File Default Save As, Export Save As in Source Folder

[kirk23]

1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

Really?

Yeah, I am wrong probably.    Have not noticed anything  new after linked layers. 

[walt.farrell]

38 minutes ago, kirk23 said:

Have not noticed anything  new after linked layers. 

Linked Layers is very recent (1.9, in February).

1.10 was not planned as a major new function release, as I understand it. We'd probably still be in 1.9.something except that some of the file format changes they thought they'd need to fix some of the 1.9 problems were incompatible and needed the new version number.

The 1.9 list was fairly major, for Photo at least, and one major functional these or year seems fine, to me. And many of us also welcome any bug fixes that show up

 

[Tony D]

Let's just keep this thread for what is is and was.

 

Simple basic feature that should be present since the very first alpha / beta version

Below here is just an example, dropdown list with multiple options would not be much more work.

[PhilOsborne]

As frustrating as it is, I think it's default behaviour in MacOS, so that might explain why it's happening in Affinity and why it perhaps (I don't really know, I've never tried to write any software!) isn't as simple a fix as we think it is.

I've experimented with some of Apple's own software such as Apple Pages and Apple Numbers. What appears to happen is the file browser that appears in dialogs (such as when you use File > Open or File > Save ie. not the main file browser you use on the desktop finder) remembers it's last state, so the next time you perform any action that uses that dialog file browser (whether that is Open, Save or Export) it will still be in the last place you left it.

The problem seems to arise if you open a file from the desktop finder, or the Recents menu or any other "shortcut" method that doesn't use the dialog file browser. None of these other methods update the dialog file browser's state and so the next time you go to Open, Save or Export it will still be in whatever folder you last opened, saved or exported to/from through the dialog file browser.

There probably is a way that Affinity can work around this (as I assume Adobe have) to get the behaviour we want, but perhaps a feature request to Apple would be in order as well so that we can get this as the default behaviour across all software without the software developers have to work around it!

[Old Bruce]

17 hours ago, PhilOsborne said:

There probably is a way that Affinity can work around this (as I assume Adobe have) to get the behaviour we want, but perhaps a feature request to Apple would be in order as well so that we can get this as the default behaviour across all software without the software developers have to work around it!

What would be needed is to take the opened from-double-clicking-on-a-file-icon file's location and write that as the new here is the folder to use. You would probably have to write your own system of opening and saving and exporting routines. Making those routines bullet-proof would be very difficult.

[pixelstuff]

23 hours ago, PhilOsborne said:

As frustrating as it is, I think it's default behaviour in MacOS, so that might explain why it's happening in Affinity and why it perhaps (I don't really know, I've never tried to write any software!) isn't as simple a fix as we think it is.

I've experimented with some of Apple's own software such as Apple Pages and Apple Numbers. What appears to happen is the file browser that appears in dialogs (such as when you use File > Open or File > Save ie. not the main file browser you use on the desktop finder) remembers it's last state, so the next time you perform any action that uses that dialog file browser (whether that is Open, Save or Export) it will still be in the last place you left it.

The problem seems to arise if you open a file from the desktop finder, or the Recents menu or any other "shortcut" method that doesn't use the dialog file browser. None of these other methods update the dialog file browser's state and so the next time you go to Open, Save or Export it will still be in whatever folder you last opened, saved or exported to/from through the dialog file browser.

There probably is a way that Affinity can work around this (as I assume Adobe have) to get the behaviour we want, but perhaps a feature request to Apple would be in order as well so that we can get this as the default behaviour across all software without the software developers have to work around it!

The Windows version of AVIDEMUX has a checkbox in "Edit > Preferences > Output > Default to the directory of the last read file for saving"

I would be interested to know if that setting exists on the Mac version and how it performs.

http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/download.html

[Bill Rosmus]

On 12/17/2021 at 12:09 PM, PhilOsborne said:

As frustrating as it is, I think it's default behaviour in MacOS, so that might explain why it's happening in Affinity and why it perhaps (I don't really know, I've never tried to write any software!) isn't as simple a fix as we think it is.

I am a programmer and I can tell you that the OS has nothing to do with it.  The reason they don't do it, is they don't want to do it. All OS's have a way to get the path.

 

 

[DustyLens]

Long time Windows and RTOS developer here. No experience w MacOS. But in Windows, the full name of the file is passed, and all that is needed is to parse it and separate out the path, the file name, the extension. Then use them as you will. Pretty easy. I already removed Affinity from my system.

[craigleeus]

I'm with Tony D's November 10 post.  Recent comments seem to be drifting away from the primary topic of hoping Serif will make an APhoto update to give users more flexibility in setting the default Export As file location. 

Photoshop has an option for this in its Preferences.    (Photoshop's 'Save As' is somewhat equivalent to Affinity Photo's 'Export As')

I don't think Serif staff routinely read forum posts (there's probably way to many).  But if one submitted an enhancement request, one could point Serif project owners to the comments in posts like these, perhaps adding more weight and support for the suggested change. 

[pixelstuff]

1 hour ago, craigleeus said:

...

I don't think Serif staff routinely read forum posts (there's probably way to many).  But if one submitted an enhancement request, one could point Serif project owners to the comments in posts like these, perhaps adding more weight and support for the suggested change. 

What do you mean by "submitted"?  This thread is in the Feature Request & Suggestions forum. Do they have a direct feedback system like Google ... which I haven't been able to find?

[craigleeus]

Don't hold your breath waiting.    Of all the posts on this thread, not one was a moderator.  Even though this is an "enhancements" forum, I think it is likely mostly intended for user discussion, or maybe just to appease us.

In addition, I did do exactly what I suggested a year or two ago:  I emailed Serif and suggested, professionally and respectfully, they take a look at this discussion and consider making the suggested enhancement.   I never heard back from them.

Remember, it's just a $50 app (when it's not on sale for $25).

[walt.farrell]

11 hours ago, craigleeus said:

I don't think Serif staff routinely read forum posts (there's probably way to many).  But if one submitted an enhancement request, one could point Serif project owners to the comments in posts like these, perhaps adding more weight and support for the suggested change.

 

10 hours ago, pixelstuff said:

Do they have a direct feedback system like Google ... which I haven't been able to find?

This is the official place to make requests. But they get a lot of requests, and there is no guarantee they will implement any of them, even popular ones. Serif have their vision for what they want the products to do, and they are unlikely to implement requests that do not match their vision. In addition, some requests require more work than we may think they do, which delays them.

5 hours ago, craigleeus said:

Of all the posts on this thread, not one was a moderator.

The Serif staff have told us that the planners read the Feature Requests when planning the enhancements they want to make, and I believe that to be true. They have also said that they do not want to give us information on their future plans, and that for that reason they generally will not comment in this section of the forums.

[johannfromchina]

On 12/22/2021 at 8:52 AM, craigleeus said:

I'm with Tony D's November 10 post.  Recent comments seem to be drifting away from the primary topic of hoping Serif will make an APhoto update to give users more flexibility in setting the default Export As file location. 

Photoshop has an option for this in its Preferences.    (Photoshop's 'Save As' is somewhat equivalent to Affinity Photo's 'Export As')

I don't think Serif staff routinely read forum posts (there's probably way to many).  But if one submitted an enhancement request, one could point Serif project owners to the comments in posts like these, perhaps adding more weight and support for the suggested change. 

I agree.  The issue is not operating system related or restricted.  I use Topaz software that is available of both Windows and Mac and they have it perfectly implemented with an option for the user to "Save with Source" or to select a folder.

[Fraenzken]

I would very much like to see this impemented.

[StainX]

Yeah, this navigating around folders for saving is taking so much time... kinda annoying.

[theshowmecanuck]

Yes, it's too bad the developers don't want to listen to anyone. Especially given so many people mentioning this. I've actually started using GIMP more again this bugs me so much.

[Tony D]

Yeah, unfortunately not only Microsoft thinks more clicks is better, but other software is also following this "new way of thinking" more and more.

I guess it comes with the trend of flat design and new and improvement recipe.

For simple tasks with no layers i use Faststone image viewer, very capable simple software, lightening fast, and does what you expect from it, save in source folder

 

As for AF i now tend to duplicate the image in windows explorer rename it to i.e. edit and when done simply click save, troublesome, un-needed but that's what it is.

[JGD]

On 2/3/2021 at 1:44 AM, arkinien said:

The current save/export behaviour is just infuriating. Period.

[snip]

Yep. +1000 on this request. Of all the minor but recurrent annoyances with Affinity apps, this seems to be the one I run into and confuse me the most. And if my nit-picky and grandiose feedback history is anything to go by, that really is saying something.

Since Affinity Designer is still a bit limited for my uses but already great to do quick edits on PDFs, I've been using it a lot, along with Publisher to add vector stuff (such as signatures) and do other edits to documents exported from Word and other apps… But I also use it a lot to create macOS icons (I just hate seeing apps with non-Big Sur-looking ones, so I've been customizing the late-comers), and time and time again I end up exporting letters in .PDF into .iconset folders.

And since Affinity apps don't support the universal, Apple HIG-compliant method (or even a non-compliant contextual menu, like in Adobe apps) of right-clicking on the file name on titlebars or tab bars to locate the files on the Finder, I always have to reopen the export dialog, and sometimes even to reopen the file, just to figure out where the heck did it end up that time.

It is, indeed, infuriating.

[RossA]

On 1/18/2022 at 10:36 PM, Fraenzken said:

I would very much like to see this impemented.

I have requested this update a couple of years ago and would like to add my voice again to the growing number of users who are tired of having to go hunting for an exported file.

[Tony D]

Haven't been here in a While,

Guess I haven't missed much,

Default folder still not select-able with a drop down list or the likes.

 

Wish i code CODE myself, i would hack the damn thing already 😏