Feature request: share layer on all pages

[Herbert123]

User scenario
I use PhotoLine to create slides and simple documents (such as assignment sheets for my students).
These type of documents tend to have a number of layout elements repeated on many or all pages:
- a logo (branding)
- running headers
- footers
- background elements
- page decorations such as frames, and so on.
- page titles and recurring text

PhotoLine makes life quite difficult when I need to share and repeat the same layout elements on multiple pages. To repeat the same element on multiple pages, I must:
1) create a virtual layer of the element
2) cut that virtual layer version
3) open each page and paste the element.

Which becomes a chore when I have 5 different layout elements that I want to repeat on 10 or more pages.

Solution
In other page layout and presentation software this is typically solved with either:
A a master pages function
B a "duplicate/clone/instantiate" layer option.

The preferred method would be [A], but I completely understand and assume that implementing master pages would probably take too much of a development effort. Because it would mean that the pages panel needs a complete overhaul and layers have somehow to be adapted to be used within a master page system.

(B) would not take much time to implement, I think. I imagine the function to work like so:
1) select 1 or multiple layers/groups on one page.
2) select one or more pages in the Pages list panel.
3) right-mouse click one selected page (or use the Pages list panel's context menu) and an menu entry labeled "Copy Layers to Selected Pages" or "Link Layers to Selected Pages" allows the user to copy or create virtual layers of the selected layers to all selected layers.

What do you think? It would make life much MUCH simpler for anyone working with documents in PhotoLine.

[Herbert123]

Bumping this post.

The reason is that PhotoLine's workflow with Virtual Layers is not efficient enough to replace this particular functionality.

Here is a proposal how a "Share Layer" feature could be implemented (stolen from Fireworks):

The user right-mouse clicks on the layer that they want to share across pages. Two options: either share the selected layer(s) on a specific range of pages or on all.
Here I select the first option, which allows for a specific range of pages.



A dialog pops up in which the user can specify which pages the selected layer should be shared on.



The user decides to share the heading group on 3 pages.

When the dialog is closed, a layer icon for that group/layer indicates that it is shared with other pages.



At this point the shared layer is shared on the previously selected pages. When this shared layer is edited on ANY of the pages, the changes cascade throughout all pages.

(sidenote: This is important: with virtual layers we have to work with one source layer in a specific page. This slows down the workflow. And virtual layers are difficult to manage across many pages anyway. For example, position is not kept unless one works with a full sized canvas with objects transformed within on virtual layer, etc.. Too fragile!).

Each sub-layer of a group and the group itself can be locked with the usual layer settings and secured from accidental edits. All properties cascade throughout, including locking (for example) the position.

Sometimes it is essential to override a shared layer. It is only possible to make changes to a unique shared layer (without affecting all others) if the user detaches the layer on a specific page. This is achieved by opening that page and right-mouse clicking the shared layer and selecting "Detach Shared Layer". This will convert it to a regular layer/group.

It is also possible to exclude a shared layer on a specific page by right-mouse clicking the shared layer in question via the "Exclude Shared Layer" option. This is a quicker option compared to opening the dialog once more. Also easy to quickly share a layer to all pages, and then select 1 or 2 exceptions and exclude those shared layers.



Notice that the "Share Layer to Pages..." can be selected again to access the above dialog and edit the pages that have shared layers.

Other musings:
- the layer properties should probably also indicate when a layer is a shared layer.
- double-clicking that entry would open the same dialog
- the "Share Layer to All Pages" and "Share Layer to Pages..." could probably be consolidated into one command. The dialog could then include a quick "Share to All Pages" option.

[shijan]

I mostly don't use pages, but all those ideas feels very useful.

[PPaul]

I would very much welcome this feature!

[der_fotograf]

Why don't you use Scribus for this and similar tasks? It is open source, runs stable, offers many functions and even scripting.

Why should the developers bloat and inflate PL just for one or two users? Would be great if you could justify your request.

[Herbert123]

Why don't you use Scribus for this and similar tasks? It is open source, runs stable, offers many functions and even scripting.

Why should the developers bloat and inflate PL just for one or two users? Would be great if you could justify your request.

PhotoLine is not only an bitmap/vector editor, but also features pages and DTP functionality. It is precisely because of this beautiful combination that I prefer to work with it, because in other design apps bitmap editing is generally very limited and needs to be done in external apps (like PhotoLine).

And it works wonderfully well in PhotoLine up to the point where I just need to share a common footer or other shared element across various pages. It becomes a manual chore to keep track of these, because even when I use virtual layers, I still have to duplicate things manually and there is no way to manage things well.

The functions I ask for here (or at the very least a simple layer sharing option for pages) are nothing out of the ordinary even for design applications that do not focus on DTP: Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Xara, Figma, Fireworks, ... Even FreeHand, a vector illustration app that looks ancient by now, had Master Pages and an Asset Library (symbol library) back in 2000!!!

It really is nothing out of the ordinary for a flexible design application (including ones that is not specialized in DTP) to offer this core functionality in combination with page functionality. If the Hubers hadn't cared for the DTP side of things, why did they add spreads to PhotoLine? Or integrate excellent PDF and print options? Or create a Document Mode at all?

It is BECAUSE PhotoLine is so flexible and enjoyable to work with that I use it for slides, UX interface mockups, 2d game level design, and small multi-page print projects. It is BECAUSE PhotoLine is missing such basic DTP functionality such as Parent Pages (before called Master Pages but the term is outdated thinking) and symbols that I can't easily use it for larger multi-page projects.

They make life infinitely easier when dealing with multi-page documents, even for photographers: suppose you'd like to create a photobook for the wedding photography that you've done. Create the pages, add all photos, apply image adjustments and other effects where required, and then share the stylistic elements / headers/footers across multiple pages in one go. Create one or more Parent Pages for this. Add some graphics in a shared asset library that next time that you are creating a photobook can be reused. Done.

In short: almost all design software with page functionality offers these basic functions. It isn't regarded as "bloat", but rather as core functionality in an app that deals with documents and pages.

Although I understand most here probably do not use it for this type of work? Which is a shame in my opinion, because PhotoLine already works really well for what I need except that part. And I am certain it would benefit others too if it is ever implemented. Even Photoshop has Artboards now.

[PPaul]

Hi,
Most of the documents I work on in PL have more than 1 pages. Often, like business cards or brochures, they share the same background or the same elements. I have tried many other apps, but I always run into the limits of these programs, so I had to switch between PL and the other programme constantly. Very cumbersome..

What I do with PL?
Designing business cards, leaflets, folders, posters, brochures, booklets, and I have made books with up to 350 pages, full of images.
Serial documents, preparing jobs for the cut-plotter, adjusting badly designed work from my clients, converting logos and images, even make Powerpoints (with the help of Acrobat to convert the pdf into PP).
Of course there are programmes that are better suited for some jobs. But PL handles it all. I don't have to master different apps, just be good at PL, where I always get the job done, no external software necessary (except of course the final step to Power Point..).
PhotoLine is the only software that I use that I have open 16 hours a day. In my printshop it is the most versatile tool for anything graphic and any job that surround that.

So, for my work, basepages or the possibility to use a frame with one click on other pages would speed up things greatly. A function like 'copy this frame virtually to pages x to y' could handle it.
Especially when a document is in a more advanced stage, it is now a lot of work to add a basepage via virtual copies.
But even then, I still prefer PL.

[Herbert123]

@PPaul I agree wholeheartedly with you!

Your experience mirrors mine. Let's hope the Hubers will consider adding at least some kind of option/feature to make life easier in this regard.

[wmjordan]

Often, like business cards or brochures, they share the same background or the same elements.

This sentence has stated the potential usage of this feature.