Vector/pattern fill

[Patrick Connor]

1 minute ago, 2989 said:

If Serif were smart, 

Well that's debatable...

2 minutes ago, 2989 said:

they would, (read their own forum) 

we do

3 minutes ago, 2989 said:

...they would give their, paying customers....

As I have said to forum users here before you should buy the software for the features that the program already has and not the ones it doesn't

6 minutes ago, 2989 said:

....the features they have repeatedly requested.

we will do our best. Affinity is not done yet.

[Olich]

29 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

As I have said to forum users here before you should buy the software for the features that the program already has and not the ones it doesn't

Well, that's debatable as well. There are basic features that one would expect to find in a professional software. It's like purchasing an alternative to Excel and finding out that this alternative cannot create pivot table. What would be the point? That would not even be an alternative.

 

34 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

we will do our best. Affinity is not done yet.

Wait and see... In the meantime, I purchased VectorStyler and I can now add vector pattern fills to my maps.

[Comet]

21 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

If you buy something not know whether it does the thing you want to do, whose fault is that? You can download the trial editions of the Affinity apps and know in advance what they can (and cannot) do.

Side note: if you bought Excel in the 'old days' you would not have had pivot tables, whereas if you had bought Lotus Improv you would have. Excel was not the benchmark for spreadsheets.

I don't honestly see the point of attacking someone for criticising the absence of an essential feature of a product on the basis of "caveat emptor". It really doesn't help and misses the point entirely.

[Comet]

1 minute ago, LondonSquirrel said:

I haven't 'attacked someone'. But why would somebody buy something not knowing what it does? Would you buy a car 'thinking' that it has air conditioning, then find out that it doesn't? That is the purpose of tests/trials. You misunderstand caveat emptor - that refers to quality and faults, not absence or presence of certain things. In any case the idea of caveat emptor does not apply here as there are trial versions available.

I stand by my comment. You can't narrow the meaning of caveat emptor to suit your purposes - it literally means "buyer beware".

You are effectively saying that it is invalid to criticise a product because it does not contain a feature that many would say is an essential part of a product claiming to perform the role it does (let's say "vector illustration") because they should have found out that it did not contain that feature and then not bought it.

Using that approach you can never criticise any software product for anything. Not a good idea IMHV.

[ra.skill]

42 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

Would you buy a car 'thinking' that it has air conditioning, then find out that it doesn't?

Your point perfectly describes the opposite….. I would say that literally EVERYONE buys a car Expecting fundamental features like air conditioning and buys that car without checking for those features, Why would you in 2021 check for air conditioning??

[bitblitter]

53 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

No I am not. I am saying that it is invalid to criticise a product that does not claim xyz feature but that is the feature that you want. The words 'many would say' is a cop out.

All of the design packages, including free and open source ones I tried have this feature, except AD.

For example, this is like buying a car and discovering it doesn't have a mirror in the rearview, and when you ask for it, be told that you can take a photograph from the vantage point of the rearview, print it, cut it in the shape of the rearview and fit it in, and that should do the trick. Except it doesn't, because you need it not for decor, but for driving. Or also be told that you can buy another car that has a working rearview in it and use that car instead when you want to check, drive for a bit, then go back to your first car to drive it too so they are in sync. And finally, be told that It's not the car dealer's fault that you didn't check one by one for all of the hundreds of features and pieces that any car is supposed to have before you bought it.

I don't know about you, but if I found a car dealer like that, I'd think twice about buying anything else from him again.

Edited November 7, 2021 by bitblitter

[ra.skill]

12 minutes ago, Hens said:

A car is just a means of transportation by wheels from point A to point B.
Air conditioning is a luxury made standard to make you pay more but it doesn't make it a better car,it may feel that way but isn't.

In your assumption it would mean a wheelchair needs airconditioning too 
Does the same thing as a car, I can sit in it,takes me from A to B,has wheels,the weather is hot sometimes.
 

Name 1 car on the market today that doesn’t have air conditioning!!??

[bitblitter]

22 minutes ago, Hens said:

You know cars don't have mirrors in the rearview , you would be sitting backwards in your car.
But new cars can have camera's which get displayed on a screen on the dashboard.

Would I assume it is in every new car,me thinks not.

Ok, bad analogy or wrong word, english is not my first language. The correct analogy is not really the point, the 'having a basic feature missing' is,  but I'll bite. Let's change it to a car that doesn't have a parking brake, or a glove compartment, or brake lights, or a trunk or whatever basic feature of a car you can think of.

[ra.skill]

42 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

Ariel Atom. Jeep Wrangler. Several models of Fiat 500. Toyota Yaris. Nissan Micra in the basic form. Several others... This is a Reddit thread with an incomplete list: 

Your implication that all cars sold today have air conditioning is entirely wrong. It is fair to say that most cars sold today have air conditioning. 

So you’re saying that Affinity is the equivalent standard of a Toyota Yaris!! Boy… I thought this was professional software not a domestic shopping trolley. Guess I bought the wrong car. 

[ra.skill]

4 minutes ago, Hens said:

Yes you did if you expected it would be a Rolls Royce with champagne holder and platinum rims.

Champagne holder and platinum rims… that’s Adobe… nope, I thought I was buying a Toyota Corolla, the car that does everything you expect it to. 

[ra.skill]

The article states…

“As with the first-generation Corolla, the second-generation model featured a whole host of up-to-date technologies that were usually only found on more expensive models. Some of these features included an AM/FM stereo, windscreen washers and air conditioning.”

So the second generation Corolla had air conditioning… that’s coincidental… Let’s hope that Affinity follows Toyota and brings the essentials in 2.0

[Comet]

10 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

There's no point going on and on with this. It doesn't serve any purpose.

Totally agree.

[fde101]

On 11/2/2021 at 3:06 PM, aizome said:

Affinity Designer lacks absolutely fundamental features for all users (e.g. 'select' ignores locked layers, the ability to designate non-printing layers when created).

I do agree that an option to lock layers against selection would make logical sense and it is kind of silly that it is missing, but for my own use, I don't miss it.  The ability to create visible layers that do not print would also be VERY nice to have, but for a great many projects, I can easily live without it.

Those features are not essential for me, and I use Affinity Designer, thus the features clearly are NOT essential for all users.

[R C-R]

13 hours ago, Boldlinedesign said:

@R C-R - Glad you are trying out Vectorstyler. If you are willing, would you share your impressions of it with the developer? Either through email or on the Vectorstyler forum. The more ideas and impressions get shared, the better he can improve the user experience.

I may do that after I get more experience with it but that will have to wait. For now, I need to track down the cause(s) of the delays I am seeing in the UI to see if I can reduce or eliminate them, because that is making it difficult to know if I am using it correctly.

[David.P]

I was going to reply to this post, but I can't seem to find it. Therefore I shall quote it from the mail notification:

On 11/7/2021 at 10:01 AM, Patrick Connor said: Well that's debatable... No doubt, you are  what you have initiated shows a know-how and your personal vision of a place to take in this "creative" world. On 11/7/2021 at 10:01 AM, Patrick Connor said: we do As I have said to forum users here before you should buy the software for the features that the program already has and not the ones it doesn't If you really read all the messages posted, why don't you give feedback here to your customers when they repeatedly report specific issues that are obviously not taken into account in the apps development year after year? I really would have preferred that you answer me "ok, understood but, no need to come back with this problem for such or such reason". On 11/7/2021 at 10:01 AM, Patrick Connor said: we will do our best. Affinity is not done yet. I had read and can understand your arguments to justify the absence of road maps... but do you really think that this decision was rational and that the feeling (e.g., the frustration of some users) has suddenly become much better now? Do you think your communication on this forum is optimal? Just some sincere questions without any animosity or blame or emotion (no need to dislike this post)... just to get a Serif opinion because I'm wondering myself. Cheers Patrick

I agree. Now that suddenly many users seem to be ultimately frustrated and actually migrating to VectorStyler (I already bought it too), Affinity finds itself willing to participate a little in the discussion again -- however still without making any clear statement on the actual topic.

In this megathread, one could have said years ago, "no the feature is not coming any time soon", or "yes the feature is planned for the near future". No such statement for years, and then suddenly but only formally show some presence again when the users are leaving, continues to be not particularly helpful on the merits.

[D. Main]

Patrick Connor: As I have said to forum users here before you should buy the software for the features that the program already has and not the ones it doesn't.

 

I've hesitated reentering this discussion, but I was disappointed in Patrick's reply above.

Indeed, I bought Affinity Designer because it did what I needed - EXTREMELY AND PROFESSIONALLY WELL. 

However, my project and MY Customer requirements change.   Now a large body of work that I am committed to requires such a feature.

I was surprised when a prior incarnation (Serif Draw) and even freeware have this feature that I thought vector graphics software should have.  My bad - I agree.

So, I went to the forum to look for workarounds (which are really bad and don't work for me) and to express to Affinity my (and others' apparently growing desire) to have this feature. 

As others' have put it - for years, not a peep either way from Affinity.  So this means to me as a Customer - that this forum is not to assist Customers nor to gauge Customer's needs.  Thus, I like others, are purchasing alternative software - Its a free market.  And this is a free market pressure for Affinity.

Nuff said.  No need for any more comment... from me.

[dr_who]

Can anyone summarize the features VectorStyler has that AD lacks?

[Olich]

5 minutes ago, dr_who said:

Can anyone summarize the features VectorStyler has that AD lacks?

As far as this thread is concerned, you can use and create vector patterns with Vectorstyler. I have started playing with it and it seems pretty powerful. Far more than with Inkscape and of course than with AD which only allows you to use raster patterns.

[R C-R]

33 minutes ago, dr_who said:

Can anyone summarize the features VectorStyler has that AD lacks?

See for example:

• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/shapes/ (for the various shape options.
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/patterns/ for tiling patterns
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/brushes/ for brushes (which are real vector-based ones, unlike all but a few of those of AD)
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/shapeeffects/ for shape effects (vector distortions)
• etc.

Basically, almost any conceivable vector operation can be done in the app. The hardest part for many of them is finding the correct tool or panel that does it.

[dr_who]

2 minutes ago, R C-R said:

See for example:

• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/shapes/ (for the various shape options.
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/patterns/ for tiling patterns
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/brushes/ for brushes (which are real vector-based ones, unlike all but a few of those of AD)
• https://www.vectorstyler.com/documentation/shapeeffects/ for shape effects (vector distortions)
• etc.

Basically, almost any conceivable vector operation can be done in the app. The hardest part for many of them is finding the correct tool or panel that does it.

Thanks. I’m considering pulling the trigger on this one while it’s still on sale. Don’t know how it’s managed to fly under my radar up until now.

[R C-R]

Just now, dr_who said:

Thanks. I’m considering pulling the trigger on this one while it’s still on sale.

That is what I did. I have to say that the VS app has not been working as well as I had hoped -- I keep getting lags & the occasional crash -- so I am not sure I would find it worth buying at the full retail price but at the sale price it is pretty much a no brainer.

[D. Main]

One feature of VS that I like because it outdoes the basic vector fill I needed is that you can vector fill an object/shape, then set the fill to distort with distortions of the object.  'Kinda like printing on rubber, then moving the rubber about.  Perfect for part of what I've been looking for.

[Boldlinedesign]

3 hours ago, R C-R said:

I keep getting lags & the occasional crash

That is not the usual or typical user experience of VS - I would bring it up to the developer of VS

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, Boldlinedesign said:

That is not the usual or typical user experience of VS - I would bring it up to the developer of VS

I have sent a crash report. The lags apparently are not too unusual for certain operations, typically some of the ones involving modal panels, but a lot of that could just be me not being familiar with setting up the app for optimal performance.

[affinityfan]

+1