Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
801 results found
-
Add "Edit With" to the Illustrator menu when working with images
Add "Edit With" to the Illustrator menu when working with images! Indesign has this and it's very convenient. Its a no brainer to add it to Illustrator!!!!!!!
24 votesThis is done in one of the latest releases.
Now the button in Control panel (and in Links panel menu) says ‘Edit in Photoshop’. You also can change it back to system defaults in Preferences > File Handling section.InDesign has more options, that is true, so please comment back if you need a larger list — but please give a solid justification why :)
-
Cmd / Ctrl or Alt + New Fill/Stroke button in Appearance should add one below current fill/stroke
Sometimes I build appearance from top to bottom.
Right now I have to create new fill and drag it under current fill.
What if I just Ctrl or Alt + click New/Duplicate button and this will create new/copy UNDER currently selected fill/stroke/entity?23 votes -
Make ability to make warnings show in background and not in dialogue windows
Right now we can click OK/Enter every time interrupting warning dialogue pops up, or tick 'Never show again'.
I would prefer background message, same as 'Shape expanded' now appears.
For example, I use Ctrl+J combination to connect all my segments in one closed path. I can have two or more segments, and just press this combination several times to achieve my goal, rather then count how many times I should press it. But when path is finally closed, AI throws a warning at me. Usually my hands press keys one more time after that and AI beeps-blinks, which is awful…23 votes -
Make incrementation looped in angle value fields for Move, Rotate and other dialogs
Problem Description:
AI can do math in fields and that is awesome.
But I always swear a little when I use angle fields.For example:
1. Move an art with Move dialogue at 10mm and 360 degrees
2. Select another object and invoke dialogue again
3. Type in '+30' in angle, so it would become '360+30'
4. Press Tab or EnterActual Result:
AI says DING (or whatever sound is set for it in your OS) and does nothingExpected Result:
AI should turn this typed value into '30', that is make one revolution and don't bother me, as a…23 votes -
Customizable zoom levels (including mouse wheel zoom and hotkeys)
The current mouse wheel zoom (ALT + wheel) only navigates between zoom presets, making it incredibly difficult to use since the scale factor only doubles/halves most of the time. This is especially true when using touch mouse wheels (e.g., Microsoft surface mouse).
A setting that switches between this mode and a finer grain zoom (e.g., +/- 10% of current, possibly user-preference defined) would make this much more useful.
23 votes -
Ctrl+click the swatch to mix it with the current color
There is a small thing in Corel Draw, that AI could benefit of too.
If you have an object selected and click in a different swatch with a Ctrl held, it adds a bit of clicked color to your current one, blending them.Like if you have a yellow CMYK 0-0-100-0 and Ctrl+click in 0-100-0-0 magenta swatch, you will have 0-10-90-0, 0-19-81-0, 0-27-73-0, getting more like the clicked swatch with each click. Same in EGB Very convenient for adding color reflexes and picking a color in general.
22 votes -
Cancel button in progress bar window
What I figured out right now, is that you can't really press Cancel when you accidentally launched a complex process.
Applying filter, saving, complex transforming — it just won't respond no matter how quick you are and how strong you push that mouse button.
Is there any way that Illustrator will hold a bit of it's attention to actually letting users cancel what they want and make this button a bit less decorative?22 votes -
Increase contrast between selected font and other fonts in Font list in Character palette
Not long ago the contrast between current font and other fonts in list in Character menu was quite sufficient (see image 1). Now it's barely visible (image 2). It makes locating current font in list rather difficult.
Please reconsider colors chosen.
22 votesThe contrast is much better in recent versions
-
Last used script
Please, add a command inside File > Scripts (above the line) to execute last accessed script. A have tons of these and not all of them are bound to shortcuts and smarty palettes. Sometimes I have to apply same script several times and have to dig in all 4-5 folders inside to get right one.
And, please, make it shortcut-able.
22 votes -
Keyboard Shortcut to select locked objects
When needing to move a locked object, you currently only have the option of "unlock ALL" whereas sometimes you may have many things locked that you do not want unlocked - only one or two things you want to move.
It would be helpful if by holding a button (Say Alt or control) this would allow you to select locked objects, move or alter the object, and once you deselect it continues to be locked.
22 votesIn latest versions you can enable 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section.
This adds small lock icons for each locked object you can toggle right there without the need to unlock everything first.
This is not exactly the solution you asked for, no hotkeys involved (and there are no modifiers left to allow this), but it does the job.
Does it work for you? Please leave a comment.
-
Reversing order of objects
Sometimes it's useful to change order of selected objects, making bottom-most go topmost and vice versa.
I understand possible complications — what would AI do when selected objects have other unselected objects between them (meaning order)?
For example, I have these objects in Layers:
A
1
B
C
2
3
I select 1,2,3 and do proposed 'Reverse order' command.
I expect order to become this:
A
3
B
C
2
1
I see two fitting places for this command: Layers palette menu or Object > Arrange
It's scriptable, but I would like to have it by default.22 votes -
Grid or Guides Calculator
Have a make grid or guides feature with a grid calculator that was artboard dependant.
- as in I could have different grids on different artboards
- proportional grids
- vertical grids and guides as well as horizontal
The amount of time I take having to set up grids, by drawing boxes and dragging in guides, to do my layout is enormous.
It is such a fundamental part of graphic design, I feel like it should really be embedded in illustrator. I have noticed that the new Photoshop has it. Also indesign has it. But really i need it more in illustrator.
(…
22 votes -
Remove the window below the artboards that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard"
With whatever update came out, there is now a message that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard" on the artboards panel. This limits how many artboards you can see, and I am a person who has files with 40+. I tried using the feature to see if it would get rid of the message, but it still sits there. Please make this message removeable so I can get back to a quicker workflow and see all my artboards without having to scroll precisely. Thank you!
21 votes -
Allow us to customize/choose features/controls/order in Control panel
A Feature that can be used by any Tool or Panel which is most common (like Fill & Stroke), that should not be active in the both (Control Bar & Properties Panel )sides at a time.
When Text Object is selected by Arrows.
If you have selected Text by using Arrows/Selection Tools, you should have good options in the Right Click's menu, like Spell Checking which is logical according to selection.
It would be also better if these features will be added in Control Bar by replacing redundant Features Like Fill & Stroke which can be used by Panels and…21 votes -
Command Palette / Panel / Bar
Sublime & Visual Code are text editors that are used to develop applications. One of the favorite functions is "Command Palette" which is activated with the Ctrl + Shift + P keys. This shows a text field at the top, from which almost any program command is invoked, as well as opening files and many other functions. One of the features is that it is not necessary to write the entire command, you can use only the first letters of two words and the results are listed. Visual Code is open source and you can surely study that functionality in…
21 votes -
Show reference point locator in Scale/Rotate/Shear/Reflect tool dialogue
I wonder, why 'Transform each' has one, while normal transform tools haven't. This would be so useful!
21 votes -
Reveal in Finder / Explorer option for document tabs
Reveal in Finder Option - Currently reveal in finder you "command + click" file name at top of window, however this option is not availble when window is tied to the application frame.
21 votes -
Curvature Combs and Tunni lines
Two ideas, both aimed at creating smoother curves:
curvature combs:
an additional visual aid that could be enabled/disabled via hotkey or option on a panel that assists the artist/user in evaluating whether a curve is continuously smooth, or whether it needs adjustment. See this blog for a quick coded breakdown:
https://observablehq.com/@jrus/curvature-comb
see this webpage for more traditional curvature combs with lines perpendicular to the curved path, in proportion to the path's curvature at that point:
http://www.bluesmith.co.uk/evaluateComb.htmTunni lines:
an additional assist/handle for helping a user more precisely adjust a curve (or multiple curves), both symmetrically and asymmetrically.
See this example…
20 votes -
You can't enter isolation mode when nothing is selected
Sometimes I want to create artwork without messing up with existing one, and without locking/hiding anything (because it's require for other operations).
Sane way is to enter isolation mode and start there.
But NO, AI won't let you isolate empty space! And I have to create one thing (trying to not auto-connect to existing paths), then isolate it and finally draw in peace.
If you afraid that many users will double-click nothing and struggle understanding what has happened, make it an option.20 votes -
Let the "." on the numeric keypad work as a decimal separator for all countries.
In Dutch, we user the comma as a decimal separator. (0,5 is how we write a half)
Lots of use use the International English keyboard, and the English versions of Adobe CC. But for some reason Illustrator refuses to recognize the "." on the numeric keypad as a separator. When I type "7,2" Illustrator show this correctly in the input fields, but when hitting enter, it makes "72", just skipping the comma.
Please make a Preference to set the "." or "," on the numpad always to act as a decimal separator.20 votes
- Don't see your idea?