Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
- or
4367 results found
-
Make Layers show which operation a compound shape uses, like 'Compound Shape (Subtract)'
Compound shapes have 4 different modes, and sometimes it’s important to be able to see which one is used when you work with the resulting shapes in Layers — especially if you nest shapes in several layers.. But at the moment Illustrator just display all of them as just 'Compound Shape'.
Compare these two structures:
Compound Shape
...> Compound Shape
......> Rectangle
......> Ellipse
...> Compound Shape
......> Rectangle
......> EllipseCompound Shape (Unite)
...> Compound Shape (Subtract)
......> Rectangle
......> Ellipse
...> Compound Shape (Intersect)
......> Rectangle
......> EllipseDon’t you agree the one at the bottom is easier to navigate, when you need to make a change?
Compound shapes have 4 different modes, and sometimes it’s important to be able to see which one is used when you work with the resulting shapes in Layers — especially if you nest shapes in several layers.. But at the moment Illustrator just display all of them as just 'Compound Shape'.
Compare these two structures:
Compound Shape
...> Compound Shape
......> Rectangle
......> Ellipse
...> Compound Shape
......> Rectangle
......> EllipseCompound Shape (Unite)
...> Compound Shape (Subtract)
......> Rectangle
......> Ellipse
...> Compound Shape (Intersect)
......> Rectangle
......> EllipseDon’t you agree the one at the bottom is easier…
8 votes -
Move 'Show The Home Screen...' and 'Use Legacy File New...' options to Preferences > User Interface section
These two options are not 'general', they relate to specific UI choices.
8 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…
8 votes -
Learn to Rearrange artboards with coinciding or nested coordinates
Illustrator will not rearrange artboards that are completely overlapping (that is, have the same dimensions and coordinates) and will ignore nested artboards, moving them along with their enclosing artboard.
It should be able to detect complete copies and give an option to rearrange smaller nested ones.8 votes -
Select Same Fill Color & Stroke Color
'Select Same Fill & Stroke' command from Select > Same menu also includes stroke weight. But sometimes we need to ignore it and search only by colors.
So basically we have no 'Select Same Fill Color & Stroke Color' command...
....no wait. We do have this command!
It is just well hidden.For some reason it is available only as an option in the dropdown menu for the Select Similar Objects button — but not in the menu. Please make these two sources match and combine both lists.
8 votes -
Make Increase / decrease font size hotkeys to respect chosen Font Height Options
Font Height Options are amazing.
It’s almost a perfect feature to my taste... but when I hit Font Size Step Up / Down or Point Size Up / Down (Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + ./, and Alt/Opt + Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + ./,) — Illustrator adds the chosen Size/Leading value (from Preferences > Type) to the Em Box size anyway, and not the x-height or the Cap height I chose to work with.So, say, with chosen step 0.5 mm and x-height 15 mm I get 15.267 mm instead of 15.5 mm as the next size up, or 16.335 mm instead of 17.5 mm.
Not cool.Font Height Options are amazing.
It’s almost a perfect feature to my taste... but when I hit Font Size Step Up / Down or Point Size Up / Down (Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + ./, and Alt/Opt + Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + ./,) — Illustrator adds the chosen Size/Leading value (from Preferences > Type) to the Em Box size anyway, and not the x-height or the Cap height I chose to work with.So, say, with chosen step 0.5 mm and x-height 15 mm I get 15.267 mm instead of 15.5 mm as the next size up, or 16.335 mm instead…
8 votes -
Create new documents with a 'Plus' button or a double-click in the document tabs area
Document Tabs is a well-known paradigm, thanks to browsers.
Since many of us spend a lot of time with browsers, we expect the same functionality form tabs’ headers in Illustrator.One of them is a middle-click to close a tab (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38150188-add-middle-click-to-close-document), another is remember opened tabs on relaunch (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/44819065-launch-illustrator-with-the-same-opened-documents).
There are others.But the most prominent one is the Plus button to the right (in LTR world) of the last tab, which creates a new document.
Sure, one can hit Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+N, or go File > New, but sometimes we are lazy, and the other hand is used to hold the head or a cup of tea.
Accessibility and consistency are great.BTW, Corel Draw already has it.
And if you want to make a step further — do the same with a double-click in that area as well. It’s like a super long button (when you have little tabs opened).
Document Tabs is a well-known paradigm, thanks to browsers.
Since many of us spend a lot of time with browsers, we expect the same functionality form tabs’ headers in Illustrator.One of them is a middle-click to close a tab (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/38150188-add-middle-click-to-close-document), another is remember opened tabs on relaunch (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/44819065-launch-illustrator-with-the-same-opened-documents).
There are others.But the most prominent one is the Plus button to the right (in LTR world) of the last tab, which creates a new document.
Sure, one can hit Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+N, or go File > New, but sometimes we are lazy, and the other hand is…
8 votes -
As introduced in Photoshop the Warp option for Cylinder should be in illustrator
It will be much easier to use the warp on a cylinder in vector art, it was introduced in Photoshop. If I’m working on a design in Adobe illustrator and want to warp some text or a label on a bottle
why not stay in vector art, instead of using photoshop?8 votesThere is a way to do the same exact distortion in Illustrator, using a free MeshTormentor plugin (please see the full instruction in the comments).
However, an easier native way to do it is still welcome (as the general improvements over mesh distortion capabilities) — so please keep voting for this if you want it to happen.
-
Make Properties panel to have the same width as other panels
Properties is the widest panel among other panels in Illustrator.
While other panels by default have the same width (and some are resizable), Properties is too wide.It gets specifically disgusting whet it get stacked with other panels — they have to conform the minimal width of Properties and start looking ugly.
At the same time, the main content of Properties does not look like it needs all that minimal width — there is a huge gap on the right visible in 'properties_1.png' attached.
Sure, when you have some art selected, it look differently, like in 'properties2.png'... but look at the 'properties3.png' — the Transform panel is not that wide in fact! It’s analog in Properties is just bloated!
Align section can be just reorganized (and include more options and ditch the dropdown, because Align has 3 buttons instead of it now), and this also applies to other sections as well.The only problem is the Quick Actions buttons, which are two in a row.
Some languages use much longer words than English, and these buttons get even longer even, sure.
But it does not mean you have to bloat! Make them reflow and go stacked, when the width is not enough. See, you have a huge Recolor at the bottom, stick to that way!Also, perhaps you want to remove gaps between all bottom buttons in the full Align panel, to make it have the same default width? It got changed when you made Align To options into buttons, and it’s kinda ugly. Buttons are great though!
This request originates form this bug report, about the unadjustable width of the Properties panel, when it’s stacked with other resizable panels (now fixed): https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/32011942
Properties is the widest panel among other panels in Illustrator.
While other panels by default have the same width (and some are resizable), Properties is too wide.It gets specifically disgusting whet it get stacked with other panels — they have to conform the minimal width of Properties and start looking ugly.
At the same time, the main content of Properties does not look like it needs all that minimal width — there is a huge gap on the right visible in 'properties_1.png' attached.
Sure, when you have some art selected, it look differently, like in 'properties2.png'... but look…
8 votes -
Hitting Alt+Down does not open dropdown lists
I expect Alt+Down to drop down focused lists with options inside, like Font Family / Style, Stroke Weight, etc.
Sure, I understand it might conflict with duplicating, but in fact no, since Ai does not duplicate when a field is focused anyway. At the same time, it’s a common and expected behaviour in other applications.
8 votes -
Mesh tool hold and drag
When we click a shape with the Mesh tool, a node gets immediately applied to the shape/mesh, a new row and a column get instantly inserted. If I keep holding the mouse button / pen, it won’t help me anymore to position my node precisely. So the insertion should not happen immediately on a mouse click, but on a mouse release, drawing all the possible results while the button / pen is held down.
8 votes -
Disable smart guides to some specific object/layer
Hi there,
After using Illustrator for quite some time, I found there has one function I need the most.
Which is to disable smart guides to some specific object/layer.Smart guides are amazing but I found that they won't work well if I had a crazy vector texture background.
When I try to align to the main object I am working on, it will just try to align to background vector textures. Which is not ideal.So I have been thinking, could there have a feature, that disables smart guides to some specific object/layer, like we can lock anything that we want?
Might be we could add a "disable smart alignment" option here?
Thanks
Hi there,
After using Illustrator for quite some time, I found there has one function I need the most.
Which is to disable smart guides to some specific object/layer.Smart guides are amazing but I found that they won't work well if I had a crazy vector texture background.
When I try to align to the main object I am working on, it will just try to align to background vector textures. Which is not ideal.So I have been thinking, could there have a feature, that disables smart guides to some specific object/layer, like we can lock anything that…
8 votes -
Please re-introduce 3D VECTORS
I know, I know, "3D (Classic)" is still in the Effect/3D and Materials" menu, but the "Classic" designation means it's on the chopping-block.
Please do not get rid of 3D VECTORS! Adobe Dimensions used to be so completely awesome (it was simple, easy and perfect) and that was made "Classic", too. 3D vectors are far superior for illustration than all the trendy raster stuff.
PLEASE BRING BACK 3D VECTORS
Thank you!
8 votes -
Better documentation
Current documentation sucks. There are no explanations what some properties mean, when something is null/undefined, when something throws an error and why. I have to try everything myself.
8 votes -
Radial Repeat needed updates!
Oval Radial Repeat
It would be very useful to be able to adjust the radial repeat to an oval radial repeat. Just like how you can change a radial gradient from a circular shape to an oval shape. Opens for lots of more possibilities and will be a huge time saver. Doing this manually is hard.Control rotation/angle
It would be very useful if we can get inputs to adjust angle/rotation and option to shift lock rotation changes to 45 degrees.
See these posts:
8 votes -
Scale the graphs. SCALE THE GRAPHS. SCALE THE GRAPHS. SCALE THE GRAPHS.
WHY CAN'T WE SCALE GRAPHS. THIS IS SO BASIC. IS ADOBE BASIC? STOP BEING BASIC. SCALE THE GRAPHS.
This is a critical functionality for infographics and you've all but left it as something a child would have shown at an Adobe Max SNEAKS reveal with it's current level of development in comparison to the level the rest of the entire OS has reached.
8 votes -
Guide Labels
I would love the ability to label my guides. In fact maybe a hole overhaul to the guide system. In After Effects and Premiere you can add Composition Markers, give them comments and adjust their perimeters. It would be great if you could do that for guides.
On the rulers will show a marker. Double clicking the marker will bring up the Guide Controls. or when you select 'New Guide' from the drop down menu, Guide Controls takes place of the window that currently gets displayed.
I would love this across all programs: Photoshop, After Effects, and the like, not just Illustrator.
I would love the ability to label my guides. In fact maybe a hole overhaul to the guide system. In After Effects and Premiere you can add Composition Markers, give them comments and adjust their perimeters. It would be great if you could do that for guides.
On the rulers will show a marker. Double clicking the marker will bring up the Guide Controls. or when you select 'New Guide' from the drop down menu, Guide Controls takes place of the window that currently gets displayed.
I would love this across all programs: Photoshop, After Effects, and the like, not…
8 votes -
More Text Frame & Type options like: Inset Spacing, Auto Fit, Columns and Bullet & Num Lists
I highly appraise adding the much needed Vertical Text Alignment feature from indesign to Illustrator. While they are at it I would like to request more Text Frame & Type features to be migrated over from Indesign. Like Inset Spacing, Auto Fit, Columns and Bullet & Numbered Lists .
Why? Due to Illustrator having more flexible and abundant creativity oriented vector design features I often pick Illustrator over Indesign to create single page designs like flyers or posters. Having more control over type would speed up the design workflow significantly. Lack of Type control is the only thing that causes some real frustration when designing in Illustrator.
Thank you very much!
I highly appraise adding the much needed Vertical Text Alignment feature from indesign to Illustrator. While they are at it I would like to request more Text Frame & Type features to be migrated over from Indesign. Like Inset Spacing, Auto Fit, Columns and Bullet & Numbered Lists .
Why? Due to Illustrator having more flexible and abundant creativity oriented vector design features I often pick Illustrator over Indesign to create single page designs like flyers or posters. Having more control over type would speed up the design workflow significantly. Lack of Type control is the only thing that causes…
8 votes -
Variable Data, Batch Save and Export should be able to grab filenames from CSV.
When exporting variable data with a batch save/export command, instead of being limited to File + Number, File + Data Set Name, Data Set Name, there should be an option to grab from a variable within the data. If your variable is named '$Filename', then it recognizes that column as the filename.
8 votes -
Adobe Illustrator UXP integration timeline
For extension developers currently working with the CEP / HTML Panels, there is a concern and anticipation for an expected time frame for the Unified Extensions Platform (UXP) to make its debut among the remainder of the creative cloud applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
It would be beneficial for many, those looking to develop new extensions, and those looking to port existing extensions to the UXP platform, if an official timeline was to be made publicly available regarding Adobes future plans / roadmap for the unified extensibility platform in relation to Creative Cloud applications other than Adobe XD.
8 votes
- Don't see your idea?