Affinity Designer - LayerPanel Options: Folders, Colors, Search (INTERFACE)

[nod74]

Hello,

i am just switching from PS to Affinity Designer. I am a UI Designer for FatClient Apps on Windows. My first impression of Affinity Designer is great!

 

What I am really missing is the abbility to set up an own folder structure in the LayerPanel Window! Including the the abbility to set colors for each folder.

At the moment it is really hard to overview the LayerPanel Window. The function "Grouping Layers" does not replace the need of seting up folders! F.e. Grouping a font with pixel aligned graphics will often result in a blurred view.

 

Feature Request:

• Abbility to set up an own folder Structure in the LayerPanel Window
• Set Different Colors to these folders
• Make the Layers searchable by Attribute or Name
• Please Make the selected state color more visible in the Layerpanel, at the moment its a dark "marineblue" which is hard to recognise on the dark ui

 

THX for the cool Applikation so far!

 

Best regards

Nod

[MEB]

Hi nod,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

There's no folders in Designer's Layers panel but you can use layers to structure your document the same way. Click the third icon counting from right on the bottom of the Layers panel to create them. They are labelled as (Layer) after the layer's name in the Layers panel. You can also add specific colours to each one right-clicking on them and selecting Properties.... Object's bounding box/handles contained in each layer will also respect the colour coding (on canvas) you set there.

 

You can change the selected state colour going to OSX Preferences, General section and changing the Highlight colour.

[nod74]

Hello MEB,

thanks for your reply. I just find it difficult that grouped objects have the same appereance as structured layers.

I do not know if it is a bug, but on some layers I can set a color for the specific layer on some not. 

In general I find the layer panel very hard to read! Affinity has got a lot of cool things but in this specific case PS is better. I wish serif will put some more effort into the UI of the Layer panel.
 

You can change the selected state colour going to OSX Preferences, General section and changing the Highlight colour

 

 

Mhh can´t find the selection for the Highlight Color in Preferences, General Settings
 

[MEB]

You can only change the colour of generic vector layers - the ones identified as (Layer) in the Layers panel. You can't do it for other layer types (objects, text, pixel layers etc). Only generic layers are used as "structural" layers.

 

Regarding the Highlight colour see the screenshot below (note this is on OSX Preferences (not in Affinity).

 

[nod74]

You can only change the colour of generic vector layers - the ones identified as (Layer) in the Layers panel. You can't do it for other layer types (objects, text, pixel layers etc). Only generic layers are used as "structural" layers.

 

Can´t see the reason why there is a restriciton for coloring layers. Most of my Layers are Symbols, and Fonts.  :(

 

Regarding the Highlight colour see the screenshot below (note this is on OSX Preferences (not in Affinity).

 

 

I am working on Windows. Nevertheless, changing the Highlight color system wide is in my opinion a no go, sorry.

 

As I mentioned. As the Layer Panel is a central work element it really could receive more attention regarding UI and usability. Would be great if serif could invest some time in here to refine this control.

 

Just my 50 cents ;)

[MEB]

Hi nod74.

As far as i know currently it's not possible to change the highlight colour on Windows.

 

Regarding layers: you can create conventional layers for structural/organisational purposes clicking on the Add Layer button on the bottom of the layers panel. These are the only ones that you can attribute a colour because they are there to help you organise the structure  of your project like in other software. All the other "ones" are different types of "layers" with specific purposes ranging from object layers (curves, shapes, text etc), to adjustment layers, to mask layers etc. None of these are intended for organisational purposes and as such can't be customised regarding their colour. You can learn more about layers and the different layers types in Affinity Designer Help ▸ Layers ▸ About Layers.

 

As you can see from the screenshot below only the conventional layers are colour coded and identified/labelled as (Layer) in the Layers panel. You can nest layers inside other layers to create sublayers if you need additional levels of control over the structure of your project. All the other "items" listed in the Layers panel are the assets that compose the project itself. Affinity lists them all and they range from different types of objects, to adjustments, filters. masks etc as explained above. Those usually go inside the Layers (although you can also have them on the root of the document as in the screenshot below). We know this is a little different form other approaches in other software but as soon as you learn and get used to them things become more clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nod74]

Hi MEB,

thanks for your reply and help. The only reason to color the Layers is to set up an "own" structure and to make the Layer Panel more readable.

As you mentioned, there are so many different kind of "LayerTypes", I just do not get the reason why there should be a problem to give each Layer a color I want. Should be easy or?

 

As I posted this on feature request, again my request :) 

 

Feature Request:

• Abbility to set up an own folder Structure in the LayerPanel Window
• Set Different Colors to these folders and Layers
• Make the Layers searchable by Attribute or Name
• Please Make the selected state color more visible in the Layerpanel, at the moment its a dark "marineblue" which is hard to recognise on the dark ui
   

Find attached a comparison to Affinity and PS. The Layer Panel is just better readable in PS

 

Thanks for your replies so far.

Best regards

nod

 

 

 

[nod74]

....attachment

[der.guen]

i agree 100% with nod74 ...
for better teamwork and for the structure color labels are a really good option.
And i don`t understand the difference between text-, pixel- or "normal"-layers and why the "color"-option couldn`t set to all of the layers ...

Will be e very nice feature for the working process!