Plain Undo/Redo awkwardness

[LarrySunshine]

So I bought Affinity Designer a few months ago. I tried it and I really liked how smooth it renders vectors and bitmaps in-project unlike Adobe illustrator. I liked many other features also. So I decided to give it a serious try and I found myself losing my work due to simple undo/redo awkwardness and because I needed to do work quick and without wanting to lose my work, I switched back to Illustrator.

What I'm talking about is simple undo/redo mechanics. Let's say I need to get to a certain point back by clicking ctrl+z, then I need to look at it, and maybe redo by clicking ctrl+shift+z. In AD if I click on the background while in the middle of this, ALL undo/redo history is gone. Is this a bug or is it suppose to work this way? Solely because of this awkward thing even the idea turning AD back on now scares me.

[Pšenda]

History Panel is not OK? 

https://affinity.help/designer/English.lproj/pages/Panels/historyPanel.html

[LarrySunshine]

What do you mean? History Panel is the same thing and I have the same issue. When I click on the background, redo is gone.

[Alfred]

Try the version 1.7 customer beta.

Quote

• “Alternate futures” for document history have been added. Traditionally, if you roll back the undo history then do something else all your changes after that point are lost. Designer will now display a small branch icon in the history tab when you do this. Pressing that button will cycle between all the different “futures” after that history entry - meaning you will never lose work you have done.

 

[Pšenda]

12 hours ago, LarrySunshine said:

simple undo/redo mechanics

I do not know what you're talking about, Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y works for me simply and reliably. Similarly, move in the History panel steps.

[LarrySunshine]

20 minutes ago, αℓƒяє∂ said:

Try the version 1.7 customer beta.

 

I will try it, thanks!

14 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

I do not know what you're talking about, Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y works for me simply and reliably. Similarly, move in the History panel steps.

I explained in detail what I'm talking about. Maybe you don't use any other software so it's normal to you, I don't know. I have never experienced such issues anywhere else.

[LarrySunshine]

I think the problem might be that in Affinity Designer selecting/deselecting an object counts as an action.

[Pšenda]

59 minutes ago, LarrySunshine said:

I think the problem might be that in Affinity Designer selecting/deselecting an object counts as an action.

Yes, when browsing history, just use the View Tool. Then clicking on the canvas is not considered as an operation.

1 hour ago, LarrySunshine said:

Maybe you don't use any other software so it's normal to you,

In most programs (editor, IDE), is usually a "linear" Undo/Redo. Nonlinear Undo/Redo with branching, that offers beta, is not standard.

[LarrySunshine]

58 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

Yes, when browsing history, just use the View Tool. Then clicking on the canvas is not considered as an operation.

In most programs (editor, IDE), is usually a "linear" Undo/Redo. Nonlinear Undo/Redo with branching, that offers beta, is not standard.

I would have to remember to press H when undo/redoing. This seems like a totally unneeded mechanics considering AD adopted all of the shortcuts AI had, so why introduce such awkward mechanics? If you have to use let's say Adobe XD alongsite with AD, this is just going to get in the way. It's just a weird design choice.

[Old Bruce]

16 hours ago, LarrySunshine said:

Let's say I need to get to a certain point back by clicking ctrl+z, then I need to look at it, and maybe redo by clicking ctrl+shift+z. In AD if I click on the background while in the middle of this, ALL undo/redo history is gone. Is this a bug or is it suppose to work this way?

Okay, I see what you mean. I am surprised I never noticed this before. 

It is supposed to work that way, I have always just used undo + redo to get to the point I want then pick-up the pen/mouse and begin working from that point. I do see that an inadvertant mouse click will destroy the redo path but the 1.7.0.x beta of designer has the ability to store 'paths' of redo/undo so going forth and back.

[LarrySunshine]

3 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

Okay, I see what you mean. I am surprised I never noticed this before. 

It is supposed to work that way, I have always just used undo + redo to get to the point I want then pick-up the pen/mouse and begin working from that point. I do see that an inadvertant mouse click will destroy the redo path but the 1.7.0.x beta of designer has the ability to store 'paths' of redo/undo so going forth and back.

Sounds nice. I will wait for the live release tho.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, LarrySunshine said:

I would have to remember to press H when undo/redoing. This seems like a totally unneeded mechanics considering AD adopted all of the shortcuts AI had, so why introduce such awkward mechanics? If you have to use let's say Adobe XD alongsite with AD, this is just going to get in the way. It's just a weird design choice.

I just interest. In Adobe application, if I go back to history (a few steps Undo), then I click on the canvas with any tool, such as Brush, Erase, Shape, etc., yet you can go back with "simple" Redo (Ctrl + Y) to current baseline?

2 hours ago, LarrySunshine said:

AD adopted all of the shortcuts AI had

:-) Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y is definitely not AI or Adobe specialties.