How to integrate Affinity Photo 2 as external application

[voronwe]

Since Version 2, Affinity made it much more uncomftable to be called from other applications, because it is not a simple executable anymore but a Windows App, which can not be adressed directly.

I had this problem already with Lightroom, and the solution was to call a -.bat file with the following entry:

Code Select Expand

start /b affinityphoto2.exe %1
exit

I attached it if somebody needs it.

In IMatch, do the following:
Favorites-Panel: Right-Click -> "New external tool"

Add the following (Name is up to you)
In Arguments, it is important to set the quotation-marks, otherwise it will get problems with files which have a space in the path



Hope that helps other people

[Mario]

Thanks for sharing!

All apps from the Microsoft Store don't install in a normal way anymore.
They are hidden inside a container, which has benefits and problems. Clean uninstalls and updates are pro, the "no shortcut anymore" is one of the cons. Only Microsoft can fix that. They have been asked many times, but so far did not solve this.

Which version of Lr do you use? I use classic and it installs as a normal application.

[voronwe]

Which version of Lr do you use? I use classic and it installs as a normal application.

5.7 (the last one before they went CC). That one workes as long as Adobe updates the dng-converter with new camera models (and I hope that it will work on Windows 11).
I have an Adobe-License at work (because I develop plug-ins), but I got completely confused with the new classic/cloud concept

[Mario]

Forgot to mention that IMatch 2023 supports custom icons for favorites (via en external image file).
This makes it easy to not only start Windows Store Apps but also show a proper icon:

[stzari]

A small update:

Since version 2.0.4 Serif also provides normal msi install files (after some discussions on their forums).

They are easy to miss:
On the download page for the v2 products there's a line at the bottom "Looking for Windows MSI installers?".
Clicking on it will open a paragraph with the download buttons for those.

[Mario]

Thanks for the info.
Nice. I knew they said they would deliver a separate MSI, but I missed that they actually did.

But I use the batch trick from above and use an external icon for the Designer favorite (and File Window toolbar) so I'm good.

When I ship IMatch as a Windows Store App I will keep the normal installer to.
Microsoft now allows "normal" apps like IMatch into the store (with some exceptions, need to check that) so there might be chance to get it into the Windows Store. Which would be a good thing for visibility.

[mastodon]

Is it possible to make a shortcut for initiating a panorama with Affintiy with selected images? make a button/menu item for it.

[voronwe]

Is it possible to make a shortcut for initiating a panorama with Affintiy with selected images? make a button/menu item for it.

Is there a way to call the Affinity-Panorama-Function from the command line?

[Mario]

I doubt this can work.
I only have APhoto 1 but there the Panoramas are created via a modal dialog box where you select the photos you want to use. This dialog does not support drag & drop or anything. And creating a pano from the command line would probably run in the command line maximum length limit with just a few files - when APhoto would support it.

Select the folder containing the files you want to use in the pano in the IMatch Media & Folders View and press Ctrl+C to copy the name into the clipboard. Then you can paste it into the file open dialog in the APhoto Pano feature and select the files.

[voronwe]

I doubt this can work.
I only have APhoto 1 but there the Panoramas are created via a modal dialog box where you select the photos you want to use. This dialog does not support drag & drop or anything.

I just checked it: same in Version 2

[mastodon]

I see, Affinty has same work with that. Thanks, anyway

[Mario]

Last night I've spent some time, trying to make this easier for users.

My idea was to add a "Run Windows Store App" option for External Tool Favorites:
1. somehow list all installed Windows Store apps and allow the user to select one. I made this work.
2. find some Windows functions which start a Windows Store app with a set of files. I failed at that.

Honestly, I gave up on part 2 after a couple of hours (!).

This is one of those typical Microsoft "Make it as complicated as possible and then don't document it". Or, "Leave out some important bits in the documentation".
If something fails, the error messages are misleading. I found 5 different answers to the same question using Google. Non worked, of course. Not even ChatGPT had a working solution There are differences between different Windows versions. And a lot of "flex" in the way apps describe themselves in the Store manifest. And possible dependencies on file extensions, support or not. Etc.
 
It's a bit like brain surgery in the dark with only a hammer.
Just for the simple task "Start the Windows Store application XYZ with these files. Pretty please!".

So, the use an external batch file approach is what we get for now.

[Aubrey]

They are easy to miss:
On the download page for the v2 products there's a line at the bottom "Looking for Windows MSI installers?".
Clicking on it will open a paragraph with the download buttons for those.

Thank you, very useful tip, they are well hidden and not easy to find.
One must scroll down to the bottom of this URL: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/universal-licence/
Aubrey.

[BanjoTom]

Aubrey pointed the way to the Affinity MSI installers.  

So... if I want to use those to install my Affinity apps, I can easily do so, but then, should I somehow remove the .msix versions?  And... how does one do that?  

As a test, I ran the .msi installer for Designer, and now I have two versions on my PC: the .msix-installed one, and also the .msi-installed one.  Both work.  But -- I don't really understand the "advantages" of the .msix version, and wonder about what I should do...  

[Mario]

Regular apps (MSI) and Store Apps (MSIX) are installed very differently. Store apps basically go into a "container" that contains all the components required by the app. This allows for clean installs and uninstalls, and gives Windows / Ms a lot more control over what can be done by apps and with apps. This is the advantage.
I think Microsoft would love to establish a store-only environment like Apple has it on iPhones and Google on Android phones. I have no problem with that as long as I can still ship normal installers.

You can uninstall regular apps and shop apps via the Windows Control Panel. Search for add and then click on "Add or remove programs". Then search for affinity in the software list. I guess you'll see two entries, one of the normal app and one for the shop-installed app.