i don't want a new layer for each curve i'm drawing

[Bogdan]

hello,

when i use the pen tool is it possible to have all the curves in the same layer?

right now it creates a new layer for each curve, and i end up with too many layers.

thank you!

[firstdefence]

You can Create a New Layer (Not a Pixel Layer) a New Layer and all the curve layers will be placed as child layers to that layer. It's a bit like grouping

[Bogdan]

 I have pixel layers so the new layer becomes pixel automatically. how do i change from pixel to regular layer? thanks!

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, Bogdan said:

 I have pixel layers so the new layer becomes pixel automatically. how do i change from pixel to regular layer? thanks!

In Designer, Layer > New Layer or ctrl+alt+n (on Windows; don't know about Mac) will get you a new non-pixel layer. Or from the Layers panel, right-click on any layer and choose New Layer should also work.

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, Bogdan said:

 I have pixel layers so the new layer becomes pixel automatically. how do i change from pixel to regular layer? thanks!

There is no such thing as a 'regular' layer in Affinity. In Affinity Designer (but not Affinity Photo) there is the special capital L "(Layer)" type of parent layer that @firstdefence mentioned that can contain other layer types but has no content of its own, "(Curve)" layers, several other types of layers that can be a parent or child of another layer, "(Image)" layers that are sort of like "(Pixel)" layers, "(Embedded document)" layers, various Live Adjustment layers, mask layers, & so on.

But with one exception every object must be on its own layer & not shared by any other object, that being the "(Curves)" type of layer (note the plural) that can contain two or more curves & is the result of certain boolean operations on two or more "(Curve)" layers.

[Bogdan]

I will try to rephrase:

When I draw curves with the pen layer, for each curve that I draw affinity photo creates a new layer. As you may see in the screenshot attached.

How do I prevent the new layer to happen and draw all the curves in just one layer?

I have a few (pixel ) layers and the curves end up being in (curve) layers. New Layer will create a new (pixel layer).

 

 

[Fixx]

Layers in Affinity are actually just a list of objects. You really cannot avoid getting a layer for each object. If you try to combine layers you will effectively merge objects to single shapes. 

You can though group layers as said above to help organizing your project.

[Guest]

 

Hello Bogdan,

If you want all your curves to be on a single layer, create this layer before drawing your curves, which will then be grouped on the same layer in your drawing. If you want to change the order of these curves within this layer (for example from bottom to top), or simply visualize their position in the stack, the representation of these curves is necessary.
To create this layer, click on the icon at the bottom right of the "Layers" tab.

In my screenshot, I created a layer for each line color and each line is necessarily visible in its layer.

Edited October 7, 2018 by reglico
Removing underlining from the text???

[Mithferion]

Every Vector tool I know of (Affinity Designer, Gravit Designer, Inkscape, Vectr, Adobe Illustrator), lists all the objects you draw with a Vector Brush tool.

Maybe it's just that by default, some programs create a Default Layer, but if you look inside said Layer, you will see every line as an object.

As some forum members suggested, just create the Layer and start drawing lines.

Best regards!

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, Bogdan said:

When I draw curves with the pen layer, for each curve that I draw affinity photo creates a new layer. As you may see in the screenshot attached.

As others have indicated, organizational layers are only available in Affinity Designer, not Affinity Photo.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Bogdan said:

How do I prevent the new layer to happen and draw all the curves in just one layer?

You can't prevent each curve, shape, text, pixel, or any other object type from being drawn on its own layer. You can organize them into container layer types like groups or (in Affinity Designer) into Layer containers, nest layers into other layers & shack them various ways in the Layers Studio panel to control how they interact, & so on, but you cannot draw multiple curves on just one layer.

[Mithferion]

46 minutes ago, αℓƒяє∂ said:

As others have indicated, organizational layers are only available in Affinity Designer, not Affinity Photo.

I didn't notice that @Bogdan is using Photo instead of Designer...

Anyway, even if you can't create organizational Layers in Photo, you can copy them from Designer and duplicate it as many times as you want, just like with Artboards.

Best regards!

[StuartRc]

Creating lots of separate objects whether shapes lines or pixel components without resorting to Layer/group management can be annoying.. It also can slow down the app (AD +AP) if you try to select and move lots of objects at the same time without grouping.

One little trick I picked up (especially AD but equally applies to AP)is that if:

1 You create your first object

2. Immediately group (CNTRL+G)

3. Open group and select first object

4. Continue drawing..

A pain but really useful if working with lots of objects...You can them move them around between layers..simply by dragging in layers panel..It's much quicker than having to select all elements in layers panel..(If you have to do that!)..which I do all the time..as I forget!

I follow this procedure a lot...especially in AD when working in vector masks