3joern Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Dear Affinity Team, my daily business is the design of books and magazines (for photography and architecture). I prefer a fast workflow that allows me to easily and intuitively position, scale and select the image excerpt. Now that I've been playing around with publishers for some time (also long time in beta) to test the possibilities and post my opinion here, I'd like to address the biggest problem (that drives me crazy) for me so far, the handling of image boxes and their inconsistent variability (which is probably also due to the Studio link concept, but doesn't really work in the base yet). Also see the video that shows my points a bit. - the first and biggest problem is the different handling of different image types. With a JPG or Tiff I have the standard options I expect from a layout program. The whole thing changes as soon as I work with psd, eps, pdf. Suddenly I can't choose what I could do with jpg, like the percentage input of the image size, or the simple choose of the best image excerpt. This must be normal for every image type also for eps, pdf etc.: - next are the different image integration options that result in different operating options (context menu, positioning, dragNdrop, dragNdrop in a Picture frame etc. and each time different operating options afterwards). These are basic functions that should function as simply as possible and above all always have the same functions afterwards. - then selecting the image excerpt, once you have to convert the image into an image box, then sometimes it can not be converted with an eps or psd e.g. (if I have a logo overview, I have to laboriously make a mask using the layer tool) that must work everywhere the same. All pictures must always be in a picture box, otherwise it's like PowerPoint, where else do I need a layout program for? - never, never ever should one have the possibility to distort a picture without conscious intervention. That has happened to me now already many often by mistake and if one does not notice such a thing and one has a distorted logo, picture or plan, then the shit has hit the fan. - with the picture box I can only scale proportionally at the lower right corner, but when I put the picture. But when I position the image at the bottom of the layout, I have to move it back and forth forever until I scale it correctly, because no keyboard command allows me to scale it proportionally at another corner. - and a few other things that bother me a lot about the way publishers deal with pictures, but I don't have time for that today. I understand that you have already invested a lot of time in really good features and the program costs really nothing compared to Indesign, but you have the claim to appeal to professional people, there must be a more convincing tool than the image positioning of PowerPoint or Keynote, for example. I appreciate your work very much and that's why I take (a lot of) time here to explain the problem as good as I can (also with a video). If you want more details we can have a video call with screen sharing and I can try to tell you why this efficiency is so important for professionals, and how you can optimize it (for free ). Oh, and I don't want a workaround, I want a timesaving change, because I believe Publisher can be a game changer. PS and last but not least, why for heaven's sake is when I create a print document defined as standard color RGB? Videooos: the correct size (100% ) of an image is unfortunately not as easy as it should be jpegPsd_100pro.mp4 scaling of a image excerpt should be possible proportionally not only at one corner, best with a shortcut, but with Control everything turns uncontrollably with scale.mp4 image excerpt for an eps/PSD (logos, plans, etc.) is too complicated. Make it like a normal jepeg or tiff. ausschnitt eps.mp4 DragNDrop place many images, I wish it happened the same as when you placed images via the context menu dragndrop.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fde101 Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 8 hours ago, 3joern said: psd, eps, pdf. These, along with the native Affinity file types, are considered embedded documents rather than images. Also, for PDF files in particular, DPI would have no meaning. A PDF file is inherently vector, and while a raster image within the file might have its own DPI, you could have multiple such images with different DPIs for each of them... thus there is no basis for presenting that information. In theory you could still do the "scale %" without the DPI information, but currently the products do not do that for embedded documents - I agree that would be a nice enhancement. Also note that at this time, embedded documents have a copy embedded into the Affinity document even if they are configured as being linked, which can bloat the size of the file. Serif has already indicated they expect to address this in a future update. 8 hours ago, 3joern said: All pictures must always be in a picture box This one won't happen because it would break compatibility with Photo and Designer where photo frames wouldn't make any sense. All three programs share a common file format. I could see a preference that would automatically wrap newly added images in a frame when adding them within Publisher, however, as some seem to prefer that. Personally I only see significant value in picture frames when they are on master pages and being used as placeholders for consistent positioning across multiple pages, or if you are adding a decorative stroke to the frame. 8 hours ago, 3joern said: no keyboard command allows me to scale it proportionally at another corner Shift does this for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 22, 2019 Author Share Posted June 22, 2019 sorry, this sounds more like vindication than a discussion about optimization. With what perspective are you here? Software developer? As a designer, I want a tool that make my work easier for me and saves time. In the Live Keynote, Ash put a lot of emphasis on Studio link is fast and effective. But if I need twice as much time to process my images in the Layout (position, scale and select the image excerpt with all image formats) because of Studio link, at the end this great feature actually doesn't help at all. Quote Also note that at this time, embedded documents have a copy embedded into the Affinity document even if they are configured as being linked, which can bloat the size of the file. Serif has already indicated they expect to address this in a future updat I hope this will change, because I work 85% of my projects with linked OPI data. Studio link doesn't help at all and the sources of errors when updating images are extremely large. Quote 14 hours ago, 3joern said: no keyboard command allows me to scale it proportionally at another corner Shift does this for me? yeah, see the second video with shift you can scale proportionally, but also without any control of the angle (on Mac) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fde101 Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 On 6/22/2019 at 4:54 AM, 3joern said: shift you can scale proportionally, but also without any control of the angle that's control... shift behaves differently On 6/22/2019 at 4:54 AM, 3joern said: With what perspective are you here? Software developer? No, just a happy user trying to help out. On 6/22/2019 at 4:54 AM, 3joern said: I hope this will change Serif has stated rather clearly that they expect it to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3joern Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Hi, thanks for you Feedback, Quote On 6/22/2019 at 10:54 AM, 3joern said: shift you can scale proportionally, but also without any control of the angle that's control... shift behaves differently control works before I've change to a picture frame and select another excerpt. After that control don't work anymore. Bug? I don't just want to grumble, I have made a comparison and simply prepared an old layout to position the pictures in both programs. Once in Indesign then in Publisher to show a simple workflow. Admittedly, I'm more experienced in indesign and don't use Publisher's Studio Link as I could (I want flexibility when there are changes from the client) and does not want to change any linked data that is embedded after all.) First Indesign workflow (not perfekt at the End but 9:31min) indd.mp4 Then Publisher workflow (the separate picture frame workflow slow me down to 14:09min for the same effort) pubisher_vs_indd.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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