Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4513 results found
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Add paragraph return (^p) as a special character in Find and Replace window
Find and Replace text has a shortcut popup for a Forced Line Break, ^n, but not the more common simple Paragraph return, ^p.
A Paragraph return is the normal Return button on all keyboards. A forced line break is Shift/Enter.
Find/Replace understands ^n notation for a forced line break, but does not understand ^p notation for a paragraph return.
16 votes -
Turn a layer highlight into an object selection
It's often simpler to highlight entries in the layers panel than it is to select the objects on the artboard.
e.g. you could just click the first and shift-click the last in order to hightlight many consecutive layers.
It would be really efficient if those highlighted objects could then be turned into a selection on the artboard (for transforming the elements or whatnot).
16 votes -
"Divide objects below" with a group
"Divide objects below" (what I call "cookie cutting") with multiple objects that are from a group, all at once . If I want to cut a pattern (let's say, giraffe spots) out of a shape located below, I should be able to divide the object without having to do it for each individual spot. If the spots are already grouped together to form a pattern, that pattern should be able to divide all at once.
16 votes -
Anchor point smart delete
Deleting an anchor point by default break up the shape of the stroke.
What about smart delete, that automatically adjust nearest handles to save the shape of the stroke.
I dream about it from the cs3 version :)16 votes -
Aligning to a certain object
The Align tools in all Adobe programs is a wonderful feature. However, in Illustrator when you Align objects it changes the position of ALL of them. In other programs, it tends to be the last object you select takes the dominant position - aligning all others to it. In Illustrator it doesn't seem to matter the order you select, it just aligns it to the nearest center point (thus moving ALL the objects). The Lock feature doesn't help as you cannot select a locked object to align with/to.
16 votesYou can align to an object you choose to be the key one.. Click the object you want to use as a key the second time and Ai will use a bolder edge to highlight it.
More details here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miVLI8rwO1o https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/moving-aligning-distributing-objects.html
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Add an option for Pathfinder to make compound paths instead of groups
If you draw a row of rectangles (with gaps) and hit Unite button in Pathfinder — Ai will create a group.
But if you hold Alt, then hit Unite, and then hit Expand in this panel — Ai will make create a compound path!
I almost always want a compound path.
And I hate this workaround, since it requires twice as much operations (yeah, 2 instead of 1!). Another workaround is an action to ungroup and make a compound path — which is still a 2 steps operation!The alternative is to have a panel full of actions for each…
15 votes -
A hotkey to switch gradient types, Linear/Radial/Freeform
Shift + > and Shift + < are not taken.
We’d assigned them ourselves, but guess what — you forgot to expose these in Keyboard Shortcuts. As 90% of all other commands and buttons we have in panels. But hey, we introduce new features... finish old ones already.
15 votes -
Mark starting points and directions for paths
We know nothing about where a closed path starts and which direction it has.
We can cheat it and apply an arrowhead or a brush to see that, but perhaps you just should mark the first points of paths with something else than a square? Like a triangle?
Come on, look at Corel Draw, look at Affinity Designer!15 votes -
Rename linked file
If I want to rename a file which is linked to a file (for whatever reason), I have to perform a humiliating process: find a link in Explorer, rename it, return to Ai, wait until it finds out the file is missing, search for the file in a dialog.
When this would be so much faster just to right-click the file (on canvas or in Links panel) and do 'Rename linked file'.
And please consider the other similar request about renaming an embedded image:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/47013226-rename-embedded-image15 votes -
Cursor and path feedback for Scissors
We have to guess if we cut a path at all and if we hit the right path.
No highlight (OK, using Smart Guides helps, but Smart Guides does nothing if you also have Snap to Grid enabled!), no cursor change.It’s 2022, right? Clouds, integrations, Stock sales directly in files... Scissors are still used with a blindfold, in a dark room, in a midnight.
Also vote for this related issue:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/36111436-make-pen-and-scissors-tools-prioritize-editing-to — Make Pen and Scissors tools prioritize editing to a selected path15 votes -
Make Appearance work for Type objects
More specifically, with type objects, the Appearance palette just says 'Characters', without reflecting the current stroke and fill state of the object. New stroke and fill have to be added to make the Appearance palette useful.
15 votes -
Please allow "ACTIONS" menu to record the SCALE in EXPORT SCREENS dialog for Artboards
Please allow "ACTIONS" menu to record the SCALE in the EXPORT SCREENS dialog for Artboards. I'd love to be able to record ALL the frequent filetypes and associated sizes for each asset and deliver an ACTION to my entire TEAM that makes this efficient for our everyday usage.
15 votes -
Pan tool wrap
When you pan with the mouse button/wheel held down, the panning stops when the cursor reaches the monitor edges. This forces user to release mouse, move it all the way back and re-grab it.
In some other editors you can continue to move the pointer and it will 'wrap' around your monitor, going from the opposite side of it, until released.Basically you can pan until you reach the end of your table.
This mode will help those who have to work at scale and pan without unzooming. Please, add it!
15 votes -
Spring Loaded tools
Over in Photoshop, it's possible to hold the single-letter shortcut for activating a tool, and to then release the key to return to your previously-used tool.
In many ways, this is not useful in Illustrator, but in several, it's invaluable. The Zoom tool, in particular--I'd like to be able to hold Z, adjust the zoom, and release Z to be back on the selection tool (or whatever i was previously using).
The Hand tool already works this way: Take out a tool like Selection (v), and then hold spacebar to get the Hand tool. Drag the canvas around, then release…
15 votes -
Tie a child shape to parent shape to keep it aligned to parent when resized
Hi everyone,
I posted this as a question in the Illustrator forum (here's the original thread https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/set-shapes-as-child-and-parent-objects-for-dynamic-box-designs/m-p/11688904?page=1#M256580) and was suggested to submit this as a feature request here.
I design boxes in Illustrator for precise cutting in my Silhouette machine. The main problem I encounter with is when I make a box which its shapes are all perfectly aligned, but I then find that I need to tweak its interior size. When I'm doing so I have to re-align all the different pieces of the box shapes such as the spines, wings, etc, since there's no option to tie…
15 votes -
Add grep/regex to Find and Replace feature
We really need some kind of grep or pattern matching in the Find and Replace dialogue.
I don't expect it to be InDesign-level functionality, but after all this time even rudimentary grep would be a blessing.
Maybe the Bridge regex could be adapted to Illustrator somehow...
15 votes -
search and replace layers / artboards
Add a function to batchrename artboards and layer with suffix & prefix.
15 votes -
Ability to temporarily flip canvas horizontally (mirror view) for design checking
For illustrative purposes, it would be really handy to be able to temporarily flip the canvas horizontally as if in a mirrored reflection.
You would instantly see slight imperfections in a design in this new angle that was not previously noticeable due to one's specific viewpoint.
A lot of graphic programs do this to allow scrutiny from an alternate angle. InDesign and Photoshop do this already of course.
Thank you!
Michael
15 votes -
RAL Swatch Library
RAL Swatch library. We don’t need this for print or screen, but it is necessary to mark a plastic or metal with RAL colour when documentation is sent to manufacturing. Do something about it.
15 votes -
Add DXF/DWG Export To Increased Canvas Size In Illustrator 24.2 (and later)
Would it be possible to add DXF/DWG as an export option for the new expanded max canvas size (Illustrator, 24.2 and forward). The increased canvas size is wonderful, however as someone who will move to-scale sketches from Illustrator into a 3D modeling program, not having DXF/DWG exports at the new max size makes the use of the new canvas size somewhat limited.
15 votes
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