Affinity Photo Beta for iPad (1.6.7 - Release Candidate 1)

[Andy Somerfield]

Status: Release Candidate.

Purpose: Fixes.
Requirements: TestFlight Acceptance.
App Store: Not Submitted

 

Hi Guys,

The first release candidate build of 1.6.7 has been deployed on TestFlight. The changes are detailed below.

You can download the App Store version at any time to stop using the beta - and download the TestFlight build at any time to go back to the beta.

 

Thanks,

 

Affinity Photo Team  

 

Changes this version.

 

- Fix for numerous input issues when “Allow canvas rotation in all tools” is enabled.

- Further tweaks to the tool tip (?) button.

- Fixed issues encountered when trying to use the numeric keypad from a colour flyout.

- Improved healing brush performance.

- Improved Tone Mapping stability.

- Help improvements.

 

Changes since last App Store release.

 

- Further pencil input tweaks.

- Added the “Median Brush” tool.

- All colour flyouts now have a built in colour picker.

- Fixed inability to export liquify meshes.

- The “New from Camera” view now rotates correctly when device orientation changes.

- RAW camera support is disabled for iPads which cannot shoot RAW.

- Fixed crash when removing curve adjustment curve nodes.

- Increased the maximum undo stack size.

- Improved various aspects of “associated tool” brush features.

- Assorted other small tweaks.

 

- Fixed multiple touch / pencil issues.

- OpenType improvements.

- Fixed inability to save / load certain things from the Affinity Photo folder.

- Fix for ? (Tooltip) button not working properly.

- Fixed associated-tool issues with brush presets.

- Added “Undo” to the two-finger-tap context menu.

- Fixed perspective tool bugs.

- Fixed failure to load files developed from RAW after closing.

- Small performance improvements.

- Create the Affinity Photo folder on iPad storage if it does not already exist.

- Assorted small tweaks and improvements.

 

- Develop shadows / highlights improvements.
- Develop clarity improvements.
- Correctly discard cancelled RAW develops / panoramas etc.
- Improved input smoothing for all tools.
- Improved behaviour when trying to move small layers (ie. avoid inadvertent resizes).
- Improved filesystem integration (again).
- Improved text tool UI.
- Moved spelling suggestions to context menu.
- Removed superfluous OK / Cancel buttons from develop crop tool.
- Creating stacks from RAW files now works more correctly.
- Improved Perlin Noise filter.
- Transparent TGA import support.
- Numerous touch / pencil interaction improvements.
- Fixed colour picker appearing too easily in paint brush tool.
- Fixed long press being too short in some tools.
- Fixed HEIF import from Photos app.
- Fixed issue where stray colour picker loupe could remain after switching tools.
- Fixed incorrect DPI limit in resize tool.
- Numerous other small fixes.
- PSD, PDF import / export tweaks.
- Help improvements.

 

- Now fully supports open-in-place - including saving back directly to the original location.
- New “Import from Camera” - supporting RAW and automatic HDR bracketed merge. Has fancy histograms and scopes.
- New ability to install custom fonts in preferences (these will be shared with Designer iPad once it is released).
- New “Average Blur” filter.
- Added ability to export brushes.
- Added ability to both import and export styles.
- Added option in preferences to cache screen updates - you will see much less pixelation when painting etc. - but it uses more memory.
- Adjustments panel now has an option to show a simple list (by popular request).
- Overhaul of pencil / touch input mechanism - this enabled much needed functionality such as long pressing with Apple Pencil to pick colours in brush tools, etc.
- Fixed marching ants disappearing when canvas is rotated.
- Apple Pencil can now dismiss flyouts without passing a tap through.
- Fixed transform studio aspect ratio lock.
- Improved long-press behaviour in Liquify tool.
- Made the “Protect Alpha” mode of the paint brush tool more obvious.
- Further develop Clarity improvements - including negative clarity.
- Further develop shadows / highlights improvements.
- Improved software keyboard toolbar.
- Ask a better question when leaving a feature persona without committing changes.
- Further performance improvements in develop persona.
- Preferences option to choose default storage location.
- Improved support for the dropping of files into an open document.
- Bitmap fills are now available on vector objects.
- Numerous other small fixes and improvements.

 

- Brand new shadows / highlights algorithm in Develop.
- Brand new clarity algorithm in Develop.
- Can now open / edit files in place - directly from the Files app.
- New “Solo” layer option in layer properties panel.
- New preferences option to show touches - good for screen recording.
- Improved iOS11 drag & drop support.
- Can now rotate image in Develop.
- Pasting now keeps things in the right place.
- Maximum / minimum filters now obey the current channels properly.
- Brush scatter works properly when controller is “random”.
- Improved angle / tilt support for Apple Pencil.
- Handle vertical panoramas better.
- Fixed some HDR merge crashes.
- Fixed multiply blend mode in 32bit documents.
- Improved crop tool behaviour when using ratios.
- Improved retouching tools in 32bit mode.
- Fixed issues with “Direction” brush controller.
- Improvements to selection refinement.
- Improved TIFF support.
- PSD export improvements.
- Channels page improvements / fixes.
- “Save a copy” stability improvements.
- Ability to clear history (hopefully will help some people who encounter crashes when trying to return to the home screen).
- New “Constrain” modifier button for Depth of Field tool.
- Snapping candidates can now be selected by hovering over them whilst in a drag.
- All other relevant fixes from 1.6.6 desktop version.
- Help improvements.
- Localisation improvements.

[pixelcoder]

Thanks again for the super quick work atm. Seems like the release is near  

 

I did a little photo shot today in the forests, so a good opportunity to test it intensely, I am now confident enough in the RAW Developer that I dont need Light-room, for me a big step in the right direction. Even tough my extreme underexposing shooting style is only a niche problem I guess.

 

cheers,

Lutz 

[GregParris]

I'm encountering all kinds of issues related to exporting files.

 

Basically after the file has 'Generated for export' and I hit 'Ok', it gets stuck at a white screen. This has happened with TFF, and JPEG exports.

 

It seems somewhat random too. Sometimes it goes to the expected 'Choose where to export screen', and sometimes it just freezes on a blank white screen (requiring a hard close and restart). The good news is that the files retain all changes, so I just try again, but it is frustrating.

 

This is cross-posted in the last Beta, as I wasn't sure where to put it (I first encountered the behaviour there, but then noticed and installed the release candidate, but the behaviour is still present).

 

At the moment, I'm on attempt #4 to export a JPEG from a 16bit RGB TIFF.

[MEB]

Hi GregParris,

Do you have other programs running on the background on the iPad? If you close them first are you able to export that file from Affinity Photo?

[GregParris]

4 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi GregParris,

Do you have other programs running on the background on the iPad?

Hey MEB!

 

I do! Safari, Mail, & Apple News.

 

My current workaround is to use the 'Share' feature and just save to images. That seems to work every time.

 

I tried again after closing everything else, still no joy.

Edited February 7, 2018 by GregParris
Additional Info

[Andrew Tang]

15 minutes ago, GregParris said:

I'm encountering all kinds of issues related to exporting files.

 

Basically after the file has 'Generated for export' and I hit 'Ok', it gets stuck at a white screen. This has happened with TFF, and JPEG exports.

 

Are you using iOS 11.3 beta?

[GregParris]

1 minute ago, Andrew Tang said:

 

Are you using iOS 11.3 beta?

Hey Andrew!

 

I most certainly am.

[Andy Somerfield]

Hi guys,

 

All iOS 11.3 beta builds seem very broken to us - not just for Photo, but for many other apps as well..

 

This could present a problem if Apple do not fix them before release - but we expect they will..

 

At this time however, we are not trying to fix issues specific to iOS 11.3 - sorry if this is inconvenient!!

 

Thanks,

 

Andy.

 

[GregParris]

1 hour ago, GregParris said:

I'm encountering all kinds of issues related to exporting files.

 

Basically after the file has 'Generated for export' and I hit 'Ok', it gets stuck at a white screen. This has happened with TFF, and JPEG exports.

 

It seems somewhat random too. Sometimes it goes to the expected 'Choose where to export screen', and sometimes it just freezes on a blank white screen (requiring a hard close and restart). The good news is that the files retain all changes, so I just try again, but it is frustrating.

 

This is cross-posted in the last Beta, as I wasn't sure where to put it (I first encountered the behaviour there, but then noticed and installed the release candidate, but the behaviour is still present).

 

At the moment, I'm on attempt #4 to export a JPEG from a 16bit RGB TIFF.

 

 

I am THRILLED to report that upgrading to iOS 11.3 Beta 2 has fixed this issue. Exports now work as expected 

[Paul Mudditt]

Drawing defects now fixed in release candidate one but canon 1300d canon raw loading from photos still crashing since beta 3. No crashes for same photos using 1.6.5.

24B2E40C-E39F-45EA-95AA-6AEF4F46E309.MP4

9AFE5B50-4B91-4C5D-A0F5-5550C51B72E5.MP4

IMG_4993.CR2

 

edit: downgraded to 1.6.5 to demo same raw file opening at least. It randomly loads into develop persona. In 1.6.3 it worked perfectly.

7AD8FA8B-9D11-491C-B4FB-56ACD3136F43.MP4

[Paul Mudditt]

2 hours ago, GregParris said:

 

 

I am THRILLED to report that upgrading to iOS 11.3 Beta 2 has fixed this issue. Exports now work as expected 

I disagree there is a problem with export, very repeatable actually. Select export, press ok then don’t select location press cancel then press ok a second time results in the white screen of death.

3E697973-2B30-4791-9574-D71FD1FDB26B.MP4

 

edit:

1. Updated to iOS 11.3 Beta 2 has fixed export white screen of death.

 

2. My other defect reported in previous posts,  canon raw import from photos however still crashes AP.

Edited February 8, 2018 by PMudditt
New info

[DM1]

Just noticed that the Clone/Healing help file currently states: ”For Apple Pencil users, the cloning/healing source can only be defined by a long press gesture (with finger) and not by the Pencil itself.'

Having tested this I can set the 'source' using the pencil. 

 

 

[Paul Mudditt]

What is the difference between import from cloud and open from cloud? Initially I thought it was great, I thought the photo in iCloud was actually being modified without having to be stored locally within AP. But all it seems to do is either put the photo as the first item in the AP file view or the last item in the AP file view so we are still stuck with all our work being hidden away within AP without being able to manage those files ourselves.

 

Also what is the Affinity Photo folder on iPad storage for? Is that where all of the above will migrate to in a future version as that would be a great solution?

[Manofjesus]

2 hours ago, PMudditt said:

What is the difference between import from cloud and open from cloud?

When importing - it breaks connection to the location, from what the file was imported. When opening - it keep connection to location, from what it was opened and when you close the document it saves all changes at the same location, as you open it. Maybe i am wrong

[DM1]

2 hours ago, PMudditt said:

Also what is the Affinity Photo folder on iPad storage for? Is that where all of the above will migrate to in a future version as that would be a great solution?

When you tap the 3 bars to the right of an unopened image and select save, (if you have set General Preferences Save Location to On My IPad) the file you save will appear in the Photos section of Files under On My IPad, Photo area.

If you open an image and use the menu Save As option, it opens Files and allows you to navigate to a location. When saved this way, the image doesn't appear in local Files/On My IPad, Photo area.

[DM1]

This release candidate seems to have addressed the earlier issues. I haven't found any issues yet. Cloning, patching, colouring, tone mapping, mesh distortion, perspective changes. One white screen experience when saving but I did have another 4 apps open. Closed them and file saved properly.

One thing I haven't looked at much is the camera option. Hard to work out what the various controls do. Nothing in help files either.

all in all, this release seems pretty good so far.

[Sean P]

12 hours ago, PMudditt said:

Drawing defects now fixed in release candidate one but canon 1300d canon raw loading from photos still crashing since beta 3. No crashes for same photos using 1.6.5.

24B2E40C-E39F-45EA-95AA-6AEF4F46E309.MP4

9AFE5B50-4B91-4C5D-A0F5-5550C51B72E5.MP4

IMG_4993.CR2

 

edit: downgraded to 1.6.5 to demo same raw file opening at least. It randomly loads into develop persona. In 1.6.3 it worked perfectly.

7AD8FA8B-9D11-491C-B4FB-56ACD3136F43.MP4

Hi PMudditt,

Thanks for the file! I've reproduced it here and will get it passed on to development.

[acapstick]

DM1 - I've removed the incorrect statement regarding inability to use the Apple Pencil when cloning. Thanks for that.

The Import From Camera UI seemed self explanatory so I mentioned Import from Camera only in passing in Get started>Opening and importing.

 

"Import From Camera captures and opens a photo with your iPad device. You can shoot RAW, bracketed HDR, toggle face detection and display on-screen aids such as a histogram and vectorscope."

 

Thanks

Andy

[Paul Mudditt]

8 hours ago, DM1 said:

When you tap the 3 bars to the right of an unopened image and select save, (if you have set General Preferences Save Location to On My IPad) the file you save will appear in the Photos section of Files under On My IPad, Photo area.

If you open an image and use the menu Save As option, it opens Files and allows you to navigate to a location. When saved this way, the image doesn't appear in local Files/On My IPad, Photo area.

 

 

Thanks for the info. I’ve so far had that setting set to cloud, hoping that would force all saves to cloud were they are safe, pretty sure it doesn’t do that, so I’ve change to on my iPad for this question.

 

I’m still a bit unsure as to how many copies of my files filename.afphoto are stored on my iPad, it still feels like there are 2 copies, 1 within private area of AP which we  see on the welcome screen, and  1 saved in this iPad files folder.?

 

 

[Paul Mudditt]

8 hours ago, Manofjesus said:

When importing - it breaks connection to the location, from what the file was imported. When opening - it keep connection to location, from what it was opened and when you close the document it saves all changes at the same location, as you open it. Maybe i am wrong

 

Thats what I thought, and initially I was gobsmacked how great it was until I noticed what appears to be another copy in the welcome screen, but now at the bottom, so 2 copies I think, especially when you make a mod then close the file then go to files area and mods have vanished. Takes some understanding or clearer explanation as to what is going where.

[DM1]

As I see it, images opened and changes made are 'stored' in AP 'working' folder. When saving to iPad (closed image tap 3 bars etc), the image is stored on the iPad and viewable in Files, On My IPad, Photo. If you don't save it stays only in 'Working' folder. If you uninstall AP at this stage you would lose the image and changes.

Opening an image via Cloud option places image in 'working' folder (which is displayed on welcome screen). Saving from Welcome screen (3 bars) still saves on iPad, Photo. No Save option when image is opened, only a Save a Copy, which does exactly that.

 

I used Open from Cloud, selected an image which opened in AP. Closed image and press Save on Welcome screen (to Save/Copy over the original file), the save date of the original image updated accordingly so it does appear to work correctly.

 

Edit: After experimenting with a few files I have confirmed (in my case) that Open from and Import do behave as designed.

What IS important to remember is that any changes made in AP remain in the private 'working folder' until you decide to Save them. So if you use Close without first saving (from 3 bars on Welcome/Opening screen), the changes will be lost.

Likewise, using the back arrow to exit the editing screen will only save the changes back to the private working files area in AP sandbox. In the edit screen you can of course use the Save a Copy (which saves a copy of changes) or you can exit back to Welcome/Open screen and use Save (3 bars menu) to save the changes (location saved to depends on how you accessed the file). If Open from Cloud, Save updates the existing file, if Import from Cloud, Save adds a Copy to the local Photo folder in Flies (I assume this type of save is then effected by the store on iPad or store in Cloud preferences setting).

Clear as pMuddit 

 

[DM1]

The help file actually details what is meant to be happening.

Opening and Importing

For many users, the starting point to your project will be to open or import an image and then edit it. Images can be accessed from local and cloud storage (e.g., iCloud), or from your iPad's Apple Photos app. Of course, you can also open Affinity Photo (desktop), Affinity Designer, PSD, and PDF files.

The choice of whether to open or import files is an important decision in Affinity Photo. Understanding the difference will help with file management and backup strategies.

Opening in place

You can open images and previously saved Affinity documents (plus PSDs) from local or cloud storage. When opening, the key point is that these files are kept in their original location and will be overwritten on saving. However, if you add layers to an opened 'flat' image, you can either flatten the document on saving (this overwrites the original image in its original location) or save the document to a new fixed location on local/cloud storage. The latter preserves all layer information.

Importing by copying

Unlike opening, importing always makes a copy of the original image or document and loads it as an 'internal' document. The imported file could be from your Apple Photos library or from local/cloud storage. On saving, the document will be added to cloud storage or On My iPad to a fixed location.

[DM1]

Would it be possible to modify the Show Touches so that the circle size is determined by the brush size setting and the show touches colour is determined by the selected primary brush colour?

[pixelcoder]

I edit almost 20 Raw Files, no errors, no white screens (IOS Beta2 11.3). Just one crash when I test the Displace Filter it crashed the App 2 times when the picture I load is not stored localy. But I am still not so sure what it does

 

From my side its a good release, Pencil works, the Brushes feel super smooth now its a pleasure to draw with them. The Font management is awesome and the raw developer is next level compared to 1.6.5.

Was the color picker already in 1.6.5? Because of the problem in early betas I just noticed how useful it is now and use it all the time. 

[DM1]

New HDR Merge screen is using a Camera icon to provide access to photos. The main screen Import from Photos library uses a circle with elipses drawn inside. Would it make sense to use the same icon throughout to access the same location (photo library)? The Camera icon 'suggests' it opens the Camera function with its HDR picture taking mode.