Move a shape side (edge) without selecting both anchor points
Illustrator currently requires selecting both anchor points of a side to move it.
When working on very tall or large objects at high zoom levels, this forces users to pan away from the working area just to select the second anchor point, interrupting focus and slowing down layout work.
Feature request:
Add an edge-based editing option that allows moving an entire side (edge) of a shape by interacting with a single visible anchor point or directly with the edge itself, without selecting the opposite anchor or changing the viewport.
This behavior exists in other design tools (Figma, InDesign frames, CAD software) and would greatly improve precision, speed, and usability in Illustrator for branding, layout, and technical vector workflows.
Fabio Damiani
shared this idea
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Illustrator allows selecting segments, but:
1. we won’t see them selected directly, Ai would mark the adjacent points as unselected
2. we won’t be able to tell for sure which segments are currently selected
3. we won’t be able to drag curved segments with Direct Selection tool, only straight ones
4. it’s hard to do without smart guides that help to aim with 'path' label
5. you can’t select a segment in an already selected shape or next to an already selected point — you’d have to deselect it first
6. the cursor feedback won’t distinguish clicking a fill or segment — it’d be the same black square next to the arrowHowever, it’s doable... take a look at the GIF. I disable Smart Guides there before I move the edge back to the left.
What irritates you the most? What would you change and how, without breaking the existing paradigm?
