Changing color of embedded object applies color to duplicated objects

[lucpotage]

Hello!

I just started to use Affinity Publisher and I face a strange behavior:

1. I import a SVG as a layer.
2. I double click the layer to change the color of the shape (embedded mode).
3. When I close the tab, the color of duplicated layers is changed as well! 🫠

How NOT to apply the color to other layers? I can’t find any clue in the UI.

Thanks for your help!

[lucpotage]

I found this article about embedding vs linking but I’m still confused: https://affinity.help/publisher2/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Media/embeddingVsLinking.html&title=Embedding vs linking

Do I need to create separate identical files and import them separately to avoid the color changes on duplicates?

[thomaso]

Hi @lucpotage, welcome to the Affinity forums!

1 hour ago, lucpotage said:

Do I need to create separate identical files and import them separately to avoid the color changes on duplicates?

That's an interesting question and, at least in V1, pointing to a confusing solution. It appears to matter that .SVG is a container file format* which gets handled by Affinity like an Affinity document if opened/edited, regardless whether embedded or linked. (* SVG, PDF, EPS, PS, Affinity Documents)

If you open the Resource Manager you will see the initially placed .SVG and its local copy as two instances of one file, displayed in one common folder in the Resource Manager. Apparently editing one of the objects inside this folder affects the other too (which, IMHO, feels like a bug or misleading 'by design'). Note, once you edited an embedded SVG resource its option "Make Linked" in the Resource Manager is grayed out – although its initial file path is still known to Affinity. (for other object types Affinity would offer to define a new file path)

To avoid this issue you may need to place the file multiple times from your disk instead of copying an already placed object. If placed as a separate resource it gets listed in the Resource Manager as a separate object, even though all of them still are displayed with the same initial file path. So if you copy an already placed SVG into an Affinity layout, Affinity seems to treat it similarly to an “icon” object in AD.

[lucpotage]

I use v2 and it’s the same philosophy. I’m used to Figma which works differently. I will now prepare resources in advance in a dedicated Resources folder and add them individually to Publisher. Thank you for the detailed answer!

[Hangman]

Hi @lucpotage and welcome to the forums,

The only way I can think of doing that would be to copy the contents of the SVG from the embedded page directly into your main page (as @thomaso suggests) and group if necessary then make duplicate instances of the object directly in your main document as required. That will allow you to edit individual instances of the object without affecting the duplicates.

You could, if using the object a lot across various documents, create an Asset from the object by adding it to the Assets panel. You can then add instances of the object to your page and edit as required...

[Return]

You can drag/drop an svg to an assets category directly from finder/explorer or DAM 

[Hangman]

5 minutes ago, Return said:

You can drag/drop an svg to an assets category

Well there you go, I learnt something new today, it never occurred to me to try that...

[thomaso]

25 minutes ago, lucpotage said:

I will now prepare resources in advance in a dedicated Resources folder and add them individually to Publisher.

If you want to edit the placed resources as embedded objects there is actually not need to have (create) them first as separate, external resources. Instead, like @Hangman demonstrated, it may be more efficient (with same or more flexibility) to create or copy/paste its layers within/into the layout document. Small disadvantage: This way the objects are not listed in the Resource Manager, e.g. for easier overview, and also don't show their placed resolution of possibly nested pixel layers in the context toolbar or Resource Manager.