Knife Tool for Automating Slicing Image in Affinity Photo (AP)

[Ronald N. Tan]

I'm a recent user of Affinity Photo and I'd like to submit and place in my vote for an automatic knife or slicing tool. Basically, I'd like an ability for an inverse panoramic stitching. For example, in Photoshop, I can use the Knife Tool for the following working example:

 

2160 x 1350 Pixels

 

Using PS's Knife tool, I can right-click and slice up the image into (2) pieces of equal 1080 x 1350 images. Finally, using PS's "Save for Web," I can automatically export this onto my Desktop and upload to my Instagram to create the seamless panoramic diptych.

 

In Affinity Photo, I have to manually slice and position. Please see the screenshot. With some simple math for perfect alignment and drag/drop. It's doable, but takes some effort and manual work. In an imaginative working scenario, I'd like AP an option to automatically create slices. In the screenshot, example, remember that my image is already sized 2160 x 1350 pixels for seamless panorama on Instagram's album post. I would simply enter 1 row and 2 columns for the automatic slicing to take effect. These slices are perfect and equi-sized 1080 x 1350. When uploading on Instagram's album post—as an example—I'm able to create a perfect, seamless diptych panorama.

 

I do believe that this request for automation is practical tool and usage scenario. This automation is essentially and inverse of the AP's panoramic function. Starting with a image sized at X by Y dimensions and breaking or slicing into equi-sized P rows and Q columns.

 

Another Usage Example: Instagram Giant Squares or Instagram Grid Art

 

• Let's suppose that I want to create an Instagram grid art comprising of 12 tiles at 3 squares horizontal and 4 squares vertical, e.g. [4 3] matrix.
• Each Instagram square will be 1080 x 1080 pixels.
• Therefore, the starting image has to be 3240 x 4320.

 

You can imagine that the current slicing tool in AP will require work (and time). Manually creating 1080 x 1080 slices and using drag/drop for alignment or using the transform with some simple math for perfect alignment of the slices.

 

Thank you for considering my feature request.

Cheers,

 

Ronald N. Tan | Photographer

https://ronaldnztan.com

[dominik]

9 hours ago, Ronald N. Tan said:

Using PS's Knife tool, I can right-click and slice up the image into (2) pieces of equal 1080 x 1350 images.

 

Hello Ronald,

why don't you use slices in the Export persona to prepare and name the sections you want to export?

In the transform panel you can even size a slice to exactly 50% of the width of the canvas by typing in (e.g.) 1200px*50%.

 

You can set up as many slices in any combination you want and batch export with custom settings for name and format. To me this looks like what your are asking for 

 

d.

[Ronald N. Tan]

Hi Dominik,

 

In my screenshot example, I saved that template with the already sliced out into (2) 1080 x 130 PNGs. Uploading these in the native 4:5 aspect ratio in Instagram will allow me to create the seamless diptych panoramas.

 

Unless, I overlooked something, slicing up manually in my example screenshot is easy. What if I need to slice up 20 each at 1156 x 1920 to upload as a presentation for my Instagram Story? In this screenshot example, I wanted to use the Instagram Story to display about my creative reimagining of wet plates. In Photoshop CS6, I managed to create a 5780 x 7680 @ 300 PPI and arranged my presentation. The next part is easy. I used the Knife tool and ordered to be cut into 4 slices down and 5 slices across. Each slice is 1156 x 1920 pixels @ 300 PPI.

 

Next, I use the Save As Web and PS automatically cut all those slices and place them in a folder of my configuration.

 

I repeated this exact process in Affinity Photo.

 

I opened my PSD and figured out AP's way is to manually slice up using simple math, transform panel, and drag/drop. I had my guides on so I know where to roughly use AP's slice tool to make the rough slicing selection. If needed, I entered 1156 x 1920 into the transform panel and used simple math to check the position of the slice relative to the document. I then batch-export these manual slices. It was the EXACT result in the end in AP software. The process in AP was work.

 

—Ron

[dominik]

3 minutes ago, Ronald N. Tan said:

I then batch-export these manual slices. It was the EXACT result in the end in AP software. The process in AP was work.

 

Well, at least it works 

 

Are you aware that you can create slices from layers in the layers panel of the Export persona?

 

I could think of a way to set up multiple vector rectangles with the size of your images to export (on top of the layout). In the Export persona you then can mark all these rectangel layers and click on 'Create Slice' at the bottom of the layer's list. This will create the slices with one single mouse click.

 

To be honest it took me a while to understand the power of the Export persona but now I find it quite versatile 

 

d.

[The Computer Lab]

Hey, really good thanks for the explanation I did a tutorial on slicing or cutting out a image in Affinity Photo, its not automated for batch but ideal for single edits.

Video is here: