Destructive Crop

[Jude Anison]

I agree with everyone posting here requesting the destructive crop option. I'm bringing in multiple images (often pre-masked) for photocomposites, and having the uncropped image come in is a PITA. 

For me, the easiest way is to open the image file, grab the masked layer(s) I want, and drag-and-drop across to my main file.

So far, the quickest workaround I've discovered is to crop and mask the image as I want it, export it as a PSD file, then bring it straight back into AP, and do the Layer drag-and-drop thing. That seems to be the least number of steps. For some reason, this does produce a pixel-wide border around the "imported" image that the mask doesn't cover, but that's fairly quick and easy to remove.

[fde101]

On 4/7/2020 at 1:47 AM, Jude Anison said:

the quickest workaround I've discovered

Wow is that a long way around!

 

First off, @Jude Anison, welcome to the forums!

 

A much faster approach was already mentioned earlier in this thread: perform the crop using the crop tool, then right-click the layer in the Layers panel and choose Rasterize and Trim - that option will destructively trim off the excess from the image.

The Rasterize and Trim command can also be found in the Layer menu, and you can add a keyboard shortcut to it in Preferences if you wish.

[Dangerous]

On 12/9/2019 at 4:59 PM, Seneca said:

I beg to differ.

Clearly, you are used to destructive cropping, well, get used to the non-destructive cropping.

Why should we? Affinity has several ways of doing many thing but with cropping there is only one way, non-destructive. I have been using graphic programs for years and most had destructive cropping, Photoshop changed that for me so I could choose what I wanted. I would switch between non-destructive cropping and destructive cropping as the situation demanded with just a click of a tick box. With Affinity destructive cropping can be done but the method is neither quick nor simple.

Posts in this thread say no one wants or needs destructive cropping, that is true if you discount everyone that WANTS and NEEDS destructive cropping.

 

Come on Serif, add this facility, a check box has to be better than possible users being deterred by the lack of a very basic function in an otherwise excellent program.

[Jude Anison]

Thank you for the welcome, @fde101.

Yep, I agree it is a long way round, but I need to preserve my masks, so I can continue to edit them (which I often all the way through until the job is complete). With the method you suggest, you lose the separate mask. I've since changed my workflow slightly to get around this; I'll do the cropping in another application (Apple Photos in my case), then Export the cropped image to Affinity Photo, where I'll mask it.

Though your suggested method is extremely useful for developing shadows: I Group then Duplicate all the masked images I want for my shadow, then Rasterise and Trim the flattened duplicate, then use Quick Select to select the outline (needn't be super accurate), then Fill this selection in a new Pixel layer with black. Then Blur/Blend-Mode/Change opacity/Distort to get the effect I want. 

[Serif Since v1]

Have been used to destructive cropping in PS for so many years, I would really appreciate the option. Best suggestion in this thread has been to add it as a context toolbar button. On/Off. Or make it possible to add Rasterize and Time to the toolbar.

[neilbaldwin]

On a related relevant note: one of the problems with the non-destructive cropping method comes, ironically, when you use the Export Persona.

Do this as a test:

1) Load an image and crop it with the Crop Tool

2) Go to Export Persona and on the Layers panel select the Layer that contains the cropped image and click 'Create Slice'

3) Through your tears, observe that the Slice boundaries are that of the original image and not of the cropped image.

Come on Serif, you're better than this. I love that we have a non-destructive crop (it's saved my neck several times) and when you're just doing a simple crop on an image (even though it's an extra click), Rasterize and Trim does the job. However, Rasterize and Trim is not an option if you've cropped an image and also had to mask out parts of it (say for a transparent background) and then you need to go back and modify your mask later. The destructive workaround for the non-destructive feature then becomes Super Destructive!

 

[Tekkie123]

On 10/3/2019 at 11:49 AM, walt.farrell said:

Is there some reason you can't simply use Layer > Rasterize & Trim... after you crop?

You're a god among men.

[fde101]

On 5/20/2020 at 8:00 PM, Serif Since v1 said:

Have been used to destructive cropping in PS for so many years, I would really appreciate the option. Best suggestion in this thread has been to add it as a context toolbar button

This is basically how they had it implemented a few years ago.  As I mentioned earlier in the thread it was removed citing problems such that they would need to revisit the feature later.

 

 

[ChurchillCMY]

"Rasterize and trim" appears to work on my image (an unlocked background layer -- or locked, for that matter) but copy/paste onto another document still moves the uncropped image.  I even tried making a new document from the clipboard, looked OK, copying that still showed the original.  Argh...

[ChurchillCMY]

My mistake!! I was attempting to copy to a much smaller image and mistook the edge of the cropped image for its original -- thanks for "Rasterize/trim".

[John Gass]

On 10/3/2019 at 5:49 PM, walt.farrell said:

Is there some reason you can't simply use Layer > Rasterize & Trim... after you crop?

I've just found this thread because I've been having real problems resizing my canvas to get a black border around the image I'm working on. After a lot of messing around I discovered it was because I had earlier cropped the image, and the resize canvas command applies the change to the *uncropped* image. Something that exactly no one would want! So I'm on the side of those who'd like a non-destructive/destructive tick box whilst cropping.

But I can live with it now I know how to overcome the problem, thanks to Walt's tip.

 

[ChurchillCMY]

Also it seems that "merge visible" works, but differently -- it creates a "destructively cropped" layer above the untouched original -- nice if you just want to extract a bit to copy to another image collage-style, without changing the original.

[ChurchillCMY]

[2989]

Maybe we could just call it a Cookie cutter and this destructive / nondestructive issue could be solved. Everybody loves cookies!

 I have an image that's basically nine big circles I want two of the big circles as smaller images and have for the last three hours been trying to figure out how to do it.

I cannot believe in this day and age, this all singing, all dancing program can't simply crop an image out of a Jpeg.

Can anyone please tell me how to do it?

I have  Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo for both Mac and PC and also Serif Draw Plus X8.  

[Alfred]

1 hour ago, 2989 said:

I have an image that's basically nine big circles I want two of the big circles as smaller images

1. Using the Ellipse Tool, create a circle the same size as one of the nine big circle.

2. Duplicate the original image layer and the new circle.

3. Drag each of the two circles over one or other of the target areas.

1 hour ago, 2989 said:

I have  Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo for both Mac and PC and also Serif Draw Plus X8.

4. In the Affinity apps, go to the Layers panel and drag one of the overlaid circles, dropping it onto the thumbnail of one of the image layers. In DrawPlus, with an image layer and one of the overlaid circles selected, go to the Arrange menu and choose ‘Crop > Crop to Top Object’; alternatively, use the ‘Crop’ button on the Arrange tab.

5. Repeat step 4 with the remaining image and circle.

[2989]

Many Thanks,

 I will give that a try.

 

[slonismo]

On 10/17/2019 at 12:09 PM, walt.farrell said:

Cropping in Affinity Photo has always been non-destructive, and I think it's one of the selling points.

I suppose that Serif could consider implementing a Preference that would default to non-destructive, but that you could set to destructive if you wanted to. Or perhaps a setting on the Context Toolbar for the Crop Tool.

Thank you for the tip! You are also totally right in that a checkable box would be perfect.