How to 'place' a picture from the Affinity gallery?

[Gerard Nijenbrinks]

I want to add a second image into my current image which I'm working on in the Affinity Photo personal. To use it in a separate layer as a sky replacement for instance.

 

I'm able to 'Place' a new image from the 'Command' menu, choosing it from my Apple Photos or from a Cloud.

 

Why isn't it possible to pick a photo from the Affinity gallery? Here are at least the photos I've developed and edited for further use.

 

Thanks for any help, Gerard

[DM1]

Only way at the moment is to open the file you wish to 'place' first ( let’s call this the 'source' file). Then 'copy' this source image using pasteboard under 3dot menu. Once copied, close the file and open the destination image. Go to 3dot menu and pasteboard, select 'pasteboard place source image into destination image. It will create another layer that you can now edit, resize and reposition.

 

[Gerard Nijenbrinks]

Thank for your quick reply DM1,

I kind of had to read that twice, but I now understand that and how it works. However that way it's only possible to use two pictures. Adding yet another picture from the Affinity gallery  to your work will be another challence or not even possible.

Wouldn't it be much easier to add a 'Place from Affinity Gallery' option to the Place command?

Probably this post should be copied to the 'iPad Feature Requests' section of this forum..

Cheers, Gerard

[MEB]

Hi Gerard Nijenbrinks,

Welcome to Affinity Forums

The Welcome Screen is mostly intended to save projects you have currently in development. It keeps all you edits/layers etc intact until you decide to backup the final version, move it to somewhere else (Mac?) or export it in another format for storage (usually JPG) or re-use/send to other softwares (PSD, TIFF's etc). Any assets/images you may want to add to the project you are currently working should come from other locations (cloud services/Apple Photos etc). You can use the Files app to quickly drag and drop them from these locations to your project (or use the Place command).

[Gerard Nijenbrinks]

Thanks MEB, that's a clear approach as well indeed.

I have to see the pictures in the Affinity Gallery, Welcome Screen as you name it, as unfinished pictures. As soon as they're done, you should export them to another storage. Either to Apple Photo's (which I don't like too much) or to a cloud-based storage.

Thanks again, I will re-route my way of thinking

Best, Gerard

 

 

[DM1]

Gerard, you can repeat the copy paste process as often as you wish to add more images. Every time you close the current project using arrow in top left corner, AP will save your work. Just open the new image, copy, close then reopen previous image and paste again. Over and over as often as you like.

i do agree that have Place limited to accessing Camera roll in a bit limiting. Should be extended to include the Files app in iOS. 

[Gerard Nijenbrinks]

True that DM1,
I understand now, however still don't seem to think about the workflow as you explained it. I think I was misled a bit by the tutorial Affinity videos on using multiple images in one document, like this one:

 

 

And this one:

 

 

[DM1]

Those tutorials by James Ritson are very good. James is using the release version which does not have Place from Cloud. I'm using the beta version which has some additional features that improves file access in ios11.

The Place image command is presently limited to Camera roll and Cloud or Files app. If you can see the image browsing Files app, you should be able to place it. I'm not sure now, but I think this feature (access to Files in ios11) is only available in the beta version.

The Place command doesn't appear able to access files saved onto the Affinity Photo launch gallery.  I use the beta version and store most of my images on the iPad in an app called Documents, by Readdle. This way, placing an image is just a matter of selecting Cloud and choosing the relevant folder, via Files,  in Documents. It also allows access to Dropbox and iCloud etc making it a much easier workflow for me. I open my file from Documents (which has access to camera roll), modify it in AP and Save a finished copy back to Documents. If I want to Place that image, I just use the Place from Cloud, browse to Documents folders in the Files app opened by AP and select the previously edited and saved image. Works for me 

The Copy/Paste appears to be the only way I know of that I can actually access for Placing, additional files stored in the AP 'gallery'.

 

[Gerard Nijenbrinks]

Thank you again for your very informative answer DM1,

'Place from cloud' in the current official version of Affinity Photo for iPad, in fact, shows the Apple Files app. So there all cloud services installed on your iPad (i.e. Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, etc.) show up, including locally 'On My iPad'.

And indeed, it's not able to access the Affinity Photo launch gallery. However, as you said, the copy/past is an adequate work-around.

Thanks again!