The new Simplify Path palette doesn't work as well as the original version. Can you at least add a modifier key when we select it from the menu to bring up the original window? i.e., holding the option key while selecting Simplify Paths brings up the previous version of Simplify Paths.

They still did not understand that with the old application, you could set percentage values that you mastered and apply the same values in an entire project. In addition, the simplification was superior. To finish my work, I need to re-install the old versions of Illustrator! Pleeeeaaaaaaase Bring back our old Simplify Path !!!

The old simplify tool wasn't perfect at all, but it gave good results if selecting some points in series of a path and then use the simplify feature. The new tool creates weird edges and messes up everything even when set to 100% accuracy. Really please drop it, get the old back, start from scratch if you like, this one is unusable.

Please bring back the old simply path tool or offer a legacy option. The new one is terrible. I use the simply path tool constantly and this is seriously hindering my productivity. I now have to spend a great deal of time tweaking paths by hand after simplifying to maintain curve shapes.

And another Idea:

While showing the modified path, show the original path in red. That way we can see where we might need to change something later on.

What freaks me out, that I don't see how this tool works. Where does it change something? Where does it do nothing. etc....

What about this idea:

Make the "simplify path" tool work like the "refine edges" tool in photoshop.
Select a path or only a subset of a path start the "simplify path" tool and then you can choose areas which should by simplified "a lot", only "a bit, or just "not at all". That way you give us the perfect control over this tool. For people who just need a rough simplification, they click and done, and for people who need maximum control, they can change it.

Yes, i absolutely hate the new path simplify tool. If i use the lowest possible settings it mangles my art. Please fix this.

The tool used to provide information about how many points were being removed by simplifying. It seemed odd that there was such a huge range of changes between 95% and 100% complexity but at least there was some feedback that allowed me to gauge how much the program was altering my paths. The new version of simplify is so dumbed down. Not what I expect from a professional tool.

I just had this completely mess up a workflow today. Please bring back the old Simply tool and maybe implement a "legacy" option alongside the new tool? I work with NatGeo and use Illustrator to make maps. Oftentimes when vector data is brought in from a GIS program there are way too many anchor points in the lines. This is especially true with elevation contour lines. Previously, I would use the simplify and set it to 99%, which would remove enough points to keep the computer from bogging down but also retain the shape of the contour lines. Now with the new tool even using the "minimum" setting under "simplify curve" the shape of the contour lines changes way too much and this tool is essentially unusable now. For me, and the others who have commented here, this is a major issue and a removal of functionality! I don't see any other workaround other than to install an old version of Illustrator...and that is not a good workaround.

Yes, the command is no longer useful since setting to the least amount of simplification removes too many points and distorts the path. What was that decision based on?

I too find the new Simplify Path algorithm to be inferior of the previous one. I am mostly working with simple round shapes which I intend to clean up and reduce the number of points. This worked well with the old routine. The new algorithm though often produces new edges in the path (points with two independent handles). My screenshot shows the Auto simplify result. And yes, even when I put the angle threshold slider all the way to the left (smooth), the edges still remain and are not smoothed.
I'd love to get the old simplify path back...

There are 73 points in the three closed path.
The plugin called VectorFirstAid could clean it smartly by reducing the nodes number.
See the attached AI-fiel with the comparison of performance between Illustrator’s new features and VectorFirstAid Performance.

Please give us the old simplify function back! Or make it optional. This new tool is too drastic. The old one was SIMPLY better!

Hello, why have you change the options for simplify a path?
it is a nightmare the new ones. the old from 2019 was more better and allowed you to choose the percentage of simplification.
very a bad idea the new features.

Please, restore the path simplify tool of 2019 version.
The new one is unable to simplify a path with redundant points maintaining exactly the same shape

PLEASE RETURN THE SIMPLIFY TOOL to it's previous functioning!!!!!

AS I read the various comments below I AGREE totally ----- and am now unable to work with my original line art as I have spent massive numbers of hours figuring out an appropriate work flow.
Really in my opinion this is UNACCEPTABLE --- Is there an option to revert to my previous
version of Illustrator??????

We are begging you Adobe. Removing basic functionality makes the tool basically nonfunctional.

The update is absolutely terrible and agreed that, if this tool is part of your workflow, the update renders Illustrator worthless. Cannot get simplify to remove less than 80% of nodes regardless of settings.
Just terrible and after 20+ years in this program, I find myself heartbroken and in the market for a new option.

For those of you saying it's not a big deal, obviously you didn't utilize it as much as many of us did. When my designers send me complicated paths with way too many nodes, I have to simplify them down to 10 to 20% while keeping very similar curves. The previous tool did this perfectly. The new tool does not allow you to do that at all. It's not even close.

The new tool is absolutely horrible and useless. You totally lose control over the paths and nodes.