Enjoyed Using This, But Could only Replace Illustrator If...

[ClareW]

Hi

 

I'm completely new to Affinity, and downloaded the Beta hoping that Affinity Designer for Windows might be able to replace my ageing copy of Illustrator.

 

Plus points: Ease of use, and I loved the concept of the same software having two "identities".

 

But here's what I would need to know/see as a consumer to feel confident about using this instead of illustrator:

 

1) Unless I missed it, it looked like this software has no autotracing function. (I trace my own artwork to turn into design motifs).

2) Can I be confident that everything designed in the programs's raster identity transfers seamlessly into any saved vector files?

 

3) I would be very, very good to have some kind of "tiling" function.

 

Other than that, I should say I did love this software, and would love to use it more than Illustrator (which I actually don't much enjoy using) if the above could be included.

 

Hope this makes sense and gets to whoever needs it as feedback-apologies if I've posted this in the wrong place.

 

Many thanks for the chance to be part of the beta.

Clare

 

 

[MEB]

Hi Clare,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

1. No currently there's no trace function available. This is/was quite requested and will be introduced in a future version.

2. I'm not sure i understood your question but yes all objects/layers created in the program (no matter if they are raster or vector based), are kept intact/editable when saved in the native format (.afdesign files).

3. You can use the Fill Tool to tile bitmaps (inside shapes). See screenshot below.

 

[Sean P]

Regarding point 2 I think Clare is asking if anything designed in the Pixel Persona (Raster) will transfer seamlessly into Draw Persona (Vector)? Is that correct?

 

If that is correct then that is not strictly true.

If you draw objects (Curves, Lines, Shapes etc) in the Draw Persona and then go to the Pixel Persona then these will still be movable/resizable vector objects. However if you try to use any of the tools in the Draw Persona (such as Burn, Smudge etc) then it will convert that object to a 'Pixel Layer' which the software will warn you. As expected these are no longer Vector Objects and can no longer be edited as such. This behaviour can be disabled/contrlled from View > Assistant Manager:

For any of the tools in the Pixel Persona to work you will need a Pixel Layer - these are either created automatically (as explained above) or from the Layers Panel.

In short if the Layer Panel says (Pixel) or (Image) it is a raster layer, anything else is a Vector Layer

[Mark Ingram]

Moving to the Questions forum.