Is Export persona really satisfying a Minimum Viable Product principle?

[iBaloo42]

I might be considered as being mean spirited, but it seems to me that the whole Export persona in Affinity Photo is half baked.

1. Why there is no support in the Slice tool for predefined format factors? You already have nice support for predefined and custom modes in the cropping tool.

2. Is there any help of how the "Size scaling" can be used besides using a multiplier for size? For example, I would like to instruct to fit the slice to a predefined size (1920x1080, 640x480, etc.). Moreover, I would add this option to export with fitting to predefined size in the "Export Presets". 

3. What is that Builder thing in the Slice Export Options? The way is implemented now, looks like a hack to some requirements that you might have had.

[walt.farrell]

5 hours ago, iBaloo42 said:

2. Is there any help of how the "Size scaling" can be used besides using a multiplier for size? For example, I would like to instruct to fit the slice to a predefined size (1920x1080, 640x480, etc.).

If you click on the size pulldown you'll see examples of some of the other kinds of input you can provide:

So, for example, you could type 1920w, 1080h or 640w, 480h in the size box. Note, though, that the aspect ratio is not locked, so it might be safer to specify just your desired height or width, not both.

5 hours ago, iBaloo42 said:

3. What is that Builder thing in the Slice Export Options? The way is implemented now, looks like a hack to some requirements that you might have had.

From the Affinity Designer Help,

Quote

Batch builder—Creates Xcode JSON batches from multiple Apple Universal or Application icon slices. For Xcode UI development only.

 

[iBaloo42]

Thank you Walt.

On #2: keeping the aspect ratio, when I'm about to export, makes common sense to be the default behavior.

On #3: I knew what the help is saying about the "Xcode JSON". However, it is a very un-helpful description; the help is saying to me that "just ignore this, don't worry about this strange thing, it is just a provisionally created for our GUI developers", which is also very unprofessional when it comes to software development as it leaks developer lingo ("Xcode JSON", really????) to end-users. This feature is still just a geeky hack unless becomes better described and open for end-users to define their own "Xcode JSON" based builder extensions.

[walt.farrell]

8 minutes ago, iBaloo42 said:

On #3: I knew what the help is saying about the "Xcode JSON". However, it is a very un-helpful description; the help is saying to me that "just ignore this, don't worry about this strange thing, it is just a provisionally created for our GUI developers", which is also very unprofessional when it comes to software development as it leaks developer lingo ("Xcode JSON", really????) to end-users. This feature is still just a geeky hack unless becomes better described and open for end-users to define their own "Xcode JSON" based builder extensions.

While I agree it could (should) say more, I believe that it is not for "their" GUI developers, but GUI developers in general. And I suspect that anyone for whom it would be useful will understand the jargon. Thus, any end-users who do not understand it do not need to, as they are not the target audience and have no need for the function.

[iBaloo42]

I don't think that this feature is open for end users, by reading this post. And, no, the Xcode JSON jargon should not leak at all in the GUI.

It is OK to describe in the help/documentation that the builders can be extended by end-users by using Xcode JSON, and it should provide proper instruction of how, where these JSON files are stored, etc., but only, and only if the JSON-based extension is open for use by an end-user. Otherwise, the builder should have had just these three options, Apple, OSX, iOS and the help should have explained the expected outcome if any of these three options are selected.

 

This is a rushed hack.