Affinity Photo 2 as external app

[mity!]

With Affinity Photo v2 as a Windows App Package using MSIX it is a little bit tricky to add it as an external tool favorite to IMatch. The created shortcut is obviously not a "real" shortcut (using the meaning of the IMatch help ).

I found two ways to add Affinity Photo 2 to the application favorites:

1) Using Affinity's alias
Using the app's execution alias as described in the Affinity forum:
'New External Tool'
'Command to execute': "C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\AffinityPhoto2.exe"
'Variables': "{File.FullName}"

Works fine but the alias doesn't contain the application's icon. So you have to use one of IMatch's standard icons.

2) Create a "real" shortcut
Use the above execution alias "C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\AffinityPhoto2.exe" and create a windows shortcut for it.
Then you can add the original icon (in shortcut's properties) using the real app's executable for the icon. For me this is:
"C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPhoto2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt\App\Photo.exe".
This again is a little bit tricky, because as a user you are not allowed to access 'WindowsApps'. You have to fill in the whole path in the Explorer manually.
Having such created a shortcut with suitable icon you can simply drag and drop it to IMatchs application favorites.
Phew...

[Mario]

Thanks for sharing.

This is one of the many intricacies of the new MSIX installer format Microsoft is requiring for all apps which are distributed via the Windows Store.

I basically becomes a "Windows App" environment, under the full control of Windows. Removing control from the user more and more. One day Microsoft will gracefully "allow" us to run software we buy on the computers we pay for. Or remove the privilege.

Note that the path you use in 2) contains the version number / instance. I guess it will break every time Photo is updated...

[reschi]

Thanks for the research already done on this topic.

I have tried both versions described above:
Version 1 (New External Tool) works fine for me (as soon as you put the variable in quotes as described by mity!).
Version 2 (via Windows shortcut) unfortunately only works if neither the filename nor the path contains spaces.
With spaces I get several error messages in AP2, one for each space (Failed to open file <part of filename/path> The file was not found).

I would be very grateful for a "space" workaround, because the AF2 icon in the shortcut would be nice.

[reschi]

Just found below post by Mark Ingram (Serif Staff) in the Affinity forum, so there is still hope for an "old" AP2 Windows shortcut.

"Hi all. Thanks for your patience over the weekend when our offices were closed.
We've had a meeting this morning and decided to ALSO offer MSI installers to those people who would like them. I can't tell you when this will happen, as there is engineering work that will be required to allow this to happen, but we hope it won't be long.
Thanks for your feedback! "

[thrinn]

You are right. It is now part of the Frequently Asked Questions, so I count this as "official". An answer to a very long thread with many people who were slightly annoyed because they could not start the apps from other programs.

[Mario]

They've got quite some flak over this

I'm also looking into creating a MSIX installer for IMatch 2023, since Microsoft lifted most of the restrictions and now allows "regular" Windows software to be distributed via the Store. This can mean a lot of extra exposure for IMatch - which is a good thing if you are a small ISV.

But I only see this as an additional way to install IMatch, in addition to the standard .exe installer I already offer.
While MSIX has a number of benefits, it also locks users pretty much into the Microsoft "app" system and limits the way in which users and other software may interact with IMatch.

So, there will be IMatch downloads and updates as usual and, maybe, an IMatch version distributed via the Microsoft Store.

I guess Microsoft dreams of the locked-down app ecosystem Apple and Google (to a lesser extent) have established. Where everything must to go via their store, follow their ever-changing rules and where they can skim 15% to 30% from each purchase - for basically doing nothing of value. I'm no fan of this.