Can you "edit in Affinity Photo" from LR with the Microsoft Store version? (split)

[vocapmen]

Good evening, I need help. I bought Affinity Photo via Windows Store and wanted to connect it to Lightroom, as here video How do I find the path to the .exe file so I can paste it into LR? Thank you

[Patrick Connor]

vocapmen, 

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums. 

The Microsoft Store installation process always puts the software in a hidden folder. Consequently we have not found a way for other applications (that need to be pointed at the exe) to use "edit in"  functionality, sorry.

The permissions that hide the Microsoft Store folder are there for a reason and it's dangerous to adjust them, so unless Microsoft open up a new API or registration for this sort of thing call I cannot see how it can work.

Sandboxing applications, as the Microsoft Store does, make the operating system much safer from potential attack, but are challenging to programmers. 

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, Patrick Connor said:

The Microsoft Store installation process always puts the software in a hidden folder. Consequently we have not found a way for other applications (that need to be pointed at the exe) to use "edit in"  functionality, sorry.

The permissions that hide the Microsoft Store folder are there for a reason and it's dangerous to adjust them, so unless Microsoft open up a new API or registration for this sort of thing call I cannot see how it can work.

@Patrick Connor, perhaps this little "gotcha" should be mentioned in the several topics about the differences between the Affinity & Microsoft Store versions of the app?

[Patrick Connor]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

@Patrick Connor, perhaps this little "gotcha" should be mentioned in the several topics about the differences between the Affinity & Microsoft Store versions of the app?

Since I learned about the possibility of it on Wednesday and investigated it on Thursday I have not decided where it is best to put this important info. I was hoping to discover a work around rather than accept the findings as a fait accompli. Remember that the whole Microsoft Store experience is very new to us too and not well documented that I have found for things like this. 

[walt.farrell]

"Where to document it" is an interesting question, Patrick. If there's no good workaround then I would suggest that one obvious place is a prominent mention in the description of the app in the Microsoft Store, so users who find it there are (perhaps) less likely to be surprised later.

[Patrick Connor]

5 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

"Where to document it" is an interesting question, Patrick. If there's no good workaround then I would suggest that one obvious place is a prominent mention in the description of the app in the Microsoft Store, so users who find it there are (perhaps) less likely to be surprised later.

Well true, but what other software house uses the marketing blurb to say all the things that you cannot do with the app... What else would go there if that's the case?

We certainly must not list it as a "feature" in the wording that lists what it can do, and should add a footnote on our marketing pages on affinity.serif.com/photo near any feature that won't work for the Microsoft Store buuld. But I can't see us listing what it cannot do on the Microsoft Store itself. 

Any tutorials that we have made that cannot be followed should say so explicitly.

Tutorials made by other people which cannot be followed, I suggest you perhaps post in their comments as it not something that they would be aware of or have any control of or responsibility for. Equally Serif are not responsible for the claims made of the software by those third parties, so that's why this is tricky 

[IanSG]

Finding the app isn't hard - start it running and then use Task Manager to find the location of the executable.  

[Patrick Connor]

Just now, IanSG said:

Finding the app isn't hard - start it running and then use Task Manager to find the location of the executable.  

Thanks, we try this on Monday with the Microsoft Store version 

[IanSG]

46 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

Thanks, we try this on Monday with the Microsoft Store version 

The access permissions will need to be "adjusted", but since I've had a few sherberts this evening I think I'll leave my experimentation 'til tomorrow!

 

<edit1>

 

It may be more than just a case of playing with permissions - it looks like Store apps are sandboxed, so passing parameters may be impossible 

 

<edit2>

 

Crude but effective - find the app, copy the folder contents somewhere else and use the copy!

[IanSG]

On 12/17/2017 at 11:06 PM, IanSG said:

It may be more than just a case of playing with permissions - it looks like Store apps are sandboxed, so passing parameters may be impossible 

 

If you make the MS Store version of AP the Windows default image viewer, you can use it successfully from within apps like digiKam - passing parameters is possible!

[KNe]

Hi, it is possible to get the path of Photo.exe file, which is located under "Program Files/WindowsApps/..." (hidden folder) - on my PC, it is folder: "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPhoto_10604.104.0.0_x64__844sdzfcmm7k0\Program\Photo.exe". There is a step-by-step tutorial, how to grant access to the WindowsApps folder: https://www.maketecheasier.com/access-windowsapps-folder-windows-10/

After the process, you can open WindowsApps in explorer and find the Photo.exe file, which Lightroom needs for "Edit in".

It works well for me.

[Riverboat2001]

This "fix" worked  perfectly for me, I won't be buying anything else from the Microsoft store.