Tangent Constraint or Advanced snapping system
I work in Illustrator all the time and I ask my self why or how can I snap a line or a shape to the tangent of another shape like Autodesk AutoCAD's "Tangent Constraint", some say that I can start with the Line Segment tool and go from there building the shape, but this option will give me a limited movement and it's not practical like if we have a tangent constraint in Illustrator so we can build logos and shapes more easier and that will make illustrator go to perfection more and more.
Hello everyone,
Lately we have been thinking about improving the snapping / smartguide experience on Illustrator and we need your help in this process.
Please spare us some time of yours where we can come together on a online meeting and discuss your needs and pain point around snapping.
Please use this link to book an appointment :
https://calendar.app.google/jT6qzFZHNwXsvkrK9
See you soon!
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Anonymous commented
The ability to draw various tangent lines. This will definitely help a lot of Logo designer who work with geometry a lot.
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Gregory Holmes commented
When using the Pen (Path) tool I wish there was a way to to make adjacent arcs tangent to one another. Basically I just wish that Illustrator would act more like Corel, AutoCAD, or Solid Works in the way that the user has the ability to alter the shape characteristics of adjacent line segments. This would help immensely when creating ovoid/ ellipse forms and instead of eyeballing the shape to get it right, one could just click on the 'tangent' feature and it would automatically correct itself.
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Attila Sáfrány commented
Idea: an option to snap to curves tangentially.
Why is it important: for logo and icon designs, for illustrations and technical illustrations, and for shapes like metaballs and blobs in backgrounds and patterns.
Thanks for listening!
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Ah, so you mean 'relations' like in SolidWorks, Sketch Relations?
https://help.solidworks.com/2021/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/c_description_of_sketch_relations.htmYes, these would be cool. Equal and Fix specifically.
As far as I know, this is impossible to replicate exactly for now for plugins, and the closest toolset you can get to have this today is SubScribe by Astute Graphics. -
Brandon K commented
Yea so basically if you look at the picture I've attached I just mean being able to make lines or shapes parallel, equal, tangent, etc. Things like that.
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Brandon, can you show some examples or mockups, please?
What kind of constraints and relations? Controlled how? For what?
The term is super wide, so some clarification can help. -
Brandon K commented
Has probably been said a number of times but I'll add to that. Would love to see illustrator have the ability to add constraints/relations to lines and/or shapes. It's a super helpful tool in other programs and would just make it that much easier to make designs super crisp and perfect looking.
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Joe Henson Marin commented
For a vector based software, I think Illustrator's snapping features should be improved like AutoCAD implementation. I can't see why this is impossible.
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You mean something like this?
https://help.solidworks.com/2020/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/c_Sketch_Relations_Icons.htm -
Since you are here, please also vote for this related request about the ability to actually add points at tangents:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/33438667 -
Meanwhile there is a plugin that allow to create tangent points with ease, PathScribe/InkScribe by AstuteGraphics.
It does not mean Ai should not have these by default, of course.Also, please vote for this related request, which is about having snaps to tangent points:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34733398 -
Anonymous commented
Constraints could be interesting. If we're asking for engineering tools, a drawing scale setting could be interesting, too. I will usually do large drawings that need to be scale-accurate as 1-mm:1-in, but it would be cool to be able to use dimension palettes with native dimensions and just have the drawing scale.
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narnleton commented
In SOLIDWORKS there is a feature to assign lines/shapes a relationship (parallel, perpendicular for straight lines; concentric, cordial for circles; etc.). And one of the most useful is the tangent relationship.
I would like to be able to, with the click of a button, assign a pair of lines/shapes a certain relationship that is persistent and updates all related elements when moved, rotated, etc. This would be similar to the join commant that allows two points to be connected and act as a single piece.
This would speed up a lot of the work I do with icons etc, where a geometric and engineering style approach is required.
Crude illustration attached of SOLIDWORKS interface.
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Avana Vana commented
Seriously. I can't believe this is not yet in Illustrator after 20 years. Basic AutoCAD like snapping is a necessity.
Besides this, you also need to be able to snap to a line extension BEFORE you drag a line out, for example to plot a new point with the pen tool that is co-linear with an existing line. 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 a new line that is co-linear, or at least starts co-linear with an existing line, and then delete the construction line when i am done.
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Jean-Michel Le Goff commented
I agree, and asked the same thing thing to be added as options in smart guides from Glyphs (revealed in the last Beta version available.
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Andreas Tagger commented
Please add tangents. It's ridiculous this is not implemented in 2019.
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Andreas Tagger commented
Yes please. Why is this not a boiler plate feature of a program that has been around for 20 years +????
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Anonymous commented
Adobe, you need to look at professional CAD software in general. Illustrator ***still*** lacks some fundamental line-based drawing tools, like vector trim, offset, tangent detection, and so many more.
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Jeremy commented
I'd like to request a Smart Guide when drawing lines for when you are over a curve and the line is tangent to a curve.
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Anonymous commented
For Example:
Draw a circle by plotting 2 points + defining radius
Draw a circle by plotting 3 pointsMore object snapping options:
Snap to tangent
Snap to parallel
Snap to Perpendicular
Options to turn various snaps on/off