images of same color drawn on one layer

[R C-R]

9 minutes ago, MikeW said:

You cannot have objects without a discrete layer in AI, XDP, InkScape, ED, PL, etc., etc.

So why is this necessary or desirable? Why must everything go into some discrete parent layer? What does that buy me in terms of usefulness or capabilities that I can't already get without that sometimes superfluous layer?

[MikeW]

R C-R,

 

For print design at least, it can be both an organizational strategy as well as a functional one. If you look at my screen shots, I absolutely have to have different layers for screen printing, depending upon the RIP used at the print establishment. Layers make it into the PDF, and for places that use a composite PDF, those layers all contain objects colored in a distinct spot color and layers can be automatically turned on/off for seps. As well, when drawing, I can collapse a layer, hide all objects on a layer, etc., with one click.

 

When someone has thousands of objects, using layers for like-objects makes this quick and painless. Not so much if one isn't using layers for organizational purposes. Some of my drawings literally have thousands of objects. If I didn't use layers, I would be clicking about in a "layers" panel endlessly to hide/unhide objects.

 

It is a common thing to place text on the highest layer to isolate it (where/when appropriate for the design). This can keep text from rasterizing when it shouldn't be rasterized.

 

There's more advantages.

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, MikeW said:

For print design at least, it can be both an organizational strategy as well as a functional one.

Nothing prevents you from using that same organizational strategy in Affinity. It is also quick & easy to create parent/child layer structures in much the same way as in other apps.

 

The difference is one does not have to have a discrete parent layer in Affinity when the document does not need a high level of organization.

 

tl;dr: Choice is good. 

[MikeW]

Choice is good--when it is the user making the choice and there is no facility in the New Document dialog to make that choice. Serif has made that choice for me from the outset. Serif has provided the facility to add a layer after document creation. That's good but it is a different issue. How many questions/threads are here about this issue? More than there ought to be.

 

Serif has decided to not create Layer 1 when a new document has been created. It is simply different and can cause confusion when objects are variously called objects and/or layers and often in the same breath by the same person in a response to someone exhibiting confusion already. That is all I have been arguing, R C-R.

[amyemiko]

Maybe with my attachment showing my silk screen art I am trying to recreate in Affinity will clarify what I am asking you.  The artwork seen on top of the triangular trees are all one color so I thought it should be on one layer.  However in drawing the star (in black) every single shape was shown on a different layer.  I grouped them in order to not have dozens of shapes on different layers.  Still I should be able to draw every thing on one layer unless I do an "Add layer" which I would do for the two colors for the triangular tree shapes later.

 

[MikeW]

Objects are drawn, placed, or moved to whatever layer you have as an active layer irrespective of color. From the look of your screen shot, your first star (layer) contains two groups. Those groups are on that layer (first star (layer)). If ungrouped or expanded, all those individual objects are on that layer no matter the color or object type.

 

This is from a different application I am using, the principle is the same.

 

If I want new text (or whatever object type)to be on the layer named Text, I need to make it the active (it is int he screen shot) and select the type tool and type the text. But if I had the Design Elements layer selected, the text would be on that layer. My layers above also have grouped elements. The colors vary, but the objects are on/in their respective layers.

[amyemiko]

My apologies...I talked to an expert friend and he explained that even in Illustrator the same thing happens that I am seeing in Affinity--just that I have forgotten.  Every shape/object drawn is on ITS OWN LAYER.  Eventually you make groupings to simplify things.  Thank you all for making the effort to help me.