Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
582 results found
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Free transform should function the same as photoshop free transform
Free transform function in Illustrator is good, but to have another function that acts the same way as Free Transform in Photoshop would be really helpful.
7 votes -
Scale and Reflect using selected reference point
Add the ability to scale and reflect objects using the reference point specified in the Control / Transform panel
7 votes -
Graph Data Label Decimal Exision
Previous versions of Illustrator's graph data labels matched the decimal points defined in the "Cell Style" field. The current version of CC removes any zeros at the end of the label - e.g. "3.00" is changed to "3", or "4.20" is changed to "4.2".
According to Adobe's Customer Care, this is an intended behaviour - but could it be an optional one? Having to manually append zeros to hundreds of labels is not an appealing prospect.
7 votes -
Please support for CAD functions
Pleased support CAD functions natively in illustrator like CADtools or CAD-COMPO, I consider that these functions are very important.
7 votes -
Correct direction of the object rotate function
When rotating objects in a positive angle direction, objects SHOULD rotate CLOCKWISE
When rotating objects in a negative angle direction, they SHOULD rotate COUNTER CLOCKWISEIllustrator seems to be BACKWARDS from all other programs I have ever used...
7 votes -
Curvature tool doesn't work for path in Text on path
I have drawn a curve using Curvature tool.
I've made a text follow this curve.
I want now to edit this curve with Curvature tool, but I just can't — AI won’t highlight and selects points in this path with this tool anymore.Kinda same happens with editing path in blends with Curvature tool — I have to dance with Ctrl, clicking, isolating, and then, after some combination of woodoo, AI finally sees points and allows to move them with said tool.
7 votes -
Offset Path - allow creation of non-joined segments
Would save a lot of time if Offset Path could create paths with or without joining them.
As it is now there are times when it's useful to have auto-joins and many times that it's not. Personally I end up spending a bunch of time deleting the joining path segments as I rarely use them in my workflow.
A simple solution would be to add an on/off toggle for [Join] right above the join type combo.
As well, per other requests, please can the panel remember the last-used settings for [Preview] on/off?
Thanks!
7 votes -
Transform by Reference Line Numerically
I would love to see a "Transform by Reference Line Numerically" feature where user draws a line across an object in any direction, then is able to specify the size they want. This is helpful for raster images where there is no actual vector line to accurately resize to. I use embroidery digitizing software and this is a cool feature. Wilcom Software Transform by Reference Line Numerically.
I've included a screen shot of the Wilcom Manual to hopefully explain better than i can articulate.
7 votes -
Please give us better Transparency tool like in CorelDraw and Affinity Designer
I'm fighting between working in Affinity Designer and Illustrator, AD has much better drawing tools, it's faster than Ai, but I love the familiarity of Ai. If you can give us better Gradient and Transparency tools like in AD that would be amazing! It would help speed up the coloring process when making more realistic artwork. See Screen shot from AD.
7 votes -
Contextual Pie-menus, like Radiant menus by Wacom
creating a contextual "shortcut" menu overlapping layer to access quickly Tools. This is a kind of Radiant Menu developed by Wacom on their tablet for example or Alias marking menu. This should really improve workflow ergonomics.
7 votes -
Pressure Sensitivity added to Pencil Tool
Variable width strokes are great! What would be even better would be to have variable strokes simply by drawing them in with a pressure sensitive device.
7 votes -
Retain length of handles when modifying curves and length of path when moving anchor points.
I'd love an option to retain the length of a handle for an anchor point. It would be nice to keep the curvature equal on both sides of an anchor point. There are many times I would have liked this option to create symmetrical graphics.
Similarly, I'd also like the option to retain the length of a path when moving an anchor point. Sometimes I use lines/paths as arms of characters. If I need to change the position of an arm there ends up being a lot of guess work modifying the path.
7 votes -
Populate in Illustrator, like you do in Adobe XD
I can tell that many designers would love to have that function. Creating an item info like Image, Name, Info about the item, and then multiplying it on a page, like a flyer, or a poster - and populating the image and text, just by dropping a text file and a set of image you have in a folder to populate the design. Here is a visual example.
6 votes -
Image Trace needs 'Simplify' option we can disable
Image Trace is still not functioning properly. The 'Simplify' feature is still missing. Forcing Simplify should not be allowed.
6 votes -
Add Axis Constraints, to restrict transformations to a chosen axis
Some 3D editors allow to limit moving to a chosen axis/axes.
3DS Max has a dedicated floating panel with buttons, and Blender allows to hold a key to force it: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/scene_layout/object/editing/transform/control/axis_locking.htmlIn Ai we can hold Shift, but the axis chosen depends on the position of the cursor, and it’s not the same.
Please make it possible to use X/Y keys (similar to the recent E key for Enclosed selection Mode) to actually choose a preferred axis. Perhaps Z can be used for 45°? :)Original idea by Junior Rocha
6 votes -
Add an option for Curvature tool to prioritize the currently selected path
Curvature is one of the more recent tools Illustrator introduced (well, in 2014... time flies). Unlike older tools, it tries to be smart. One of this 'smart' behaviors is an ability to both select and edit paths. It prevents us from placing the next point of the currently selected path right above an existing unselected path — the tool treats it as an attempt to select the latter.
There is an existing request to tweak the continuation tolerance, similar to what Pencil has: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34578331
But to be fair, I’d love more options for the tool in general. So far it…
6 votes -
Add a 'Single Midpoint Anchor' Tool in Illustrator
Request: Add a tool or command that allows users to add a single anchor point precisely at the midpoint of any selected path segment without affecting the entire shape.
Why It’s Needed: Illustrator currently lacks an intuitive way to place an anchor point exactly between two existing anchor points. The "Add Anchor Points" command applies to all segments, and the Smart Guides often fail to indicate an accurate midpoint. Manually calculating coordinates is impractical.
Suggested Implementation:
A new "Add Midpoint Anchor" option in Object > Path that works on a single segment.
A modified behavior in the Pen Tool (P)…
6 votes -
Allow to snap to points of a compound shape with Dimension Tool
It turns out Dimension Tool can’t snap to points of a live compound shape — the cursor displays a 'forbidden' icon and a click does nothing.
The tool should treat the shape as every other tool does and allow to snap to all points (including those to be removed on expand) and intersections, and stay live when the shape is modified (when possible, until the topology changes too much to maintain the connection).
Thanks to René Andritsch for the discovery.
6 votes -
Add option to create vector graphics from text
Add option to create vector graphics from text with firefly
6 votesThe feature is added in the latest builds of Illustrator. The development of it is not complete yet, and the team has more plans on making it better for users to help them with their creative projects.
If you have specific requests related to it, leave them in comments below or log separately.
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Add a modifier key to Pen and Anchor Point tools to constrain an existing anchor handle’s angle while dragging a new handle out
What I ask for is the equivalent of "constrain path dragging on segment reshape" kind of behaviour, but accessible on the fly on the anchor point edit level, not segment level. As it is now, if I have an anchor with a long handle on one side and short handle on the other side, it is impossible to adjust short handle directly without seriously messing with the direction of the long handle, altering the curvature wildly.
6 votes
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