Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
67 results found
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Snap to Stroke width option
The addition of the snap-to-glyph functionality that was added to the type tool recently, it could be useful to have the option to snap to the outside width of a stroke (i.e. the where the path would be if a stroke were expanded into a shape), perhaps with a zoom or stroke size threshold to prevent mis-snapping at broader scale.
This could be particularly useful when try to align an object to a path with either a variable width stroke or multiple strokes applied. It would also allow for more precise alignment to the end of open paths that have…
13 votes -
Ability to toggle snap on/off while moving individual points
I want snap to be on almost all the time. I only need it off to move a point or two.
I would like a single key to hold down that would turn off snap while I move that single point.13 votes -
Disable smart guides to some specific object/layer
Hi there,
After using Illustrator for quite some time, I found there has one function I need the most.
Which is to disable smart guides to some specific object/layer.Smart guides are amazing but I found that they won't work well if I had a crazy vector texture background.
When I try to align to the main object I am working on, it will just try to align to background vector textures. Which is not ideal.So I have been thinking, could there have a feature, that disables smart guides to some specific object/layer, like we can lock anything that…
10 votes -
Show the exact location where snapping to grid occurs
Snap to Grid is underrated. Illustrator makes everything to make it uncomfortable to use: no constantly available indicator, clashing with Smart Guides, the general lack of customization (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/32403847-make-center-point-visible-while-dragging-art)...
And also it does not give enough feedback on WHERE the moved / transformed object snaps to, to which exact gridlines’ intersection.
Something just happens!
Look at the GIF — this 13.25×13.25 magenta square feels like it’s lagging, also I’m just trying to position it.Look at the second GIF, from Affinity Designer. Can you spot the difference? We can clearly see which point it snaps to, no problem. Well,…
9 votes -
Smart guide show projected extension of another line when hovering
This is a basic feature in CAD programs. When you are using the pen or line tools, you need to be able to hover over the end point of a line, and then snap the cursor to that line's hypothetical extension, so you can start a new line on that extension, so that each point you make can be co-linear with another.
See this video: https://youtu.be/9RgRoOunCDs?t=18 and attached images
I can't say how many times (probably in the tens of thousands) in my career when I have had to drag out a construction line extension just so i can start…
9 votes -
Angular Smart Guides for everything, similar to those Snap to Glyph has
There is a lesser known Snap to Glyph command in context menu, which allow you to snap to any live glyph under cursor. It requires Smart Guides and Snap tp Glyph commands enabled (and Snap to Grid disabled).
Once you enter the mode, the chosen glyph is highlighted with a rectangle, and you are able to construct new art relative to points of this live glyph, as if it was outlined.
These guides are green, similar to normal Glyph Guides, but some guides are unique to this mode, like the 'angular' one — which allows us to build on a…8 votes -
Add an option to allow to snap to and by linked art, a similar one to Snap to Glyphs option
Could it be possible to get some help to align to a graphic imported? Something like "Snap to Glyph"?
It could help a lot to work precisely, without "embedding" the placed artwork...Originally by Jean-Michel Le Goff
8 votes -
More fields to Smart Guides angles
Have you ever required to customize Illustrator more, well, this is a feature that is here a long time ago and it would be nice to have more options: In Preferences > Smart Guides, we should have more options to add custom angles, since six fields are falling short. Is this doable?
7 votes -
Make smart guides stop working with Ctrl key pressed, as in Photoshop and InDesign
The function of disabling smart guides by pressing the Ctrl key in Photoshop and InDesign, allows you to adjust the position of an object more accurately without having to go to the menu to disable them.
7 votes -
Smart Guides and Snap To Grid mutually exclusive - please support both
"Smart Guides" and "Snap to Grid" are currently mutually exclusive which is very troublesome. I don't see the immediate connection, even if I want to have my objects snap to a grid I'd still liket to use Smart Guides, especially for creating Squares, Circles and the like.
7 votes -
Snap to Artboard edges and corners
Please allow snapping Anchor Points to Artboard edges and Artboard corners.
6 votes -
Make (Anchor Points) Pixel Perfect /Snap points to grid
I appreciate the Make Pixel Perfect command... when it works. It does what one would expect when applied to a simple ellipse, rectangle, or etc, but for many complex shapes it simply fails with "Selected art cannot be made pixel perfect."
When I attempt Make Pixel Perfect on a more complex shape, I'm looking for one of two things:
- I want to round the x, y, width and height of the whole path to the nearest whole-pixel values, or
- I want to round the x and y of every anchor point along the path to the nearest whole-pixel values.
As…
6 votes -
Allow to exclude handles from being snapped to grid
I remember it being a bug, when handles were not snapping to grid... but sometimes it’s actually useful! Currently we have to undo, disable the grid, and tweak the handle.
There should either be a hard option we can toggle (preferably with an ability to assign it to a hotkey), or a hotkey to toggle this behavior on the fly, the one we can tap while dragging and disable snapping for this operation only... or both!Please take a look at this related request as well:
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only…5 votes -
Add a line tangency feature to all drawing tools
Please add a tangency feature to the pen tool. This will allow for an easier method of creating graceful line work.
5 votes -
True customisable drawing 'angles' for all tools when using SHIFT key (pen, pencil, brush).
This is severely lacking in illustrator and has been developed by Affinity Designer with work arounds (that do not work in a suitably fluid way) by Astute Graphics for Illustrator.
Best case scenario something is implemented like Affinity Designer in which 'constraint angles' are replaced by ‘Grid and Snapping Axis’ you are able to set and save presets of angle settings.
These axis are set and then can be activated as a constraint on your current tool by holding shift.
Smart guides provides this in a VERY limited way right now, the UI is very rudimentary for a setting that…5 votes -
Magic Grid
Hi!
I would like to have a new tool: a kind of semi-elastic placement aid. Our team designs packagings and often has to adapt layouts to new die cuts, so objects often have to be moved, but must not change in size themselves. Sometimes a logo exists in three different sizes, which must be chosen depending on the total height. In addition, they must adhere to minimum distances, which may also not be scaled. However, the design often follows a grid, e.g. a logo must be on the vertical at 5/13 of the total height. So I imagine a kind…
5 votes -
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only when points are close enough to grid intersections
When Snap to Grid is enabled, the snapping is hard — a dragged point is always constrained to the grid intersections. While sometimes it’s handy, at other times is just too rigid, especially if you zoom in and try to make tiny adjustments. Paired with the fact we can’t toggle snapping temporarily on the fly, this makes it into 'try, curse, undo, disable, try again' routine. Same applies to Snap to Pixel.
Compare how Affinity Designer handles it (the turquoise GIF) with the way Ai uses (the orange GIF).
4 votes -
Allow to snap to middles of straight and curved segments in paths
We need middles to get detected with Smart Guides.
The latest Beta 29.5.0.15 got this report fixed — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/39380149 — and now allows to detect these for straight two-point lines (as 'intersect', not 'middle') but it doesn’t work for straight segments within a larger path or curved segments at all.The team ignored the rest of the comments and did the bare minimum the report stated :( Hope this will get more votes to prove we need it still.
4 votes -
Show Smart guides when using Curvature Tool
When using the curvature tool to creat a symmetric curve, it would be nice when smart guides (to the center) are shown.
4 votesIt seems to work in the latest Beta 29.5.0.15, the Curvature Tool now respects Smart Guides. The position quantization for new points is still there, and these two snaps seem to fight, but it is usable finally. Please test it and provide some feedback.
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Snapping unexpectedly disabled when drawing to an Artboard edge
When using the rectangle tool or other drawing tools, you can snap to the edge of an artboard, but you cannot snap to grid lines that intersect with the artboard edge.
This makes things complicated if you are designing relative to the artboard all the time with Snap to Grid or Snap to Pixel enabled. I have to workaround it, snapping inside or outside the artboard edge first, then moving the point an exact increment to match where the artboard edge and grid line intersect.
Notice that in my screen recording, this happens even at the beginning when I first…
4 votes
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