Images linked or embedded?

[OzNate]

As I posted elsewhere on this forum, there is an interesting twist that I hadn't seen coming.

Because of StudioLink, I have found I don't need to link a folder full of PSD files. That's an older way of looking at it, which is not always necessary now. A JPEG stock image can live in the Publisher file, with all live effects applied, and may therefore not increase the file size that much. I haven't fully tested this but I'm just putting this comment here because Affinity are going in a whole new direction.

I still think full linking without massively increasing the file size should be an option, because that is the way people are used to working. But I'm starting to rethink my approach.

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, OzNate said:

Because of StudioLink, I have found I don't need to link a folder full of PSD files. That's an older way of looking at it, which is not always necessary now. A JPEG stock image can live in the Publisher file, with all live effects applied, and may therefore not increase the file size that much. I haven't fully tested this but I'm just putting this comment here because Affinity are going in a whole new direction.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the image "living in" the Publisher file.

I wouldn't say that a linked image is "in" the file. An embedded image is certainly "in" the file, and if it's a JPEG I suppose it may not increase the file size as much as a PSD would.

But then I'm unsure what you mean by "with all live effects applied." Yes, all the effects are applied, but as it's a JPEG they are no longer "live".

Also, I find it unfortunate that Serif does not allow editing of an embedded image file. You can still edit an embedded document file (PDF, PSD, .afphoto, .svg, etc.) and have access to all the layers, and make changes that are local to the Publisher document. But once you embed an image file (JPG, PNG, TIFF) you have a flattened copy, and the only editing you can do is via editing the Publisher page. You can't get the embedded image into its own tab for full (even if local) editing.

[OzNate]

20 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the image "living in" the Publisher file.

Sorry, I should use precise language. Yes, I meant embedded.

21 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Also, I find it unfortunate that Serif does not allow editing of an embedded image file.

I see what you mean. It would be useful to be able to create an embedded document file out of an embedded image file.

Anyway I am further experimenting with embedding JPEGs and using the basic functionality. With Photo persona you can pretty much do anything you want.

[TonyO]

On 7/8/2019 at 7:51 AM, walt.farrell said:

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the image "living in" the Publisher file.

The affinity file format, which is universal across all 3 apps, allows full editing of all raster and vector items from directly within the document you're working in. .afdesign, .afpub and .afphoto are actually all the same format, the only reason there are separate extensions is so the OS knows which app to open when the file is double clicked. They're completely interchangeable.

Back in the dark ages of adobe, if you needed to mask an image to make some alpha transparency, you'd have to go into photoshop and add the mask, then link the photoshop file in your indesign layout... because you CANT do that in inDesign. If you needed to adjust your mask, you'd need to edit the linked file and adjust the mask, then save, update links in indesign and keep working...

Affinity's shared file format and studiolink simply embed the raster files directly into your document so you can actually make those edits inline. You don't need to link a vector logo to your page layout anymore because you can actually make all the vector edits directly on your layout with a full suite of tools from Designer. You don't need to link a photo with 5 non-destructible effects and a mask to your document anymore because those effect layers can be done directly within the page layout layer set and remain fully editable while you work. 

In Adobe, there is zero real cross compatibility across your apps. The ONLY WAY to add a photoshop file to illustrator or indesign would be to link it or embed it, because you have to edit it externally, the layers cannot carry over. There's simply no other option, you have to link to maintain editability. 

In affinity, if you create a 6 layer document in photo, and open it in publisher or designer, it just opens... all layers/effects/masks/vectors/rasters/text boxes and literally everything carries over between apps. The exact same layers, no conversion, no loss, no STUPID SMART OBJECTS. There isn't a need for linking anymore because your edits can all be done in the same file across all apps. 

And at the end... you still either have a 7mb indesign file with a 500mb packaged file folder, or a 507mb AfPublisher file.

I personally hate linking, I work from a shared dropbox as a department and every time somebody opens a file, they relink all the files to their local computer and it breaks all the links the next time I open the file (since adobe doesnt use adjacent linking, UHG!)... or somebody modifies a logo with their own tagline and saves over the original... or somebody changes the file name of an image and it breaks across a hundred different files.

Linking is a mess, it's a product of an old way of thinking and from an era when hard drives only had a few gigs and transferring online was done in kbps. I can upload a 500mb document in about 15 seconds on my work connection, everyone has 2 tb hard drives... for most pro's space and bandwidth are no longer issues. It's time for linking to DIE! That's just my opinion, but im a forward thinker.

[TonyO]

On 7/8/2019 at 7:51 AM, walt.farrell said:

But once you embed an image file (JPG, PNG, TIFF) you have a flattened copy, and the only editing you can do is via editing the Publisher page. You can't get the embedded image into its own tab for full (even if local) editing.

Try this, drop an image into your publisher document, then click the PHOTO studiolink icon on the top left of your app window (assuming you own all 3 apps). All your tools will inline turn into Affinity Photo, no app switching, full AfPhoto tools directly in your page layout file... now work with the image. Erase some pixels, make a mask, add some color adjustment layers, use the clone stamper.... Now click the PUBLISHER studiolink icon to get back to page layout to continue working. The layers don't flatten, you don't lose editability. 

You have all your editing tools in one app with studio link, full editing capability without the need for app switching, linked files or all the convoluted extra steps. you don't need a separate afPhoto file for an image because the full editing capability is available directly in your layout.  Its a whole new way of working and thinking about how a layout app can work.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, TonyO said:

Try this, drop an image into your publisher document, then click the PHOTO studiolink icon on the top left of your app window (assuming you own all 3 apps). All your tools will inline turn into Affinity Photo, no app switching, full AfPhoto tools directly in your page layout file... now work with the image.

Oh, I know that, Tony.

But you are working on the Publisher page, not just on the photo itself. If you could get it opened into its own tab as you could if it was linked, and as you used to be able to do in the Publisher beta for embedded images, it would be easier.

There would be no chance of messing up the rest of the page content.

[gennarovela]

Hello, I'm new here on the forum. I read all the discussions here and I'm not sure I understood everything that was discussed. But I respect everyone's opinion. For a user like me of the adobe package for more than 20 years and who is now looking for a new work suite, I confess that I would very much like to continue working with linked image. I could leave your two options. In other words, you want to work with a linked person and for those who prefer to attach the image to the file. That simple. And if this is already working, could someone tell me how do I replace an image on my Affinity Desing file without having to put it back in the same position as the previous one?

[jona2982]

Hello, I share an idea to recover the path of the lost files of our documents when changing the folder from one computer to another or from one place to another this saves a lot of time when working in a team, as it is done these days.

The editor does not integrate a relative path in its links, it is an absolute path so it generates some complications for users who work in teams, or who need to move files from one place to another, a solution would be to take into account, the Change source folder button. 

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by jona2982

[gennarovela]

On 06/03/2020 at 16:42, jona2982 said:

Olá, compartilho uma idéia para recuperar o caminho dos arquivos perdidos de nossos documentos ao alterar a pasta de um computador para outro ou de um lugar para outro, economizando muito tempo ao trabalhar em equipe, como é feito nos dias de hoje. .

O editor não integra um caminho relativo em seus links, é um caminho absoluto, por isso gera algumas complicações para usuários que trabalham em equipe ou que precisam mover arquivos de um lugar para outro; uma solução seria levar em consideração, o botão Alterar pasta de origem. 

 

 

That would be for pub. But for Design does this option exist? Can I work with linked image?

[gennarovela]

On 3/6/2020 at 2:25 PM, gennarovela said:

Hello, I'm new here on the forum. I read all the discussions here and I'm not sure I understood everything that was discussed. But I respect everyone's opinion. For a user like me of the adobe package for more than 20 years and who is now looking for a new work suite, I confess that I would very much like to continue working with linked image. I could leave your two options. In other words, you want to work with a linked person and for those who prefer to attach the image to the file. That simple. And if this is already working, could someone tell me how do I replace an image on my Affinity Desing file without having to put it back in the same position as the previous one?

 

Wouldn't it be simpler for developers to leave the option of linked or embedded image ??? I prefer the linked image. I mean here for Affinity Design.

 

[gennarovela]

 

Think with me: I'm doing a project and I'm adding 10 images of image bank models. Then my client decides to buy or exchange all the images. What would be better: Exchange all in the file or just replace the link ??? Simple as that, right?