ejones0310 Loc: Tulsa, OK

What Digital Asset Manager are the Affinity Photo users using to organize photos?

Linary Loc: UK

Unfortunately, they are not. Affinity, according to the forum, are working on a DAM development, and have been for two years. I think if they do achieve something, it will be a Browser (like Bridge or Irfanview) rather than a catalogue (like Lightroom or PS Elements). I read somewhere in the forum the Beta is hoped to be out sometime in 2018.

I use LIghtroom and have set Affinity up as an external editor returning PSD files, works very well.

ejones0310 Loc: Tulsa, OK

Which version of Lightroom are you using?

Linary Loc: UK

LR CC Classic, but all previous versions of LR will work just as well. (Not the new Lightroom CC).

You can even set Irfanview (free) up as a browser with Affinity as an external editor.

ejones0310 Loc: Tulsa, OK

Thanks for the feedback. The last time I used photo editing software it was Elements 4. I'm trying to decide if Affinity or Elements 18 is the way I want to go.

Linary Loc: UK

I have used Elements 9 thru 13, all of which were great PP programs. I have used Photoshop from version 7 thru to CS2, then succumbed to PS CC and LR from v2 to LR Classic. I am trying Affinity which is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I have been using Affinity for just a few weeks (as well as using PS) and am just beginning to make sense of the menus and the many hidden tools. In some ways it is far more powerful than either Elements or Photoshop, but there is an element of awkwardness about the placement of tools. An example; to Flatten the layers in an image, I think it would be logical to go to the Layers Panel or the Layers Menu. In their wisdom, Affinity designers have put the Flatten Command in the Document menu. Not a serious problem, just illogical.

There are a few gripes I have with AP, but overall I think it is stronger and more robust than Elements 13 (no experience of v14 et seq), works with 8, 16 and 32 bit (the latter for HDR), lots of colour spaces, and will also work with PSD files. I found the ten day trial not long enough, but then you pay the £50 and still get a further 30 day money back offer if you don't like the program.

philz Loc: Rockaway Township NJ

Certainly Lightroom can be used but if you have LR CC you also have Photoshop CC so why do you need Affinity Photo? Now I am trying Affinity Photo and also have On1 Raw 2018 which acts as an organizer, raw editor, and a lot more. It is very easy to go from On1 Raw to Affinity with a right click on the image and it is there. However, I can do so much more in On1 Raw than I can in Lightroom CC that I do not expect to ever need Affinity Photo except for something like Liquefy. So I am well on the way to dropping the CC subscription and just using the On 1 Raw and Affinity software I have already paid for.

Affinity is still new to me in terms of some functions like save and export. It saves in Affinity files in my folders and (thus in On1 Raw which is folder based rather than catalog) which retain all layers and adjustments when reopened. But if I export as a PSD file that can be opened in Photoshop, will it have the layers visible? Is there a setting that makes that happen?

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

I'm using what I believe is the best DAM out there which is ACDsee Pro. :)

philz Loc: Rockaway Township NJ

Only $70 on sale and it seems to do everything On1 and Affinity does. Never looked at it before. I will tomorrow.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Yes, menus of a different world. Check out my contribution to understanding:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-481989-1.html
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-482339-1.html

philz Loc: Rockaway Township NJ

I checked out ACDsee and found that the Pro was deficient in that it did not do editing in Layers. So I bought the ACDsee Studio Ultimate 2018 version which has DAM and full layer editing for $99.99 on sale. I have 30 days to try it out versus PS CC and Affinity but after a day playing it is very good. But as I feared, it does not match up to PS CC or even LR CC as it does not do Panoramas and HDR like they do. As can be done in On1 Raw 2018 which unfortunately does not do selections or Liquefy as can be done with Affinity Photo and ACDsee Ultimate 2018. Unfortunately, none do content aware and selection move as in PS CC. Seems like there is no one size fits all substitute for LR CC and PS CC.

A combo of On1 Raw 2018 ($100 on sale, $120 otherwise) and either Affinity ($50) or ACDsee Ultimate ($100 on sale, $150 otherwise) comes close. But at a cost of $150 to $270 depending on what and when you buy.

Consequently, the CC subscription with free updates remains perhaps the best deal after all unless you can do without something they provide.

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

The content of your post is very confusing to me, what exactly "does not do Panoramas and HDR"?

philz Loc: Rockaway Township NJ

Affinity and ACDsee do not do those while LR and PS and ON1 Raw 2018 does..

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

Affinity absolutely does do HDR and Panorama editing

HDR Merging & Tone Mapping (Affinity Photo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJms2GRSmz0

Panoramas (Affinity Photo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JMreAKiBi0

philz Loc: Rockaway Township NJ

Good to know. Thanks I guess I didn't look closely enough when reviewing these programs. Their promotional material that I looked at did not mention HDR or Pano. But I may be wrong too. I'll check again.