Why doesn't "make linked" copy all files to the designated link destination?

[rossbryon]

In an effort to trim the size of my Publisher file and make a "pseudo package" of my project,

• I selected all my embedded items in Resource Manager,
• clicked the Make Linked button,
• nominated a destination folder for links when asked

BUT found that while all files were then marked as linked in the Resource Manager, not all my files were copied into the nominated links destination.

Why not?

AND what determines which are copied and which are not.

AND is there any way to make ALL embedded files copy to the nominated links destination?

 

[R C-R]

"Make Linked" doesn't copy anything to any folder. It just allows you to change an embedded resource into a linked one. You have to tell the manager where the file is located currently when you make the change so the file path can be stored in the document instead of the resource itself.

If the file path changes, the link won't work because the document only stores a link to the original path, so you will be asked to find the new location so that can be stored in the document.

[carl123]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

"Make Linked" doesn't copy anything to any folder. "

If the original location of the embedded documents is no longer available or, say, you got the document from someone else, then "make linked" will ask you to specify a folder and will copy the files to that folder as part of the make linked process

[carl123]

On 7/21/2019 at 12:19 AM, rossbryon said:

not all my files were copied into the nominated links destination.

Is there a pattern to which files were not copied?

Like their file extension or the way they were initially embedded in the document?

[rossbryon]

Still investigating, but it seems - from the helpful answers above - that the only files copied to the new designated location are ones which are no longer in the location they were originally imported from. If that's so, then the only way to create a complete library of linked files would be to move the Affinity Publisher document to where the original links were not available. Too cumbersome, so I guess I'll have to be satisfied with keeping big, fat Publisher files if I want to archive them and have them portable. Storage keeps getting cheaper, so why worry!

[carl123]

To keep things simple I always keep all my project files in one folder but I appreciate others may not be able to work like this.

Affinity files can grow to ridiculous sizes when embedding images etc so I prefer to keep everything I can linked.

If I need to archive or send the project to someone else I just zip my project folder and the affinity document and do it that way.

5 hours ago, rossbryon said:

Storage keeps getting cheaper, so why worry!

I just filled another 3TB external drive used for my backups. Mostly filled with older Affinity projects that did not support linked files properly, hopefully with Publisher and Studio Link I can get my projects down to a reasonable size when creating new ones from now on.  

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, carl123 said:

I just filled another 3TB external drive used for my backups. Mostly filled with older Affinity projects that did not support linked files properly, hopefully with Publisher and Studio Link I can get my projects down to a reasonable size when creating new ones from now on.  

But won't the linked files plus the project add up to around the same file size?

[carl123]

6 minutes ago, R C-R said:

But won't the linked files plus the project add up to around the same file size? 

No, embedding makes things a lot bigger which has been the problem since the begining 

[R C-R]

4 minutes ago, carl123 said:

No, embedding makes things a lot bigger which has been the problem since the begining 

What I mean is if you add up the size of the project file (with links) plus the sizes of all the files that project links to, is the total really that much smaller, even if you store all of it in a single zip archive?

[carl123]

In APhoto

I have 11 images (JPGs) I want to make into a collage. Total file size of all JPGs files is 291MB

I place all those images in a document and Save As the document and my APhoto file is 581MB

Still in APhoto I then change all those images to linked images and my APhoto file reduces to 61MB

and that's without any Live Filter Layers, Adjustment Layers, Masking or anything else done to those initial 11 JPGs

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, carl123 said:

Still in APhoto I then change all those images to linked images and my APhoto file reduces to 61MB

Can I assume by 'change' you mean you used the Replace Image button, used the Options button at the bottom of the window to reveal the Embed Picture & Link Picture radio buttons, selected the same image, & used the Link button to convert it to a link? And that you did this for each of the 11 JPEGs?

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Can I assume by 'change' you mean you used the Replace Image button, used the Options button at the bottom of the window to reveal the Embed Picture & Link Picture radio buttons, selected the same image, & used the Link button to convert it to a link? And that you did this for each of the 11 JPEGs?

Why that method rather than simply using the Resource Manager?

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Why that method rather than simply using the Resource Manager?

Where is the resource manager in Affinity Photo?

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Where is the resource manager in Affinity Photo?

Good point.

[carl123]

9 hours ago, R C-R said:

Can I assume by 'change' you mean you used the Replace Image button, used the Options button at the bottom of the window to reveal the Embed Picture & Link Picture radio buttons, selected the same image, & used the Link button to convert it to a link? And that you did this for each of the 11 JPEGs?

Yes, exactly like that

[rossbryon]

Resource Manager is in Document menu of Affinity Publisher.

May I add here that working with the whole Affinity suite - and being able to 'switch personas' while working on a document is a joy. You can work with Photo's tools, or Designer's tools and then Publishers's tools all on the same document with the click of a mouse. But you need to have all three, and use Publisher as the "hub". Well worth the investment even of most of your work is in either Photo or Designer.

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, rossbryon said:

Resource Manager is in Document menu of Affinity Publisher.

True. @R C-R was pointing out that I had failed to notice the topic switching from Publisher to Photo, which doesn't include it.