Pub2 - Pressing move tool hotkey while editing text frame text changes to move, but then reverts after ~1 second

[Louisk]

Affinity Publisher 2.5.3, EXE version on Windows 10.

When I'm editing a frame text contents, if I press my move tool hotkey (F1), the tool changes to the move tool, but then reverts back almost immediately. I can't click to move objects around. To use the move tool, I have to first click out of the text frame to stop editing the text, then hit F1.

I have tried assigning other hotkeys and the same thing happens.

The same thing does not happen for the node edit tool (F2 in my setup).

The same thing also does not happen when manually clicking the move tool in the toolbar.

This is absolutely infuriating to be honest - I very frequently have to alternate between adjusting text and adjusting the fit of and flow of images and objects.

[GarryP]

I’ve never seen the behaviour you describe before, and I can’t remember hearing about it in the forums (although my memory isn't great).

When I am editing the text in a Frame Text layer I can either press ESC and then “V” to select the Move Tool, or just click on the Move Tool in the Tools Panel.

Can you record a video showing the problem?
You will need to either (A) also record audio telling us when you are doing something we can’t see on screen (such as pressing a key) or (B) give us a list of time-codes telling us when you are doing such.

[Louisk]

Hi Garry,

I'd recorded a couple of little videos, made a 'minimum reproduction' file I could share, and typed out a bunch of notes about this...

Then I closed and re-opened Publisher to check the minimum reproduction file showed the problem again on reload and it's now fixed. It was clearly some strange issue with Affinity having been open for so long on my computer, just sleeping/hibernating instead of closing and opening again. If the error is still of interest I can share the video anyway but it's no longer happening for my project file.

Hooray, I guess!

[GarryP]

Good to know that it’s fixed.

If the problem really was some strange one-off thing with just your machine then it’s probably not worth sharing the video. Thanks for doing the extra checks though.

I would personally recommend closing all applications before hibernation, but that’s maybe just my natural tendency not to trust stuff to ‘just always work’.

I’ve heard of other people having other types of weird one-off problems happening when they have kept applications open for days on end.

I’ve even heard of one person who lost a few days (or more) work when they didn’t save the document at all over multiple hibernations, but that was outright silliness and frankly, I’d say, ‘asking for trouble’.

[Dan C]

Thanks for your post @Louisk!

It sounds as though you were activating the 'Long Press' tool shortcuts, which was implemented within Affinity v2.2, as outlined here.

This features activates when holding a Tool Shortcut, temporarily selecting that Tool until the key is released - at which point the app switches back to the previous tool.

I hope this clears things up

[Louisk]

On 8/18/2024 at 11:41 AM, Dan C said:

Thanks for your post @Louisk!

It sounds as though you were activating the 'Long Press' tool shortcuts, which was implemented within Affinity v2.2, as outlined here.

This features activates when holding a Tool Shortcut, temporarily selecting that Tool until the key is released - at which point the app switches back to the previous tool.

I hope this clears things up

Good thinking, but no, it wasn't that! The move tool would only appear to be activated (mouse cursor change to regular arrow), but in fact any clicking on white space would draw new text boxes, not attempt to select objects. The text boxes would only appear when the tool explicitly reverted back to frame text. The amount of time it took appeared to scale with computer load. I'll share the notes & video I put together if it ever happens again.