Affinity Designer Customer Beta (1.5 - Beta 2)

[Nana]

Hi Matt & team,

 

I seem to have discovered a PDF export issue (i won't call it a bug yet) with both 1.5 Beta 1 and Beta 2.  I have a document in A4 size that I can export to PDF with no issues.  Let's call this documentA for clarity.   I have created another document, documentB, also in A4 size, with documentA embedded eight times to create a label.   Now, when I try to export (Export -> PDF( for export)) or (Export-PDF(for print)), it fails.  The only PDF preset that seems to work is PDF/X-3.

 

Unfortunately, I am unable to attach the document to this post due to a party's personal details contained in the design but will email it to the support email address.

 

Edit:  I have just send the two files to the support email address.

 

Cheers,

 

Nana

[Ben]

I noticed that too, but there are some handy copy&paste handy there too.

 

Export Options Studio seems to act as a fine setting panel, or presets editor.

I'm waiting for a good explanation here to listen developers thoughts.

 

The new Export Persona was a balance of power over complexity... and perhaps needs refinement.  While the UI/UX can be tweaked, the underlying data structures will need to stay the same.

 

The new hierarchy allows for a slice to be customised fully.  A slice can now export multiple file types, and each file type can include multiple resolutions (unless it is a vector type or PSD).

 

I carried on with the Export Options panel being used to edit the file export setup for a single file format. Admittedly, the most common scenario is to have a slice only export one file type, possibly with multiple resolutions. But, in order to add power of choice, slices can now have multiple export format setups.

 

The Export Options panel can only deal with one file format at a time since the UI has to be changed to reflect the top level file type.  It would be a nightmare to somehow reflect two or more different file types simultaneously in this panel.

 

So, I had to have the concept of being able to select single formats within a slice as a sub-selection, so that the settings for that format can then be shown in the Export Options panel.

 

On top of this there are the presets.  These define the whole slice settings, and could be used to save a preset for a slice that has multiple files types (for example, PNG, JPEG, SVG).  Again, the presets have been picked for common scenarios and currently only deal with one file type, but they could have more.  So, to apply a preset (that could include multiple file formats) the slice has to be selectable.

 

My ambition was to have a good set of presets so that people really just need to select the slices and apply a preset, or take time to define their own slice presets.  In the end you then wouldn't have to delve into the settings very often and just rely on applying a preset to a whole slice.

 

A possible UX improvement could be to allow the Export Options panel to be populated if a slice is selected that has one (and only one) file format.  Or, if the slice is selected, then the Export Options panel shows the common properties of all the formats within that slice - that is already what happens if you select multiple formats within one or more slices.  I guess that could allow you to edit the settings for a slice that has two JPEG formats with otherwise different settings.

 

Beyond that, power comes at a price of UI/UX complexity.

[paolo.limoncelli]

Thank you Ben for the clear explanation.

It makes sense, definitely.

 

In this case the best approach I'd follow is to pick a slice, do all the fine setting needed, preferably create a preset (if the project needs it) than propagate to all the slices that have to share same properties.

 

The only thing I'd suggest is to rename the label "Slice Preset" to "Export Setup Preset" or "Export Preset" because is related to the "stack" of slices produced.

Just because the hamburger says "Create Export Preset", if it makes any sense.

 

EDIT:

Maybe a "Find In Slices" just below the "Find in Layers" for the contextual menu?

[Ben]

Sure - changing words is easy.   ;)

 

There is also the buttons/menu option that allows you to copy the settings for a slice or a format so that you can paste it onto another slice - if you don't want to save a preset.

[paolo.limoncelli]

Sure - changing words is easy.   ;)

 

There is also the buttons/menu option that allows you to copy the settings for a slice or a format so that you can paste it onto another slice - if you don't want to save a preset.

 

Yes, it is exactly what I meant for "propagate to all slices".

[dannyj]

Are there plans to have an export preview for slices?

 

Also the export options selection panel seems to be non selectable.

[Ben]

So - I tried allowing editing of Export Options with a whole slice selected.  It works ok - you still have full undo/redo control to remedy mistakes.  A slice with multiple formats will allow you to set a preset for all formats, or tweak individual properties where the union of file types allows for it.

 

Future improvements - I'll look at making Resampler and Matte a common property of raster types so that you can change them across slices with different raster formats.

[n0rmand0]

A possible UX improvement could be to allow the Export Options panel to be populated if a slice is selected that has one (and only one) file format. 

 

Thanks for the explanation.  I think you are heading in the right direction.

 

I really like this solution here, as I think most instances of exporting will only have 1 file format.

[paolo.limoncelli]

So - I tried allowing editing of Export Options with a whole slice selected.  It works ok - you still have full undo/redo control to remedy mistakes.  A slice with multiple formats will allow you to set a preset for all formats, or tweak individual properties where the union of file types allows for it.

 

Future improvements - I'll look at making Resampler and Matte a common property of raster types so that you can change them across slices with different raster formats.

 

This would be awesome!

Are you planning any specific down-sampling algorithms?

[Ben]

This would be awesome!

Are you planning any specific down-samplig algorithms?

 

Just what we currently offer in the Export Options panel.  Currently, you cannot setup this property across slices with different file types.

 

Currently all exported files are rendered at their output sizes.  There is no resampling as such.  Might have to ask Andy S for an explanation of how the Resampler is applied when the rendering takes place.  I think it mainly applies to raster elements, since vector elements will be rendered at whatever resolution so no resampling is required.

[paolo.limoncelli]

Sounds perfect!

 

I think it mainly applies to raster elements, since vector elements will be rendered at whatever resolution so no resampling is required.

 

My question was for raster stuff indeed, eg. pictures that are in my mockups at retina or higher res and need to be down-sampled to 72dpi.

[Frank Jonen]

Please make the constraints feature disabled by default. Not everybody works in interface design. For normal work it breaks too much and is a general hinderance. It's in the way pretty much all the time. A button in the constraints panel [enable constraints] would be great. That way we could use it on a per object basis.

 

Example: Nesting of multiple objects within a vector shape, then resizing the vector object.

Expected behaviour: The masking of the objects is modified

New behaviour: It distorts the objects.

 

I tried all options in the constraints panel. All of them result in modification of the nested documents and objects.

[Ben]

I'm pretty sure the default settings for a new object is for constraints to be off...?

 

If you scale, rotate, move a parent object - any child objects will deform according the changes applied to the parent, unless you tick the "Lock children" option on the context tool bar.

[GrinningShark]

Haven't had a chance to try the beta yet because of my work schedule... but has the ability to change the colors of grid lines been added in this version?  I find the current grid line colors hard to see in some of my work.

[Dave Harris]

Haven't had a chance to try the beta yet because of my work schedule... but has the ability to change the colors of grid lines been added in this version?  I find the current grid line colors hard to see in some of my work.

 

Yes, it has.

[teadog]

Super happy to see Symbols taking shape :)

 

I've had a quick play, and found some of the behaviour a little unintuitive (maybe because so used to Illustrator). Main things which were unexpected are...

 

1. Creating a symbol doesn't convert the select object itself into a symbol

 

2. Selecting multiple objects > Create Symbol doesn't create one combined symbol from them, instead it creates a symbol for each object. In order to create a symbol from multiple objects, they have to be grouped first.

See here: http://recordit.co/CUqRsFBG9t

 

3. When nesting symbols, creating an instance of a symbol, which exists as a child symbol of a parent symbol, causes the any nested occurrences to disappear

See here:http://recordit.co/bIKBn0Yp3f

 

Hope this is helpful. Keep up the good work!

[Frank Jonen]

I'm pretty sure the default settings for a new object is for constraints to be off...?

 

If you scale, rotate, move a parent object - any child objects will deform according the changes applied to the parent, unless you tick the "Lock children" option on the context tool bar.

 

Hmm, right. I remembered that differently. Now that I've redone the document in the regular version, it's the same.

Could we get a mode that leaves the child document in place and treats the parent more like a mask, but with all the benefits of an object?

 

With the constraints all I can make it do is move around when I touch the handles to scale the parent.

[MEB]

Hi frankjonen,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Tick the Lock Children checkbox in the context toolbar with the parent object selected. It should do what you are looking for.

This has nothing to do with the constraints feature.