Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
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885 results found
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1 vote
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Scale Obect or group of objects base on two reference points (similar as in CAD)
This is useful when you need to exactly match the scale of two objects or especially group of objects. Say you have changed the scale in one file but have received a new file from a client that is in the original scale. You want to quickly match the scale change. If you have at least one reference line that hasn't changed, you can pick two reference points on the new object(s) and then the two matching points on the scaled file. This matches the the scale exactly. This can also be used in many other ways.
https://www.thesourcecad.com/reference-scale-rotate/1 vote -
CGM Import
Enable Ai to import CGMs that have Active X controls. I export CGMs from an IETM, but do not need to retain the embedded links within the CGM file. Allow Ai to import Active X CGMs and disable Active X. May want to display popup window stating Active X will be lost unless save imported CGM as a new file.
1 vote -
MAJOR PROBLEMS!! Cache/Scratch NOT assigning to my selected Drives
No matter how many times I un-install and re-install Illustrator, the program WILL NOT ACCEPT when I select a destination to my specific and dedicated Cache/Scratch SSD. I have a permanent studio setup with the latest MacBook Pro 64GB of RAM.. Everything was custom built the best it could be in April of 2020. The second I open Adobe Illustrator, my Available RAM goes from around 55GB to 124MB?!!!!!!! I know it's a RAM heavy program but that is insanity. Nothing is that heavy or works like that. Its forcing a notice to pop up from my Mac saying that I need to free RAM IMMEDIATELY! or close the problem application/s. I can't even open Illustrator half the time to even bother with the main problem I'm having which is I cannot for the life of me dedicate a **** cache / scratch drive. Upon closing and restarting the program and locating back to preferences > Plugins and Scratch.. It is always back on "Startup".. IT NEVER REMEMBERS THE DRIVE I SELECT. ALSO.. Photoshop does the same freaking thing! At least it lets me select cache/scratch.. But it never uses them! It ONLY uses the DEFAULT Startup location that was set upon installation. I also have the same problem with Lightroom. NOTHING... NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING puts cache where it's supposed to go, which is in my dedicated.. $380.00 dollar SSD that is set aside specifically for program cache.. Apple's Final Cut Pro X and Motion have zero problem using it.. ONLY ADOBE.. Please STOP TAKING MY MONEY AND FIX THESE ISSUES. IF NOT I WILL BE FORCED TO USE 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE AND I DONT WANT TO. Adobe is the industry standard for a reason and Ive been using for many years now, but this is beyond unfair and ridiculous... I can take my skills and adapt albeit unfortunately.. I'll attach a screenshot that clearly describes the ILLUSTRATOR issue and where its happening.. And how it's putting everything on my MAIN HD instead of the EXTERNAL SSD of which I've dedicated just for Cache/Scratch. Also, NEITHER of MY Illustrator OR Photoshop are purging their cache after exiting the program. Even after uninstallation numerous times over, and opening a fresh document with Zero Layers, Zero anything.. My cache sizes are already 20/40+GB. THEY WILL NOT EMPTY/PURGE/Whatever is leftover somewhere or anywhere or whatever is being instantly and consistently created. Not even my scrubber (Clean My Mac X - Thank God for them or your programs would leave me with maybe a 5 minute window to work..) can find these hidden files. It can find the basic obscure ones which are hardly just enough to keep me scraping by at the moment.. Your move.
No matter how many times I un-install and re-install Illustrator, the program WILL NOT ACCEPT when I select a destination to my specific and dedicated Cache/Scratch SSD. I have a permanent studio setup with the latest MacBook Pro 64GB of RAM.. Everything was custom built the best it could be in April of 2020. The second I open Adobe Illustrator, my Available RAM goes from around 55GB to 124MB?!!!!!!! I know it's a RAM heavy program but that is insanity. Nothing is that heavy or works like that. Its forcing a notice to pop up from my Mac saying that…
1 vote -
Feedback on new Recolor artwork (in Beta now)
New redesigned Recolor artwork is available in Beta now.
We heard from many of you that the current Recolor is confusing and difficult to use. This new Recolor has a completely redesigned experience with an added ability to recolor your art based on your referenced images & artwork. We have broken the Recolor into two sections. When you invoke Recolor, you would see an on canvas dialogue that allows you to quickly Recolor your artwork with all the basic controls. For advanced settings, you can click on more options (...).
We would love to hear your candid feedback. Please provide your feedback on this thread. This will be actively monitored by the Illustrator team. If you don't have access to Beta please drop a note to me at: kotwal at Adobe dot com.
Known Issues:
1. The number of colors in the Recolor Palette doesn’t get updated on Mac.
2. Document get scrolled when dragging the color palette’s distribution slider to the left
3. A flicker of the color text box when dragging the Palette on Windows
4. Colour Wheel’s UI doesn’t get updated on changing Illustrator’s UI theme
5. Grabber on HUD is not clearly visible in dark theme
6. Performance lag while applying to recolour to Complex Artworks
7. Swatches group cannot be added from Library to swatch panel while HUD is active
Color distribution Palette at the bottom flickers when changes are made via slider — intermittent
8. Recolor Palette getting dismissed on changing color numbers to 1 -> All , Theme from None -> something else -> None
9. The linked file that was not loaded when used as source Artwork causes a crash
10. Assert on clicking on recolor button when the dialog is still active (or click twice)
11. Annotation remains on screen after the dismissal of dialog — rare (happens when hover theme picker cursor over a vector art and suddenly move to palette before the annotations disappear)
12. Asserts on applying to recolor to brush ArtNew redesigned Recolor artwork is available in Beta now.
We heard from many of you that the current Recolor is confusing and difficult to use. This new Recolor has a completely redesigned experience with an added ability to recolor your art based on your referenced images & artwork. We have broken the Recolor into two sections. When you invoke Recolor, you would see an on canvas dialogue that allows you to quickly Recolor your artwork with all the basic controls. For advanced settings, you can click on more options (...).
We would love to hear your candid feedback. Please provide…
0 votes
4475 results found
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Select objects in Layers panel by dragging through items (or target or selection markers) with a modifier held
In older versions of Illustrator you could go to the layer panel and Cmd/Ctrl drag on the circle icons to select multiple objects really fast. Would love to have this back as it wasn't replaced with anything else and a lot of times I need to select objects on the layer panel and not the canvas.
10 votes -
Square wave live effect.
Gears. Crenelations on castles. Zippers. These are a few things whose border can be described by a square wave. Or by a rectangular wave.
But you can't do this easily in Illustrator. Oh, you can add a dotted line to a shape - but that's an awkward workaround. How about a new live effect?
effect->distort & transform->crenelation would bring up a new live effect where you can apply square waves to whatever object you're affecting.
Suggested parameters:
- size - similar to the size parameter in roughen/zigzag, this would control how far the generated path deviates from the original path
- pulse width - a slider to control the relative lengths of deviations to one side versus the other
- possibly something to induce a slow change in the pulse width as we progress along the path
- possibly an option to randomize the pulse width
- the usual smooth/curve point options that roughen and zig-zag have
Gears. Crenelations on castles. Zippers. These are a few things whose border can be described by a square wave. Or by a rectangular wave.
But you can't do this easily in Illustrator. Oh, you can add a dotted line to a shape - but that's an awkward workaround. How about a new live effect?
effect->distort & transform->crenelation would bring up a new live effect where you can apply square waves to whatever object you're affecting.
Suggested parameters:
- size - similar to the size parameter in roughen/zigzag, this would control how far the generated path deviates from the original path
- pulse…
10 votes -
Proportional Grid like After Effects
Make the standard grid setting in preference allow specification of height AND width. After Effects has a similar feature. Just tried to set up a proportional grid using Make Guides and illustrator almost crashed. Sometimes I don't want the Grid to be square.
10 votes -
Select objects to then apply auto selection criteria
Once objects are selected apply the auto select criteria such as "same fill color" or "same outline". If this is possible, I can't figure out how to do it. I can only choose to select all of the items of a single color, because I have items already selected. Also, it would be great for quotes to be able to get a quick total of the number of items selected. Is this information listed somewhere on screen that I've never noticed?
10 votes -
An option to affect fonts that are hidden or locked with Find/Replace
When finding lost fonts or replacing fonts can you PLEASE let AI change/replace fonts that are hidden or on a locked layer. Or at least give us an option to.
10 votes -
Press Alt while creating a radius / diameter dimension to toggle these two mode on the fly
Currently Dimension tool requires you to orient your cursor when creating a radius or diameter: inside of the clicked shape to create a diameter or outside to make it a radius.
This is very nifty, sure.
But:The tool hardly tells you about it when you draw. The only hint Ai give us is a blue bar (that we all tired of seeing, because everything in Ai now pops and shouts and distracts — I’m speaking about use, Text To Vector!) — I attach the screenshot of it for those who blinked and missed it.
If I work with a tiny circle and I want to mark a diameter for it, I’d have to precisely aim inside of this little area — and this give me very little control over the angle of the line produced. Especially important, since you just ignore Shift to constrain the angle, which is respected by any other construction tool in Ai.
Here is a request about Shift, BTW: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/47734580
So, for this request, please introduce a modifier key we can use to toggle radius/diameter as we draw, without moving the cursor in or out.
Opt / Alt will do.Currently Dimension tool requires you to orient your cursor when creating a radius or diameter: inside of the clicked shape to create a diameter or outside to make it a radius.
This is very nifty, sure.
But:The tool hardly tells you about it when you draw. The only hint Ai give us is a blue bar (that we all tired of seeing, because everything in Ai now pops and shouts and distracts — I’m speaking about use, Text To Vector!) — I attach the screenshot of it for those who blinked and missed it.
If I work with a…
9 votes -
Isolation tints eyedropper colors from linked assets
When using the eyedropper tool in isolation mode on artwork, the color is taken from the actual artwork even though isolation mode displays it as faded. When doing the same on linked assets, even if they are Illustrator files, the isolation mode fade gets applied to the sampled color. This means that you have to back out of isolation mode and direct-select it to sample the asset, or otherwise have already created a swatch before entering isolation.
I think it would be nicer if Illustrator could treat the sampling of linked assets the same way it does for local artwork - sampling the actual colors instead of the colors after fading is applied.
When using the eyedropper tool in isolation mode on artwork, the color is taken from the actual artwork even though isolation mode displays it as faded. When doing the same on linked assets, even if they are Illustrator files, the isolation mode fade gets applied to the sampled color. This means that you have to back out of isolation mode and direct-select it to sample the asset, or otherwise have already created a swatch before entering isolation.
I think it would be nicer if Illustrator could treat the sampling of linked assets the same way it does for local…
9 votes -
An option to hide the HEX field in Color or make it pop in RGB/HSB only
Starting version 27.6.1, we are given a permanent HEX field in Color panel, following these two request:
1. https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38816713-make-the-hex-code-box-visible-for-all-color-modes
2. https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/37009090-show-hex-value-in-swatch-panelBut some users do not like seeing it all the time and would like to be able to disable it, or at least pop only for RGB and HSB only.
Please add this option into Color panel’s flyout menu.
9 votes -
Add First Object Above / Last Object Below commands in Select menu
Illustrator provides two ways to access Next Object commands:
1. From Select menu
2. From the context menu, Select submenuAnd while the context menu provides four commands, the Select menu gives only two. First Object Above / Last Object Below — for no apparent reason — are missing, and we can’t assign hotkeys to these because of it.
Please add them there.
Also consider this request, to be able to select ALL objects above or below the current selection: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/34306246-select-objects-above-below-current-layer-objec
Note that this one is basically about 'select those who intersect', while we are also interested in 'select those which are above below in stack'.
Finally, here is a bug report about Select Next Object commands in context menu (and only these, not their main Select menu analogs) not working at all: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/46742011-select-next-object-commands-in-context-menu-are-br
Illustrator provides two ways to access Next Object commands:
1. From Select menu
2. From the context menu, Select submenuAnd while the context menu provides four commands, the Select menu gives only two. First Object Above / Last Object Below — for no apparent reason — are missing, and we can’t assign hotkeys to these because of it.
Please add them there.
Also consider this request, to be able to select ALL objects above or below the current selection: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/34306246-select-objects-above-below-current-layer-objec
Note that this one is basically about 'select those who intersect', while we are also interested in 'select those…
9 votes -
Show 'Can’t join a path' message as a soft one
Modal dialogs are very dated. They grab attention, they interrupt workflows, they yell at you. Most times we don’t need these as loud as they are — a whisper is nice.
And Ai actually now has these, 'soft' messages, like the one we get when we modify a live shape — 'Shape expanded', at the top of the view, in a gray rectangle. Calm, non-intrusive, with auto-destruction timer. Nice!But there are other, legacy warnings and screams.
The most annoying for me persoanlly is the one I get when I try to join a closed path (just in case, to be sure it is closed), but Ai yells at me — 'you caaaaan't' — with a ding and a message and a text... just show the 'Path is already closed' soft message.Perhaps don’t mix all the cases together and display it as a huge page like you do. A user has a compound path within the selection? Tell it, and only if the user really has it. Same for other art types users can’t join.
I see an educational benefit in having it like this now... but look, if I enable 'don’t show this again' checkmark in this alert box, I won’t be able to see if I should join more or is it just enough.Modal dialogs are very dated. They grab attention, they interrupt workflows, they yell at you. Most times we don’t need these as loud as they are — a whisper is nice.
And Ai actually now has these, 'soft' messages, like the one we get when we modify a live shape — 'Shape expanded', at the top of the view, in a gray rectangle. Calm, non-intrusive, with auto-destruction timer. Nice!But there are other, legacy warnings and screams.
The most annoying for me persoanlly is the one I get when I try to join a closed path (just in case, to…9 votes -
Show the exact location where snapping to grid occurs
Snap to Grid is underrated. Illustrator makes everything to make it uncomfortable to use: no constantly available indicator, clashing with Smart Guides, the general lack of customization (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/32403847-make-center-point-visible-while-dragging-art)...
And also it does not give enough feedback on WHERE the moved / transformed object snaps to, to which exact gridlines’ intersection.
Something just happens!
Look at the GIF — this 13.25×13.25 magenta square feels like it’s lagging, also I’m just trying to position it.Look at the second GIF, from Affinity Designer. Can you spot the difference? We can clearly see which point it snaps to, no problem. Well, almost clearly, lines get drawn too late and too pale to my taste... but at least they exist!
Hello, Illustrator?
Snap to Grid is underrated. Illustrator makes everything to make it uncomfortable to use: no constantly available indicator, clashing with Smart Guides, the general lack of customization (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/32403847-make-center-point-visible-while-dragging-art)...
And also it does not give enough feedback on WHERE the moved / transformed object snaps to, to which exact gridlines’ intersection.
Something just happens!
Look at the GIF — this 13.25×13.25 magenta square feels like it’s lagging, also I’m just trying to position it.Look at the second GIF, from Affinity Designer. Can you spot the difference? We can clearly see which point it snaps to, no problem. Well,…
9 votes -
Allow Transform effect applied to an object to transform its the opacity mask also
If I apply Transform effect to an object with an opacity mask (to move or scale it parametrically, for example), only the object will be transformed — but not the contents of its opacity mask.
This is not consistent with the destructive method, when you actually move or scale this object...The workaround is to apply the same effect to the contents of the opacity mask, but it does not always have the same effect, since the contents can have different bounds, and the transformation points will differ.
There should be an 'Affect Opacity Mask' option in the Transform effect dialog.
If I apply Transform effect to an object with an opacity mask (to move or scale it parametrically, for example), only the object will be transformed — but not the contents of its opacity mask.
This is not consistent with the destructive method, when you actually move or scale this object...The workaround is to apply the same effect to the contents of the opacity mask, but it does not always have the same effect, since the contents can have different bounds, and the transformation points will differ.
There should be an 'Affect Opacity Mask' option in the Transform effect…
9 votes -
Multiline tooltips
Plugin developers can’t make tooltips go in several lines. Extensive tooltips are forced to be one long line, and it’s hard to read in time.
Comes along with this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/466453489 votes -
Custom exposure time for hover tooltips for third-party developers
A narrow enough request. At the moment developers can’t customize the time each hover tooltip gets displayed. When the text is long, it vanishes too soon.
Comes along with this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/466453789 votes -
Be able to create a finished vector repeat tile from Pattern Editing Mode.
Currently, the only way for a designer to get a final tile from a repeat pattern created in pattern mode is a clunky workaround involving dragging the fill swatch art from the swatches panel to the artboard and then working with the bounding shape to create a cropped, repeatable tile for export. We need a button to click inside pattern mode that creates a tile from the artwork inside pattern mode that is perfectly cropped (could be a clipping mask) but will retain all the live content that typically gets expanded when you exit pattern mode. This option should allow you to generate a half-drop tile based on the tile edge or a tile based on the swatch bounds. I'm sure most designers would prefer to be able to use live content (brushes, freeform gradients, and tools like the Eraser in Pattern Mode) but barring that, we really need finished vector tiles with content that's not expanded. And, we need those tiles without the clunky fill swatch bounding shape workaround.
Currently, the only way for a designer to get a final tile from a repeat pattern created in pattern mode is a clunky workaround involving dragging the fill swatch art from the swatches panel to the artboard and then working with the bounding shape to create a cropped, repeatable tile for export. We need a button to click inside pattern mode that creates a tile from the artwork inside pattern mode that is perfectly cropped (could be a clipping mask) but will retain all the live content that typically gets expanded when you exit pattern mode. This option should allow…
9 votes -
Allow to change the order of appearance attributes for TEXT and set the stroke below the fill in Appearance panel
When I try to move the "stroke" row in appearance panel to move below the "fill" row, the row returns to previous position on top.
This is happening to me since the - I think - 11 version of Illustrator.
Now I have version 27.1.1 and windows 11 pro. Nothing changed.9 votes -
Make clickable areas for eye buttons in Layers and Appearance as large as their sections
As demonstrated in https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhJOBNo-U3/
Clicking an 'eye' requires aiming, despite the area it is located in is pretty large. What’s a point of limiting the clickable area?9 votes -
Remake the Tools / Menu Commands dropdown in Keyboard Shortcuts into two toggle buttons
Dropdown lists just from two elements are pure evil.
Illustrator has one in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.What’s a point of having it? Don’t you have enough space on the x-axis to display both items at once and improve the discoverability of both options?
As if you were hoping to get another item in that list and never added... in30 years.Remake it into two conjoined toggle buttons, or at list in a radio-group (ugh), but just allow users to see both available options at once.
9 votes -
Display command assigned hotkeys in Discover panel’s search results
When you search for a command in Discover panel, Illustrator gives you the results, but never actually tries to educate a user further with teaching him assigned keyboard shortcuts.
Figma does it!9 votes -
Make a more integrated way to report bugs
Figma allows to report bugs directly from the web app.
You go 'Help > Contact Us > Report a bug'. Then you fill out the form, directly in the app, provide steps, attach files... looks very similar to the approach Ai uses, but more streamlined, with no intermediate steps.
Once it’s done, the dropdown is collapsed, and you are where you were at the moment.To report bugs in Illustrator you have to search for the way.
First one should locate 'Help > Submit Bug/Feature Request'. This redirects you to the browser, to http://www.adobe.com/go/aiWishform/, which can redirect you (with a frightening autogenerated link) here to UserVoice — or kick to adobe.com, if you are lucky enough.
Then you have to register at UserVoice, switch between two windows, make effort...The difference is not that big, but reporting in Figma is a small interruption, while in Illustrator is the whole story.
Figma allows to report bugs directly from the web app.
You go 'Help > Contact Us > Report a bug'. Then you fill out the form, directly in the app, provide steps, attach files... looks very similar to the approach Ai uses, but more streamlined, with no intermediate steps.
Once it’s done, the dropdown is collapsed, and you are where you were at the moment.To report bugs in Illustrator you have to search for the way.
First one should locate 'Help > Submit Bug/Feature Request'. This redirects you to the browser, to http://www.adobe.com/go/aiWishform/, which can redirect you…9 votes
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