Contour Tool Bug

[KCP]

I'm getting hexagonal artifacts when I enlarge shapes with the Contour Tool. I did an AI search, which said this is a known bug and should be sorted out in the 2.6 release. These types of bugs in critical tools like this are a real problem,  I appreciate that it is being worked on, although we've been at version 2.5.7 for a while, and there has been no communication from your end about your timeline. You are advertising these apps as professional grade—at least Serif did—meaning problems like this should be addressed promptly. I hope this is not how Canva plans to treat the Affinity suite of software.

Are there any functional workarounds for this issue, in the meantime?

Thank you,

KCP

[Hangman]

Hi @KCP,

This issue is logged under AF-3789 and is still awaiting a fix... The current 2.6 Beta also exhibits the issue...

I'm not aware of any current workarounds for the issue I'm afraid...

[lepr]

Stroke expansion and contour bugs will almost certainly not be fixed in 2.6.0 which will be released in a few days.

My advice is to roll back to version 2.4.2, which is reasonably reliable for stroke expansion and contouring, and use it for new projects until there is a fix for the regressions in 2.5.x and 2.6.0. Also install the latest beta so documents you've already created in 2.5.x can be opened.

 

[KCP]

Thank you for the updates. Going back that many versions just to make this software work is not a practical option. The tool shouldn't be in non-beta software if it doesn't work properly. The Affinity suite is advertised as professional-grade, meaning it should reliably handle commercial workflows. Many of us ultimately left Adobe based on that and the fact that Serif was proactive with updates and responding to forum concerns. This has all but stopped since Canva acquired the company, I understand that I'm only one voice and can go back to Adobe if I don't like it, although I've now invested several thousand hours working in this suite and all of my original files since are Affinity files. The software also seems considerably more buggy since the company changed hands, which may or may not be coincidental. 

End-users whose livelihoods depend on these design applications should be in the upper level of customer consideration in terms of the reliability of the products. Instead, these companies now seem more interested in market cap and investor profits, so they push their products with low-hanging fruit like QR Code curve tools, instead of the most important ones like a Blend Tool. No hobbyist needs a QR code on his or her work. Bar codes are almost always added by the printed product publishers. It's a pointless tool. A better use of development would be getting the bugs out of the shape builder, adding a Blend Tool, and ensuring that these tools work reliably. 

For the record, it's not that the technique example isn't possible without the Contour Tool. You can do it manually, although it's much more time-consuming. Again, the point is don't release a tool in professional software until it's stable. 

 

 

 

 

[Ldina]

@KCP I'm not sure if this is what you want or not, but give it a try. Hope I didn't misunderstand your request.

• Create a small Ellipse shape. 
• Duplicate the ellipse
• Use the Contour Tool to expand the duplicate ellipse a LOT until you get unwanted straight segments
• Bake Appearance
• Use Node Tool and select all nodes in the object with straight segments
• Click on Convert: Smooth in the Context Toolbar to covert all nodes to smooth nodes
• Click on Action: Smooth Curve in the Context Toolbar.
• That gave me a large ellipse with a smooth outline and very few nodes.

[KCP]

1 hour ago, Ldina said:

@KCP I'm not sure if this is what you want or not, but give it a try. Hope I didn't misunderstand your request.

• Create a small Ellipse shape. 
• Duplicate the ellipse
• Use the Contour Tool to expand the duplicate ellipse a LOT until you get unwanted straight segments
• Bake Appearance
• Use Node Tool and select all nodes in the object with straight segments
• Click on Convert: Smooth in the Context Toolbar to covert all nodes to smooth nodes
• Click on Action: Smooth Curve in the Context Toolbar.
• That gave me a large ellipse with a smooth outline and very few nodes.

Thanks, Ldina. I tried that, earlier, although it creates numerous, unnecessary nodes that significantly increase the file size, especially when you have to do it to several curves. There is a very good plugin for Illustrator, called Astute Graphics, which can reduce unnecessary nodes without compromising shapes, although it isn't available for Affinity Designer. It has several other important tools as well. As I said before, we shouldn't have to use hacks to make these tools work in professional-grade graphics software. Hacks for when an app is missing a tool. Anyway, please excuse the rant. I was hopeful, based on how Serif was developing its suite, that it would respect pro users more than Adobe has. This doesn't seem to be the case since Canva acquired the company. I hope that I'm wrong and that it's just too soon to know, although the updates have slowed down, and the mods are all but silent. Canva has a real opportunity to usurp quite a bit of Adobe's pro user base if they recognize how important usability and good support is to us. Hopefully, they won't drop the ball. 

[Ldina]

32 minutes ago, KCP said:

it creates numerous, unnecessary nodes that significantly increase the file size

The first step (Convert: Smooth) increased the number of nodes, but the second step (Action: Smooth Curve) greatly reduced the number of nodes and worked quite well, at least on the few shapes and paths I tried it on.

37 minutes ago, KCP said:

we shouldn't have to use hacks

No disagreement...I understand your frustration. There are bugs and omissions that need fixing. In the meantime, it's a workaround that hopefully addresses your need, if you want it. 

I used the full Adobe Creative Suite for 25 years. Many people come to Affinity to escape an expensive, ongoing monthly subscription. They want a Ferrari, but only want to pay for roller skates. Escaping the subscription is largely what brought me here. Also, I didn't like Illustrator though it is a very capable, powerful program...I prefer Designer, despite the fact it is missing some important Illustrator capabilities. For what I do, Affinity is a bargain, but certainly not perfect... a one-time payment for the full Version 2 Suite on all platforms at the cost of two months subscription to Adobe CC. It may not work for some people, depending on their needs. At least we have a choice, but I think it helps to maintain realistic expectations.

That said, I hope Serif addresses most of the longstanding bugs and omissions people have reported in a more timely manner. That would make a good deal a great deal.

[KCP]

21 minutes ago, Ldina said:

The first step (Convert: Smooth) increased the number of nodes, but the second step (Action: Smooth Curve) greatly reduced the number of nodes and worked quite well, at least on the few shapes and paths I tried it on.

No disagreement...I understand your frustration. There are bugs and omissions that need fixing. In the meantime, it's a workaround that hopefully addresses your need, if you want it. 

I used the full Adobe Creative Suite for 25 years. Many people come to Affinity to escape an expensive, ongoing monthly subscription. They want a Ferrari, but only want to pay for roller skates. Escaping the subscription is largely what brought me here. Also, I didn't like Illustrator though it is a very capable, powerful program...I prefer Designer, despite the fact it is missing some important Illustrator capabilities. For what I do, Affinity is a bargain, but certainly not perfect... a one-time payment for the full Version 2 Suite on all platforms at the cost of two months subscription to Adobe CC. It may not work for some people, depending on their needs. At least we have a choice, but I think it helps to maintain realistic expectations.

That said, I hope Serif addresses most of the longstanding bugs and omissions people have reported in a more timely manner. That would make a good deal a great deal.

Like you, I was with Adobe since the first editions, until I transitioned to Affinity. I owned a design firm in Denver and had 7 employees and myself using it daily. I've since sold that firm and work as a freelance designer. I first considered Affinity because I no longer need to share files with so many people. You raised an important point about the cost. I've posted on here before about gladly paying more for the suite if they'd clean up the issues and gear it toward professionals as advertised. They could even sell it at a one-time fee and charge separately for esoteric tools as plugins, but make sure that the workhorse tools are there and stable. Otherwise, call it hobbyist software and don't advertise it as a viable alternative for working designers. Anyway, I've exhausted this rant, so like you said, hopefully, Canva will sort this stuff out before pros finally leave and go back to Adobe. As much as I dislike Adobe's ethics, their apps work. Best, KCP

[SanSerif]

Want to add to this rant, too. It's not that people aren't willing to pay for say, a Vauxhall (a British brand), but it's priced as roller skates, built as roller skates, BUT marketed as a Ferrari. Even a Vauxhall will do. But we don't even have a basic (vector) engine at the moment to stretch your metaphor. 

[Ldina]

@KCP Thanks. Your points are well taken and I agree. 

Affinity apps can and are used successfully and 'professionally' for Press. However, I don't see Publisher ever displacing or seriously challenging InDesign, (especially for Press, and doubly so for fast, production work that relies on a lot of 3rd party content), with a few caveats. Adobe is the only one (that I know of) who possesses the original postscript language code, which is the core for all PDFs used on press. They won't be sharing it any time soon because it is their golden goose and gatekeeper. PSD and AI are proprietary file formats, but they are deeply integrated into into the workflow, and seamlessly used inside of Indesign. A lot of 3rd party content is saved and posted as PSD, AI, PDF, so any professional that relies on this content, or needs to collaborate with other designers who DO use these formats and programs, will be at a disadvantage unless they use Adobe, where there is 100% compatibility. Affinity apps can read PSD, AI ( if it includes an embedded PDF stream), and PDF, but not always with 100% accuracy or transportability, so workarounds are inevitable. Still, the Affinity 'workhorse tools should be there and stable'. 

I no longer have a need to send jobs to Press, nor do I need to collaborate/share with other designers or use 3rd party content. That's why Affinity works fine for me. If I were to design a “paid” job for press tomorrow, I'd probably use InDesign, especially if the job relied on a lot of 3rd party content. If the future standard Press workflow ever adopts some new, open standard that doesn't rely on postscript, PSD, AI, PDF, etc., it may be a different story. If that ever happens, it will be a long ways off. I could make Publisher work for Press (as many others do), and since I'm not being paid for my design work at this point, I choose Affinity. If my livelihood depended on Press work and frequent collaboration, I'd probably own both Suites.

BTW, my little workaround for the Contour Tool sometimes works fine, but bombs on more complex shapes and distorts them. It needs fixing. Cheers. 

[KCP]

"Still, the Affinity 'workhorse tools should be there and stable'. "

"BTW, my little workaround for the Contour Tool sometimes works fine, but bombs on more complex shapes and distorts them. It needs fixing. Cheers."

Agreed, which was the tacit point of my OP. Thank you for your replies. 

[Meliora spero]

It is precisely the marketing of Affinity as something it simply is not that has significantly reduced the company's credibility. They must have seriously undermined their own brand. I don’t think professionals who need real professional software and research the market will give Serif a second chance once they’ve seen the grandiose marketing and then actually tested Affinity. Once they realize it’s that kind of company and product, the classification is permanently set.

The lack of interest and ability that Serif has shown in releasing professionally stable features - and in continuously refining and fixing them once released - is truly unprofessional and unusable for professionals.

There is some money to be saved on software, but in 2025, the real savings lie in saved time - on a massive scale. When you’re a professional.