(Object)Styles randomly changing its values

[Joachim_L]

Sorry, title might be confusing as I am not a native speaker looking for the right wording.

Step 1) Create a picture frame with no stroke and no fill.

Step 2) Click the frame and go to Layer Effects. Pick up Outer Shadow and define it like 25% 25px 10px 0% and apply it to the picture frame.

Step 3) Keep the picture frame selected and from Styles panel "Add Style From Selection". Name the style as you like or leave the name as is.

Step 4) Create a picture frame like in step 1 with the same dimensions and apply the style you created in step 3. Suddenly the values for the Outer Shadow change. Make a third picture frame, values change.

Step 5) Add some images with different file formats and the shadow values will change. Seems to be a lottery.

So right now, I can't rely on these styles.

 

 

[Jon P]

Hi Joachim,

When creating the style in Layer Effects do you have "Scale with Object" ticked?

[Aammppaa]

This is a bug (or unfortunate design choice?) that exists in all Affinity apps.

It has been discussed before, but in brief…

• When you draw an object, it has a creation size.
• If you then resize an object a transform is added, but the creation size remains unchanged. 
• Layer effects are scaled by a ratio of creation size to current size.

So even though two objects look the same, they are only truly the same if they were created at exactly the same size, and scaled in the same way!

Try the following…

1. Turn on the grid and snap to grid.
2. Draw a unit square.
3. Apply your effects (drop shadow)
4. Create a style.
5. Draw three more squares…
   • 1st square exactly the same size as the first.
   • 2nd square twice the size of the first, and then reduced.
   • 3rd square half the size of the first, and then doubled.
6. Apply your style to all the new squares.

Result: 1st is identical to original, 2nd is half the size, 3rd is twice the size.

 

Some earlier discussions (there are many others!)

 

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/35329-paste-fx-will-resize-the-effects
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/33992-paste-effects-random-values-bug
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/41865-ad-when-pasting-styles-or-effects-effects-always-scale
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/86962-layer-effects-styles-panel

[Aammppaa]

22 minutes ago, Jon P said:

When creating the style in Layer Effects do you have "Scale with Object" ticked?

Wow - this now works! From memory and according to previous discussions it used not to make any difference.

So long as you remember to turn on Scale with Object at the time of creating the Style it will indeed apply without rescaling.

However…

• this is pretty counter intuitive - I have to turn on scaling in order to prevent scaling?!
• the option is off by default so most users will make the mistake.
• the option can't be enabled in the style after creation, as there is no way to edit a style.
• the option can't be enabled on the target objects, as that will only scale on subsequent transforms.