Digital Asset Management

[amazme1]

The major function missing is most editors is digital asset management.  Lightroom is the one exception and therefore it is the most valuable photo editor because it catalogs and manages your photos.

When DAM is available for Infinity Photo, I will buy the product.  Until then, its just another photo editor.

 

[MEB]

Hi amazme1,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Lightroom is not a photo editor but a RAW developer. It's editing tools are not up to what Photoshop offers. Affinity Photo is both a RAW developer and photo editor.

We already announced plans for an Affinity DAM software which will work seamlessly with Affinity Photo.

[amazme1]

I'm sorry to disagree with you.  I have been editing my photos in LR for three years under the Develop Module (Camera Raw) which supports 

• Camera raw formats
• DNG
• TIFF
• JPG
• PSD
• CMYK files
• PNG
• AVI, MOV, MP4, and other video files

 I only use PS6 standalone when I have to, because it is too complex for the average task unless you want to spend a lot of effort in Layers..  I used Aperture until Apple abandoned it.  My MacPhun, NIK and Topaz plugins support editing not available in LR. Dam (LIBRARY MODULE) in LR is excellent contrary to what some other posters have said.

My interest in Affinity photo is as a replacement for Photoshop and LR because I don't want Adobe's subscription crap and they are making updates difficult for those of us without cc subscriptions.  But it all depends on how you handle your Dam when it materializes.  It needs to at least allow for a folder naming convention like this:  

"YYYYMMDD Location Description".  

[Chris_K]

Hi amazme1

 

LR and Photo are different apps aimed at different uses and are not completely comparable. As MEB as pointed out Photo is more akin to a PS workflow which focuses more on complex image editing, pixel manipulation and layer structures.

 

We do have plans to develop a separate DAM application in the future whcih may be more what you are looking for, but we are focused on getting the core trio of apps developed first before we start adding new apps to the line up

 

Cheers

[Travelling Man]

So the DAM is probably a long way off, Chris_K? Possibly beyond 2017?

[Chris_K]

I'm not able to give any definitive timeline as they are details I am not privy to. Personally I would not expect to see it in 2017, but that does not mean things might not change. 

[billtils]

amazme1, what you say about LR being "the one exception" is not correct.  Capture One Pro and ACDSee, to name but two, can do this (DAM + photo editor).

[GFS]

I am also very keen to see an Affinity DAM.

 

I have used Aperture since its introduction and have tried Lr 3 times, most recently this last couple of months.  As a DAM, it is not as fine a piece of software as Aperture *was*.  So I'm hobbling along with a Mac on an old OS until something better comes along.

 

I was hoping this new alternative would be Affinity DAM this year, but it would seem this is not going to happen.  Windows appears to have stolen its wind!!  (BUT watch out Affinity, because you're massive current success has come thanks to a total dedication to a single platform and a unique opportunity.  Diluting your efforts is a dangerous game.)

 

Anyway ... the word, or explanation you're all hunting for, to describe what Photoshop and AF-Photo do ... but Lr, C1, Aperture etc. do not do, is 'compositing'.  Us old timers used to use the word all the time. You can't 'composite' with Lr or C1 or Aperture.

[SMA]

I'm sorry to disagree with you. I have been editing my photos in LR for three years under the Develop Module (Camera Raw) which supports

 

• Camera raw formats
• DNG
• TIFF
• JPG
• PSD
• CMYK files
• PNG
• AVI, MOV, MP4, and other video files

I only use PS6 standalone when I have to, because it is too complex for the average task unless you want to spend a lot of effort in Layers.. I used Aperture until Apple abandoned it. My MacPhun, NIK and Topaz plugins support editing not available in LR. Dam (LIBRARY MODULE) in LR is excellent contrary to what some other posters have said.

My interest in Affinity photo is as a replacement for Photoshop and LR because I don't want Adobe's subscription crap and they are making updates difficult for those of us without cc subscriptions. But it all depends on how you handle your Dam when it materializes. It needs to at least allow for a folder naming convention like this:

"YYYYMMDD Location Description".

Hi amazme1

 

LR and Photo are different apps aimed at different uses and are not completely comparable. As MEB as pointed out Photo is more akin to a PS workflow which focuses more on complex image editing, pixel manipulation and layer structures.

 

We do have plans to develop a separate DAM application in the future whcih may be more what you are looking for, but we are focused on getting the core trio of apps developed first before we start adding new apps to the line up

 

Cheers

Hi amazme1,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Lightroom is not a photo editor but a RAW developer. It's editing tools are not up to what Photoshop offers. Affinity Photo is both a RAW developer and photo editor.

We already announced plans for an Affinity DAM software which will work seamlessly with Affinity Photo.

Hi Team Affinity, first of all, congrats on the massive effort with the applications that you guys created! The community is forever indebted.

 

I do feel you guys may have a better approach to the way how creatives would work.

 

It's more sensible to have two apps working seamlessly together in this manner:

 

Photo: an app that does both RAW and image edits and a DAM: an app that catalogs/maintains files in a superior fashion. (I personally wouldn't want a DAM that's unnecessarily bloated in features.)

 

Vs

 

The likes of Photoshop and LR.

 

An Affinity DAM can wait, in my opinion, because fine-tuning the first three core apps would mean a robust foundation which everyone can be proud of. Speaking of foundation, Team Affinity, could you come up with a superior perspective tool for Designer, much like Epic Games' Carapace?

http://www.warrenmarshall.biz/carapace/

 

Also, release the beta versions for iPad already! Can't wait!

 

But once again, kudos Team Affinity.

[ronnyb]

Anyway ... the word, or explanation you're all hunting for, to describe what Photoshop and AF-Photo do ... but Lr, C1, Aperture etc. do not do, is 'compositing'. Us old timers used to use the word all the time. You can't 'composite' with Lr or C1 or Aperture.

 

[Michael Naylor]

I am also very keen to see an Affinity DAM.

 

I have used Aperture since its introduction and have tried Lr 3 times, most recently this last couple of months.  As a DAM, it is not as fine a piece of software as Aperture *was*.  So I'm hobbling along with a Mac on an old OS until something better comes along.

 

I was hoping this new alternative would be Affinity DAM this year, but it would seem this is not going to happen.  Windows appears to have stolen its wind!!  (BUT watch out Affinity, because you're massive current success has come thanks to a total dedication to a single platform and a unique opportunity.  Diluting your efforts is a dangerous game.)

 

Anyway ... the word, or explanation you're all hunting for, to describe what Photoshop and AF-Photo do ... but Lr, C1, Aperture etc. do not do, is 'compositing'.  Us old timers used to use the word all the time. You can't 'composite' with Lr or C1 or Aperture.

I bought AP and AD to support Affinity Serif because they were promising a DAM application at the time.   Then they diverted their resources to develop for Windows causing a predictable slow down on the Mac side - despite what they claim.   Now they say development on the DAM hasn't even started and probably won't be available until at least 2018.   I'm an old timer too, so I'll most likely be past it by then.   I also notice a slow down in forum activity over the past months.   Like many others,  I'm feeling fed up with broken promises.   I'll just have to stick with my CC subscription and Adobe's lack lustre asset management system instead.  I guess many others will have reached the same decision. 

[GFS]

 I'm feeling fed up with broken promises. 

 

 

Affinity have been stunned by their own success (as much through a fluke of timing as their own efforts).

 

They have been unable to resist going for the massive market that has been dangled in front of them ... but ... as ever, it can disappear as quickly as it appeared.  I think they made a big mistake going for the Windows market so soon.  They should have waited for at least two years, until their Mac products were mature enough and the teams solid enough before diversifying. But what do I know?

 

Anyway ... the DAM was a big carrot for me ... now I don't have that carrot.

[SMA]

Affinity have been stunned by their own success (as much through a fluke of timing as their own efforts).

 

They have been unable to resist going for the massive market that has been dangled in front of them ... but ... as ever, it can disappear as quickly as it appeared.  I think they made a big mistake going for the Windows market so soon.  They should have waited for at least two years, until their Mac products were mature enough and the teams solid enough before diversifying. But what do I know?

 

Anyway ... the DAM was a big carrot for me ... now I don't have that carrot.

 

 

To be fair, I am sure they have some strategy in place.

 

You're right, what do we know! Who are we, as end users, to say that they need 2 years (or 15 years or whatever) for them to mature? Or for their teams to be solid enough?

 

I just wish that they could have gone in the iPad direction first and then Windows but I feel this could be selfish on my part.

 

Seems that by diversifying in the way they're doing, they would be able to expand brand recognition as well as the base for testing of bugs and features.

 

Nevertheless, my iPad is dying to try out Photo/Designer as native apps!

[Michael Naylor]

My hope now is that the soon to released ON1 PHOTO RAW will satisfy my needs.  They're promising November, so not long to wait.

[fde101]

I'm curious too to see how On1 Photo RAW stacks up, but I wouldn't even begin to think that it will compare to Affinity Photo for the kinds of things it is designed for, no matter how much they be advertising it as an "editor."

 

I see On1 as being more in line with Aperture,  LR, DXO Optics Pro, and Capture One - those programs are kind of in one box, while Affinity Photo, Photoshop, GIMP, Pixelmator, etc. are in another box.

 

Even if Photo RAW has you well covered to repalce LR, you will still want something like Affinity Photo for those edits and cases that are too complex for that tool to handle.

 

What I would like to see is something like "Export to Application" or "Edit in External Application" functionality in one of the organizational tools (DAM software) that actually sends the undeveloped RAW file to an external application and captures an exported TIFF/JPEG/PSD/whatever from that application to sit alongside that RAW image in the catalog/session... ideally with a menu of configured or recently used ones, so that if I were using said app as my catalog, and it had its own RAW development, but I came across a photo I wanted to develop using the RAW engine from some other application, I could do that and have the developed photo show up in the catalog where I started.

 

So, say On1 were to add this to Photo RAW, and I decided to use that for organizing my photos due to its speed, I may sometimes want to send a photo into DXO to develop it because of DXO's superior lens correction or noise reduction features, but the final product should still wind up back in my catalog in On1 to be browsed along with my other images.

 

Of course, this is also a hint to the Affinity team for when working on their DAM solution...

[Travelling Man]

If the DAM is delayed then I can see no future with Affinity. It is a shame but without the DAM my CC subscription will probably rule the roost. I cannot see Apple Photos being a satisfactory alternative for me either.

[vague-logic]

Personally, I would rather not have a DAM as part of Affinity Photo. My workflow to Affinity Photo is from Capture One Pro where all my RAWs are stored together with the Tiffs returned from Affinity Photo. I'm sure that this is the same process for many Lightroom users. A separate DAM product would be the way to go.

[Andy Somerfield]

All,

 

A separate DAM product is they way we are going - but there is nothing to see yet.

 

Work has started, but it's going to be 2017 before you hear anything of consequence from us about it.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy.

[Andy Somerfield]

I bought AP and AD to support Affinity Serif because they were promising a DAM application at the time.   Then they diverted their resources to develop for Windows causing a predictable slow down on the Mac side - despite what they claim.   Now they say development on the DAM hasn't even started and probably won't be available until at least 2018.   I'm an old timer too, so I'll most likely be past it by then.   I also notice a slow down in forum activity over the past months.   Like many others,  I'm feeling fed up with broken promises.   I'll just have to stick with my CC subscription and Adobe's lack lustre asset management system instead.  I guess many others will have reached the same decision. 

 

Mike,

 

I'm sorry - but this simply isn't true..

 

The Windows versions of both Affinity Photo and Designer have cost my / Matt's teams no significant time at all. The Windows guys have their own separate development crew - they all know precisely what they are doing and require no support / time from us at all.

 

I'll be straight with you here - the delays in the DAM project for macOS are due to our prioritisation of iOS versions of our existing products.

 

This might be controversial to some - but to me is it not. If we are able to produce a feature-for-feature, (very) high performance, Metal-accelerated, full version of Affinity Photo for iPad Pro, then that time is worth spending - even before releasing a public beta of an Affinity DAM product.

 

Our DAM application has already been started, and certainly will be finished - but as I have said in other threads, don't expect to hear anything significant from us about it until 2017.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Andy.

[anon1]

-

[Michael Naylor]

well that's at least very nice!

 

I´d agree that AP for iPad is worth prioritizing before others take the opportunity to publish the first professional iPad App. AP on iPad will for sure be nothing less than amazing ;)

 

cheers

 

I've tried using Lightroom on an iPad and gave up.   Apart from the screen size, bouncing large images via iCloud is utterly impractical.  I find the 27 inch iMac to be just about right.

 

Still, I'm pleased to hear that they have in fact started to develop the standalone DAM application.

[mac_heibu]

MBd didn't talk about an Affinity DAM for the iPad, but about a Affinity Designer version for this tablet.

And: It seems you completely misunderstood the functionality of Lightroom on an iPad. You are working with smaller file versions there, and your editing/developing actions are transferred to the originals on your computer. This works rather streamlined.

[SMA]

We know for sure that Photo and Designer will be coming to the iPad. I hope both Publisher and DAM for iOS will see the light of day as well!

 

And believe me once Affinity does that, it'll be a eureka moment for Serif ... and a moment of punch-in-the-face reality check for Adobe! Much like when MS announced Surface Studio and shadowed what Apple had to offer the following day. Tsk tsk ...

[mbrakes]

I think tablets are a dead end and would apprexiate the Affinity team not wasting any more time on it. Touch interfaces have (for now) the wow-factor for the masses, but I think most real pro's eyes are just glazing over by now. I "get" that you are supposed to work with lo-res proxy files, but that inevitably leads to a lot of potential syncing issues and preview rendering time I'd rather not deal with (been there). Not to mention how a touch interface slows you down and inevitably leads to ergonomic nightmare when working long hours compared to touch-typing shortcuts on a keyboard, and using a Wacom pen in combination with a dedicated controller like the Countor ShuttlePro v2, that can be programmed with all the macros you need/want in the palm of your hand, with physical keys and wheels that you can feel with your fingers without having to look at them, without taking your eyes away from the screen (ok, someone will correct me here and tell me that you don't have to take your eyes away from the screen when the input device IS the screen, but that leads back to the ergonomical nightmare part again, when you have to wave your hands over a large surface all day your shoulders and neck will start to hurt after a while). As "cool" as the IPad Pro/Surface may seem, there's of course also issues related to colour management and calibration. I get it, real pro's are in the minority, the majority of paying customers are amateurs or semi-pro, but I get kind of sick every time I see "pro" features announced that have everything to do with coolness and wow-factor and very little to do with actual pro usage. Like Apple's MacBook Pro announcement days ago, where they showcased the MBP with two 5K dispalys and two RAIDs and promoting it as a pro workstation. I tried that once before, and the fans on my MBP died. I don't think their cooling technology have improved that much in the couple of years passed. Most seasoned pros rightfully stick to the tested and true KISS principle. Which means hard keys and dials and beefy desktop workstations and calibrated displays.

[billtils]

My hope now is that the soon to released ON1 PHOTO RAW will satisfy my needs.  They're promising November, so not long to wait.

Mike (and fde 101 and Traveling Man and lots of others ...) see post #17 above from vague-logic.  That's the workflow that I use (as does at least one other significant contributor here) and it works very well indeed.  Why not download the free trial and give it a run? The DAM is very flexible; it will work with referenced or managed libraries and can structure your files in a multi-layer folder system and/or by keywords.    I was an early moaner about the lack of a DAM, but the ease of calling AP as external editor from CaptureOne means I have lost interest in that aspect.

 

As an aside, I think that the prioritisation mentioned by Andy in post #19 makes a lot of sense.  If I were to change anything in my personal set-up in the mid-term future it would be to move to a Windows platform as Apple seemingly relentlessly and blindly keep introducing new Macs that have fewer features of interest (no SD card reader, no magsafe power cord, 16GB max RAM on the latest MacBookPro) but a big jump in price.   I'll take a serious look at the W version of AP when it is released.