Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
488 results found
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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 -
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.
15 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 -
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 -
Bring back "Object lasso tool".
Was present in earlier AIs. Helpful for non-marque selecting. Increases efficiency
14 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…
14 votes -
3D visualization of art
Ability to visualize the art on a 3D model.
Ability to make basic adjustments to 3D attribute.14 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 votes -
Word Cloud Creator
the ability to create a word cloud based on specific words, fonts to be applied to specific shapes or artwork. This would be very handy.
13 votes -
Offset Path - Interactive Tool
Would love to have a tool for interactively creating offset paths.
Use: Select the tool, click-drag on a path to interactively create an offset version of it
Tool options could include: [distance], [copies], [join on/off] for open paths, [join type] etc.
13 votes -
Non-uniform scale tool by angle
Using available AI tools I have to twist and dance to perform non-uniform scale by angle.
Right now I have to do this:
1. Rotate path to make in straight oriented (it's not an default ellipse, it's manually traced path)
2. Reset bounding box
3. Rotate path backwards
4. Turn on bounding box (I work with it turned off)
5. Scale using bounding box at angleIf I use Scale tool instead, and set point to a center,
AI will scale path uniformly ONLY.
What a stupidity is this? I even remember custom plugin tool that allowed desired action, but…13 votes -
Scale Percentage to automatically tell you the Percent of Increase or Decrease in the Object's Size
Enhancing the Scale tool so that it automatically tells you the Percent of Increase or Decrease in the Objects Size. When scaling elements in Illustrator I cannot always select all and type in 10 inches and have it be what I need. In the attached Image I need the letter T to equal 10 inches in height and scale the other letters up accordingly. So I take the size of the "T" and now have to manually calculate the percent of increase from 4.691” to 10”.
With an improved Scaling Tool it would be nice to see what that percentage…
12 votes -
Transform Shortcuts / Enter the transform panel with a keyboard shortcut
I want to be able to transform an object using the keyboard.
For example, in Sketch, I can manipulate an object by holding the command key (optionally with a 10x Shift-key modifier) and using the arrow keys to increase or decrease the height or width of an object. This tends to be easier than using the mouse or the Transform panel when making quick modifications. (Also, less painful for arthritic users!)
Please consider it.
12 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…
12 votes -
character/puppet rigging
To add the ability to puppet rig illustrations directly in Illustrator.
This could not only be used to easily move parts of character illustrations while keeping it intact but also export illustrations ready for animating in After Effects.
Main feature would be ability to pair objects together using anchor points.
e.g pairing characters hand to forearm and forearm to bicep and bicep to torso. so when the hand is moved the rest of the linked objects will follow.12 votes -
The ability trim or extend a line using another line. Like the one they have in Autocad. And the ability to draw various tangent line.
The ability trim or extend a line using another line. Like the one they have in Autocad. And the ability to draw various tangent line. This will definitely help a lot of Logo designer who work with geometry a lot.
12 votes -
Archimedean Spirals
Surely this should just be a default option for spiral drawing, in the current state of design i would imagine regular spirals would be used far more often than logarithmic, the current way to create them is lengthy and cumbersome.
Hope this makes it!12 votes -
turn a type on path back to a normal path
If you accidently select a path with the typing tool and save it without undoing it, theres no easy way to change it back to a normal path. You have to use the direct select arrow and click on all segments of the path, then copy and paste it, then join. You cant even click and drag to select all segments. Could there be an easier way to turn this back into a normal path?
11 votes
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