Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
32 results found
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Dimension Tool Ungroup to edit
To be able to ungroup the dimension, created with the dimension tool so it can be edited. The only way I have found how to edit it is expand appearance. And that duplicates it a number of times so you need to delete the duplicates first.
7 votesRecent builds offer a native way to hide units in live dimensions, so there is no need to expand these to hide them manually or use the Find and Replace hack anymore
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Mockup Feature not showing in my Illustrator
In Object menu Mockup tool not showing. plz add
1 voteMockup feature is now included in latest Illustrator releases
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Eyedropper doesn't include the arrow heads on a line
If I have a line selected and I use the eyedropper on a different line with a stroke and arrow heads, it only copies the stroke not the arrow heads.
Please make it include the arrow heads.
Also, the most useful arrow head is number 27, it should be number 1 not number 27.
In fact, if there was a checkbox you could click in the stroke properties window that automatically changed a line to a measurement label so it put an arrowhead 27 on each end, changed the stroke to like 4pt yellow, and a text box half way…
1 voteThe Eyedropper tool’s options can be configured to transfer arrowheads, which are treated as 'complex appearance'.
See comments for details.
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artwork over canvas isolation toggle
Toggle function that changes the view between showing all artwork in a drawing, and only showing everything that is actually over the canvas. basically, a quick and easy toggle to see what an exported pdf would look like. Exactly like the toggle built into InDesign (toggled by "w").
3 votesThis can be done with View > Trim View command.
You can assign any hotkey you want to it.
There is also a Presentation mode, but it does a slightly different thing.
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Option to auto-sharp an anchor point when using the pen tool.
By default when making a anchor point with the pen tool it gives you a curve anchor(2 direction handles). I request that we have the option to make it a sharp anchor(1 direction handle).
Currently in order to make a sharp anchor you have to go back and select the anchor again. This is a slow method if you only draw in sharp anchors. By having this new option it will be lot faster and easier to draw in this style.
3 votesYou can do that by holding Alt right after you click the first point with the Pen tool and releasing it after you finish dragging the handle out. This creates legitimate corner point with one hadle.
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Stretching objects
A stretch function allows to e.g. move a door in a wall. The door is moved, one wall is enlarged and the other wall is shortened. This is done by drawing a box through the walls and around the door, and then by moving the selection. Object that are completely within the selection are moved. Object that cross the selection box are stretched.
2 votesSelect points needed with the Direct Selection tool and move them altogether.
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Triangles
Add the use of triangles into shapes as this will help with projects. as there is the only use of lines, square and circles.
1 voteIllustrator has also a Polygon live shape. With only three sides used, it becomes a live triangle. If you have drawn a triangle manually (and it a regular one), you can always convert it into a live shape, using Object > Shape > Convert to Shape menu command.
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Object position should be able to be locked.
When aligning multiple objects to each other, all of them translates. There's no option to make one fixed (position locked) and then align all the other object to that fixed one. E.g. a content to a box object.
1 voteThanks for the response Endre.
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Knife tool with Bezier curves like Pen tool
I like the idea of the Knife tool and I try to use it. It is worthless because it has no control... If it used Bezier curves or like the Photoshop's Polygon tool that would be awesome.
1 voteWhile the Knife tools definitely lacks precision (and there is a request about it), but there is a way you can use any path as a cutting path, the same way the Knife does.
Draw a path over the objects you want to cut, select it and use Object > Path > Divide Objects Below.
Please comments back if it works or doesn’t work for you.
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Option for object size to take priority over corner radius
When resizing an object, corner radius should be automatically reduced to accommodate the new size rather than blocking the change until you manually reduce the corner radius
(toggle in the options?)1 voteThere is an option to toggle this behavior, in Preferences > General > Scale Corners. You can also tick it in the Transform panel.
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Auto live paint
I very often colour linework using live paint. This is a great tool but if I could automatically colour every shape it would save a lot of time. At the moment I have to manually click every area I want to fill. Could this be done with one click? Many thanks.
4 votesYes, there is a way to fill many areas at once.
A double-click on a fill (or a stroke) should apply the currently chosen color to all sections that has this color (unless these are not separated with strokes).
A triple-click will change the color of all sections of the same color, no matter if these are separated or not.
Same applies to Live Paint Selection Tool.
You can read more about these methods here
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Allow Eyedropper tool to copy/apply different things
Guys, the Eyedropper is an incredibly important tool, whether or not it's "****" by virtue of its age. You haven't updated it in, what, decades? Among the things that it is incapable of copying are:
- multiple strokes
- stroke profiles
- transparency
- blend modes
- graphic styles
Those are extremely common usages/needs. And that's off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more. Obviously there's no reason this tool shouldn't be able to copy these things! Almost every aesthetic effect that gets added to AI should be reflected in that tool's pickup abilities. Please make this happen already.
1 voteThe Eyedropper tool can work in two modes: basic and extended: basic picks/applies only colors and text. extended allows you operate chosen appearance attributes.
If you open the tool’s options (by doube-clicking the tool button or hitting Enter while it’s picked), you’ll see that you can check/uncheck two top ‘Appearance’ options and customize attributes to be processed.
This is not intuitive, but very powerful once you get the concept.
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Install brushes to Illustrator
Install custom brushes to Illustrator
With photoshop, you can install custom brushes. With Illustrator, you have to make any custom brush yourself which can be tedious and very difficult.4 votesIllustrator for desktop allows to save and import brushes with an ease.
To save brushes, just save a document with your brushes as an .ai file. You don’t have to have them on canvas for this, just in Brushes panel.
To load brushes, click the Brush Libraries Menu button in the bottom left corner of the Brushes panel (looks like a bookshelf). Choose Other Library, locate the brush library .ai file.
If you want to create, save and import brushes in Illustrator for iPad — you have to vote for this feature here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/931888-illustrator-ipad-feature-requests/suggestions/41682511-import-or-create-brushes
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Shortcut for the SMOOTH tool please.
N brings the pencil... I need something for the SMOOTH tool.
4 votesYou can assign your own hotkeys to different tools with Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
Also, you can pick Pencil, hit Enter )or double-click the tool’s button) to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog and check 'Alt key toggles to Smooth Tool' — this will allow to quickly temporarily access Smooth on the go while you are working with Pencil.
Same applies to the Brush and Blob Brush stools by default.
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move anchor points in opposite direction relative to the object’s center point
For years I have been hankering for a way to work with anchor points the same way as the width tool works or the option/alt modifier key works when resizing a shape with the selection tool.
When two anchor points are selected I want to be able to move those points in opposite directions. Either attract or repel.Imagine there is a straight line between the two selected anchor points, when one of the points is moved away from the other point (pressing the modifier key) the point that is selected but not dragged should move in the opposite direction.
5 votesThis is possible with Smart Guides and Scale tool, like it’s described in the comments.
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Bounding Box Preview Bounds
CC 23.01 Mac High Sierra
When a single object is selected, Preview Bounds is on, the Bounding Box does not reflect the Preview Bounds - it is the same as if Preview Bounds is off.
When selecting multiple objects it works as it should
8 votesThis issue is fixed in latest version of Illustrator. Live shapes (and art in general) no longer have geometric bounds’ sized bounding box with the Preview Bounds option on.
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Zoom Tool Controls (Fit to Screen)
Can we make the Zoom Tool have the same Control settings as the Zoom Tool in Photoshop? I design in Large Scale Canvas Files. I like to design Art for Shirt Prints/Broadcasting Graphics for Entertainment Usage/Graphics for Sports Teams.
This means a lot of Re-Scaling Images after put into the documents. When I Re-Scale the images and go to position them. I need to Zoom In onto the destination of the image's positioning.
After I position that image. I can go back to Full-Size Image. But, I have to go to my Magnifier % at the bottom of my program…3 votesIndeed, Illustrator does not have 'Fit to Screen' option in the context menu for the Zoom tool.
But it provides other ways to do that:
View > Fit Artboard in Window (Cmd/Ctrl + 0)
View > Fit All in Window (Opt/Alt + Cmd/Ctrl + 0)
If you are interested in Zoom to Selection command, please vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/31427962-zoom-to-selection-fit-selection-on-screen-with
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view Anchor Points
View Anchor Points selection under the view tab. I'd like to see Anchor Points anytime I click on an object if I have this view selected, not just a barely there blue line that is hard to tell what is clicked as it currently is when you select Show Edges under the view tab.
1 voteYou can enable this with 'Show Anchor Points in Selection Tool and Shape Tool' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Preview
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Bring back the rounded corners in the rectangle dialog
Please place the rounded corners back into the rectangle dialog window. The new experience for this feature is undiscoverable and not intuitive at all. The usage pattern is inconsistent with the rest of the drawing tools e.g. polygon, stars... Have you consider testing it on users before launching the new 2019 version? Please do not redesign for the sake of redesign. Your users are not being efficient in their workflows because they have to spend time to figure it out where those features have gone. I am very sorry but this is a frustrating experience.
6 votesAs per the comment.
The rounded corner box is still there in new versions, but hidden, as a 'not-frequently-used' — well, statistics-wise. Click on the three dots at the bottom of your toolbar and pick Rounded Rectangle tool directly, or drop it into your toolbar.
Please free to add comments, if you think that this tool should be included to the Essentials toolbox anyway, and why you think this is important.
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Make it possible to select locked objects?
I wish it was possible to prevent an object from moving, but still have the ability to select it. A preference setting to "allow selection of locked objects" or "lock position only" or something?
5 votesThere is a way to select locked objects in recent Illustrator versions.
In Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section toggle ‘Select and Unlock objects on canvas’ option to see small lock icons you can click when locked objects get into a selection marquee.
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