Bar Code and QR Code generators?

[Petar Petrenko]

Hi A-team,

Is it possible we get these features in Publisher and Designer in vector format if it is OK?

[Steps]

I think this should be part of Designer as this where you can generate charts also.

[MikeW]

29 minutes ago, Steps said:

I think this should be part of Designer as this where you can generate charts also.

If generating QR codes was only part of Designer (which cannot generate charts yet), then one couldn't generate QR codes or other codes during a merge--which will be available in a future update.

Personally, I see no real reason to integrate QR codes et al in Affinity applications anyway. It's been a few years since I have even generated one. Obviously others still use them, though. Barcodes, yes, I do them all the time and use a standalone application to generate them from the Excel sheet I often get from clients and the same application can generate QR codes too.

Mike

[Steps]

23 minutes ago, MikeW said:

If generating QR codes was only part of Designer (which cannot generate charts yet),

Oh, I was wrong, sorry. I don't own Designer today. I came across a tutorial video for creating charts with Affinity Designer and from the headline I concluded that there must be a function to do this. I just watched the thing and yes, someone explained how to create charts by hand using the tools provided.

So maybe there should be such a feature. ^^

EDIT: I posted the idea also here to an existing topic.

[MikeW]

I cannot remember whom made a chart design in AD that uses symbol instances.

So here's a screen shot of it. To adjust the ring chart, one manipulates the left symbol, which is the Donut shape.

So below, I have simply adjust the donut shape by opening it up and by thickening it.

But while this is certainly a creative solution, it couldn't really be used for my charting purposes which require a different style (typically plain) and the use of discreet values.

But it can be done!

 

[Steps]

4 minutes ago, MikeW said:

I cannot remember whom made a chart design in AD that uses symbol instances.

So here's a screen shot of it. To adjust the ring chart, one manipulates the left symbol, which is the Donut shape.

So below, I have simply adjust the donut shape by opening it up and by thickening it.

But while this is certainly a creative solution, it couldn't really be used for my charting purposes which require a different style (typically plain) and the use of discreet values.

But it can be done!

 

I did not investigate further but I think this is the technique shown in the video link I just added to my previous post.

I think a chart generator and a barcode generator would both be nice additions to the Designer.

I can't really see it in Publisher because I would expect Designer to build up a vector graphic I can then use in Publisher.

This is where I would draw the line.

But of course to save the purchase of Designer I would prefer to have both tools in Publisher.
It's just a question of the perspective: Where does it really belong and how many tools do you want to buy? :-)

[MikeW]

For charting, like the mention of Numbers or Pages in the other thread about charting you also replied in, Why not use those or Excel or Libre Office to create them and copy/paste or export as a PDF to include in Publisher or AD?

I use a specific charting application that can pull the data from Excel or CSV files. Dedicated software is often the best choice, but nice graphs/charts can be made in all spreadsheet applications easily enough.

As for the topic of this thread, the same is true. Dedicated software is far faster and robust. The output can be added to Excel/CSV file and once merging is available, can then be used during a merge—assuming Serif's merge capability supports standard image/PDFs during a merge (which it should). Merging will likely never be in AD.

[Steps]

7 minutes ago, MikeW said:

For charting, like the mention of Numbers or Pages in the other thread about charting you also replied in, Why not use those or Excel or Libre Office to create them and copy/paste or export as a PDF to include in Publisher or AD?

I use a specific charting application that can pull the data from Excel or CSV files. Dedicated software is often the best choice, but nice graphs/charts can be made in all spreadsheet applications easily enough.

As for the topic of this thread, the same is true. Dedicated software is far faster and robust. The output can be added to Excel/CSV file and once merging is available, can then be used during a merge—assuming Serif's merge capability supports standard image/PDFs during a merge (which it should). Merging will likely never be in AD.

Yes, this is the way I do it right now.

I use Excel to create the charts I need and a online barcode generator to get hold on the barcodes I want. Of course this is a solution.

But on the topics, which I did not start (on a side note), I see people suggesting to integrate such functionality into Designer (or Publisher) and my feedback is:
Yes, why not? It would be nice to have all that in one application without having to rely on third party applications. And it makes sense for a tool like Designer.

I think the topic starters have that idea in mind that they don't want many different applications to achieve all this and I think it's a legit thing to ask for.

You could also ask why Affinity Photo needs a RAW converter even if any manufacturer delivers one with the hardware. It's just because to make the application more complete.

[MikeW]

Re Raw Converter in APhoto. Because it is an image format? That said, I have no idea why anyone would use it. It's slow, it doesn't use sidecar files etc. Again, I use an application designed for handling Raw files.

I understand the one size fits all argument. The day you need to handle hundreds of QR codes or barcodes in a publication and do so repeatedly, you and perhaps the thread starters may look at other solutions. That's my use case, not one per publication in the main.

But hey, my uses may not be yours or others. I accept that. But at the same time, there is so much lacking in AD and APub, as well as bugs, I would rather have such new functionality deferred to a much later time.

[Steps]

1 hour ago, MikeW said:

But hey, my uses may not be yours or others. I accept that. But at the same time, there is so much lacking in AD and APub, as well as bugs, I would rather have such new functionality deferred to a much later time.

Indeed. These are real "nice to have" features that should come last when everything else is done. Low priority. Put that at the end of the backlog. But bring it one day. Maybe for Designer v2.1