Rotation centre full of bugs

[ygoe]

Hello,

I'm still regularly having trouble using the rotation centre handle (as well as resizing an object to a specific direction by setting that anchor thing in the Transform panel). See attached video. I wanted to move the rotation centre to the centre of the document to rotate the line around the red circle like sunrays. It's just impossible. It used to work in the past, haven't used it in a while.

Affinity Designer 2.5.5 on Windows 11

[NathanC]

Hi @ygoe

It looks like you’re encountering a known issue currently logged with the developers. If a line segment is stretched with the move tool, de-selected and then re-selected the transform origin point moves and also can no longer be selected. This is a regression over 2.3.1 and will hopefully get fixed soon. I've bumped the existing issue with your report.

[carl123]

Switching to the Node Tool and adding a node anywhere on the line, then switching back to the Move Tool normally reenables the transform origin function again

[ygoe]

I added a point on the line (and removed it again because it's not supposed to be there), and rotation still wasn't possible.

I also noticed that the anchor thing (3/8 points grid) in the Tarnsform panel changed its orientation when I had first drawn the line and then deselected and reselected it. It's also broken. And many times after using the app for some time, the anchor selection is ignored, inverted or just random (objects are resized in any unpredictable direction, especially when they're also rotated in 90° steps). Restarting AD often helps. But not with this issue. I still can't rotate that line around the centre.

[carl123]

Can you upload that Affinity document to the forum?

[ygoe]

Here it is.

Sonnensteckdose.afdesign

[carl123]

Adding a Node worked for me on your document

Can you record you doing that so I can see if you do it differently to me?

[ygoe]

I don't want to add any nodes here, it's a straight line and should remain one. See my recording above.

[carl123]

Adding a Node does not change it from a straight line, just add the new node on the existing line (e.g. one third up from the bottom of the line)

Use the Node tool to add the Node, then switch back to the Move Tool

[ygoe]

So, I did that. It gets the job done, but the bugs go on. See attached recording. The rotation marker appears at the wrong place, whileat least it works as expected.

Still, this is a bad workaround because nobody will know that they have to add an unnecessary point (and later remove it or it will be in the way when you only really want a straight line between two points).

[NotMyFault]

As alternative option to create this circling lines faster:

1. Add a donut shape, no stroke, no fill. Set size and hole radius as required
2. add a star shape as child, set size, points, stroke etc

Advantage is you can easily adjust number of lines, radius etc any time later.

[carl123]

24 minutes ago, ygoe said:

Still, this is a bad workaround

workaround

/ˈwəːkəraʊnd/

noun

Computing

a method for overcoming a problem or limitation in a program or system.

 

 

25 minutes ago, ygoe said:

because nobody will know that they have to add an unnecessary point

Those that like getting paid the big bucks will always seek out solutions to problems and not sit around waiting for bugs to be fixed

[ygoe]

27 minutes ago, NotMyFault said:

As alternative option to create this circling lines faster:

1. Add a donut shape, no stroke, no fill. Set size and hole radius as required
2. add a star shape as child, set size, points, stroke etc

Advantage is you can easily adjust number of lines, radius etc any time later.

I don't get it, like so?

[NotMyFault]

Yes.

• Now set „inner radius“ to zero for the star shape.
• set stroke to 1px in yellow
• set „no fill“.
• set „points“ to 8 or 12 or …

 

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, ygoe said:

(and later remove it or it will be in the way when you only really want a straight line between two points).

How will the extra node be in the way? In the way of what?

[ygoe]

35 minutes ago, R C-R said:

How will the extra node be in the way? In the way of what?

Can you imagine a line with two points? When you move either end, the direct straight connection between these two ends will be updated. Now if there's another point in between, the behaviour changes and you cannot alter the entire line by just dragging one of its ends. The middle point will mess it up and stay where it is. I don't want to record that for you but I can if you don't understand my words.

[ygoe]

2 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

Yes.

• Now set „inner radius“ to zero for the star shape.
• set stroke to 1px in yellow
• set „no fill“.
• set „points“ to 8 or 12 or …

 

I see. It has its own gotchas though. While I can have rounded ends at the outside, the inside ends will always match the circle mask. They won't even be rectangular to each line but slightly curved inwards.

[R C-R]

43 minutes ago, ygoe said:

... and you cannot alter the entire line by just dragging one of its ends...

Is there some reason you can't use the Move Tool for that, or alternately select all 3 nodes with the Node Tool & use the Transform panel to move it or change its length?

[NotMyFault]

8 hours ago, ygoe said:

While I can have rounded ends at the outside, the inside ends will always match the circle mask. They won't even be rectangular to each line but slightly curved inwards.

I was assuming you were using straight ends, not rounded. By increasing the size of the star so it is larger than the donut, all ends will be identical, but yes minimally rounded. Your original video showed very thin lines where this would be invisible.

 

[NotMyFault]

Another trick as workaround: instead of moving the rotation center, simply use a rectangle shape and child-nest your line into it. The rectangle should be larger than your line, and one edge must match the intended rotation point. You can the power duplicate the rectangle using the appropriate default anchor point.

 

[ygoe]

22 hours ago, R C-R said:

Is there some reason you can't use the Move Tool for that, or alternately select all 3 nodes with the Node Tool & use the Transform panel to move it or change its length?

Yes: I only want to move a single end point of a straight line. I have several use cases for that. Everywhere I want to draw a connection line between two points, I have to update either end point of the line when the thing it's connecting to has moved. I know I can move the entire line as-is, but that's not always what I need. Seems like a very uncommon thing to do though. People probably use MS Visio for that. Or nowadays PowerPoint.

14 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

Another trick as workaround: instead of moving the rotation center, simply use a rectangle shape and child-nest your line into it.

It's simply tricky to rotate a line with Affinity Designer. I wish it wasn't.

[R C-R]

9 minutes ago, ygoe said:

Yes: I only want to move a single end point of a straight line.

Then on the 3 node version of the line, try using the Node Tool on the end point with Shift held down. Hint: look at the status bar at the bottom of the window when you hover the Node Tool pointer over a node. You should see the constrain with Shift option there.

As long as you move the node more or less along the length of the line, it won't create a bend for that segment.

[ygoe]

6 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Then on the 3 node version of the line, try using the Node Tool on the end point with Shift held down.

It lets me drag that node in 45° degrees, but still the middle point will cause a bend there.

I'd really appreciate the actual bug be fixed here instead of finding ever more half-functional workarounds for hacks.

[R C-R]

Just now, ygoe said:

It lets me drag that node in 45° degrees, but still the middle point will cause a bend there.

Weird. For me it doesn't do that -- like I said, if I drag along the path of the line it doesn't create a bend; it just moves in that direction. 

Try it with this  3 node drag.afdesign file. The lower curve is the original 2 node version at a -11.5 ° angle & the upper one is a copy of that with a 3rd node added. Try dragging on its red end node with Shift held down more or less at that -11.5 ° angle & it should be constrained.

Is that not working for you?

[R C-R]

@ygoe, did you ever try using Shift with the file I uploaded above? Using the Node Tool, as long as I drag the end node (outlined in red below) more or less in the direction of the double-headed arrow, no bending occurs. Is that not working for you?