outline mode preview

[Sweatman]

is there a way to preview art in outline mode (Draw Persona) while keeping the imported "template" image visible?

[gdenby]

Hi, Sweatman,

The outlines shown are only the overall shape of the bitmap "template." If I'm guessing correctly about what you want to do, the closest I've come is to decrease the template opacity to something low, 10 - 15%, and add a B&W adjustment layer. That gives a temporary grey scale "ghosted" image.

[Sweatman]

Hi gdenby - Thx for the response.    It appears that anything other than a vector layer will *not* appear in outline mode.    There are clumsy work-arounds (drawing under a Multiply layer but never seeing the template in outline mode), but that's an unfortunate drag.  =[

[R C-R]

11 hours ago, Sweatman said:

It appears that anything other than a vector layer will *not* appear in outline mode.

Because bitmap images are just collections of colored pixels, there are no paths to outline in them.

[firstdefence]

The only thing that would come close to outline would be either the Threshold Adjustment Filter or the destructive Detect edges. There is also a macro that will convert an image to a sketch like effect isn't there @R C-R  

 

You could duplicate the layer, run the macro and overlay it.

[R C-R]

14 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

The only thing that would come close to outline would be either the Threshold Adjustment Filter or the destructive Detect edges.

Detect Edges & macros are Affinity Photo features, & that app does not have an Outline View Mode. But even if the bitmap is processed in Photo & then edited in Designer, it still has no paths to outline, just a collection of pixels.

It is sort of like the difference between editable text & a picture of text in a bitmap image.

[firstdefence]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

Detect Edges & macros are Affinity Photo features, & that app does not have an Outline View Mode. But even if the bitmap is processed in Photo & then edited in Designer, it still has no paths to outline, just a collection of pixels.

It is sort of like the difference between editable text & a picture of text in a bitmap image.

brain didn't see Draw Persona Doh!

[Move Along People]

-

[MEB]

Hi Sweatman,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
This is not currently possible/supported. Thread moved to the Feature Requests section.

[R C-R]

11 minutes ago, haakoo said:

keyword "close "  @firstdefence did not mention that it would be vector paths.

True, but it isn't "close" to the extent that the context is Designer's Outline View Mode because that view mode only shows visible object paths, similar to wireframe object view mode in some 3D apps.

I think to get what the OP wants, Designer would need either an additional view mode that shows vector & text paths but also shows bitmaps normally, or (better?) a per object outline view option.

[Sweatman]

7 hours ago, R C-R said:

Because bitmap images are just collections of colored pixels, there are no paths to outline in them.

Sorry to point out the elephant in the living room;  but that's not how (whispers) Illustrator/Corel Draw/Freehand etc. handles it.  =\

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, Sweatman said:

Sorry to point out the elephant in the living room;  but that's not how (whispers) Illustrator/Corel Draw/Freehand etc. handles it.  =\

Can you post a screenshot of what you see in any of those apps when they are in outline view & the file only includes a single bitmap image?

[Sweatman]

3 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Can you post a screenshot of what you see in any of those apps when they are in outline view & the file only includes a single bitmap image?

Fer sure.

[GRAFKOM]

Very simple. Why invent something else. This way of showing a bitmap is ideal.
first picture - normal mode. Second picture - wireframe mode.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, Sweatman said:

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Can you post a screenshot of what you see in any of those apps when they are in outline view & the file only includes a single bitmap image?

Fer sure.

Why is there an outline around only part of the image?

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, GRAFKOM said:

Very simple. Why invent something else. This way of showing a bitmap is ideal.
first picture - normal mode. Second picture - wireframe mode.

I have never used CorelDRAW but from what I have read about its viewing modes, the wireframe ones display bitmap objects as monochrome bitmap images. Is that similar to what you would like to see as a new feature in the Affinity apps?

[Sweatman]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Why is there an outline around only part of the image?

um......because that's all that's been drawn so far.

or one could say....objects on other layers have been turned off....or hidden.

[GRAFKOM]

2 hours ago, R C-R said:

I have never used CorelDRAW but from what I have read about its viewing modes, the wireframe ones display bitmap objects as monochrome bitmap images. Is that similar to what you would like to see as a new feature in the Affinity apps?

Exactly.

[Old Bruce]

3 hours ago, R C-R said:

I have never used CorelDRAW but from what I have read about its viewing modes, the wireframe ones display bitmap objects as monochrome bitmap images. Is that similar to what you would like to see as a new feature in the Affinity apps?

 

37 minutes ago, GRAFKOM said:

Exactly.

Okay, I see now. I could get behind that sort of improvement.

[Sweatman]

5 hours ago, R C-R said:

I have never used CorelDRAW but from what I have read about its viewing modes, the wireframe ones display bitmap objects as monochrome bitmap images. Is that similar to what you would like to see as a new feature in the Affinity apps?

Exactly.

If I may use Illustrator once again as an example; after placing a bitmap image in your document, you set it's mode to "template".   This will create a monochrome bitmap image that appears like that in *every* display mode.   Very handy if, like me, you sometimes prefer working in outline mode.   =]

[3DJ]

Please implement this, I need it on iPad too. Thought this one should have been a layup to add in by now... severely affecting my workflow.

[Jowday]

 

[Sweatman]

So I discovered a work around for this issue thanks to Danilo Fiocco.      Place your sketch at the bottom of your stack.    Draw shapes without fills until all shapes are completed.    Then go back in and do your shape thingy (fills, gradients, etc).      At that point turn off or delete your sketch layer.

It's rough, but it's the best we have for now.   😉

[Winsome]

On 3/31/2019 at 1:42 AM, Sweatman said:

is there a way to preview art in outline mode (Draw Persona) while keeping the imported "template" image visible?

This is something I really miss in Affinity Designer. And it should already be implemented, now that most people seem to do such graphics in Affinity Designer.

Vectorstyler (and apparently also Coreldraw) displays a faded grayscale version of the bitmap original in outline view (inactive and as background, so you can just draw on top), which is fabulous for tracing, and it should be easy to implement in Affinity.

Vectorstyler

Normal mode

Outline mode

[Boldlinedesign]

@Winsome - In Designer and also in Vectorstyler, you can import a raster image and lock it and lower the opacity and then draw on a new layer above