Endless stall/spinning when placing an image

[brian-h]

Every time I place an image and try to link it, Affinity Design 2 on Windows 11 stalls and just shows the spinning dial endlessly. File type or size does not seem to make a different. Placing them without linking them is fine. Just whenever I hit the "link" image option. 

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @brian-h

Is the image you are trying to place (as linked) stored on a locally-installed hard drive in a folder which isn’t synced to an external storage service/device?

If not, can you give us details about how/where the image is stored and what type of syncing (if any) is used?

[brian-h]

I was going to screen clip what I am seeing but now I don't get the option to link to the image. and I can't see a way to change a placed image to a linked one. 

I am using a Lenovo Legion running Windows 11. Previously I was using a SurfacePro running Windows 11 and the same thing was happening. 

Process

• With my document open, I click the Picture Frame Rectangle Tool and draw a picture box. (I have tried to place directly without a box and the same thing happens)
• Then I select Place from the File menu and select my image file. 
• Then, if it's a large image, it tells me that it will make the document large and if I want to link it instead.
• If I say no, then it places the image just fine. 
• If I say yes, then a progress window appears and just sits there. I see the gradation of the progress bar move but it just does that. Nothing happens. Not after 30 minutes (and longer). 

brian

[mopperle]

1 hour ago, brian-h said:

Then, if it's a large image, it tells me that it will make the document large and if I want to link it instead.

Nor sure what you mean here. When you create a new document, you decide in the document settings whether to embed or link object.

I get the question only, when I have a document with already lost of embedded images and then I'm asked whether to better link the objects.

So how big is the picture in question (just checked it with a 91MB dng file and have no problems). How many pictures have you already embedded?

Can you give us some (fullscreen) screenshots showing your settings and the situation?

1 hour ago, brian-h said:

and I can't see a way to change a placed image to a linked one. 

You change this always via the Resource Manager (menu Window/Resource manager...)

[GarryP]

15 hours ago, brian-h said:

and I can't see a way to change a placed image to a linked one.

It sounds like there might be some confusion between “placed” with ‘embedded’ and using the same term for two different things, but it might just be the way I am reading it.

When you place an image it will either be embedded (contained within the document) or linked (not contained within the document).

You can change the embedded/linked status of an image via the Resource Manager as mopperle has said above.

---

And I’ll ask the same questions as I did earlier since they haven’t been answered:

23 hours ago, GarryP said:

Is the image you are trying to place (as linked) stored on a locally-installed hard drive in a folder which isn’t synced to an external storage service/device?

If not, can you give us details about how/where the image is stored and what type of syncing (if any) is used?

[brian-h]

I missed the resource manager. I looked and used it to swap files and change them to link images instead of embedded ones. I even relinked to a new file, and everything works. Thanks. My Google searches never turned up that.

And yes, after the first time I experienced this, I placed the image (JPG) in the same folder as the Affinity Designer file. Just in case it was an issue with the file location. But I am not using a network drive, just the local hard drive. 

If it happens again, I will use the Resource Manager to change it to a linked file. Simple enough.

Thanks all for the information.