Affinity Designer iPad Gray Sliders

[LionelD]

I am surely not the first to notice this:  With the Color studio set to “Gray Sliders”, using the numeric keypad to enter a value (for the percentage of gray) the behavior is somewhat counter-intuitive.  The display lead me to believe that I might enter “85.6” to get 85.6%, but that gets you 100%.  You have to enter “0.856” to get 85.6%.

Is it really intended to work that way?  This is probably the first time I’ve tried to enter a percentage value; do they all work this way?

Regards

Lionel

[Alfred]

I’m not seeing that here. If I enter 85.6 it gets rounded up to 86%, and if I enter 0.856 it gets rounded up to 1%.

[LionelD]

@Alfred  Thanks.  I just checked, definitely get that behavior.  The attached screenshots show the value entered in the numeric keypad, and then the result in the Color Studio.

Is there a preference/setting on the iPad?  By the way, I’m using the latest version of AD from the App Store, believe it’s the same you have.

Regards

Lionel

[Alfred]

I still can’t reproduce that here, Lionel.

The one odd thing I see in your screenshots is that the Context toolbar in the second one suggests you’re using the Rectangle Tool but doesn’t show a tool selected.

[LionelD]

Thanks for your feedback, Alfred.

This behavior is more annoying than it is limiting, so I can carry on learning how to use AD, but I do hope that development or QA staff check it out further.

Regards

Lionel

@Alfred:  I don’t understand the significance of your observations about the Rectangle Tool and the Context toolbar.  Can you elaborate, please?

Edited May 29, 2019 by LionelD
Follow up question

[Alfred]

10 minutes ago, LionelD said:

@Alfred:  I don’t understand the significance of your observations about the Rectangle Tool and the Context toolbar.  Can you elaborate, please?

In your first screenshot there is a blue bar showing against the Move Tool. In the second screenshot there is no such bar showing against any of the tools, but the Context toolbar options (About Center, Corner Type, To Curves) suggest that the Rectangle Tool is currently active.

[LionelD]

Ok, so I’ve learned a little more about this.

Alfred, if I trigger the numeric keypad by tapping on the circular selector in the gradient the Gray Slider presents, then I get the behavior you describe.  But if I trigger the numeric keypad by tapping on the numbers immediately the Gray Slider (i.e., the characters 100%), then I get the behavior that lead to me making this post.

Why is it that little wrinkles like this are so like peanuts - you can’t eat just one?

Regards

Lionel

[Alfred]

11 minutes ago, LionelD said:

Alfred, if I trigger the numeric keypad by tapping on the circular selector in the gradient the Gray Slider presents, then I get the behavior you describe.  But if I trigger the numeric keypad by tapping on the numbers immediately the Gray Slider (i.e., the characters 100%), then I get the behavior that lead to me making this post.

Nope, still not happening here! And I still haven’t managed to make the blue bar disappear from the tools area.

[LionelD]

39 minutes ago, Alfred said:

In your first screenshot there is a blue bar showing against the Move Tool. In the second screenshot there is no such bar showing against any of the tools, but the Context toolbar options (About Center, Corner Type, To Curves) suggest that the Rectangle Tool is currently active.

@Alfred  Thanks - especially for your keen eyes.  Please bear in mind that I’m new to Affinity, and I’m quite likely to be making lots of mistakes and doing lots of things a more experienced user would avoid.

I just looked back through the history on this file to refresh my memory.  When I built this file, it did not have a background layer.  My edits this morning started with adding a rectangle at the bottom of the layer stack to use as a background.  I then started experimenting with different colors as a background.  I can’t be sure, but it’s very likely that I switched to the move tool in the course of moving the rectangle to the bottom of the stack, and experimenting with fill colors for the rectangle.

I’ve now saved a separate copy of this file with the history in case one of the developers wants to take a look.

Regards

Lionel

[LionelD]

@Alfred  Well, you are one dogged investigator.  Thanks a lot for the feedback.

Regards

Lionel

[DM1]

@LionelD I notice when I tap to bring up the numerical keypad, that it has 100 immediately below the current number set. Perhaps you are activating the 100? I'm using 1.7.0.5 version and my numpad looks different to yours. Maybe a setting somewhere?

[LionelD]

@DM1 Thanks for the feedback.

I’m using a pen, much more precise than my finger, but I doubt I activated the value you point out.  I’ve noticed several points where AD pre-populates the  numpad with a range of options like that, so I was aware of them.

I’m really not sure what to make of this; when first I noticed the behavior I thought it was a typo, and I was able to reproduce it several times before I posted about it.

Yesterday I saved a separate copy of the file, with it’s history.  I opened that copy of the file today, and I have difficulty reproducing that behavior; don’t know what to make of that.

I did (and do) wonder about a setting somewhere, but I can’t find anything that seems relevant.

I guess I’ll just move on and report back if it happens again.

Regards

Lionel