Affinity Designer Public Beta - 1.5.0.12 (Windows)

[iamtheblues]

Going back in time to 1.5.0.11 hasn't helped. I'm going back to the future now.

I'm in the process of deactivating all my font sets and just leaving the system fonts active.

Then I will reactivate each set individually and see if this trial-and-error method uncovers some rogue fonts. I may be gone some time...

Bob.

[Alfred]

No-one replied to my post about help-text windows clipping text (on page one of the .11 thread - now locked) but it seems to be fixed in .12 so I assume it was either a known problem or I actually helped. Would be nice to know but I guess it's small potatoes in the scheme of things.

 

I'm still seeing that issue in 1.5.0.12.

[sizeak]

Hi,

 

I've noticed an extremely minor issue with the Beta. If you use the artboard tool to create an artboard for a device profile (e.g. Nexus 5) then the artboard is correctly named to match the device, however if you create the artboard from the new document dialog, then the artboard is not named to match the device, which is a bit annoying as I then have to rename it manually before creating artboards for other device sizes.

 

While I'm posting, could I also request that you add a few more Android device profiles, such as for a Nexus 10 or 4, etc.

 

Other than that the Beta is working really well for me and has converted me from using Inkscape on Windows, I think I'll be buying it once released so thanks!

[iamtheblues]

I have now reinstalled 1.5.0.12 and deactivated all except the system fonts.

I opened a new file and typed a couple of words which were in Arial, the default font.

As soon as I clicked on the font dropdown box the program shut down with an error message

"An Unhandled Exception has occurred. Code: 0x80004003"

 

Upon restart I get the Crash Reporter Reference: 69abf12e-da33-41ee-9962-af578fda6879.

Bob.

[Mark Ingram]

Hi Bob, unfortunately the crash report isn't much help, it just crashes in Windows code so I can't actually tell where the problem is. We'll probably need a way of reproducing it.

[JamesD]

Hi,

 

I was working on both a new cover letter and updating my resume when I encounter some bugs. The first is how the text was rendered with "blocks" with X's inside them (refer to one of the screenshare attached). Also on the second screenshare, I was choosing a font to use for updating my resume when I got an "An Unhandled Exception has occurred. Code: 0xE434352". 

[iamtheblues]

Thanks, Mark. I've tried pretty much everything I can think of. I've uninstalled and then reinstalled the program as an administrator but the problem persists.

I've copied a string of text from Illustrator in a particular font (Snackbar Script) and pasted it into Affinity, which recognises it, and I am able to edit and resize it in Affinity.

But it crashes as soon as I try to change the font. The program is pretty much useless to me now as what I do is probably 95% font-related. 

I've shied away from reinstalling Windows as I've recently uninstalled Windows 10 and reverted to Windows 8.1 because of multiple problems and 8.1 is working fine for me now.

I'm tempted to do a system restore to before the problem started, but if it is a rogue font, which is obviously working fine in Xara Designer, Illustrator and CorelDraw then the hassle of

checking each font individually and restarting Affinity each time is too much to bear.

Unless anyone else has any suggestions...

Bob.

[biscuit]

Hello again,

 

Some lack of opacity logic in Designer:

 

-When applying a colour to a placed image it tints the image (nice feature!). When adjusting the opacity of the colour it changes the opacity of the image. It would be more intuitive and useful if it changed the opacity of the tint.

 

-When disabling a mask layer with the check box in the layer panel everything is revealed. Shouldn't that be equal to 0% opacity? But the opacity of the mask layer influences the opacity of the parent layer. It would make more sense and be much more useful if it influenced the layer mask. Meaning with 50% opacity on the layer mask white is still white and black functions as 50% grey.

 

This all probably borders on a feature request, but it is also general UI fuctionality and reliability. Opacity sliders should influence the object they belong to, if not better disable them. Makes the program more 'trustworthy' and in this case could save trouble shooting when a parent layer isn't opaque at 100% opacity.

[AdamW]

[...]

Unless anyone else has any suggestions...

 

Hi Bob,

 

We have overhauled the font combo significantly in build 13 so I suggest you wait for that. Thanks for the time you have already spent trying to pin down this problem.

[AdamW]

No-one replied to my post about help-text windows clipping text [...]

 

Hi waitepb,

 

I have logged a bug against the Help window as it is behaving strangely when resized. Note though that since it is resizable we would expect clipping of the content at times.

[iamtheblues]

I did a system restore back to before 1.5.0.12 was released. I currently have system fonts only activated on my pc (340 of them-seems a lot to me-even Comic Sans).

I can now access the font dropdown menu without a problem but I can not scroll past more than a few fonts before Affinity closes.

The fonts at the bottom of the font list prior to shutdown are Exotic 350 Bold BT, Engravers Gothic BT, Embassy BT, Ebrima, 3 X Deja Vu fonts and DeVinne Txt BT - which is the last that I was able to successfully select.

I can think of nothing else to try short of a Windows install and a removal of all but a scant few fonts. and add fonts one by one until the problem occurs again.

I do have access to a Windows 10 Laptop, but that has the same fonts installed on it as my main pc. I will try installing 1.5.0.12 on that laptop when time permits.

Thanks for all the help from everyone.

EDIT: The laptop I tried to install Affinity on is Windows 32 bit. That's the end of that chapter.

Bob.

[dominik]

I did a system restore back to before 1.5.0.12 was released. I currently have system fonts only activated on my pc (340 of them-seems a lot to me-even Comic Sans).

I can now access the font dropdown menu without a problem but I can not scroll past more than a few fonts before Affinity closes.

The fonts at the bottom of the font list prior to shutdown are Exotic 350 Bold BT, Engravers Gothic BT, Embassy BT, Ebrima, 3 X Deja Vu fonts and DeVinne Txt BT - which is the last that I was able to successfully select.

I can think of nothing else to try short of a Windows install and a removal of all but a scant few fonts. and add fonts one by one until the problem occurs again.

I do have access to a Windows 10 Laptop, but that has the same fonts installed on it as my main pc. I will try installing 1.5.0.12 on that laptop when time permits.

Thanks for all the help from everyone.

EDIT: The laptop I tried to install Affinity on is Windows 32 bit. That's the end of that chapter.

Bob.

 

Hello Bob,

 

I've been following this thread with interest but without any idea for a solution.

 

Reading about your troubles and your idea of installing Windows from scratch made me at least try with my current install of AD.

 

I have 567 fonts active and I am sure some of them are of minor quality (due to their origin from some internet source).

 

I created a frame text box and an artistic text line and typed in a word. Marked the letters and then scrolled through my fontlist in the top left corner of the window. I also did this with the font list in the type panel.

 

No crash happened.

 

I am not writing this to make you feel even more frustrated. But I think it has to do more likely with the list of fonts installed on your machine than with the windows installation.

 

In the past days there were several threads related to bad fonts in the forum.

 

Before going the hard way and reinstalling Windows, I'd rather disable most of the fonts and see if this changes anything.

 

This is just my two cents and I sincerely hope you get this sorted out.

 

d.

[MikeW]

Hi Bob,

 

If you open the Windows font folder, what's the font just past the DeVinne Txt BT?

[iamtheblues]

Hi Mike,

It's DFGothic-EB Regular - it's one that must have come bundled with a program I installed at some time. I certainly don't recall downloading it.

Following on from that one are a few others with the DF prefix: DFKaiSho-SB Regular and then DFMincho-SU Regular, then DF Mincho-UB Regular, DFMincho-W5 Regular,

DFPOP1-W9 Regular followed by Ebrima, also not knowingly installed by me and then Embassy BT Regular. All of these are in the System Folder and have subsequently been

deactivated in Suitcase. EngraversGothic BT Regular is next, which is one installed by me. Following all these are Exotc350 Bd BT Bold and then Exotc350 DMBd BT Demi-Bold, again not knowingly installed by me. The Font List then crashes every time at this point with the next font in the Windows Font Folder being Fixedsys Regular, which is not something I would ever install of my own free will!

Bob.

[Mark Ingram]

Hi, if you can just wait for the next build and see whether it happens in that, that would be good (as the font family combo box has been completely re-written).

[biscuit]

Hi Bob,

 

I know PS Elements always has a lot of trouble with Fixedsys Regular. Lagging and getting stuck for a moment etc. It's an unusual font format many programs don't read (.fon). Including Affinity I think, so it's probably not the source of your trouble. But since it came up and I knew other graphic software are having issues with it, why not mention it.

[iamtheblues]

@ Mark, will do. Thanks for the information.

 

@ dominik, thanks for your comments, I've managed to pare my fonts down to 28 in the system folder, and there are 152 in the Windows folder.

I can almost see the tumbling tumbleweeds!

Bob. 

[Alfred]

It's DFGothic-EB Regular - it's one that must have come bundled with a program I installed at some time. I certainly don't recall downloading it.

Following on from that one are a few others with the DF prefix: DFKaiSho-SB Regular and then DFMincho-SU Regular, then DF Mincho-UB Regular, DFMincho-W5 Regular,

DFPOP1-W9 Regular followed by Ebrima, also not knowingly installed by me and then Embassy BT Regular. All of these are in the System Folder and have subsequently been

deactivated in Suitcase. EngraversGothic BT Regular is next, which is one installed by me. Following all these are Exotc350 Bd BT Bold and then Exotc350 DMBd BT Demi-Bold, again not knowingly installed by me.

 

Those all sound as though they might have come with CorelDraw.

[MikeW]

Those all sound as though they might have come with CorelDraw.

 

They began shipping with CD at version 13 (X3) I believe. Maybe before.

[VanHeber]

Constant crashes using pen tool and Modifier controls (Ctrl, alt) when editing vertices. I´m using a Wacom pen to draw. So, right click only works with mouse, not with second click in wacom pen on canvas.

[Mark Ingram]

Constant crashes using pen tool and Modifier controls (Ctrl, alt) when editing vertices. I´m using a Wacom pen to draw. So, right click only works with mouse, not with second click in wacom pen on canvas.

 

Which version of Designer, and which Wacom tablet and pen are you using? When you start the application, do you get a crash reference dialog?

[Duskolo]

Purple borders are back again :(

I attached a screenshot to show you what I mean.

Even when no stroke applied (or with stroke), Affinity Designers shows the objects outline as a purple border.

 

I had this issue a while ago in one of the very early versions but then with new updates it disappeared.

But now it is back again.

How to get rid of that?

Is this some sort of bug or a preference that can be switched off?

 

[VanHeber]

Which version of Designer, and which Wacom tablet and pen are you using? When you start the application, do you get a crash reference dialog?

I´m using AD 1.5.0.12 and a Wacom tablet Intuos pen small. No dialog reference at starting application. The app crashes when a Using pen tool for a time, five or more minutes using tool. 

[AdamStanislav]

Purple borders are back again :(

 

It’s to show us the object is currently selected.

[Chris_K]

HI Duskolo

 

The purple outline is to show that the object is a snapping candidate. You can toggle this on and off with the show snapping candidates in the snapping options