Ambiguous tool shortcut keys

[Gear maker]

Over the years I have developed the habit of hitting the tool shortcut key before starting an operation.  Just so I don't have to undo what I didn't want done in the first place.  But in AD I first have to check to see which tool is active because if the selected tool is active it then changes to the tool used previously.  Why would anyone want this?

 

Do some users actually think about what tool was used previously and then make the conscious decision that they can get to the pen tool by hitting an A?  9 times out of 10 I couldn't tell you what tool I used previously.

 

If I want to switch back from the node tool to the pen tool I can hit a P instead of an A.  Is a P harder to hit than an A?  Would anyone really want to use the A instead of a P?  Is it really a shortcut key if you have to always check to see which tool is active before hitting it?  I might as well just use the tool panel to select tools.

 

Can we at least have a preference to do away with this?  So the only tool we can get with an A is the node tool?  Isn't that really what a shortcut key is for?

 

Can you tell I find this very annoying? :wacko:

[StarkRaven]

I completely agree with the above statement. Having all keyboard shortcuts toggle between the previously use tool and that shortcuts tool doesn't make workflow any easier. At least for me. Perhaps the option to turn that function on an off would be useful to people.

Additionally, having to press ⌘ D twice in order to deselect something is a bit of a pain. It slows down workflow. Although I can see how in some cases having a two step deselect can be useful. Perhaps alternatively you could press ⌘ D for a two step deselect and SHIFT ⌘ D to deselect everything. 

Idealistically giving the user the ability to define their own keyboard shortcuts would be extremely helpful. 

[MEB]

Hello StarkRaven,

Welcome to Affinity Forums.

 

We already changed keyboard shortcuts a couple times.  But making things easier for Adobe users, keeping Mac conventions, and implementing our own vision/features isn't a balance easy to achieve.

Customizable keyboard shortcuts are already on our roadmap.

[Gear maker]

I see in the new beta 1.0.21844 pressing the V more that once still toggles the move tool with the previous tool, but the A does not toggle the node tool.  Well sometimes it doesn't sometimes it does.  After creating a text entry it is back to toggling using an A.  Before a text entry the A wasn't toggling.  Is that the way it's meant to be?  Oops now it's not toggling again.

[MEB]

Hi Gear Maker,

This is a bug and it's already logged. The Node shortcut toggle doesn't work when you have a smart shape selected (rectangle, ellipse, star etc). It does work for regular shapes (created with the Pen or Pencil tools). That's why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the object you have selected at the moment.

Thanks for raising this issue.

[ymblender]

I agree with Gear Maker. In the Photoshop & illustrator, I double pick keyboard V, just selected V. But in the Sketch and AD(Affinity Designer), I don't know selected P, or A, or G. If must this. In Preferences give us a switch button, please.

Thank you!