Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
- or
No existing idea results
- ~ No ideas found ~
4746 results found
-
Allow to cut path with a drag rather than a click when using Scissors
I want the Scissors tool to be able to cut paths like the Knife does, with a click-and-drag, splitting a path at an intersection of straight/freeform (straight by default) drawn line with a path (ideally prioritizing selected ones over others, like requested here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/36111436)
I’m rather tired of seeing this loud modal dialog when I don’t have Smart Guides enabled and miss a line (because the tool doesn’t have enough feedback by modern times’ standards: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44725546)
Take a look at the fake GIF I made to show how it should work.
A single click should still work.
This new option should have a tweakable tolerance, a minimal distance we need to drag to get it detected as a drag-cut.
Probably it should allow to choose if it should make first cut only or detect all intersections with a cut line.No, Knife tool behaves differently, compare yourself.
And finally make this screaming message into a shy message.
I still want to get one, but not as disruptive. Take a look at this request:
Make ability to make warnings show in background and not in dialogue windows
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/32403874I want the Scissors tool to be able to cut paths like the Knife does, with a click-and-drag, splitting a path at an intersection of straight/freeform (straight by default) drawn line with a path (ideally prioritizing selected ones over others, like requested here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/36111436)
I’m rather tired of seeing this loud modal dialog when I don’t have Smart Guides enabled and miss a line (because the tool doesn’t have enough feedback by modern times’ standards: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/44725546)
Take a look at the fake GIF I made to show how it should work.
A single click should still work.
This…3 votes -
Gradient Tools Lack Customizability
For a $20/month program, it's really frustrating that I've tested it's limited capabilities multiple times.
1. Radial gradient: Should have the option to be deformed to shape. For instance, if I wanted a butterfly shaped radial gradient, the radial gradient should be able to act more like a proportional subdivision. Otherwise, the closes thing there is to what I'm looking for is the Gradient mesh because..Gradient Mesh: The Gradient Mesh has a severe lack of customizability. Everytime I use that tool for any complex shape, I always get a jumbled mess of lines and subdivisions that are overlapping and completely chaotic. We should have the option to adjust the anchor points of the mesh, but that's impossible without warping the vector shape. The tool is a nightmare to work with and practically impossible to get the results I'm looking for. You should have the option to start with a simple perpendicular grid and freely adjust the curves and anchor points without altering the vector shape. If you're not going to allow for this simple capability then don't bother having the gradient mesh at all.
Free form gradient: The other alternative to a gradient mesh would be free form gradient. While this tool is definitely a lot better and more customizable than the gradient mesh, it's not without it's frustrating parts For one, it only ever allows you to draw curves. You can't do straight lines. between 3 points on the same line and there doesn't appear to be a hot key to allow for that capability. And simply using dots without lines turns the dots into radial gradients instead of a linear gradient when the points are connected by lines and you don't get the same effect. The tool is also incredibly tedious to use. Anytime I accidentally click a hotkey like Ctrl I for eyedropper it kicks me out of the tool, or I'll accidentally click an extra gradient dot instead of clicking on one that was already placed.
Linear Gradients: This tool is great, but just like with what I talked about in regards to a radial gradient tool, this tool has it's frustrating limits. For one, the gradient it produces is not at all constrained by the bounding box of the vector and it's impossible to accurately reflect the gradient of a shape with this tool. There should be an option to have the linear gradient warped to accurately reflect the shape. For instance, if I have a trapezoid with a base that is much larger than the top, I want the proportions of the gradient to be proportionate the length of the top side and the bottom side, that way it actually reflects how lighting on that object should be.
Multiple Linear functions: Still in regards to the linear tool, I really wish there was the ability to have multiple linear gradients affecting the same vector shape. This would be useful in examples like buildings. Imagine you're looking down the road through a city. Buildings farther from your view are going to appear brighter or darker than the buildings closer to your vision. (That would be one gradient). But than the tops of the buildings are also, more than likely, going to appear brighter than the bottom of the buildings because it's closer to the sky. In cases like these, it is extremely practical to have linear gradients overlapping.
Another thing in regards to linear tools is the ability to transfer the same gradient to other objects. For example, to keep with the building example, the sun is setting on the horizon of the city and you see the reflections of the sun's light on the windows. The windows closer to the sun will have a brighter reflection than the windows closer to your view. But because all the windows are parallel to each other and are effected by the sun's reflections the same way, you should be able to draw a linear gradient from Point A to Point B and transfer those exact enpoints and slider coordinates to all the windows. I've been able to use the eyedropper tool to copy the colors in the gradient, but most of the time the length and location of the gradient line tool resets and I would have to manually manipulate the gradient lines to match for every single window and that's just plain time consuming and tedious not to mention it would not be a perfect continuity when it comes to accurately reflecting the window reflections.
When it comes to these additional features, I'm not asking you to completely get rid of the features that already exist as those are still useful applications, but all I'm asking is for all these tools to be customizable and as integral as possible. These numerous incapabilities is frustrating and stunts my creative process enough that I wish I could get a job at Adobe just to have these features added.
Thank you!For a $20/month program, it's really frustrating that I've tested it's limited capabilities multiple times.
1. Radial gradient: Should have the option to be deformed to shape. For instance, if I wanted a butterfly shaped radial gradient, the radial gradient should be able to act more like a proportional subdivision. Otherwise, the closes thing there is to what I'm looking for is the Gradient mesh because..Gradient Mesh: The Gradient Mesh has a severe lack of customizability. Everytime I use that tool for any complex shape, I always get a jumbled mess of lines and subdivisions that are overlapping and…
3 votes -
Add color to toolbar icons.
The new 'Objects on a Path' tool has brought color to the toolbar. It now stands out a lot.
I have a bunch of plugins that add tools to the toolbar, and have a bunch of cryptic monochromatic icons. Perhaps it is time for both Adobe and plugin developers to bring some color to the toolbar so we have one more thing to help us remember which extremely specialized tool we use once in a blue moon is which?
(This also may require a switch in the prefs to revert to largely monochromatic icons for people who are colorblind and/or just hate change.)
The new 'Objects on a Path' tool has brought color to the toolbar. It now stands out a lot.
I have a bunch of plugins that add tools to the toolbar, and have a bunch of cryptic monochromatic icons. Perhaps it is time for both Adobe and plugin developers to bring some color to the toolbar so we have one more thing to help us remember which extremely specialized tool we use once in a blue moon is which?
(This also may require a switch in the prefs to revert to largely monochromatic icons for people who are colorblind and/or…
3 votes -
Show file previews in Open Recent Files
Show a thumbnail of Recent Files, much like how the Icon View in the Mac OS Finder displays them.
3 votes -
Reflect tool should mirror path direction as well
When Reflecting (mirroring, flipping) Paths with a non non uniform Stroke Widths, the result is not correct, since the Path direction is not reversed. (see screenshot)
3 votes -
「シンボルオブジェクト」に対してのコンテクストタスクバーの搭載 Installation of a context taskbar for "symbol objects"
「シンボルオブジェクト」に対してのコンテクストタスクバーの搭載も要望として、是非お願いします。特に置換するときが格段になるはずなので。
Please also request the installation of a context taskbar for "symbol objects". Especially when it comes to replacing, it should be much more.3 votes -
Switch symbol shortcut
I would love to have a way to quickly switch symbols with a shortcut (maybe using the keyboard numbers where each symbol corresponds to one symbol).
I have a job where I have to manually insert many symbols of different sizes, and without a shortcut it takes much time.3 votes -
Support all pie functions Ellipse offers for other live shapes
There a few things circular pies need in Ai:
1. Ellipse tool, circle pie, Shift snap to angles: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31358686
2. Allow to define circle pie angles in percent, with snapping options: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/46268533
3. Reverse Pie with Opt/Alt when creating or editing an ellipse: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49532216It would also be nice to add the same behavior to rectangles, for the much beloved Square Pie. Casserole, perhaps? :)
Originally by Ellis Humphres
3 votes -
Allow targeting layers with no unlocked/visible paths in them.
You can target a layer to apply an appearance by clicking on the circle to the right of its name in the Appearance palette.
This is not possible, however, if the layer is empty.
This is also not possible if the only thing the layer contains is empty layers.
This is also not possible if all the children of the layer are locked. Or invisible.
There must be at least one unlocked, visible non-layer object in a layer before you can target it.
I am most often annoyed by trying and failing to target a layer with a bunch of locked child layers in it, but I would like to see all of these restrictions lifted, so that it's much easier to apply effects to nested layer structures.
You can target a layer to apply an appearance by clicking on the circle to the right of its name in the Appearance palette.
This is not possible, however, if the layer is empty.
This is also not possible if the only thing the layer contains is empty layers.
This is also not possible if all the children of the layer are locked. Or invisible.
There must be at least one unlocked, visible non-layer object in a layer before you can target it.
I am most often annoyed by trying and failing to target a layer with a bunch of…
3 votes -
Need Save As... in Edit Toolbar options
I use saved toolbars, but they are tedious to create because when you click New toolbar... you get a blank toolbar and then have to add each tool one by one. I would like to open an existing toolbar (like Advanced) and have the option to Save As... under a new name - then, I can remove the tools I don't want and save it. Better to work from a starting point, than have to start from scratch.
3 votes -
Local Artboard Editing Mode
Illustrator already notionally works on one artboard at a time... the one that's zoomed to with Cmd-0, or pasted to with Cmd-V...
Perhaps there could be a mode switch, similar to the 'Draw Inside' mode where all operations are confined to objects on the current artboard. Useful for Cmd-A for example. This would override unlocked artboards of course!
This mode of operation is already familiar in InDesign where only current spread-object appear in the Layers.
3 votes -
Lock Highlight (Unlock) mode
I've always wanted some kind of Lock Highlight feature:
Much like editing a Group after double-click (which grays out all other artboard objects while you edit only that grouped object), I'd like to be able to see a grayed out preview of all the locked objects.
With a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Click), you could Unlock individual elements, then exit Lock Highlight mode and keep working.
That would keep you from needing to go back around and relock other elements you didn't want to disturb.
3 votes -
Show gradient annotator for Live Paint selections
Version 29.3 finally allows to adjust gradients for individual Live Paint regions on canvas: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/35930962
While these can indeed be adjusted now, the annotator is still missing.
I suppose it requires more hacking to make it work, but still I’d like to see the controls on canvas, to tweak the look and not remaking it from scratch each time.4 votes -
A Node View mode for the Appearance panel, and a complete revamp of what it can do
I feel like I have a lot of things I want changed about the Appearance palette that cannot be done in the form of a one-dimensional list of effects.
I'd like to suggest something inspired by the "node view" in programs like Blender or Toon Boom or Unreal. Give me a 2d canvas upon which I can arrange strokes, fills, and effects, and let me plug them into each other in complex ways. Let me control exactly when a brush is applied to a stroke by moving its effect around. Let me dynamically generate an opacity mask for an entire object, and another one for three of the seven fills and strokes I have on it. Let me generate complex pieces of plumbing that do crazy things based on me drawing one simple path.
Keeping the Appearance palette around and adding a new Appearance Nodes palette would be fine. Or it could be a new mode in the existing palette. It's also perfectly fine if the existing Appearance palette can't edit Appearance Nodes and just displays a polite apology. There's a simplicity to the existing palette that might be worth retaining, I dunno, when it gets to the point of being in a beta, ask people how they'd feel about losing the old one, and be aggressive about hunting for ways it might break existing appearance stacks - ask us for our craziest piles of native and plugin effects and build a nice set of test cases!
I am probably asking a lot here. This is feels like a big enough change to be one of the top features of an entire release. Possibly even more. It'll probably involve changing some assumptions that are made deep in the parts of Illustrator nobody understands any more. And it's entirely for the most hardcore users, who're using it in the most esoteric ways. Good luck convincing the people who control the budget that a significant part of Illustrator's development budget for a year or three should be devoted to something that's got zero noob appeal.
But after about a decade of exploring its possibilities, I'm constantly butting up against the limitations of the Appearance palette. It's time for something to change. Maybe it's just time for me to figure out how to survive a couple months of zero productivity because I'm figuring out how to turn another, younger program into something I can whip out art even half as fast as I can do it in Illustrator. And probably get animation capabilities and some amount of 3d into the bargain. I dunno. I'm fifty years old and I've loved using this program as my main art tool for half my life. Change is complicated.
I feel like I have a lot of things I want changed about the Appearance palette that cannot be done in the form of a one-dimensional list of effects.
I'd like to suggest something inspired by the "node view" in programs like Blender or Toon Boom or Unreal. Give me a 2d canvas upon which I can arrange strokes, fills, and effects, and let me plug them into each other in complex ways. Let me control exactly when a brush is applied to a stroke by moving its effect around. Let me dynamically generate an opacity mask for an entire…
3 votes -
Scale tool with value input and custom anchor
I'm not necessarily looking for a script—I’m just curious if a tool could be developed to enhance Illustrator’s Scale tool. Specifically, I’d love the ability to input a custom scale value (e.g., uniformly 125%, 100% height, 20% width, etc.) while also being able to position a custom anchor point, as currently available in the Scale tool.
I understand that the Transform Each function allows users to select individual objects, input values, and place an anchor point. However, this feature has limitations:
The anchor point can only be placed within the object's bounds.
To uniformly scale multiple objects, users must group them first, apply scaling, and then ungroup—adding unnecessary steps.
I see a clear opportunity for improvement by integrating Transform Each features directly into the Scale tool. A simple checkbox allowing users to scale objects individually from their centers would make the tool significantly more powerful. Of course, I say "simple" without knowing the underlying complexities of Illustrator’s scaling system—perhaps that’s why these tools are separate in the first place.That said, I rarely use the Scale Options panel because Transform Each is generally more useful. The only reason I still use the Scale tool is its anchor feature. An additional note and one quite important, since Transform Each is only accessible through the right-click menu, many newcomers might overlook it, assuming the side panel contains all available scaling options.
Would love to hear thoughts on whether this kind of enhancement would be feasible!
I'm not necessarily looking for a script—I’m just curious if a tool could be developed to enhance Illustrator’s Scale tool. Specifically, I’d love the ability to input a custom scale value (e.g., uniformly 125%, 100% height, 20% width, etc.) while also being able to position a custom anchor point, as currently available in the Scale tool.
I understand that the Transform Each function allows users to select individual objects, input values, and place an anchor point. However, this feature has limitations:
The anchor point can only be placed within the object's bounds.
To uniformly scale multiple objects, users must group…3 votes -
Make an option to allow resizing artboards with their content to affect hidden and locked layers/objects
Current problems:
It does not resize hidden layers/objects
(huge problem, which I only realized later after unhiding a layer, and had to revert to a previous save. I see now there's a warning, but that doesn't solve the issue).It does not resize locked layers/objects
(It should work similarly to Resize Image in photoshop where everything resizes.)
3 votesIllustrator allows to affect hidden and locked object and layers when resizing artboards.
Go to Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display and enable Move Locked and Hidden Artwork with Artboard option.
I’d agree it should say 'Move and Scale', and there is a separate request to allow to toggle this option right next to the buttons that enable 'Move/Copy' and 'Scale' modes in Control and Properties panels — please upvote it.
-
Show/Collapse Option for the Right-Click Menu Items
The Right-Click menu is getting too long. How about making an option to collapse or send to a fly-out window from the right-click menu, the least used tools/commands? Or, the ability to roll-up (or keep unrolled) the sections in the right-click menu? And the next time AI is started, the settings appear as they were from a previous session.
3 votes -
Edit Colors panel - drag and drop from document swatches
In the "Edit Colors" panel, users can already select a document's color palette. However, it would be incredibly helpful to allow dragging and dropping individual colors from the document's palette directly into the active color set of an object.
Currently, users have to manually input color values (e.g., RGB), which is time-consuming. Adding a drag-and-drop feature would make this process more efficient and user-friendly, greatly improving the workflow for designers.
Thank you for considering this enhancement!
3 votes -
Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden
Beim Ebenenbedienfeld sollte der Bereich grösser sein, wenn man mit der Maus eine Ebene sichtbar machen oder ausblenden will oder wenn man sie sperren will. Der Bereich sollte das ganze Quadrat umfassen (s. roten Bereich) und nicht nur den blauen Bereich. Begründung: Beim Klicken schaue ich oft auf die Veränderung bei der Zeichnung. Wenn sich die Maus beim Klicken nur ganz wenig verschiebt, gerät man aus dem Bereich und es passiert nichts. Dann muss man die Maus neu ausrichten und wieder versuchen.
3 votes -
Make 3D material texture scale apply consistently across an entire group/compound path (replicating gradient behavior)
There is currently no way to have a design consisting of multiple disconnected shapes that "share" one single material texture scale in the 3D feature. The scale of the texture is determined by the size of each shape; small shapes have small, squished textures and large shapes have large, stretched textures. I understand that each shape is determining what size is "100%" scale, but the behavior should be like it is elsewhere in Illustrator. When you apply a gradient to multiple shapes, each shape has the entire gradient because each shape's dimensions determine what the 100% scale is. However, if you create a group or compound path, the gradient now applies across all the separate shapes.
There is currently no way to have a design consisting of multiple disconnected shapes that "share" one single material texture scale in the 3D feature. The scale of the texture is determined by the size of each shape; small shapes have small, squished textures and large shapes have large, stretched textures. I understand that each shape is determining what size is "100%" scale, but the behavior should be like it is elsewhere in Illustrator. When you apply a gradient to multiple shapes, each shape has the entire gradient because each shape's dimensions determine what the 100% scale is. However, if…
3 votes
- Don't see your idea?