Escape text frames easily and make Move Tool the default state.

[FredFlintstone]

I have googled this topic and the consensus is that moving between tools isn't great. I think that the move tool should be default and it should be easy to return to that state. Yes, the answer is escape/escape/V but IMO it's a bad workflow. Do you agree and can this improve? It's actually a really big thing because users are doing this constantly.

[Pšenda]

18 hours ago, FredFlintstone said:

and it should be easy to return to that state.

If you got to the Text Frame by double-clicking on the frame from the Move Tool, then pressing ESC, ESC will "return" to the Move Tool. I think it's logical and correct that the application returns to the previous tool.

[Meliora spero]

"I think" is weak in the context of usability and science because the world is vastly bigger than any one person's opinion. Usability needs to be based on data, patterns, and testing with real users - not just individual beliefs. What works for one person might completely fail for others, so relying on "I think" risks missing the bigger picture.

More established programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop handle tool switching by focusing on shortcuts and consistency:

1. Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop: The default tool (Move Tool) can be quickly activated with a single key (V). If you switch to text or other tools, pressing ESC typically returns to the default state, especially when editing (e.g., text).

2. CorelDRAW: CorelDRAW uses a similar system where the default tool is easily accessible via shortcuts. ESC is logically used to exit active editing (e.g., text editing) and return to the Move Tool.

3. Figma/Sketch: In these tools, the Move Tool is always easily accessible, and switching between tools is fast, with shortcuts designed for streamlined workflows.

Commonalities:

• The default tool is easy to activate (often with one key).
• Shortcuts are intuitive and consistent.
• ESC is logically used to exit active edits and return to a "default" state.

Affinity could learn from this by reducing steps and making the process more intuitive for users.

According to Jakob Nielsen's usability heuristics, the following principles support the approach used in more established programs:

1. Efficiency of Use: Frequent actions, such as switching back to the default tool, should be optimized to minimize effort and time. Shortcut keys (e.g., "V" for the Move Tool) ensure efficient workflows for experienced users.

2. Consistency and Standards: Users expect consistent behavior across similar tools. If pressing ESC returns to a default state in other programs, users naturally expect this behavior in all tools, aligning with learned conventions.

3. User Control and Freedom: Users should feel in control and be able to recover easily from unwanted actions. Returning to a neutral state (like the default tool) with minimal effort enhances this sense of control.

4. Match Between System and the Real World: Tools should behave in ways that align with user expectations and natural workflows. If switching back to a default tool is a common action, it should feel intuitive and predictable.

By adhering to these principles, a tool can provide a smoother and more satisfying user experience.

[dallasransom]

Quote

If you got to the Text Frame by double-clicking on the frame from the Move Tool, then pressing ESC, ESC will "return" to the Move Tool. I think it's logical and correct that the application returns to the previous tool.

Not on the Mac it doesn't. It needs to return to the move tool when you escape out of the text frame. This is a frustrating aspect of using Affinity Photo.

Typically, this is what repeatedly happens to me:

1. Using the move tool I select a text box
2. I type some text in a text box
3. Hit escape
4. Click out of the text box to unfocus it, unwittingly spawning another text box
5. I hit 'undo' to get rid of that text box
6. I hit 'v' to enable the move tool, which then inserts a 'v' at the end of the text in the box I was just using
7. I delete the 'v'
8. I hit escape 5 or 6 times
9. I hit 'v' to enable the move tool, carefully checking to make sure I haven't inserted another v into the text

This happens constantly.

If you don't want to change the default behaviour - perhaps you can make it a setting: 'Escaping from a text frame defaults to the move tool'.

[carl123]

5 hours ago, dallasransom said:

If you don't want to change the default behaviour - perhaps you can make it a setting: 'Escaping from a text frame defaults to the move tool'.

This is changing in 2.6 (out soon).

CTRL+Return (Windows) will exit the text frame and select the Move Tool

 

[fde101]

13 hours ago, dallasransom said:

Not on the Mac it doesn't.

Agreed.  On the Mac, the first press of ESC ends text editing and leaves you in the appropriate text tool, which is correct and expected.

The second press deselects the frame and leaves you in the text tool, which is a perfectly reasonable course of action, but not the one @Pšenda suggested would happen.

 

Incidentally, QuarkXPress leaves you in the text tool when you ESC to exit from editing a text frame's content, even if you entered the frame by double-clicking on it from the item tool (its equivalent of the move tool).  It also deselects the frame with the first ESC, and pressing ESC again from that point has no effect.

 

13 hours ago, dallasransom said:

Click out of the text box to unfocus it, unwittingly spawning another text box

This does not happen for me.  I need to drag to create a text frame - a simple click has no real effect that I can see?

[dallasransom]

3 minutes ago, fde101 said:

which is a perfectly reasonable course of action

I'd argue that it's 'seemingly' reasonable. When I am editing text in Photo, I insert some text and then move and resize the text box. I think for Photo this would be typical behaviour for users working with text. More often than not, to create a new text box I 'option + drag' from the one I just made rather than making a new one because it retains all of the text attributes. Defaulting to the move tool after escaping assists with both of those behaviours.

8 hours ago, carl123 said:

This is changing in 2.6 (out soon).

CTRL+Return (Windows) will exit the text frame and select the Move Tool

Is something similar happening on macOS?

A lot of other graphics packages had a 'keypress + hold' to invoke the move tool - you'd hold down command to invoke the move tool and when you let go it went back to the text tool - or whatever tool you were using before. That would also solve my issue.

[carl123]

10 minutes ago, dallasransom said:

Is something similar happening on macOS?

Yes, I was just unsure if it's the same key sequence

 

10 minutes ago, dallasransom said:

A lot of other graphics packages had a 'keypress + hold' to invoke the move tool - you'd hold down command to invoke the move tool and when you let go it went back to the text tool - or whatever tool you were using before. That would also solve my issue.

In Affinity...

Hit Esc
Hold the V key down (Move Tool shortcut)
Move the text frame
Let go of the V key to return to the Text Frame Tool

[fde101]

12 minutes ago, dallasransom said:

Is something similar happening on macOS?

Yes, Command+Return does it on the Mac.

[dallasransom]

2 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Hit Esc
Hold the V key down (Move Tool shortcut)
Move the text frame
Let go of the V key to return to the Text Frame Tool

This doesn't work on macOS. Although I have realised I can hover over the bounding box borders to move the box while the text tool is active. Not perfect - but OK.

[dallasransom]

2 minutes ago, fde101 said:

Yes, Command+Return does it on the Mac.

Actually it evokes the 'node' tool on macOS - which is close but 'no cigar'. It really needs to be the move tool.

[carl123]

Just now, dallasransom said:

Actually it evokes the 'node' tool on macOS - which is close but 'no cigar'. It really needs to be the move tool.

I think you have to be in text editing mode, E.g. the cursor flashing inside a word

[James Ritson]

1 minute ago, dallasransom said:

Actually it evokes the 'node' tool on macOS - which is close but 'no cigar'. It really needs to be the move tool.

That will be the current Convert to Curves binding (presumably you're using 2.5), which selects the Node Tool after performing the command. In 2.6, CMD+Return / Ctrl+Return whilst in text input mode will commit input and switch to the Move Tool. You have to be in actual text input mode, however—otherwise it will use whatever the binding is set to.

[dallasransom]

Just now, carl123 said:

I think you have to be in text editing mode, E.g. the cursor flashing inside a word

Just tested it - even with the cursor flashing inside the box, hitting 'command + return' invokes the node tool. I appreciate your time in responding though. Thanks.

[fde101]

1 minute ago, dallasransom said:

Just tested it

Are you using the 2.6 beta?

What you are describing is what happens under 2.5, but they are changing it for 2.6.

Note that the 2.5 behavior also breaks up the text frame and converts each letter to a separate object...  if you did that to one of your files you might want to make sure you undo!

[dallasransom]

1 minute ago, fde101 said:

What you are describing is what happens under 2.5, but they are changing it for 2.6.

You are correct - I am in 2.5.