Align to object on ANOTHER artboard! yeah yeah!
Aligning to an object on another arboard would be really great + needed, for AI users.
In addition to functions like, align to key object and select/edit similar shapes,
It would be so so great to be abled to align an object, to another object, on another artboard!
In short:
Aligning objects to the position of other objects on other artboards.
Without having to move objects to the same artboard 1st, or copy their x/y values, just for alignment.
Some thoughts/notes:
Implementation,
With artboard rules activated, of course. This seems to be a similar function to the ones that exist: Like the align to key object option and the align to artboard option. I can Imagine it would take relatively little coding to implement this. Though, what to gain from this feature would be very much worth it.
Scenario, where this is needed,
When working with multiple artboards, often I need to cut and past objects to align them to another artboard, and back. Just to align them to of an object over there. Many ways to rome of course. But all vary from being time consuming task that need to be repeated to often, to actually causing faults in documents.
Other ways, for example:
Cutting and pasting the object that needs to be aligned, to the artboard containing the object that needs alignment / vice versa.
Cutting and pasting X and Y values.
Using the select/edit similar object (if similar).
In the end, all available options are time consuming actions that can even cause faults.
Examples of faults: values ending up within positions in the artwork, that might be missed and actually end up in your client corrections feedback. Even if you are super precise, within large documents, a more reliable option would be welcome for this task. Other examples, cutting and pasting, taking extra actions/time to lock and unlock other layers, or having object ending up in the wrong layers, causing ..more actions.
Efficiency, user experience, workflow/time,
All of the mentioned examples of faults that can happen, can off course (if you know your basics well) be prevented. But I think anybody who does work wit AI often, would agree this task could work much more intuitive. There are so many details to it, that make this simple task, you execute so often, very unpractical, and to comprehensive.
Select/edit similar shapes, is often not the option that works out:
- What if (this is many times), the object needing to be aligned is not similar and/or not on the same artboard.
- Or even when similar: often the key object that is positioned right, was moved already (the creation process is not entirely planned ahead). In that case new problems arise, that could all be resolved simply. A great solution would be to to select one of those, align it to an object on another artboard.
Examples:
Other objects on other artboards, that are similar, still need to be aligned to that one.
- Select/edit similar objects does not work in combination with selecting an object that you want to align them to.
- If they are all in scattered positions, editing the position of these similar objects by moving a key object, moves them all accordingly, but keeps them scattered, instead of aligned.
- So.. they will ALL need to be either replaced, or.. aligned ONE BY ONE..
I could go on.
I am a bad writer and not a native English speaker,
However, I hope this is a convincing case for both users and developers, that will be implemented.
:) Thanks for reading and kind regards!
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Dina Dembicki commented
I understand what Daan is saying, about alignment, anyway.
You can select objects on different artboards and align the objects to each other. This will not work if the artboards are not aligned.
You can align artboards using the artboard tool. Or align all artboards in the artboard palette.
And of course, you can write down the x and y position of the original object and move the object you want aligned to those coordinates. This is the long way.
I hadn't thought about edit similar. Will need to experiment with that.
You can also copy something on one artboard and paste it in place on another artboard.
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Edit similar object seems to not a proper thing to use for aligning at all. As you point out, changing positions in this mode leads to simultaneous shift of all the copies.
Still I can’t get what is exactly you are going to solve with these.
So please, Daan, if you had a video or a GIF recorded, showing what your intentions are, this could help more than a text.