Affinity Designer Temp Files?

[pixeldroid]

I like to watch my file sizes while working, and sometimes I do a quick backup using copy/save in the OS.

Watching Designer Files (.afdesign), I see that they do not update each time I save, and the files are only updated after I close them.

Can you tell me where the files are stored while open?

Also, are we sure that if AD crashes that the last save will be copied to the original location?

Thanks.

[R C-R]

At least on my system the file do update on every save, not just when closing them. The file size may not change enough to change the "on disk" file size typically reported by things like the Mac Finder, but that is based on the number of blocks allocated to the file on the disk, which is the smallest increment that can be allocated to individual files in most file systems. For Macs, the actual number of bytes in the file can be seen in the Finder "Get Info" window, followed in parentheses by the "on disk" size.

 

The 'restore' files providing crash recovery protection are not conventional backup files. As I understand it, they just save the changes made since the last save (if there is one) so they can be applied to it if the app crashes before the file can be saved normally. When the app quits normally, they are deleted.

[Ben]

Finder is slow to update its values.  Typically on OSX it only updates after certain file events, such as closing or file truncation.  We keep the file handle open, so it doesn't update after a save even though the contents or size may be different.

 

I've made some changes which will force through file timestamp updates, resulting in reported file sizes being updated also.  This was largely to assist cloud storage picking up on changes but has the effect of updating file information in Finder.  This will be in a later Beta.

[pixeldroid]

I'm on Windows 10.

Should've mentioned this in the original post...

[Ben]

It'll be similar on Windows, though the exact behaviour of when the file information updates will be slightly different.  Again, I've added methods for forcing updates to the file information.

 

All operating systems will refresh the cached file information depending on certain prompts.  On all it will be on file close - but some update on flushes, truncation, or refopens.

They should all respond to explicit updates to the modified timestamp.

[R C-R]

I've made some changes which will force through file timestamp updates, resulting in reported file sizes being updated also.  This was largely to assist cloud storage picking up on changes but has the effect of updating file information in Finder.  This will be in a later Beta.

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean about where the changes have been made, but for the retail versions of both apps on my Mac running 10.12.5 (& I think when it was running El Captain too) the "Date Modified" time stamps are updated immediately in open Finder windows whenever I save my work, not just when closing it.

 

Might this have something to do with how many other processes are running or something else that otherwise would delay the update?

[pixeldroid]

This is what I'm experiencing.

[pixeldroid]

Oops.  Forgot to update the screen grab of the file details... :wacko:

[Ben]

Like I said - the modified timestamp needs to be manually updated after each save since we don't close the file handle until the document closes.  This is ready and will be released in a future Beta.

[R C-R]

Like I said - the modified timestamp needs to be manually updated after each save since we don't close the file handle until the document closes.  This is ready and will be released in a future Beta.

OK, but using the current retail version, I see the "Date Modified" timestamp update in a Finder window positioned next to the AD workspace update almost immediately (usually within 1-2 seconds) when I save the document, not just when closing it. I am not clicking into the Finder window, closing the file, or doing anything else I can think of that would qualify as forcing a manual update.

 

The Finder window is typically opened using AD's File > Reveal in Finder when I first open the AD file & set to list view. I immediately click back into AD to give it focus, do an edit or two, save without closing, & while the Finder window is still in the background its "Date Modified" timestamp updates to "Today" & the time of the save. I do this fairly often to monitor the file size as I make changes to AD documents & save them.

 

It sounds like you are saying this should not happen, that the Finder window should update only when I close the file. Have I misunderstood you or is there something else that would explain this?

[pixeldroid]

I haven't been keeping track, but this problem probably didn't exist in the previous version.  I upgraded this week and noticed it.

It is part of my workflow to watch file sizes, so I think I would have noticed it before.

[Ben]

R-C-R - the timestamp will still updates under certain saving conditions.  The method we used when streamlining meant we momentarily closed the file handle.   There have been a number of changes, so I can't remember exactly which versions did what now.

 

I do know that in the next Beta we will never close the file handle until you close the document - and we force through timestamp updates at known times in the saving process.  I've had to balance the behaviour across Mac and Windows which respond in different ways when flushing and truncating files sizes, and to avoid aggressive changes that will cause cloud storage services to update more often than they need to.

[R C-R]

R-C-R - the timestamp will still updates under certain saving conditions.  The method we used when streamlining meant we momentarily closed the file handle.   There have been a number of changes, so I can't remember exactly which versions did what now.

Thanks for the info.

[pixeldroid]

I appreciate the insight from the dev's perspective.  I'm just sharing geeky end user perspective.  Not updating the timestamp throws a bit of sand in the gears - but they'll keep turning.  I will close the files more often...

[pixeldroid]

Oops, my bad on this.  I didn't have "Modified" visible in the Save As dialogue box in Windows.  Sorry for any inconvenience (though I'd still like to have the AD files updated when saved).

 

I noticed that when I use the export function, AD doesn't load the most recent timestamps into the Save As dialog box.  So for example if I export to myFile.png and then adjust the file and re-export, when I view by date, the datestamp on my previous export is not updated, thus it does not appear at the top of the list, thus I cannot simply click on it to grab the name.  This is significantly inconvenient as I often iterate the tweak/overwrite process while creating graphics.  I can confirm that the files are updated in File Explorer.  As with the updated time stamp in my op, I've not encountered this with other software and would request that it be changed.

Thanks.