Author Topic: Workflow improvement suggestions!  (Read 16101 times)

Husketch

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Workflow improvement suggestions!
on: December 22, 2017, 04:21:30 AM
Hello!
New here, first off, thank you for developing this superb app, I'm very impressed that it really feels professional and fast.
Here are some suggestions that I hope to see implemented - which will serve as workflow and productivity enhancements within the app:

1-An option in the preference to "disable eyedropper" by holding Apple Pencil (this way you can make the 'eyedropper delay' setting faster for quick picking with the finger and it won't affect the apple pencil color picking by mistake)

2-Please add the ability to have a smaller version of the color window to be floating on top of the canvas, that will greatly improve the speed of choosing colors- *at least a small floating HSB slider or a color square.*

3-In full screen mode, please add the brush size/flow sliders too. important.

4-An easier and quicker way to create a mask and clipping mask without going through multiple pages through the layer panel or the drop down menu, It would be really great to have simple icon on the layer panel for create clipping mask and create layer mask-This way the icon for the clipping mask can be toggled on/off just like the visibility eye icon.

5-In the Brush Editor , it would be a lot better to have sliders that you can tweak easily for the different brush settings instead of the numeric values which is tedious

6-When testing brush changes in the Brush Editor, it would be great to have an icon on it to "pin" Brush Editor window so that you can test the changes made on the brush right on the canvas without closing the brush editor and reopening all the time.

7- Is there a way to change the color and opacity of the selection Quick Mask ? I didn't see it..


That's all for now,
Thank you very much

H.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #1 on: December 22, 2017, 06:35:42 AM
Hi

Thanks for your suggestions. My answers:
1 - we will rather add separate "Eyedropper delay" for Pencil.
2 - color slider - my idea is to add option to display hsb sliders in right toolbar instead of swatches. We will consider adding that.
3 - it is already on my todo list for version 1.1 or 1.2
4 - We will think about it
5 - personally i prefer textfields. After you tap on textfield you can use a slider.
6 - i agree, we will think about
7- no, sorry, it is currently hard-coded

Nighternet

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #2 on: December 24, 2017, 06:04:35 AM
+1 on 2,3,4. The best way for the clipping mask is to do it the Photoshop way: by simply dropping one layer onto another.

Husketch

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #3 on: December 26, 2017, 03:31:14 PM
Thanks for your response Lucky Clan
Really looking forward to see these updated in ArtStudio :)
Yes there can be more practical use of the right toolbar than just swatches (if a small HSB slider or a color picker is not possible to be floating, they can be implemented on the right)
And yes separating the delay for the colorpicker for Apple Pencil and the finger will be good too.
Thanks!

Kappa

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #4 on: January 20, 2018, 11:11:06 AM
All great points. But I especially support number 4. Creation of Layer masks and clipping masks definitely needs to be simplified and work faster. In the very short time i’ve been using the app I dare say this stood out to me as the weakest UX design element so far.

Also the whole approach with the layer masks is a bit confusing. It might be a matter of habit but I feel that it could be more straightforward in how it works.

I think this app has truly amazing potential as a tool for professional illustration work. I’m excited to see how it evolves.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #5 on: January 20, 2018, 11:43:28 AM
My goal was to use any layer as a mask, including text layer and vector layer. I had to change well known layer-mask mechanism.  The second goal was to allow to add few mask to a single layer.
Read more about masks In the Artstudio Pro app in Artstudio->FAQ section

Kappa

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #6 on: January 20, 2018, 06:07:35 PM
Maybe I haven’t found out how to pull it off but it seems that if a layer or adjustment layer functions under clipping mask it cannot have a layer mask of it’s own as well. That’s a pretty common scenario in my photoshop workflow when illustrating. It would be great if it was possible.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #7 on: January 20, 2018, 06:39:13 PM
Could you send me a PSD file with this cade? [email protected]

Kappa

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #8 on: January 21, 2018, 09:23:44 AM
of course!

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #9 on: January 22, 2018, 03:58:36 AM
Thanks, i opened file in Photoshop and understand the problem.

My solution for this, which is already on my todo list, is option to set Group as mask/clipping mask.
We will add it in version 1.2 or 1.3.

Kappa

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #10 on: January 22, 2018, 04:25:18 AM
I see how this could solve this problem. Still though it really doesn’t sound optimal in terms of speed of workflow. A layer mask button at the bottom of the layers panel where you can tap and immediately start working on your mask sounds far more streamlined.

If the only reason you went that way was because you wanted to have layer masks work with vector shapes and type layers I strongly suggest that you should consider having a special kind of mask option for those layers under the layer menus (since they’re going to be used far less frequently) and keep layer and clipping masks for the default bitmap layers as fast and accessible as possible.

I’ve been using this app non stop all weekend and the biggest most noticeable bottleneck in speed of workflow I experienced so far was when I got into layer and clipping masks.

Thank you for giving that much attention to your user feedback. I really appreciate it.
Last Edit: January 22, 2018, 05:51:41 AM by Kappa

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #11 on: January 22, 2018, 07:10:05 AM
I spent months analyzing different ways of implementing masks/clipping masks and thinking how to implement that.
In my opinion the biggest limitation of masks in apps like Affinity/Photoshop etc is that mask can be only "raster" type.
In my solution it is solved. After i will add option to use groups as mask/clipping mask there will be no limitation.
I don't want any "special" masks.

Besides in version 1.1 there will be option to "Add mask from selection" which will make adding mask faster

Kappa

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #12 on: January 22, 2018, 07:17:47 AM
Ok, you’re suggesting something completely new here. I respect that. I’ll wait to see it in practice when you have implemented all the features you have in mind. Maybe it would be much better that way. I’d surely be the first to admit it. :)

Nighternet

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #13 on: January 23, 2018, 03:50:50 AM
Not sure I understand "only raster" in PS or AP. Are you planning to support vectors? Using layer groups as masks is great of course. But considered the memory problems, going wild with many layers is not practical on iPad for hi-res.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Workflow improvement suggestions!
Reply #14 on: January 23, 2018, 04:59:38 AM
Currently you can use a both raster layer and "text" layer as a mask or clipping mask. And Text layer can is kind of vector layer. I'm going to add normal vector layers in the future. Why do you think many layers are not practical for iPad?