Keyboard shortcut system revision/API?

[casterle]

From my perspective as a customer with an interest in controlling AP from not only my tablet but from my USB MIDI controller (buttons & knobs) I would like to see evolution in this area. Tablet support isn’t wonderful (not an AP issue but could be helped by shortcut improvements), but I’ve got it working well.

MIDI controller integration is another issue – I’ve got it working well where I can get it to work at all, but I am restricted in what I can make work due to AP limitations.

In my admittedly limited experience, controller integration can be performed robustly in two ways: An API (Application Program Interface) ala Lightroom or flexible keyboard shortcuts.

Between the two, an API allows much tighter, two-way integration between the controller and AP. This is how, for example, LED indicator rings on the controller knobs can be set to reflect current LR settings for the associated control.

Keyboard shortcuts allow for sending commands to AP but offer no more. The good news is, a LOT can be accomplished this way. That’s because we can use the software than translates MIDI commands to do things far beyond emitting a single keystroke for a MIDI command.

To take full advantage of the many controls on my MIDI controller, I need an API or a more flexible and extensive shortcut system. I’d love to see both implemented, but failing that what do I want? My MIDI controller interests would be best served by an API, but perhaps Affinity’s would not.

Unless Affinity has been planning on an API and working toward that end, implementing one could be an long and expensive undertaking. Also, resources put into creating and supporting an API would mainly benefit users like me who use external controllers.

Revising the shortcut system to allow *everything* to be controlled by user-defined key sequences (including field values) would give me most of what I want, and would also benefit all AP users.

I’m posting this now in hopes of getting a discussion going with an end toward getting something in the next release. I hope there’s interest and would like to the Affinity team to join the conversation.