Export Dialog

[chirpy]

I am hoping that for the next version of Affinity apps they revert to the much better layout for File > Export than it is in version 2.x. V2 seems so unorganized. Even the dropdown menu is not in alphabetical order for some reason. Makes it take longer than it should to find what I want to do. The file format buttons along the top in V1 were much better.

[Bound by Beans]

23 hours ago, chirpy said:

V2 seems so unorganized.

Yes, it’s a rushed, sloppy piece of work made for Affinity v2—if I remember the history correctly—and even worse, Serif hasn’t addressed the interface, now six full releases later. Every time I return from a professional program’s export dialogue to Affinity’s, the contrast between the polished, professional interface and Affinity’s proof-of-concept-style, draft-quality dialogue is glaring.

This is one of the areas where we’ll see whether Canvas’s acquisition of Serif will actually benefit users.

[GarryP]

On 4/5/2025 at 8:03 PM, chirpy said:

The file format buttons along the top in V1 were much better.

I also think that having the format icons along the top of the dialog was nicer than having a drop-down menu but I seem to recall that some users had a problem of not realising that they were clickable buttons and, as such, they couldn’t figure out how to change the export format. (This is the same problem that some people have currently when they don’t see the drop-down, but a different angle on the problem.)

On 4/5/2025 at 8:03 PM, chirpy said:

Even the dropdown menu is not in alphabetical order for some reason.

Some people might have a problem with having the formats listed alphabetically because seldom-used (for them) formats would be listed earlier than often-used formats. For example, DXF and EXR would be listed before JPEG and PNG. The complaint could then be: “Why do I have to move my mouse further just to get to the formats I want to use?”

I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all solution other than letting the user decide on their preferred ordering.

[chirpy]

8 hours ago, GarryP said:

Some people might have a problem with having the formats listed alphabetically because seldom-used (for them) formats would be listed earlier than often-used formats. For example, DXF and EXR would be listed before JPEG and PNG. The complaint could then be: “Why do I have to move my mouse further just to get to the formats I want to use?”

While I might think that some people would have in issue with the top buttons (maybe), I definitely disagree with a dropdown not being alphabetically organized. That's how UI's work. That's how dropdown form menus are organized on websites. Mixing things up just because "someone" thinks that people will use certain formats more than others doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If we're going by that logic, for Affinity Photo (a photo editing app), why does EPS (or even PDF) come before HDR? HDR is a photo format. EPS is a vector format used for logos and artwork and I'm guessing maybe 1% of people using Photo will ever export a file as an EPS. That is not logical. They shouldn't even come before PSD, if that is the case, because I've had to send clients PSD files from Photo far more than EPS or PDFs. Whereas in Affinity Designer I've had to send EPS files more than TIFFs.

Just put things in alphabetical order and it will be easier for everyone.

I have been using V2 of all the Affinity apps since they were released and it still takes me a long time to figure out where an export option is in that dropdown. That means something is wrong with the UI.

[Bound by Beans]

The whole interface is awkwardly put together, even though it’s supposedly inspired by more expensive programs. The preview shows pixels when viewing vector graphics, and the pixelation is a fact when zooming in (and only insiders even know how to zoom). Meanwhile, a PDF preview that looked fine on screen ended up looking absurd in Adobe Reader. Preview?

The export took fifteen eternities beforehand, and I had to figure out on my own that it was a spiral object extending beyond the page that triggered several minutes of waiting. You only figure that out because your last work happened to be in that area of a 200-page document.

Fortunately, my manager has blessed me with the Adobe suite today. I’m in the process of moving this project to InDesign tonight. I’m not wasting more time and money on this show. It’s unreal that it hasn’t been refactored multiple times since version 2.