How to sync photos back to iPad from Affinity?

[WideSmiler]

How do I get Affinity-edited photos to sync back to iOS photos? I do see in other forums that there is a way to export the photo as a separate, new photo in photos. However, I am looking for it to sync back automatically after being edited.

Here is the workflow I use when working with photos on MAC that I am looking to mimic on iPad: Open Photos for MAC app --> right-click photo I want to edit --> Select edit with Affinity Photos --> Affinity Photo opens with the selected photo, edit the photo in Affinity Photo --> hit save and the photo automatically updates (updates sync) back in the Photos app.

On iPad, the export method has a few disadvantages I'd like to avoid: 

1. Exporting the photo back to Photos makes a duplicate of the photo, which I don't want. I want 1 version of the photo.

2. When exporting back the photo loses it's accurate date taken information that keeps it in the correct timeline order in Photos. That also means that not only will it be a copy of another photo already in Photos, but it will also be in a different spot. 

These disadvantages probably sound rather insignificant when doing occasional edits to photos, and I agree. In my case, I am editing photos on Affinity every day, and using Photos to keep photos organized.

If the ability to sync the edited photo back to Photos doesn't yet exist on Affinity for iPad, is it something Affinity is working on for a future release? Is it something that iOS for iPad limits? Thank you :-). 

 

[DM1]

You are being confronted with iOS and AP shortcomings. Maybe iOS13 will address the issue. You cannot Open the image in AP to edit it. You can only import a 'copy' of the image.

I would suggest using Documents (by Readdle), a free app that makes an ideal Document Management system in the absence of a Serif management system. Create appropriate folders in Documents. Move all your photos to the appropriate folders. Use Affinity 's Open from Cloud to navigate to the Documents folder. Select, Open, Edit and Save and your original image is updated.

[Blende21]

Hello, doesn’t this move the issue just from AP / picture roll to Documents ? 

The picture roll albums are showing in Documents itself, but cannot be accessed from the „open cloud“ option in AP. Moving the pics to Documents is a manual step in itself, still without an automatic sync back to the original source. Or do I miss something ?

Besides I agree that Documents is a superb App that even with iOS12 is still doing a better job than the proprietary „files“ solution of iOS. I bought a video tutorial for AP some time ago and use Documents to stream the sessions - just one of the many faces of this App. The readdle apps in general are worth using them, but Documents is really a Swiss knife for the iPad.

[DM1]

@Blende21 True, I should have added the need to save as .afphoto so that the edits update the afphoto file. This is arguably a better workflow as editing jpgs is a lossy process. Afphoto editing is lossless and you can export jpg at any stage. 

The only issue I have with Documents is the current inability to import brushes/styles type files. Readdle support has been pretty good, investigating their end but unable to identify why. They think In is Affinities end. I tend to agree and will post a bug report. Other than that Documents and Affinity Interface beautifully.