Snapping in Photo for Brushes and Selections?

[Ste Pickford]

Hello,

I hope this isn't a dumb question, but I've searched the video tutorials, and the forum, and can't find an answer to whether I'm doing something wrong.

I've just upgraded to Affinity Photo 1.7.1.

I want to create a simple 2D grid, then snap the selection tool, and / or the brush tool to that grid, to allow me to quickly block out areas in an image, before I then paint in the areas I've blocked out with detailed imagery / photo samples.  The bitmap image will be used as a texture map in 3D applications, so it's vital that I can block out areas precisely - to the pixel - to aid in UV positioning in the 3D application.

The grid creation tools are wonderfully comprehensive, and the snapping manager seems to be equally comprehensive, but I can't seem to get either the brush or the selection tools to snap to the grid I've created.  The rectangle and gradient tools are working fine with the grid, so I think my grid and snapping manager settings are correct.

In fact, I think I had this same issue when I first tried Affinity Photo a year or so back (v 1.6.x), and ended up returning to PS because I couldn't get a nice workflow going.

Is it correct that the rectangular marquee tools and brush tools don't ever snap to grid by design?  Or is there a way to make them snap to grid that I'm missing?

Or is there an an alternate way of working within Affinity Photo to produce the same results?  Basically, I want to quickly block out a single layer with solid colour shapes (not always rectangles), with the corners of these shapes at grid positions, that I can then select with the flood select tool as discreet areas within the image to paint inside.

Thanks.

[walt.farrell]

I think it's correct that the brushes and the marquee selection tool don't snap to the grid, or at least I've never seen a way to do that.

Have you considered using the Pen Tool? You can draw a shape using the Pen Tool, which does snap to the grid, then on the Context Toolbar you can press the Selection button and you have your selection. Then you can fill it or paint in it any way you want to.

[Ste Pickford]

Cheers Walt, that's something I hadn't considered.  I'll have a play with the Pen tool, and see if I can get a workflow going that way.

Shame that brushes and marquee tools won't snap to grid.  The snapping manager is complex enough that it would be a useful option to add to that list, without effecting those who prefer those tools not to snap.

[Dan C]

Hi Ste Pickford

As Walt has mentioned the brushes and marquee tools can't snap to grids currently, however you could also try using a quick shape to block out this area, then paint whatever you like on another layer clipped inside this shape!

[Ste Pickford]

Ah, OK, thanks Dan.  Yeah. shapes might work as well, although both solutions are slightly more cumbersome than just being able to draw with a brush snapped to grid, as using different features then converting to selections or masks, to fill, all takes more clicks which slow down my workflow.  

Please consider an option to make the brush and marquee tools snap to grid if possible. 

Thanks for your help. Appreciated.