AP&AD(Mac) settings after Beta-update

[catlover]

Just downloaded the AP update, plan to use it in favour of the MAS version as recommended, but now I have to

re-configure the whole darn lot....

Is there any way to transfer the preference settings and UI settings to the new update ?

If so, Path, please ! 

[R C-R]

I know of no officially approved way to do this, other than exporting/importing brush, style, macros, etc. categories one at a time & saving/loading your custom keyboard shortcuts. Experimentally (& with no guarantees that it won't cause major problems!), you could try selectively copying the various .pref, .plist, .dat, & .propcol files from their locations in the MAS version to the same locations in the Beta versions.

 

For Macs, the path to (most of?) them is ~/Library/Containers/, where the tilde is the shortcut to the path to your user account home folder. Look for items starting with com.seriflabs.{name of app} (like "com.seriflabs.affinityphoto" & "com.seriflabs.affinityphoto.beta). I suggest backing up any of these files you replace, for example by renaming the originals in place with a ".bak" suffix. If you replace any folders, you could zip them in place. Some of the files are just aliases, required for sandboxing, & (I think) created during installation. I don't think there is any reason for replacing them or any cache files you find. For others, you will just have to use your own judgement.

 

Personally, I would not try this, mostly because it will be difficult to determine if any issues you find in the beta are caused by the file replacements.

[catlover]

Thanks, RCR,

That sounds like a whole lot of woe to me.

I think I won't bother, I could very well end up with apps that don't work atall... That would mean a reinstall which would take me back to square 1 anyway.

 

I'm going to put in a feature request (not sure if that part of the forum is the right one for that, but I'll try anyway.

Any supporters welcome , please "+" the request .

 

Why ?

There have been 2 or 3 updates so far (AFP as well as AFD) that were recommended to be used in favour of the current MAS version.

I hate to have to re-configure the entire lot each time this happens.

Surely it sould be feasible for those clever dev boys & girls to come up with a few lines of code to pick out ONLY the files needed to transfer the configuration of UI & preferences ?

Put them in a separate file together with the update, have the user choose to select or not & Bob's your uncle ( mind you : Bob isn't really my uncle, I don't have an uncle Bob.In fact I don't have any uncles atall )

Have a wonderful christmas !

C.L.

[R C-R]

30 minutes ago, catlover said:

Surely it sould be feasible for those clever dev boys & girls to come up with a few lines of code to pick out ONLY the files needed to transfer the configuration of UI & preferences ?

Put them in a separate file together with the update, have the user choose to select or not ...

How could they possibly include the files containing your specific preferences, styles, macros, etc. in the update? 

[catlover]

Mmmm, I see your point.

What I thought, ( in all my innocence ) was:  these settings are contained in a number of files.

The files have a name which is the same for everyone, system-wide, not unique to any person, just the data therein IS.

Have those particular files copied ( user choice yes/no separate button )  .... and there's uncle Bob again.

Anyway, I guess this tells you how much I know  

I was just musing....

[MEB]

Hi catlover,

Copying files from one installation to the other is NOT recommended (or supported) at all. The Beta and Retail versions are purposely kept separate to ensure their settings/files don't create conflicts/issues with each other. This also facilitates keeping track of issues introduced by new features/changes in the Betas. Messing with the application's files from both installations may create additional issues/complications that are not directly related with bugs/issues with each independent installation/application. 

The Betas are intended just for testing purposes. Although near the end of a Beta testing phase (Release Candidates) and after it's release (minor updates released as Betas) the code is mostly stabilised it's still not advised or supported to mess with the installation files. We don't provide a way to do it because these files may change/be expanded as the app is developed.

[v_kyr]

Keeping and reusing User settings makes only sense for full release versions here, since Beta software often also contains unsolid, not fully approved or optimized (debug) code and settings. - Think about Beta software to be more like a test bed for certain functionality, which will be additionally approved/tested by a wider user audience, so still possible bugs (code behaviour, UI etc.) can be overall better detected.

[catlover]

To all :

OK guys, I get the point - sorry I spoke !!!

C.L.

[R C-R]

23 minutes ago, catlover said:

What I thought, ( in all my innocence ) was:  these settings are contained in a number of files.

The files have a name which is the same for everyone, system-wide, not unique to any person, just the data therein IS.

There are a number of files & their names are the same but they are per user rather than system-wide (so each user account can have its own settings). For the same reason they are unique to each user.

 

There is a set of default files included in the app's resources that are applied during the setup for new user accounts & for resets, but they are copied to the user account & then modified as needed as the app is used & customized by the account owner.