Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4553 results found
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Copy and paste with drag and right click mouse like CorelDRAW
I hope to see in illustrator copy and paste with (drag and right click mouse) like CorelDRAW
6 votes -
Make USEFUL hover hints for ALL the options, fields, menu commands
Clearly the team doesn’t really care about making hover hints to be a learning tool.
Rarely these actually try to say what an option or a field does or controls: like 'Start editing similar shapes together' for the 'Global Edit' button in the Control panel, or 'Click to pick arrowhead to apply to start point of path' in Stroke panel...
But in most cases the hint is extremely rudimentary.
Try to hover the 'W' field in Transform panel — you’d get 'W value'. W?! Weight? Wand? Why not say 'Width Value', or even 'Set Width for the selected objects'?Then…
6 votes -
Learn to link / place .ai files saved without PDF compatibility (PGF only)
I know, why would you. A PDF-layer is basically a composite flattened layer Ai writes into an .ai document, and just reads it when the file is placed: in Photoshop, in InDesign. Handy, yeah?
Not really. Saving a document without the compatibility is so much faster. The non-compatible files are so much lighter (especially with heavy raster links used within). OK, Ps and InD can’t read PGF (Progressive Graphics Format, the one that’s native for Ai)... but Ai can.
Why not reading linked .ai docs as they are and THEN keep it’s PDF representation within the destination file, if it…
6 votes -
Do not select both the clipping mask and the clipped contents with Select All while in isolation
When we isolate a clipping group, it’s like we are jumping in a whole in a canvas and start dealing with what’s behind it. Whatever we move while inside isolated, would be visible through the hole.
So when we say Select All while being isolated, we usually don’t mean 'Select the stuff behind the hole and the hole itself' — it’s about clipped content only. Otherwise why isolate in the first place?
Select contents only first and and the clipping mask to the selection only when Select All is called again, if the clipped content is fully selected already. Display…
6 votes -
Escape should cancel an execution of a script / plugin
If we run a script or a plugin operation and the execution of it takes a long time, there is no real way to abort it other than killing the whole Ai process completely (since there is no dedicated one). This can loose us data, and saving each time before running a script or a plugin is paranoid and is hardly a solution.
We need to be able to hit Escape when a script or a plugin makes Ai freeze and expect for it to be stopped, perhaps with a confirmation.
6 votes -
Objects on Path needs a way to control spacing / gaps precisely, with a value
At the moment we can’t control spacing (gaps) between objects on path ion the new Objects on Path type of object (what a beautiful sentence).
We can only eyeball it with a slider, which is incrementing by points (despite me having set millimeters as my ruler units).
There is no field I can type something like 0.125 mm, or at least a modifier key (like Cmd/Ctrl) to make the slider go slower ×10 (or any other value I choose somewhere in Preferences or at least in Adobe Prefs file, buried in Ai’s folders).
Perhaps yo should also allow us to…
6 votes -
Add a slider to Color Guide panel to change the number of steps
Color Guide panel allows to change the number of steps (4 by default), through Color Guide Options dialog, called through the panel’s flyout menu. Buried rather deeply!
Plus the value is reset every app relaunch, and there is a report about it here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/46283755
What if we could have a slider in this panel, to quickly change the number of steps, up to ~20?
Original idea by Tony Harmer
6 votes -
Allow to snap to points of a compound shape with Dimension Tool
It turns out Dimension Tool can’t snap to points of a live compound shape — the cursor displays a 'forbidden' icon and a click does nothing.
The tool should treat the shape as every other tool does and allow to snap to all points (including those to be removed on expand) and intersections, and stay live when the shape is modified (when possible, until the topology changes too much to maintain the connection).
Thanks to René Andritsch for the discovery.
6 votes -
Make objects in Objects on Path to reposition relative to one set as a key object
Align and Distribute operations in Illustrator support picking a key object, by clicking on of the objects in a selection, so it get a thicker edge. This object stays in place, while every other in a selection aligns or distributes relative to it.
Sadly, this 'key object' paradigm is largely unloved in other areas, but it's also neglect in new Objects on Paths construct.
While it does not support setting a target path with it (requested here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/48988013), it also does not allow to 'fix' one object on path as adjust gaps relative to this fixated object.What we…
6 votes -
Allow to use units other than points for Thickness in Pathfinder Trap or Pathfinder Options dialogs
Illustrator is an international application.
But for some reason we still have places in its UI when we are hardbound to specific units, like points in Pathfinder Trap, or PPI as the only resolution unit (while Photoshop allows PPCM — please upvote this request here, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/32403901)
No, this value can be anything, and we need other units than points.
No, it does not get automatically recalculated.
No, it’s not 1998 now.6 votes -
Leading / Line Height calculator (more Auto options)
Illustrator now offers 120% as the default leading value.
Changing it requires you to go to Justification dialog within the Character panel.
The setting is global for the document.
Changing the default value for all new documents requires editing [Normal Paragraph Style] in proper Document Profile (and default ones are reset every time Ai updates).Typography often requires more variety than just a value relative to font size.
In real projects we have to calculate leading / line height based on line width, x-height... and also background, color, the font itself.While Ai hardly can do it all on its…
6 votes -
Revisit the interactions of gradients, brushes, and patterns.
You can't make pattern swatches with gradients in them. This limitation probably made a lot of sense back in 1996 when gradients were new and complicated. Does it still make sense in 2024, with thirty years of CPU manufacturers fighting to keep Moore's Law valid?
You can't apply a gradient stroke to an art/pattern/scatter brush. Again, this limitation probably made sense back in 2012 when gradient strokes were added to Illustrator. Does it still make sense in 2024?
I'm pretty tired of working around both of these limitations.
6 votes -
Holding Control key and clicking on a New Layer icon should create a new layer below, as in Photoshop
Originally mentioned by Mohammed Amjed Khan Abro here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/41107321
Layers Panel.
Holding or pressing the Control key and clicking on a new layer icon in Photoshop to creates a new layer below all the layers if no layer is selected, if a layer is selected then you do the same action will create a new layer below the selected layer which really makes sense.
The same thing would be very comfortable in Illustrator if that feature would be added in the Layers and Appearance Panel.6 votes -
Add buttons in a tool panel to directly remove fill or stroke without a need to focus one
LHS toolbox Stroke/Fill helpful feature
At the bottom of the LHS Toolbox, have an x inside the stroke coloured square to remove a stroke instead of going to colour swatch box.6 votes -
3D from Illustrator to CC library via obj format (to after effects)
Hey there. Don't know if anyone here also follows After Effects news, but they just added something pretty cool :
Support for OBJ import from Libraries
Now import OBJ 3D model files from your Libraries into your compositions
In addition to GLB and GLTF, the capability to add 3D model files from your Libraries into your composition is now extended to OBJ 3D model file format. You can add OBJ 3D models to your Creative Cloud Libraries from Adobe Stock, your local system, or your After Effects projects.
Learn more about importing 3D models from Creative Cloud Libraries to your…6 votes -
Option to add dimensions to current layer
I enjoy the new dimension tool but find it annoying that it creates a whole new separate layer. Maybe my workflow is unconventional, but it would be nice if the dimensions could just be added to my print instructions layer instead of a whole new layer just for the dimensions. I make a lot of diecuts and find myself still using old methods to create the dimension lines due to it always putting them on another layer.
6 votes -
Ability to create new fonts directly in Illustrator
I want to be able to make a usable font in illustrator without having to use FontForge or another similar non-Adobe application.
6 votes -
Allow to disable or enable center points for all or specific objects types on creation
With Area Type, if I use the text tool to highlight a word (for example, if I want to embolden the word), if I catch the centre point of the text box in the wrong way, Illustrator will assume that I want to create a new text box, which I don't. I know I can manually disable the centre point via the Attributes panel, but I need to set the centre point to OFF by default, and to my knowledge there is no way of doing this.
6 votes -
Windows 11 dark mode menus
Please join the rest of the software development world in supporting a unified dark mode experience on Windows 11. The menus are currently glaringly bright with dark mode enabled and affect color perception. In a design app , this is not good. Please note that Adobe Acrobat already supports this, why doesn't this capability extend to Creative Suite Apps?
6 votes -
Allow us to choose a preferable file format on Export or keep the last chosen one
Please create a hotkey for the "Export as" function. It would also be nice if I could set AI to always remember my preferred filetype instead of always defaulting to png.
6 votes
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