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Associate SVG files with Designer


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I think a lot of people here use Affinity Designer to work with SVG files thus I'd like to suggest enabling associating SVG files with Designer by default. Also, since Windows itself cannot preview those files, it could show a preview instead of a file icon.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
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8 hours ago, Leonardo Pessoa said:

I think a lot of people here use Affinity Designer to work with SVG files thus I'd like to suggest enabling associating SVG files with Designer by default. Also, since Windows itself cannot preview those files, it could show a preview instead of a file icon.

Please no!! SVG is an output format, made especially to show in a browser/website. Originally not even meant to use as a distribution format to keep all your layers and so on, but as a final end result. Although it may be handy sometimes if no other format at hand. 

I'd rather not have Affinity associate ANY files with the software other than Affinity files (and maybe brushes or swatches etc). Me for instance like to open a fast viewer (like even a browser) to view the SVG files instead. But as a developer most of the time I immediately open them inside a code-editor to edit them.

Also; how could Serif know in which of the three Affinity programs you would like to open the SVG files?

If you like to associate SVG files to an Affinity program; you can rightclick on the svg file, choose 'open with'... and choose the Affinity program of your choice (and check the checkbox to always use that program).

Also, WIndows can preview SVG files in all browsers you have. So you could also associate a browser to svg-files if you only like to have a quick vierw.

Also displaying SVG-files as thumbnails in Windows Explorer is possible. Search in Google for SVG Explorer Plugin and install that. Than Explorer shows svg-previews of all your svg files in Windows.

 

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Friksel,

I didn't mean to use SVG as the main file format for AFDesigner, never. I know there are different purposes for each file type and I would not mix (I've played with Inkscape before, I know the drill). But as with any other apps like those, they may be used as the standard application for handling file types other than its main format. At its best, this comes in the form of a preference dialogue where the user is given the choice of which additional file types they want to be associated automatically with the app (among those it can handle). Brushes and swatches are only some of the options you would find there and you would still be able to keep SVG associated with your preferred source code editor.

As for Serif to know with which program to open the SVG file, the easiest answer is to see the nature of the file (thus the suggestion to associate SVG with AFDesigner and not any other since SVG is a vector drawing by nature). I wouldn't, by default, choose to open PSD files with AFPublisher (this would be File > Place...) or INDD files with Illustrator (I think cannot even handle opening the file for any purpose whatsoever).

Also, I know the SVG Explorer plugin and it's not that I distrust it but it doesn't work very well all the time and I think it could be handier if associating those files with AFDesigner worked like (better than) the plugin. Also this same behaviour could be applied to other file types for which you do not have another application to handle (you may think of AI files without Illustrator, for example).

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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Well pretty every OS allows you to customize file associations on individual demands and user preferences, so if you have a need for it you can set up this behavior from the OS file level handling ...

... which is better than letting every program have a race after catching certain supported file formats and extensions. - For example I for my part prefer to open SVG in a text editor so I can see and alter it's generated code. Further I have some 20 programs which all can deal with SVG, if all of them would try to catch a SVG file association on their own it would be quite a mess.

 

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That's the thing, they don't try to catch. They offer you the possibility to be associated with those files and thus reaping the benefits of this association. Choice is yours.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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Some programs allow to assign and associate/setup a bunch of file associations on their own, for example IrfanView and some others too. Others like Inkscape which do use SVG as their main file format do catch it as default when installed. So it's often like a LIFO race and due to that it's often better to tell the OS how to deal with and handle certain file associations here.

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
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v_kyr, I've seen now that you're a macOS user. macOS allows an app to register as many extensions they want and you can easily switch the app to use still reaping the benefits of it. However, the registration of file types on Windows is a little bit trickier and despite being possible to do the same in it, it will only register as a generic file association, usually without the same benefits. It would require a little bit more effort from Serif to do this on Windows and thus I mentioned the need for a preference dialogue.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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I also use and work with Win, though more doing development than using the Affinity apps there. The Win file association handling is well documented ...

... so it's no theme to implement and setup a certain program behavior here.

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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6 hours ago, TonyO said:

You can just do that in the OS by right clicking on any SVG, clicking GET INFO, and setting the open program to AFDesign and clicking apply to All. I don't think it needs to be build into the app. 

As I noticed earlier, not in macOS versions. Windows is a whole different story.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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6 hours ago, v_kyr said:
  • Windows 10 – How to configure file associations for IT Pros?

I think this link sumarises my issue here (plus that it describes how to do it for "IT Pros". Btw, thanks for the link. I was in need to get a bit up-to-date on the matter).

According to this document, Windows 10 allows users to choose which app they want a file to be open with in two occasions:

  • if it is the first time you try to open a file of that type, or
  • if a new application registers itself as the handler for that file type in particular.

So I may even associate my SVG files with AF Designer (by double clicking them first time, or using the "Open with..." contextual menu) but that will just create a generic file registration. In order to reap benefits of registered apps such as thumbnails and contextual menu options (both of which AF Designer does not handle right now but I sure hope it does in the near future), an app must try and register itself as a handler for those files using the Windows 10 API. Then, the next time the user tries to open that file (or use "Open with..."), the system will presen (unless it is suppressed, as stated in the same article) a dialogue so the user can choose which app to open the file with (and whether or not not ask this again for this file type).

However, none of this will happen if AF Designer does not try to register itself as the default handler for SVG files.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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On Windows systems most things are more or less carved in stone via Registry entries, so also the default app for certain file associations. To get a rough idea and the possible different ways to influence registry settings you can look through this PDF file type related example ...

... it's similar for other file types like SVG. - If you use a Windows Registry Editor you can inspect (and also alter) certain registry settings, though you should keep a registry backup first and also know what you do. Further often a reboot is needed, so any possible made changes are newly activated to be used.

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18 hours ago, v_kyr said:

On Windows systems most things are more or less carved in stone via Registry entries, so also the default app for certain file associations. To get a rough idea and the possible different ways to influence registry settings you can look through this PDF file type related example ...

... it's similar for other file types like SVG. - If you use a Windows Registry Editor you can inspect (and also alter) certain registry settings, though you should keep a registry backup first and also know what you do. Further often a reboot is needed, so any possible made changes are newly activated to be used.

As you can see, a regular user might end up screwing things up while trying to do any of this. As a developer myself, I've been through this several times but I fail to see one reason (beyond mere will) for not letting the app tell the system what it can handle (and how) and then let the user choose via a simple and easy dialogue already existing in the system.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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3 hours ago, Lmpessoa said:

As you can see, a regular user might end up screwing things up while trying to do any of this. As a developer myself, I've been through this several times but I fail to see one reason (beyond mere will) for not letting the app tell the system what it can handle (and how) and then let the user choose via a simple and easy dialogue already existing in the system.

For plain users without much knowledge about OS and administration tasks etc. it's of course easier to just have to click some in app file assoc prefs checkboxes and then apply the settings. They then have just to keep care that no other app overwrites and catches the default file associations. - The mature user, who knows what he does, might prefer to control and setup such things from the OS system.

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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21 hours ago, v_kyr said:

For plain users without much knowledge about OS and administration tasks etc. it's of course easier to just have to click some in app file assoc prefs checkboxes and then apply the settings. They then have just to keep care that no other app overwrites and catches the default file associations. - The mature user, who knows what he does, might prefer to control and setup such things from the OS system.

As developers, we should never write software that is aimed at the most skilled of users (in any aspect); we have to think about the less experienced users first and then make sure the top users won't feel like they are being treated like toddlers. Also, even the most skilled developer might not want to have to deal with such trivial tasks such as associating additional file types with apps under their system's skin.

architect student (5/10) · designer · developer · geek
Affinity Publisher 2.1.1 / Affinity Designer 2.1.1 / Affinity Photo 2.1.1
Windows 11 Pro #22H2 / Dell G15 AMD Ryzen 5 32GB RAM

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Well in an ideal software world, but as so often most things in software aren't ideal here.

☛ Affinity Designer 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Photo 1.10.8 ◆ Affinity Publisher 1.10.8 ◆ OSX El Capitan
☛ Affinity V2.3 apps ◆ MacOS Sonoma 14.2 ◆ iPad OS 17.2

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On 7/17/2019 at 3:00 AM, TonyO said:

Yup, Windows is over complicated and a flat out pain to use . Glad I left that nonsense behind, I don’t miss it at all.

Fascinating story.

  • "The user interface is supposed to work for me - I am not supposed to work for the user interface."
  • Computer-, operating system- and software agnostic; I am a result oriented professional. Look for a fanboy somewhere else.
  • “When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger.” ― Confucius
  • Not an Affinity user og forum user anymore. The software continued to disappoint and not deliver.
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