So when you’re comparing the interface on a Mac or PC vs. mobile like an iPad you’re going to see a few differences. The layout will look different, however, because affinity has a fully powered program that offers all the same features* on iPad as it does on Mac or PC, it becomes about understanding where to click, tap or look to achieve the same result. That said let’s break down the interface.
*as far as I can tell
Interface
So here we go with a basic breakdown of the interface on the iPad.
As you can see here this is what a newly opened document would look like for Affinity Designer V2. This is a far cry from what people would be used to if opening a program on a PC or Mac 🖥. Let’s now look at where you would look if you wanted to use different tools.
Ok so if you are looking for the Toolbar (specifically object control options and design aids) you’re going to tap this little button here with the (…) three dots.
So the things that would typically be in the menu are somewhat scattered but in terms of some of the file options, this is where you would look for them.
This is what the toolbar looks like and it is located along the top of the screen. This is where you will switch personas, different view modes as well as object control options, and the document settings.
The context toolbar has been updated on version two and moved up to the top by the toolbar where it belongs. In the previous version, the context toolbar was in the bottom center of the screen, and I cannot speak for everyone, but I would always accidentally tap things I didn’t intend to causing all kinds of silly mistakes. The Context Toolbar is designed to change and adjust with added features depending on what tool or object you’re using. This keeps things relevant when working which is great.
This is the Tools Panel which is where you will find relevant tools to the current persona that you are working in.
These three screenshots come from what consider to be the menu bar of Affinity Designer v2 on iPad. They are located on the top right side of the screen and allow you to adjust document settings, snapping, and quick zoom options.
These icons make up the studio panel along the right-hand side of your screen. This bar is where you’ll find your layers, swatches, and other tools that will let you edit and tweak the properties of selected objects.
A few more icons you should recognize before I leave you for today.
This hides all buttons and UI so if you all of a sudden can’t find your layers tap this.
This button takes you back to your main menu and closes the document you’re working on. you shouldn’t lose anything when that happens but always err on the side of caution.
History button (if you want to jump back farther than a few steps use this it will pull up a longer history of your document)
The question mark will pull up what all the buttons are. So if you are unsure which tool to use click it and it pulls up the meanings of the icons.
For right now I hope this helps you all. I know that Affinity can be confusing for people who are new to the platform so I thought I would share my learning process and hopefully, we can all learn this together. If you have any other questions please feel free to shoot me an email and I will do my best to answer the question.
Thank you all and Happy Designing; till next time 💚
Carolyn Sehgal 