Can't Import Brushes

[CartoonMike]

Updated to 1.7.2, most recent version of Mac OS X Mojave. No matter what the vendor (I tried RetroSupply and others) and using the exact same files that Imported just fine in 1.7.1 I get this: (no screen cap, as it's easier just to transcribe)

---
Unexpected Brush Format:
Failed to load file '/Users/*******/Downloads/Fineliner Brushes and Textures/Brushes/Fineliner Brushes.afbrushes'.
---

I tried restarting AD with the shift key held down, but that did nothing. It seems to me that if AD cannot import brushes from files that it could in a previous version, it's something wacky in the update or something on my side got corrupted. Any clues, tips, hints or suggestions on how to resolve this on my end, if that's possible even.

 

Thanks

[Sean P]

Hi CartoonMike,

I've tried a series of brushes myself and they're importing fine, so it might be either related to your brush files (although you say it happens with multiple brushes). The other option is llike you say that your brush data has become corrupted. If this is the case could you try the following please to temporarily reset your data using the steps below. If you could also attach a sample amount of brushes you're trying to import and a copy of the com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.old folder from the steps below to our Internal Dropbox account using the link below that would help us a lot!

https://www.dropbox.com/request/AdhA1OAzHhjtShmtYVko

Thanks!

If you purchased from the Mac App Store could you try these steps please:

1. Go to Macintosh HD\Users\username\Library\Containers\
2. rename the 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner' folder to 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.old'
3. Start Designer

This will have reset all of your settings so please note all of your assets, brushes, etc will not be there. Once this has been done could you try importing your brushes. If this makes no difference then delete the newly created folder and rename 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.old' back to 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner'. 

Instead if you purchased from the Affinity Store could you try these steps please:

1. Go to Macintosh HD\Users\username\Library\Application Support\
2. rename the 'Affinity Designer' folder to 'Affinity Designer Old'
3. Start Designer

This will have reset all of your settings so please note all of your assets, brushes, etc will not be there. Once this has been done could you try importing your brushes. If this makes no difference then delete the newly created folder and rename 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner.old' back to 'com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner'. 

[CartoonMike]

Hi Sean,

I followed your instructions and after starting Designer with a new "com.seriflabs.affinitydesigner" folder, still can't import brush files. I tried multiple brush files from RetroSupply (Vector Sketch), Artifex (the updated Fineline and the Tattoo set [which was pruchased from the serif site and freshly downloaded], and the Frankentoon's vector Marker set) and each one gave me the same "Unexpected Brush format" error.

Interesting thing the RC for Designer 1.7.2 had no issue with importing the Fineliner brush set, but 1.7.1 had the format error message and 1.7.0 imported brushes okay. I didn't report the 1.7.1 issue because (in my mind) the beta for 1.7.2 resolved it. However the app store release of 1.7.2 had the inability to import brushes as did its predecessor.

I have a zip file containing a few sample afbrushes files and my container folder for Designer. It's about 3gig (lots of patterns and textures), and that's a bit big to send to a Dropbox, I feel.So would it be okay to drop it in the Dropbox as is or should I just root around and delete the textures?

[CartoonMike]

I truly think this is a bug in the app itself. I deleted it from my apps folder and renamed the container folder to "old' as per the instructions in the reply. Reinstalled Designer from the app store. Tried to import brushes and got the unexpected format message.

interesting thing: the icon for the afbrush file changed to that of Affinity Photo. Okay, I thought, what if I change the "owner" of the file to Designer. I did so and the icon changed to that of a generic document. And still cannot import brushes.

I find it hard to believe that the problem is on my end. Prior beta RC have worked just fine, like the Publisher RC. But the released version had some thing or another flipped and it didn't work well at all, which was fixed in a point release in short order. So I keep coming back to the fact that in the 1.7.2 RC1 Designer beta I was able to import brushes with no problem. But the released 1.7.2 won't import the very same brush file.

So I guess, due to the time difference between California and Affinity, I'll have to wait another day for a response. So until then, I'll just wait patiently.

[Sean P]

15 hours ago, CartoonMike said:

I have a zip file containing a few sample afbrushes files and my container folder for Designer. It's about 3gig (lots of patterns and textures), and that's a bit big to send to a Dropbox, I feel.So would it be okay to drop it in the Dropbox as is or should I just root around and delete the textures?

That's not a problem for us, if you don't mind doing a 3GB upload. It definitely does sound like Designer is not liking these brushes, as opposed to it being your settings/data. There is a known issue with ABR brushes not being able to import, so there is most definitely likely to be a problem!

[CartoonMike]

Okay, uploading the zip now. It's named "CartoonMIkeBrushIssue_190922"

And to make it clear, even when the affinity designer container folder was empty (using the .old appending to the original folder name) I couldn't import any brush file. NONE were ABR brushes. All the brushes were "afbrushes" and while Photo and Publisher could import them, Designer (with the new container folder) could not. 

[CartoonMike]

Well this was interesting. I tried to open a file in AD 1.7.2 and got an "unable to open because of permissions" error (sorry about not quoting it exactly, I'm a bit busy today and doing a detailed bug report is just one thing that i can't fit on my plate this week. 

Anyway, due to the dearth of actual assistance about the importing brush issue and now this unable to open a file that i was able to open in the beta -- I decided to do a bit of searching. There were problems/issues with others opening files and getting the permission error message. Seems that those with this issue all had App Store versions and in one case the user had many fonts active. When the number of fonts went down, the user was able to open files again.

Hmm, I thought, and it seems that those who bought the app from the Affinity Store didn't  have the issue. Seems with Apple Appstore apps the @#&%@ sandbox "feature" would cause permission-type errors when too many fonts were active.

Now what if... that stupid "feature" was the cause of my problems ? I thought of it... I bought Publisher from the Affinity Store, the betas were downloaded from Affinity and maybe didn't have the sandboxing feature of their Apple store cousins. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I mean, I am able to open all the files and  import brushes that Designer couldn't in Publisher. The beta RC candidate could import any brush file and Designer File.

I went into Suitcase and deactivated a slew of fonts. Opened up Designer and I imported the brush with no issue. I opened the Designer file with not a single error message. 

I add that I am using the Container folder that I renamed with the ".old" extension now and am having no issue. So it seems that the time I spent uploading a 3gig zip file was for naught. Really. 

TBH, this whole week of troubleshooting and not being able to do the work in Designer has me very, very, leery of using any Apple App store apps. Because Pages, Numbers and other Apple apps gave me no issues; but Affinity Designer and Photo had issues while Designer (bought from the Affinity Store, remember) had absolutely no issues with opening files or importing brushes at all.

And I feel a bit out of sorts about this, as I seem to recall that Affinity's line is that there's no way to transfer a license from the Apple Store to the Affinity Store (although there has been some companies who were able to do so. There's some kind of file inside the app that acts as a receipt of sorts. But I don't remember the specifics). So my best option to have an optimal experience (that is, not wasting a week dealing with an issue that I could've solved in minutes all because of the stinkin' sandbox that Apple foists on developers) with Affinity products is to just go and re-purchase them via the Affinity Store?

Anyway, I'm a week behind on work and I gotta get cracking. 

[Funky3s]

Same here. Unable to import any abr brushes on Affinity 1.7.2 - what is going on here!!!!!!

[Sean P]

13 hours ago, CartoonMike said:

Well this was interesting. I tried to open a file in AD 1.7.2 and got an "unable to open because of permissions" error (sorry about not quoting it exactly, I'm a bit busy today and doing a detailed bug report is just one thing that i can't fit on my plate this week. 

Anyway, due to the dearth of actual assistance about the importing brush issue and now this unable to open a file that i was able to open in the beta -- I decided to do a bit of searching. There were problems/issues with others opening files and getting the permission error message. Seems that those with this issue all had App Store versions and in one case the user had many fonts active. When the number of fonts went down, the user was able to open files again.

Hmm, I thought, and it seems that those who bought the app from the Affinity Store didn't  have the issue. Seems with Apple Appstore apps the @#&%@ sandbox "feature" would cause permission-type errors when too many fonts were active.

Now what if... that stupid "feature" was the cause of my problems ? I thought of it... I bought Publisher from the Affinity Store, the betas were downloaded from Affinity and maybe didn't have the sandboxing feature of their Apple store cousins. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I mean, I am able to open all the files and  import brushes that Designer couldn't in Publisher. The beta RC candidate could import any brush file and Designer File.

I went into Suitcase and deactivated a slew of fonts. Opened up Designer and I imported the brush with no issue. I opened the Designer file with not a single error message. 

I add that I am using the Container folder that I renamed with the ".old" extension now and am having no issue. So it seems that the time I spent uploading a 3gig zip file was for naught. Really. 

TBH, this whole week of troubleshooting and not being able to do the work in Designer has me very, very, leery of using any Apple App store apps. Because Pages, Numbers and other Apple apps gave me no issues; but Affinity Designer and Photo had issues while Designer (bought from the Affinity Store, remember) had absolutely no issues with opening files or importing brushes at all.

And I feel a bit out of sorts about this, as I seem to recall that Affinity's line is that there's no way to transfer a license from the Apple Store to the Affinity Store (although there has been some companies who were able to do so. There's some kind of file inside the app that acts as a receipt of sorts. But I don't remember the specifics). So my best option to have an optimal experience (that is, not wasting a week dealing with an issue that I could've solved in minutes all because of the stinkin' sandbox that Apple foists on developers) with Affinity products is to just go and re-purchase them via the Affinity Store?

Anyway, I'm a week behind on work and I gotta get cracking. 

Thanks for getting back to us! Of course it'll be the incredibly frustrating sandbox file restrictions as you've discovered. Glad you've sussed it out and can now resume work!

12 hours ago, Funky3s said:

Same here. Unable to import any abr brushes on Affinity 1.7.2 - what is going on here!!!!!!

This is different to CartoonMike's issue above. However the ABR import issue is with development to be fixed.