Zooming in and out of the preview image in the export window never works (split)

[Kris Black]

Zooming in and out of the preview image in the export window never works for me. I've tried all the shortcuts I can think of. I'm on a M3 Mac, latest OS, latest version of Photo 2. Command +, Command -, Command 0—nothing works.

 

What I don't understand is why are there no controls in the preview window to allow us to click buttons or select a tool to do this. Or just having the preview window show the image at it's 100% size and changing to the 100% size if you adjust the export width and height. This is one feature that makes Affinity not fun to use.

[R C-R]

There is an obscure workaround for this: in the export window hide the File Settings options (click on the expand triangle to do that) so no field in it has the focus. Then you can use CMD with the plus or minus key to zoom the preview. You can also use the other View > Zoom options like zoom to fit. zoom to 400%, etc. 

This is something that has been reported many times but so far nothing has been done to make it more obvious or add in-window zoom controls.

[Meliora spero]

5 hours ago, Kris Black said:

This is one feature that makes Affinity not fun to use.

 

I have several areas of Affinity lined up for that title, but agreed, this is exceptionally bad and outright unusable, and it’s much faster to just export and inspect the output file(s).

What makes it extra terrible is that vector files are rasterized in the preview. It seems Serif Labs is fundamentally confused about what one does in a preview. They have no idea about their customers' workflows. None.

When you start in export preview, the pixel size field is active, which means that Mac shortcuts CMD 1-3 and 0 don’t work until you activate a non-input field. If only there were icons for 1:1, actual size, fit to width, and the like - but no, of course not. The entire export preview dialog needs a massive overhaul following strong input from the usability team and customers, but that day will come after the day when all the world's enemies give each other foot massages to the sound of phoenix music.

As is classic for Serif’s software, they adhere to an internal principle that once a product is released, it is never improved. Ever. You’re stuck with this shamelessly poor implementation for years. An incomprehensible business decision and prioritization, because if there’s one thing we customers do repeatedly, it’s export-export-export-export-export-export. But alas, when you're stubbornly arrogant, you never turn on the light in the cave.

[R C-R]

7 minutes ago, Deperditus Cliens said:

What makes it extra terrible is that vector files are rasterized in the preview.

That depends on the file type you are exporting to & the contents of the file. So for example if the file contains only vector objects & you export to SVG, the preview will not be rasterized. This is as it should be for a preview.

[thomaso]

On 12/13/2024 at 10:39 PM, Deperditus Cliens said:

one thing we customers do repeatedly, it’s export-export-export-export-export-export.

Not for all kind of projects but many, especially images. Accordingly it is also weird when the Export options don't remember my last setting but require to open a menu again and again to choose "Selection Area" or "All Pages" for instance.

Actually once I did my export settings I most often would not need to reopen the dialog for every further export again, instead I would prefer just to select a menu entry or press key command for "Export as before…" to get an export with all last used settings, with just the "Save" dialog for choosing file path/name.

On 12/13/2024 at 10:39 PM, Deperditus Cliens said:

the day when all the world's enemies give each other foot massages to the sound of phoenix music

If that happens, I wouldn't need further app updates.

[Meliora spero]

16 hours ago, R C-R said:

That depends on the file type you are exporting to & the contents of the file. So for example if the file contains only vector objects & you export to SVG, the preview will not be rasterized. This is as it should be for a preview.

FALSE

All vector document -> Affinity export preview: pixels: