Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
538 results found
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Put all Blend options and commands into one dialog / panel
Blend Tool > Blend Options Panel stinks, nothing personal.
I use the Blend tool. A lot. When I start a blend, the Properties Panel helpfully tells me that I have a Blend. Thanks for that. But I still have to go to Object > Blend > Blend Options to get any options for the Blend tool. What if the Blend tool options would magically appear in the Properties panel while I'm using that tool?Also, the Blend Options panel will not let me make any changes to the blend other than Spacing or Orientation. How about putting the other Blend…
18 votes -
Free transform reference point should affect resize too not just rotation (as PS)
When I change the reference point I use it mostly for resize, not rotation. But in Illustrator this has no effect. I believe it should happen while using Alt+resize as that wouldn't change the default. Alt would only change the position of the resized object if the reference point is moved from the middle.
I feel this would be natural to have and I'm really surprised this is not part of the free transform implementation. Photoshop and even Animate works like this! (Animate is erroneous with Alt+drag, but you don't need to hold that there)18 votes -
Add Fit to Artboard option to Rectangle Tool
In the current situation, enter the size of the Rectangle by writing numbers or drawing it manually
My suggestion is to add a feature inside the Rectangle box (Fit to artboard)
I think this feature will save a lot of time
For clarification, see the attachment
17 votes -
Add a way to quickly access Smart Delete Point command
The way the deleting of a point with a curvature kept works now is pretty hidden and unannounced. I see nothing about this in Help (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/editing-paths.html). There is no hint in the Current Tool field at the bottom of the screen, no cursor feedback, no label, no nothing.
I do now remember exactly where I learnt about it though. Anubhav Rohatg told about it in a session with Taniya Vij (https://youtu.be/odch54arInA?t=944), saying that they have no time to polish it (and more than a year after it’s still not), and this 'principal scientist' basically intended this…
16 votes -
Split blends
It would be nice if Ai could allow to split a blend in a step defined, effectively creating two merged blends — something that CorelDraw was able to do for years.
16 votes -
Live preview of gradient (while dragging)
Whenever I'm using the gradient tool I wonder why I can never see the appearance of the gradient while dragging it. resulting in having to tweak it at least a couple of times before I'm content.
16 votesIllustrator now displays the appearance of the gradient interactively when you drag it, but only when GPU preview is on.
Make sure it is on in Preferences > Performance > GPU Performance, that you View > Preview on CPU / GPU Preview is correctly toggled, and that you are not using Overprint Preview.
If the issue still persists with all these checked — please comment back.
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Anchor point smart delete
Deleting an anchor point by default break up the shape of the stroke.
What about smart delete, that automatically adjust nearest handles to save the shape of the stroke.
I dream about it from the cs3 version :)16 votes -
Cursor and path feedback for Scissors
We have to guess if we cut a path at all and if we hit the right path.
No highlight (OK, using Smart Guides helps, but Smart Guides does nothing if you also have Snap to Grid enabled!), no cursor change.It’s 2022, right? Clouds, integrations, Stock sales directly in files... Scissors are still used with a blindfold, in a dark room, in a midnight.
Also vote for this related issue:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/36111436-make-pen-and-scissors-tools-prioritize-editing-to — Make Pen and Scissors tools prioritize editing to a selected path15 votes -
Pan tool wrap
When you pan with the mouse button/wheel held down, the panning stops when the cursor reaches the monitor edges. This forces user to release mouse, move it all the way back and re-grab it.
In some other editors you can continue to move the pointer and it will 'wrap' around your monitor, going from the opposite side of it, until released.Basically you can pan until you reach the end of your table.
This mode will help those who have to work at scale and pan without unzooming. Please, add it!
15 votes -
Spring Loaded tools
Over in Photoshop, it's possible to hold the single-letter shortcut for activating a tool, and to then release the key to return to your previously-used tool.
In many ways, this is not useful in Illustrator, but in several, it's invaluable. The Zoom tool, in particular--I'd like to be able to hold Z, adjust the zoom, and release Z to be back on the selection tool (or whatever i was previously using).
The Hand tool already works this way: Take out a tool like Selection (v), and then hold spacebar to get the Hand tool. Drag the canvas around, then release…
15 votes -
Extend path tool
I make carpets, and I alway need min. 10 cm extra design for fitting or if the carpet shrinkts in production. For Illustrator artwork, I need to extend all paths, smoothly or naturally outside the border of the design, without changing the existing design.
What I'd like is the bezier extension as shown in this clip from Vector Scribe plugin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlriFIrSoDU15 votes -
Make live hint for the Eyedropper tool
Right now clicking with Eyedropper results in a blind result: until it's clicked, there is no way to predict what will be picked exactly. Why not to show properties to be picked in floating thingy next to the cursor? PS does it great in separate panel, why AI can't steal that?
15 votes -
More precision with the Knife Tool
I'd like to see more adjustment options for the knife tool. Something like the pencil tools option of Tolerances: Fidelity and Smoothness. It sure would help with more precision when I cut and ink my manga characters. Rather than go in after I make a cut and have to move a lot of anchor points and handles around by hand to get the precision I was after in the first place.
I hope you can understand what I'm texting about here and I hope you take this issue up and include it in a future feature update. Oh yea, and…
15 votes -
Display Measurement Labels when Snap to Grid is on
We can enable Measurement Labels in Preferences > Smart guides, to display a drawn line’s length, or width/height for shapes, or distance for moved objects.
Cool.
But once you enable Snap to Grid, labels stop being displayed.
I get it, Smart Guides stop work in terms of snapping and actual guides rendering, but why ditch labels? We still draw and move, and it’s maybe even more important with snapping on!14 votes -
Curve length, area, perimeter measurements for Dimension tool
We need a way to measure the length of a line regardless of shape, but at minimum we need a way to measure a basic curved line. It would be especially helpful if we could use the measure tool or some time-saving variant to tell if a curve has the desired length. While we can do a workaround now using the Document Info panel, having to isolate lines in order to do so can get really cumbersome and tedious.
14 votesThe team has started working on this request. As a first step they want to understand the requirements correctly and build the right feature set based on the feedback gathered.
If you are willing to discuss area calculation in a call session, block a time slot here: https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/c1b7ecea1cbd42a2a7068cfeb7861bdd@adobe.com/meetingtype/Fn8tXNebh0eyv4xTnvQ-3Q2?anonymous&ep=mlink
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3D visualization of art
Ability to visualize the art on a 3D model.
Ability to make basic adjustments to 3D attribute.14 votes -
Allow us to set up the default and stepped Dimension Line Offset for the Dimension tool
When we Opt/Alt-click the object or just click a segment, Ai creates a dimension with some predefined distance between the object and the dimension line.
We can’t control it (plus we can’t choose which sides to use for Opt/Alt mode anymore, unlike in early Betas).Also, we need to be able to hold a modifier while creating a dimension to constrain this offset to a set parameter, in a stepped manner, — something third-party plugins like BPT Pro and CADtools can do.
13 votes -
Allow to define circle pie angles in percent, with snapping options
We can create pie angles in degrees, but there are cases when we rather more interested in percentage — pie charts.
Sure, we know math, and can multiple 360° by 0.7 to get 70%, and Ai supports this in its fields...
...but what about the tool? How about an ability to create these directly on canvas — with the snapping to a defined value, like 5% or maybe even 3.5%?13 votes -
Allow strokes in brush and pencil tools to be shown in real time while drawing
When you draw lines with freehand tools (pencil/brush), the stroke doesn't show up until after you finish it and release. It just shows as a thin blue line. It doesn't account for thickness so I end up having to redo lines because I can't see what they look line until I finish drawing each line.
13 votesThe latest Beta build 28.7.0.17 now offers live preview for paths drawn with Pencil tool. Please install or update to this version, try it yourself, and share your feedback.
You can always disable this behavior by toggling Live Feedback option in the Pencil Tool Options dialog.
The team aims to offer a similar feature for Brush tool, if this one works properly.
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Lock angle of bezier handles (hotkey-selectable)
When drawing with the pen tool, it would be very helpful to be able to lock the angle of the control point handles when drawing the next segment.
The function works well for the existing fixed snap angles (90-deg, etc) but I would love to have a hotkey to temporarily lock the existing (arbitrary) angle of the point as I draw the next segment.
Currently, I find it too easy to destroy a perfectly placed curve while drawing the next segment--particularly when the in- and out- handles have dramatically different lengths.
13 votes
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