becreart Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Hi Affinity community I'm glad Affinity Publisher is finally out and want to switch from InDesign (as I guess many of us). But I'm struggling with linkes PDF files. We are working with Scale sensitive plans and drawings and it is very important, that we can handle the size of the linkes files precisely. It should be possible to define the zooming in numbers (and not only slider) – how can I do that? I also realised, when placing a PDF file in a Picture Frame the percentage is not correct to the original PDF file. The 100% is linkes to the picture frame and not to the PDF file. Is this possible to change in the settings? Or am I doing it wrong? Maybe there is a much easier way and I'm used to the workflow of InDesign. The goal is to link PDF files, mask them in Publisher and have a precisely control of the "Zoom" level. Thank you for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becreart Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Not yet possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 What the... I just tested and your right. Normal images like jepgs can be adjusted as a percentage, but an eps like a logo or a plan doesn't work. see screenshot. Sorry but this is a NoNo. becreart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Hi @becreart & @3joern You can do precise transformations by using the Transform Panel, if you can not see this then go to View>Studio and tick Transform. Make sure that the Image you wish to transform is selected, check that the lock is enabled so that both height & width are affected. Then simply overtype either the H or W with whatever % you need, then hit enter. You can also use precise measurements by overtyping the existing. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becreart Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 10 minutes ago, Murfee said: Hi @becreart & @3joern You can do precise transformations by using the Transform Panel, if you can not see this then go to View>Studio and tick Transform. Make sure that the Image you wish to transform is selected, check that the lock is enabled so that both height & width are affected. Then simply overtype either the H or W with whatever % you need, then hit enter. You can also use precise measurements by overtyping the existing. Hope this helps Thank you for your answer! Unfortunately this doesn’t work. I tried to explain it in my first post. If you change the size of the PDF with a percentage number it always calculates the new size from the actual millimetres not the original PDF size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 nope, it dosen't work with vector data like eps. Annnd really annoying is that the picture frame has not the same behavior with different type of pictures. eps.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 3 minutes ago, becreart said: Thank you for your answer! Unfortunately this doesn’t work. I tried to explain it in my first post. If you change the size of the PDF with a percentage number it always calculates the new size from the actual millimetres not the original PDF size. If you know the original PDF size then try inputting those measurements first, hit enter. Your PDF should now be it's original size. Now go into the transform panel again and input your %... This has worked for me on trying a quick test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 @3joern Try Placing your file directly by using File>Place, you do not need to use the picture frame. You can then scale as needed, If you input your original file size first, hit enter then overtype with your % it should work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becreart Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 8 minutes ago, Murfee said: If you know the original PDF size then try inputting those measurements first, hit enter. Your PDF should now be it's original size. Now go into the transform panel again and input your %... This has worked for me on trying a quick test. Yap sure, but only once. It should be possible to change it several times. And it is also necessary to know how many percent the placed PDF is at anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 @Murfee, You miss the point. We need the original size in % of the picture. With all the transform tools you only can adjust the picture frame size (if you have a PDF or an eps). With a jpeg works fine and like expected. PS and I want to work fast. after 20 years I have never used the Place Image option. I only use dragNdrop. Preferred with the possibility of key shortcuts in Indesign to insert 9 images simultaneously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 @3joern & @becreart I do not use the picture frame, just the image i.e. PDF or EPS by placing it directly in the document, I can alter the % as many times as needed. I do admit that I can not see what % it is at any time...but I can tell by knowing the original file size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 sorry, this is not a professional workflow if you need to layout architecture plans or vector graphics that need to be scaled. (How architects or architectural book designers do) becreart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Sorry that I cant't help you further, this is not a workflow that I am familiar with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 19 minutes ago, Murfee said: @3joern & @becreart I do not use the picture frame, just the image i.e. PDF or EPS by placing it directly in the document, I can alter the % as many times as needed. I do admit that I can not see what % it is at any time...but I can tell by knowing the original file size. Just a last Question, If you only use the image (without the picture frame) how you can select the perfect picture-excerpt? (when you have other elements in the eps or pdf) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becreart Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 @3joern you can create a mask with a rectangle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 ok, not what I was hoping for a layout application, but that works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 24 minutes ago, 3joern said: Just a last Question, If you only use the image (without the picture frame) how you can select the perfect picture-excerpt? (when you have other elements in the eps or pdf) I dont do architectural layout work professionally, I was just trying to assist with scaling. Instead of the picture frame you could try using the rectangle tool and clipping the image to that, the rectangle can be resized as many times as needed, you can also resize the image independantly while it is inside the rectangle. Not sure if this concept will work for your needs though as I can't find a way of seeing the % of the image at any time. Oops I was halfway through and had to leave my desk so didn't see that you had already figured this out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 thanks anyway for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 @3joern & @becreart I have just had a look at the Picture Frame tool, not sure but I think that it might do what you need. You can size the frame & change it's % as many times as you need. In your layers panel if you select your image that is nested under the picture frame you can move it around and scale it as many times as you need independently of the Picture frame. then go back to the picture frame and use the slider that shows underneath...the z shows the size % of the original file. Maybe not ideal for your workflow but it does work in the quick tests that I have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becreart Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 @Murfee the % number in the picture frame is related to the pictureframe size not the original size… unfortunately. or am I wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 If you tweak the slider underneath it is showing the % (and resizing the original size) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I tested it by looking at the original file size before importing it into Publisher, I then moved the slider to 50% and checked the size of the image by selecting it in the layers tab and looking at the Transform Panel...it was 50% of the original size. You can adjust this slider as many times as needed and the % is still of the original Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I see what you mean, but it's overcomplicated, when the normal option in jpg works without problems (see my first screenshot), why Publisher do not the same with vector graphics. And the hole image handling in Publisher drives me crazy, the cropping, the scaling, the position of images and image frame. I will open a new topic in suggestions for the image handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfee Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, 3joern said: but it's overcomplicated, when the normal option in jpg works without problems (see my first screenshot), why Publisher do not the same with vector graphics. And the hole image handling in Publisher drives me crazy, the cropping, the scaling, the position of images and image frame. I will open a new topic in suggestions for the image handling. I understand, I think that its easy with jpg because it is a flat image file, EPS etc have a lot more components so they are treated as documents. I don't do layouts professionally and haven't really given Publisher much time. Sorry I didn't get to this earlier, I was multitasking and hoped that the transform panel would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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