Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
166 results found
-
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.
-
make one layer from more layers like in photoshop
Hello, I would really like it if different layers could be used to create one layer, just like in photoshop.
(so if you work with a lot of layers, and you repeat the design on the same page, or want to create a pattern, this doesn't work)
I very much hope that this will be possible in the future1 voteYou can do that using Layers panel’s menu (a hamburger icon in top right corner). Select layers you need and choose one of three available commands: Merge Selected, Flatten Artwork, Collect in New Layer.
Also, you can operate with a selection of object on canvas. Select object you need there, focus a layer you want you objects to be in and apply Object > Arrange > Send to Current Layer.
Finally you can drag a square marker of a selected objects in Layers to another layer to move them.
Please comment on how it works for you.
-
Crop Image tool
With the Crop image tool, it would be nice if the initial crop bounds were to the exact size of the selected image. Right now when you select an image to crop, it creates a random selection, that requires more work than if the crop selected the outer bounds of the image instead of a small selection.
1 voteEric, this behaviour is regulated in Preferences > General > Enable Content Aware Defaults.
Notice that checking this off will also disable auto-placing of color stops in Freeform Gradients and of, pins in Puppet Warp.
If you want to be able to regulate these separately, perhaps you might want to vote for this request:
-
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.
-
Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar
Bring back the previous Illustrator CC toolbar. After years of having the AI tools in a particular spots, now they're all over the place and hard to find and the Edit Toolbar is a cluster#$%& of madness. Bring it back!
10 votesWe have not removed the previous toolbar, it is just that it is not the default. Please use the Window menu > toolbar to get back to the advanced toolbar
-
Add option to Always update links
Sometimes I make a lot of changes within linked images. AI always asks if I am to update links, and I'd like to have this dialogue temporarily switched off (but enable it later)
18 votesAs per Neeraj: it is possible to control the update behavior of links — automatically or manually. Go to Preferences > File Handling & Clipboard > Update Links.
-
Toolbox zoom and hand tool on same tab instead of separate tabs making it slower to select since having to flip back and forth all the time
Previous versions CS6 etc had the toolbox panel better laid out: Hand tool and zoom tools were on a separate tab now CC doesn't give the choice but having them both on a same tab so having to hover, drag etc every time I want to select my favourite tools is really tedious whilst there are many useless tools on the toolbox displayed why changing a feature that worked perfectly in previous versions?
7 votesThe original toolbar with all the tools in classic arrangement is still available as 'Advanced' and can be enabled from Window > Toolbar menu. The currently offered toolbar is called 'Basic' and serves the purpose of making new users fell less overwhelmed with the amount of tools Ai has and display the most popular only.
A questionable decision, but it came with the possibility to make our own customized vertical tool panels. Read more about this here: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/tools.html
If you want to have horizontal toolbars (as a separate option, along with 'torn-out' groups), vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38230498-the-illustrator-toolbox-should-be-able-to-display
If you want to be able to add dividers in toolbars (we lost them when customization had been added), vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38097085-add-dividers-to-custom-tools-panel-or-enable-stac#comments
-
Add reference point locator for symbols
Symbols only have registration point. Fine, store it. Use it as default for scaling-rotating and so on. But why I can't set reference point for transforming it as I want, and as I can for EVERYTHING else?! What, AI can't calculate it's left top coordinate or what? Why can't I flip it over the left edge, for example? Why can't I even COPY it's top left coordinate?
Shh, calm down.
18 votesThis can be done with Transform panel’s flyout menu — disable 'Use Registration Point for Symbol' option.
-
Allow the existing file to remain active when using "Save as"
When working in AI in a native file format, then saving as a different file format (ie PDF), the new file format is now the active file. In InDesign and PS, when you "Save as," your new file is saved in a folder but you are still able to continue working on your native ID or PSD file. I wish Illustrator would work this way, too. Or am I missing something in settings to fix this?
1 voteUse 'Save a copy' command instead of 'Save as', it does exactly what you want.
-
Keyboard Command for Expanding Objects
Please. It's so much more intuitive to press ctrl/cmd+a and expand using the keyboard. I work with other peoples files all the time so being able to easily expand their files to make them work is critical.
3 votesYou can assign your own hotkeys via Edit > Keyboard shortcuts, including Object > Expand, Expand Appearance, and object-specific Expand commands (Blend, Shape, Envelope, etc.)
-
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.
-
Eyedropper needs to sample the flattened color, not the object that I click on
Many many times, when I use the eyedropper, I wish that it was sample the actual color of what I am seeing on the screen, rather than whatever the top object is that I have clicked on. For example I might have a number of layers of transparency, or I might want to click a particular value in a gradient, but the result only gives me the color of the object that I clicked on. Is there a way that you could hold down a modifier key and the eyedropper would instead select the color of the displayed pixel that…
3 votesYou can hold Shift to to sample the flattened color. -
Would like to be able to entries in the Appearance Panel and perform Pathfinder functions to them. .
Example: Select 2 strokes in the appearance panel, one transformed some distance from the other, and apply the pathfinder Unite function (Fx) and have them become functionally one entry on one layer of the selected object.. This could eliminate some what are sometimes complicated procedures when outputting files to various RIP/machines/printers.
2 votesYou can group objects first and then apply an additional stroke to this group using the Appearance panel
-
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
-
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
-
Disable Snap to Path
Can someone please explain to me why you can turn off "snap to grid", "snap to pixel", and "snap to point" off, but you can't turn "snap to path" off. It used to be you could just easily turn off "snap", which would turn all forms of snap off. Now, when I'm trying to adjust points on a path, the anchor handles still snap to path. The only way to get it to not snap to path is to zoom very close in. This is problematic when you can't see your entire curve, because you're zoomed in, and you can't…
3 votesDo you have Smart Guides turned on?
Just turn it off and Ai won’t snap handles to paths. -
Fix the help search function
Help used to work fine but since illustrator 18 cc the help function always takes much longer to load (5/10 seconds every time I type a singl letter). Make a short cut to type in help, as seen on c4d, would speed up workflow considerably
1 voteThe Help option is completely reworked in recent versions, into the Discover panel. It’s rather fast now. If you have feedback on it — please comment.
-
3D Mouse Support
Originally posted in the forums:
I am aware that this has been asked before, but I have not found an adequate answer.
I have always disliked the methods used by Illustrator for pan and zoom functions.
I have been using a program called X-Mouse Button Control to remap the functions of the mouse wheel and middle click to pan and zoom operations. For panning, this works well: Middle click to pan. In X-Mouse, the middle click is replaced with a macro that will hold the space key, and simulate a click/hold of the left mouse button. This allows panning in…
7 votesIllustrator now supports panning with the middle-click held. Also you can toggle Zoom with Mouse Wheel option in Preferences > General. No need to remap anything for having these now.
-
Layer clipping mask (a bit like a paste-inside on steroids!)
I'd like to be able to convert a shape into a layer clipping mask which would then allow sub-layers to be created/converted so that they only remain visible within in the shape's boundary and would subsequently honour any sub-layer effects applied therein.
Why?
Well at the moment I have to expand any paths with effects applied to layers so that any effect is captured inside the clipping mask. This results in a destructive edit to my artwork and file duplication so that I can revert to the previous editable state when I need to make any changes.
Background:
I regularly…1 voteAs Scott Falkner says in comments, you can clip a whole layer if you select a path you want to use as a mask, then open the Layers panel and select Make Clipping Mask from the flyout menu.
-
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.
- Don't see your idea?