a template or added that adjustment layer yourself.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.5.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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