First free beta of Affinity for windows expected before the end of June 2016

[handrawn]

[handrawn]

ok first impressions...for anyone interested here are just four reasons why I think this is a must-have app:

you can draw within an existing group, constrained by its boundaries whilst being able to see everything: https://vimeo.com/107563044

you can do non-destructive boolean - want to move that bite you just took out of a shape? just slide it to a new position https://vimeo.com/110131937

you can give nodes on the gradient fill transparency, no more uneccessary use of seperate fill/transparency tools https://vimeo.com/110157202

you can make your own stroke shape profiles and edit them [like in the original creature house expression 3] https://vimeo.com/111534016

[dutchim]

Too bad only 64bit... Was hoping to use it on my windows tablet which happen to be 32bit

[iamtheblues]

I had a problem with the initial beta download, whereby after installation the program would only load as far as the splash screen.
I was not alone in having this problem, and the good folks at Affinity have released an update, which has corrected the problem for me (and others).
My initial impressions are very favourable indeed - the 3D/Emboss effect give a vector result.
Ignore that last bit about 3D/Emboss, exporting to .pdf and .eps give a raster result. I'll investigate further.
Bob.

[mwenz]

What application can produce vector 3d embossing?

[wizard509]

I downloaded and am figuring out how it works. Am trying to do my part as a beta tester Will I jump ship from Xara, doubt it, gotta admit it is intreging.

[iamtheblues]

What application can produce vector 3d embossing?

Hi Mike, none, as I pointed out in the addendum to my previous post. I thought all my Christmases had come at once.
Still, it's a very fast program, and at the price will make a lot of Illustrator users think twice about Adobe's outrageously expensive subscription method.
Has anyone else given Affinity a test run yet?
Bob.

[iamtheblues]

@Larry:
It has a similar look to Illustrator, but I think that anyone with experience of graphics programs such as Illy, Xara and Inkscape, etc will see that it is quite easy to get up to speed. It's very fast to use and has loads of options for shapes. I'm a bit behind the curve at the moment because of installation problems (now resolved with the updated setup 1.5.0.4). I admit I've only skimmed the surface so far but it is certainly as easy to use as the old Serif DrawPlus and has a lot of similarities to Xara. I don't much like having to get used to all new icons, but the shortcut keys seem to be very similar to Illustrator.
For me it's all pluses at the moment, not least the expected price of around €50 (Mac pricing) and a free trial and no subscription it's a compelling reason to buy. I shan't be jumping from the Xara ship any time soon, as I have invested a lot of time and effort into learning the program. For that matter, I shall retain my Illustrator CS6 too, as I have also invested a lot in Astute Graphics plugins.

@Mike: It was, with hindsight, expecting too much. I got caught up in the moment. Still, the beta of Affinity Designer is very impressive, I imagine you have the beta too?
Bob.

[handrawn]

more from me on initial impressions:

ok from a vector point of view this is not a replacement for Xara Designer Pro

following from what bob said, as you would expect from it's origins on mac platform, it is pitched as an alternative to illustrator+photoshop

sensibly, and practically, it does not try to do everything that the adobe programs do, but what it does it does very well; it is fast; so far I have not had any isues other than a couple of glitches in the rendering

positives relative to xara designer:

the gradient fill tool stops can be given alpha [transparency] - I think I first asked for this in xara around 2007 and illy has had it at since the start of CS6 [if not before, I forget]

layers can be nested [this was asked for way back too] - in the pixel mode [persona] child layers are automatically clipped by the parent layer which reflects the intention of using the pixel layers to add hi/lo lights and texture to the drawing

its fast [worth repeating], without the UI 'compromises' necessary in xara because of it's function as a website designer

you can create, modify and apply custom stroke shapes; pretty sure this was asked for in xara before 2007; since the line-smoothing in affinity is basic, this is a good thing quite apart from the obvious flexibility

negatives relative to xara designer:

no bitmap tracer - although to be fair it would have to be on a par with inkscape/illy to be worthwhile
no soft groups
unless I missed it, no control over line smoothing in the brushes
different UI will take some getting used to

summary

I will keep on using xdp11, especiallly for making up the pages; but I will be using affinity for the colouring where the RGBA fill tool will be an advantage - line art I will still do in SAI because of the power smoothing/stabiliser and the ease in which it can be vectored afterwards in inkscape/illy - I am experimenting currently with the affinity layer effects

[iamtheblues]

As I become more familiar with Affinity, it reminds me, not surprisingly, of Serif DrawPlus in its method of colouring strokes and also its stroke properties options, which allows drawing behind the fill.
Ligatures are easily applied to open type fonts in the Text menu, by choosing Default, All or None.
Rounded corners to rectangles can be applied to corners individually.
Of course it all takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you have onle been used to one graphics program, but overall I'd say it is a lot more intuitive that Illustrator, and possibly faster that Xara Designer.
Bob.