Pixel background layer

[wesking]

How can I restore a pixel background layer to a jpeg photo. Affinity worked great for a while and then I did something to screw it up. I have spent countless hours trying to restore it to no avail

[Callum]

Hi Wesking,

 

I'm not too sure what you mean by restoring a pixel background layer to a jpeg. Would it be possible for you to provide a little more information or a screenshot of your issue?

 

Thanks

C

[MEB]

Hi wesking,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Have you tried to Undo or go back in the History panel after things went wrong? That helps getting back to a previous state. If you have Save History With Document (menu File) enabled you can still have access to the History steps. Just open the file, go to the History panel and check if there's something listed in the panel.

For cases like this, you can also use Snapshots to save the current state of the work before trying a risky step(s), so you can quickly return back to that point if things go wrong.

[wesking]

I am not able to perform what is prescribed by the Moderator below because the (Pixel) suffix is not there. Also the line of titles - Adjustment   Layers   Effects   Style   and    Stock    are not showing. There are no Layers unless I click on History. The clone and other tools do not respond.

 

Hi bwerne33,

 

Welcome to Affinity Forums  :)

Assuming you have the correct layer selected, check if it's a Pixel layer type (look at the label in parenthesis after the layer's name in the Layers panel). If it's identified as an Image* layer, right-click on the layer and select Rasterise... to convert it to a Pixel layer. Then you should be able to select and clone as you intended.

 

I assume my problem lies in not having a complete Laters Panel. Note screenshot.  Thank you.

[Butler To Cats]

Hi wesking

 

Sorry, your screenshot has not attached. Can you link to an image somewhere?

 

Does it only happen with a particular file?

 

If you opened a .jpeg file and accidentally deleted the background Pixel layer (which would show as an empty Layers panel), then saved it (still as the same .jpeg file, using File Save or Ctrl/Cmmd+S) and closed it, that is similar to opening a Word file, deleting all the text, and saving and closing (I almost managed that once with the help of a cat walking on the keyboard).

I just tried it, you cannot recover the deleted Pixel layer after this process (especially once you have closed the .jpeg file).

 

Do you still have an unedited copy of the original jpeg file?

 

If you still have the edited file open, you might be able to recover the Pixel layer as MEB suggested, by using enough Undo (Ctrl+Z on Windows, Cmmd+Z on a Mac) or the History feature (an advanced undo manager, using a slider instead of constantly hammering Ctrl/Cmmd+Z and/or Ctrl/Cmmd+Y), possibly sliding right back to the start of the slider.

If you enable the saved history feature (File menu, Save History With Document) then saved as an .afdesign or .afphoto format (rather than just re-saving the file as .jpeg), you can still Undo even after closing and re-opening the .af(something) file.

 

It is possible to close or move (including off-screen) some of those panels - View menu, Studio, Reset Studio will put them all back in their standard positions.

[wesking]

Hi wesking

 

Sorry, your screenshot has not attached. Can you link to an image somewhere?

 

Does it only happen with a particular file?

 

If you opened a .jpeg file and accidentally deleted the background Pixel layer (which would show as an empty Layers panel), then saved it (still as the same .jpeg file, using File Save or Ctrl/Cmmd+S) and closed it, that is similar to opening a Word file, deleting all the text, and saving and closing (I almost managed that once with the help of a cat walking on the keyboard).

I just tried it, you cannot recover the deleted Pixel layer after this process (especially once you have closed the .jpeg file).

 

Do you still have an unedited copy of the original jpeg file?

 

If you still have the edited file open, you might be able to recover the Pixel layer as MEB suggested, by using enough Undo (Ctrl+Z on Windows, Cmmd+Z on a Mac) or the History feature (an advanced undo manager, using a slider instead of constantly hammering Ctrl/Cmmd+Z and/or Ctrl/Cmmd+Y), possibly sliding right back to the start of the slider.

If you enable the saved history feature (File menu, Save History With Document) then saved as an .afdesign or .afphoto format (rather than just re-saving the file as .jpeg), you can still Undo even after closing and re-opening the .af(something) file.

 

It is possible to close or move (including off-screen) some of those panels - View menu, Studio, Reset Studio will put them all back in their standard positions.

Thank you so much. Your last sentence solved my problem.