Arrowheads please. . .

[Mau]

This has been YEARS, and that for what I would consider a core feature of a drawing program. Does Affinity actually listen to feature requests or is this just for show?

 

Dear Affinity,

 

A whole lot of people, including myself,  who have purchased your product, would really like to see arrow heads. Better yet, if you allow for "flow" arrows, that is lines with arrow heads at regular intervals, then you would also please the scientific community. Given that you already implemented end-caps, it should not be too hard to create arrow heads, and arrow tails. 

 

Could you please pay some attention to this?

 

Thanks!

 

- Mau

[Hokusai]

Mau,

 

You mention that this has been "YEARS" but Affinity Designer was only released in November 2014, so barely over 2 years. In perspective, it isn't all that long. I'm sure that the Affinity team has something in the works and when it is ready, they will add it. Until then, we will just have to wait. And yes, the Affinity does listen. They are head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to listening to users' requests. If you think otherwise, then you haven't been using a computer for very long. 

 

Hokusai

[Martin Majewski]

February 2017 and still no easy way to define arrowheads on the ends of a path, which are oriented according to the path's endpoint tangent line. :-(

[PeanutsA]

Mau,

 

You mention that this has been "YEARS" but Affinity Designer was only released in November 2014, so barely over 2 years. In perspective, it isn't all that long. I'm sure that the Affinity team has something in the works and when it is ready, they will add it. Until then, we will just have to wait. And yes, the Affinity does listen. They are head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to listening to users' requests. If you think otherwise, then you haven't been using a computer for very long. 

 

Hokusai

 

1.5.2 and still no arrow heads.

[Hokusai]

PeanutsA,

 

The latest beta (Mac beta) is version 1.5.5 and arrowheads isn't in it. I would imagine that the next possible chance of it arriving would be 1.6 which they said would be released sometime in the spring (around Easter possibly). And that is only a chance as the developers haven't (to my knowledge) said anything concrete about when it would be added only that it will be added sometime in the future. I highly doubt that they would add something like arrowheads to a small release like 1.5.2. Normally when they move from, for example, 1.5 to 1.6 they would add more features. The small steps normally improve stability, performance and bug fixes.

 

Hokusai

[Alfred]

PeanutsA,

 

The latest beta (Mac beta) is version 1.5.5 and arrowheads isn't in it. I would imagine that the next possible chance of it arriving would be 1.6 which they said would be released sometime in the spring (around Easter possibly). And that is only a chance as the developers haven't (to my knowledge) said anything concrete about when it would be added only that it will be added sometime in the future. I highly doubt that they would add something like arrowheads to a small release like 1.5.2. Normally when they move from, for example, 1.5 to 1.6 they would add more features. The small steps normally improve stability, performance and bug fixes.

 

Hokusai

 

I agree that we're unlikely to see arrowheads in version 1.5.x. It's nice to think that they might be an unannounced new feature in version 1.6, but I'm not holding my breath!

[PeanutsA]

I'm not holding my breath!

I tried doing that, after my initial gasp of surprise when I found out that arrowheads and other line ends were not in Affinity Designer from 'day one', then I went dizzy trying to understand why.

Considering that such a supposedly, but admittedly different, 'inferior' program (OK app) DrawPlus X has 41 line endings as standard I would have thought that Affinity Designer could/would included at least arrow heads as a basic feature, not something to be (possibly) made available in the future - and if I understand correctly in version that will have to be paid for.

I do hope, hopefully not in vain, that along with arrowheads they are going to include dimensioning/scaling, such as DrawPlus has, along with the arrowheads.

Question - Did the Affinity team even look at Serif's own DrawPlus, or any other design/drawing programs?

[Alfred]

Question - Did the Affinity team even look at Serif's own DrawPlus, or any other design/drawing programs?

 

I don't think they needed to do that! Matt Priestley, who's in charge of the Affinity Designer team, was the project manager for DrawPlus for several years before being 'poached' by Affinity to work on the new app.

[PeanutsA]

I don't think they needed to do that! Matt Priestley, who's in charge of the Affinity Designer team, was the project manager for DrawPlus for several years before being 'poached' by Affinity to work on the new app.

A very sincere thanks to Matt Priestley for all his previous good work with DrawPlus, a much loved and still loved program by its users.

But without meaning to be rude to him - in that case how could he let a basic (to me and many others) feature such as arrow head be 'missed'.

 

Oh, and I've discovered after much wading searching that version 1.6 won't be a 'paid for', my mistake :(

[Hokusai]

PeanutsA,

 

I think an important thing to remember is, Affinity Designer isn't merely a rewrite of DrawPlus, it is a completely new program so all the things that were in DrawPlus wouldn't necessarily be in Designer yet. Many DrawPlus users assume that Designer is just the next version of DrawPlus but with a different name but it isn't (according to the developers). 
 

Hokusai

[PeanutsA]

PeanutsA,

 

I think an important thing to remember is, Affinity Designer isn't merely a rewrite of DrawPlus, it is a completely new program so all the things that were in DrawPlus wouldn't necessarily be in Designer yet. Many DrawPlus users assume that Designer is just the next version of DrawPlus but with a different name but it isn't (according to the developers). 

 

Hokusai

I am aware that Affinity Designer is not a 're-write' of DrawPlus - as indicated by my words "Considering that such a supposedly, but admittedly different, 'inferior' program (OK app) DrawPlus X"- nor did I expect, or hope, that Affinity Designer would be the 'next version' of DrawPlus.

I will admit that I had hoped that (eventually) DrawPlus would continue to be developed into a full CAD program.

In fact as a Serif devotee since they first started with freebies on magazines I am very pleased that as a result of their brilliant work on the Affinity programs the developers have opened up whole new markets to Serif. I am also overjoyed for Serif that with the Affinity programs that they have shown those who previously 'looked down their noses' at their products what a great BRITISH company they are, more than capable of taking on the previously long revered 'giants of the industry'.

BUT drawing program or design program there are basics, such as arrow heads obviously needed by the users of both kinds of program, and as the chief of the Affinity development team also worked as a projects manager on DrawPlus then those basics (which have been a part of DrawPlus for as long as I can remember) must have been known about. Or are we supposed to segregated into 'Designers' and 'craftsmen', where the designers live in their own stratified, arty ***** world, far removed from such mundane things as arrow heads, dimension lines/scaling, etc..

[safran64]

On 29/01/2017 at 10:37 PM, Hokusai said:

Mau,

 

You mention that this has been "YEARS" but Affinity Designer was only released in November 2014, so barely over 2 years. In perspective, it isn't all that long....

 

1) "over 2 years" contains exactly that word: "YEARS". 2) It isn't all that long?? In software development that's ages!

 

For all who still expect the arrowhead feature to come soon, just a little reminder: actually, it has been on the road map from the very beginning in Aug 2014

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/842-affinity-designer-feature-roadmap/&p=2972

and it still hasn't been implemented.

 

Last month, the company I'm working at, decided with heavy heart to go with Adobe Illustrator for another 2 years, instead of switching to an alternative like Affinity (like it was planned). In the case of Affinity we just came to the conclusion that it seems to be made more for artists (mangas, illustrations, etc.; see screenshots on homepage) than for designers/publishers who also need to create charts, presentations, etc. - for which that boring stuff (like arrowheads) is essential.

[Alfred]

On 11/03/2017 at 10:53 PM, safran64 said:

1) "over 2 years" contains exactly that word: "YEARS". 2) It isn't all that long?? In software development that's ages!

 

For all who still expect the arrowhead feature to come soon, just a little reminder: actually, it has been on the road map from the very beginning in Aug 2014

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/842-affinity-designer-feature-roadmap/&p=2972

and it still hasn't been implemented.

 

If it's on the roadmap, then it will be coming in a free 1.x update. I'd much rather see the developers concentrate in the immediate future on adding features for which there are no workarounds.

[ygoe]

I must have forgotten it, what was the general workaround for arrowheads again? Brush styles don't work. Triangles only work in some situations and only for filled-style heads.

[Hebz]

I use the double-headed arrow from the Shapes button. Then I reduce the span on one of the heads until it disappears. It's a bit fiddly but I can then resize what's left, orientate and colour it. Voila!

[Guest]

I must have forgotten it, what was the general workaround for arrowheads again? Brush styles don't work. Triangles only work in some situations and only for filled-style heads.

You can draw a thick stroke and then vectorize the outline. You can then draw the head by adding a knot just in the middle of the end and pulling it outward. You then add a knot on each side where the tip begins and you spread them to form the thickness of the head that you can then adjust in length and thickness.

 

You can also create a tail for the arrow.

 

Created in this way, you can put a different color to fill and outline or have an arrow without filling. You can also apply an effect.

 

It is a bit constraining but once created, you can place the arrow in the "Assets" for later use.

 

Meanwhile of course a dedicated function in AD.

[steves]

If it's on the roadmap, then it will be coming in a free 1.x update. I'd much rather see the developers concentrate in the immediate future on adding features for which there are no workarounds.

Lets be honest with each other here and stop with all this "fake news". There is currently no viable workaround for arrowheads in Designer. The so called "workarounds" mentioned are not in anyway useful or acceptable. Moreover, anyone who thinks these so called workarounds are useful has either no use for arrowheads, does not use arrowheads or is being dishonest to try and prioritize their own feature requests. It's about time Serif addressed this long standing feature request.

[Mr. K]

Lets be honest with each other here and stop with all this "fake news". There is currently no viable workaround for arrowheads in Designer. The so called "workarounds" mentioned are not in anyway useful or acceptable. Moreover, anyone who thinks these so called workarounds are useful has either no use for arrowheads, does not use arrowheads or is being dishonest to try and prioritize their own feature requests. It's about time Serif addressed this long standing feature request.

I agree. The "workarounds" are huge time consumers.

[Hokusai]

Lets be honest with each other here and stop with all this "fake news". There is currently no viable workaround for arrowheads in Designer. The so called "workarounds" mentioned are not in anyway useful or acceptable. Moreover, anyone who thinks these so called workarounds are useful has either no use for arrowheads, does not use arrowheads or is being dishonest to try and prioritize their own feature requests. It's about time Serif addressed this long standing feature request.

Steves,

 

Just a suggestion, you might want to consider using some phrases like "I think" or "In my opinion...", "I believe", "for me..". To me, your post reads like it was written by a megalomaniac. Maybe that wasn't your intent but that is how it reads to me.

 

There are workarounds for arrowheads. Are they ideal? No, they aren't. Do they work? In some situations, yes they do. Do they work in every situation? No, they don't work in all situations but they do exist. I'm sure that the developers are fully aware that they need to add arrowheads. It has been brought up many times since the very first beta. Yes, it has been a long time but they have their reasons for not adding them and since neither you nor I work on the development team, we can only guess about the reasons that arrowheads haven't been added yet but complaining about it sure doesn't help. We can rest assured that the development will add them when they are ready, as they've said as much. 

[ygoe]

I imagine part of this sometimes heated discussion comes from not knowing anything official, other than "it will come sometime, probably". Maybe the team could say a word or two to give us some hope.

[PeanutsA]

@ Hokusai

There is nothing megalomanic in posting the truth, the fact that there is no viable work-around for 'true' arrowheads, in a form usable as obviously many want and even need to use them. There is no need for "In my opinion", "I think", or "To me" when stating what many others have, in your own words,  already stated since the beta version of Affinity Designer.

It could be argued that in life there is a 'work-around' for almost everything but that is not a valid reason for them to have to exist, or be used, in anything where they should be expected to exist as a basic, even essential, component.

If anyone, including the very silent development team, can think of, or even give an anywhere near possible reason why they did not exist from the start, or why they have not been added already then I will from that point on stop reading this thread and continue to (impatiently) await their introduction.

As a Serif 'devote' I do not mean to 'belittle' in any way the Affinity development team, who have done fantastic work, but it is not good practise to leave your customers, many of them new to using Serif products and whose business you have been 'fighting for', trying to "guess about their reasons for the omission" of something that to many is obviously an essential part of the program (app).

My only "guess" is that Designer's original concept was as an 'Artistic' program (app) with no thought for those of use who have a more 'practical' use for it........ and who, with (some) respect, may not have the time to keep finding and using work-arounds.

Nor is it good business practice to tell your customers when they are continuously and vociferously asking for something "you will get it when we are (good and) ready", without giving a valid reason for the delay, or a realist time for when the omission will be rectified.

If in my 40 years in sales and marketing I had told a new customers when they asked why an essential component had been missed to "find a work-around for yourself", our "you will get it sometime in the unspecified future" then that customer would not, in a highly competitive market, have been a customer for very long.

That is my opinion.

[Alfred]

There is no need for "In my opinion", "I think", or "To me" when stating what many others have, in your own words,  already stated since the beta version of Affinity Designer.

 

We're all voicing opinions here, so I agree that there is no particular need for phrases such as "In my opinion", but there was also no need for 'steves' to respond to my statement "If it's on the roadmap, then it will be coming in a free 1.x update" by calling it "fake news". It isn't "fake" if it has been promised, and it's hardly "news" when we've been waiting so long! :lol:

[PeanutsA]

@ Alfred,

 

I fully agree that whatever we have been told, little as it is, isn't 'fake news' but do we now have to change the old adage to read "some news is good news".

Or should we keep 'doing a Sturgeon' and keep 'banging on' until we get what we want, which isn't necessarily what everybody wants :rolleyes:

[Alfred]

Or should we keep 'doing a Sturgeon' and keep 'banging on' until we get what we want, which isn't necessarily what everybody wants :rolleyes:

 

LOL. :D

[Hokusai]

@ Hokusai

  the fact that there is no viable work-around for 'true' arrowheads. 

PeanutsA,

 

Sure arrowheads on lines hasn't been added to Designer but you can use the arrowhead shape combined with a line or rectangular box in some situations. Is it ideal? No, but there are countless examples of things that people have done because features or functionality wasn't added yet and this isn't going to change. There is always going to be "something missing" for someone. I'm not disagreeing with you guys, I think that Designer needs arrowheads on lines but I think that being positive about it and trying to do what you can until they add them is way more productive than being negative. Some posts I've read are very negative and demanding, and others complain like it is their God given right to "have arrowheads" :lol: .