Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
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4856 results found
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SVG option to convert text to outlines when exporting
When exporting SVG I have ran into wonkyness with fonts so sometimes we export SVG graphics with text as shapes...
But then I some times get distracted by a email or chat message and save the ai version with out undoing my text to outlines conversion...
Why not just have a check box on the SVG export panel "convert all text to shapes" then when I export this option parse the document and convert all text to shapes...
So I do not have to worry about undoing my convert text to shapes when I save the master ai file.
Stephen
10 votes -
Remove survey requests from app
Give users some way to disable in-app survey request popups. Simply clicking the X does NOT prevent it from popping up again in the future.
How about moving this request out of the program so it doesn't appear during a long, automated batch operation for example (and can't be dismissed BTW). Adobe has our email addresses, just send the request there. OR move survey notifications to the CC Desktop App. That's a nice central location that does not impinge on production activities in any of the apps.
10 votes -
Isolation navigator
The feature I’m looking is an isolation-mode navigator tool that requires minimal clicking and is fast to use. You’d summon it while holding down a hot key, point the mouse at a group and then use hot keys (or the mouse wheel) to go into and out of the group structure.
Isolation mode, as it is now, is essential but clunky. I spend an awful lot of time clicking into, around and back out of isolation mode. It’s enough to cause RSI. The group select tool is useful but doesn't replace isolation mode.
10 votes -
Voice activated commands
What if all your basic commands could be said aloud? For example:
"File, save, export, save for web, jpg, 72 dpi, save, save to X folder..." or "select same fill color and stroke color, change to PMS246, object ungroup, select tool, select Layer 1, add 2 point white outline"Why would this be cool?
I am the worst at remembering short keys or using short keys and I'm sure not the only one. When software gets updated, sometimes things get moved in menus and that can be frustrating. I can say the commands faster than I can point, click or use the keyboard. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry I get frustrated not being able to click fast enough. I've even been known to say the commands out loud when I am trying to resolve an issue or trying to concentrate.
I think this could open many doors for individual special needs. If a designer injures their hand, their livelihood can be gone forever. Any verbal commands or even facial/ eye movement adaptations to any software would be greatly beneficial. No one should have their creativity stifled by inability to use to great design tools. Voice commands would be a great place to start.
I hate to say this but your users are getting older and will be working longer and longer. Years and years of typing and clicking can really be ******* joint and muscles. (Arthritis is a real thing.) It seems that you would want to keep the health of your end user in mind for the investment longevity of your projects.
What if all your basic commands could be said aloud? For example:
"File, save, export, save for web, jpg, 72 dpi, save, save to X folder..." or "select same fill color and stroke color, change to PMS246, object ungroup, select tool, select Layer 1, add 2 point white outline"Why would this be cool?
I am the worst at remembering short keys or using short keys and I'm sure not the only one. When software gets updated, sometimes things get moved in menus and that can be frustrating. I can say the commands faster than I can point, click or…
10 votes -
Reflect Single Characters within the Character Panel
The ability to reflect a single character as live text within the character panel. Similar to the rotate feature already available.
10 votes -
Add Nudge buttons to Properties/Transform
The new tools panel does not display nudge buttons on the transform tool X,Y, and W,H buttons. We use them frequently now have to display the application bar - which is a shame. There's room for them as the 'rounded corner' section has them!
10 votes -
Better join segments tool
There are instances (mostly when cleaning up DXF files from 3D models) were there are a lot of broken line segments. It would be great if there were options for the join command to join multiple line segments that are within a certain distance and tangent angle to each other. It would then take multiple separate line segments and join them into one clean and continuous line.
Maybe there would also be a preview ability that would recolor\highlight the lines that would be joined and then allow you to adjust the distance and angle until you get the desired result.
This would save a lot of time from having to go through and manually select multiple line segments and then joining them.
Attached is a an example of where this would be useful and how it would work.
There are instances (mostly when cleaning up DXF files from 3D models) were there are a lot of broken line segments. It would be great if there were options for the join command to join multiple line segments that are within a certain distance and tangent angle to each other. It would then take multiple separate line segments and join them into one clean and continuous line.
Maybe there would also be a preview ability that would recolor\highlight the lines that would be joined and then allow you to adjust the distance and angle until you get the desired result.
…
10 votes -
XD style snapping and spacing
Adobe Experience Design has a nice snapping and spacing function that would drastically increase the power of Illustrator. Being able to more easily repeat objects and adjust the spacing between them by clicking and dragging while being able to see a measure of the spacing.
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 -
Copy the style of stroke when using eyedropper tool
When I use the eyedropper tool on a stroke with arrowhead, the full style does not get copied - only color and weight (not arrowhead). I think it is expected for the arrowhead to get copied too, just like the color AND font get copied when you use the eyedropper tool on text.
10 votesAs mentioned in comments, arrowheads are strangely the part of Appearance and not the basic stroke, and to get it copied you should tick 'Appearance' in Eyedropper tool settings (hit Enter when the tool is chosen). Then everything works. Please comment back if it does not for you. -
Layers panel filter: show only objects visible in the main window
I need this option (see the video)
9 votes -
Allow to distort a text with Free Distort tool
In many other software packages you are able to use perspective distortion on text. This should be a very basic feature of Illustrator. This way you can still change the font / text while it is in perspective.
9 votes -
Focus the Search field in Preferences (introduced in Beta 29.7.0.60) when the dialog gets opened, and focus the found and highlighted option
Search in Preferences, originally requested here (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/42476344) is a welcome feature! However, it works not as it should be, as shown in the GIF attached.
- The field should get immediately focused instead of Keyboard Increment field, so we can start searching right away after calling the dialog with Cmd/Ctrk+K
- When it finds an option that can be toggled (a checkmark) or focused (a field) — it should focus it, so we can toggle it with s Space or type a new value This makes the whole experience mouse-free for those who are in a hurry (and we are). It doesn’t take away from anybody else, with a pen or a mouse, it just makes it more accessible...
Search in Preferences, originally requested here (http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/42476344) is a welcome feature! However, it works not as it should be, as shown in the GIF attached.
- The field should get immediately focused instead of Keyboard Increment field, so we can start searching right away after calling the dialog with Cmd/Ctrk+K
- When it finds an option that can be toggled (a checkmark) or focused (a field) — it should focus it, so we can toggle it with s Space or type a new value This makes the whole experience mouse-free for those who are in a hurry (and we are).…
9 votesThis change broke the existing method to quickly access the Keyboard Increment value, reported here. The team decided to revert this change until a better solution is found. Please watch this space for further news.
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Layout for Swatch Info should allow to set grid, not only a row or a column
Creation dialog for Swatch Info object currently allows to choose between having it as a row or a column... great, when you have 5. Not great if there are 20 — it’s either a stupid long row, or a stupid tall column.
Add another value there to wrap these, to form a grid!
Make sure you also allow to set the layout order properly, like the Rearrange All Artboards dialog uses (RTL is a thing).9 votes -
Text accessibility checker
It would be great if adobe design tools provided a built in checker or warning system for type that does not meet the 4:5:1 standard for contrast. Currently I have to use third party tools to verify that the colors have enough contrast. Would be great if I could do that right in that app or if a warning popped up similar to overset text.
9 votes -
Force swatches when directly opening an image
When we drag-n-drop / open an image into Illustrator, a new document is created with an artboard created to fit the image (when possible), and the image is put there.
The Swatches panel in this case is empty (as well as Brushes, Symbols, Graphics Styles).
While it makes sense (image have no presets stored within), for some users it’s extremely irritating — they treat this workflow as a way to quickly create a new document based on an image, with the fitting document profile used (even though if they have no idea about document profiles — thanks to the modern New Document dialog, concealing this aspect pretty well).
Perhaps Ai should allow importing default swatches: RGB for an RGB image, and CMYK if it happens to be in CMYK.
I can assume people might need to prefer their own swatch sources also.I doubt it should apply to other presets (styles, symbols, etc.), but perhaps someone in comment could argue.
Finally, there is a similar request about native .ai files, generated with non-native applications:
Global Swatches for Imported Files
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/33527599I’d advise to treat them togehter.
When we drag-n-drop / open an image into Illustrator, a new document is created with an artboard created to fit the image (when possible), and the image is put there.
The Swatches panel in this case is empty (as well as Brushes, Symbols, Graphics Styles).
While it makes sense (image have no presets stored within), for some users it’s extremely irritating — they treat this workflow as a way to quickly create a new document based on an image, with the fitting document profile used (even though if they have no idea about document profiles — thanks to the…
9 votes -
Arrange selection in Grid
I would like to be able to select multiple objects.. for example 50 circles. and hit a button to arrange these objects in a Regular Grid of rows and columns. where I can set the QTY per row and column and its spacing and it would move the objects into a grid formation. also the option for a hexagon or Honeycomb grid. would save a lot of time from doing it manually
9 votes -
Leading / Line Height calculator (more Auto options)
Illustrator now offers 120% as the default leading value.
Changing it requires you to go to Justification dialog within the Character panel.
The setting is global for the document.
Changing the default value for all new documents requires editing [Normal Paragraph Style] in proper Document Profile (and default ones are reset every time Ai updates).Typography often requires more variety than just a value relative to font size.
In real projects we have to calculate leading / line height based on line width, x-height... and also background, color, the font itself.While Ai hardly can do it all on its own (and it shouldn’t even try), having a way to quickly calculate a suitable leading / line height of an area type based on container’s dimension and the font size.
Super wide lines (relative to font height) require more vertical space to help the eye to find the next line.
Ultra short lines can have 100% or even smaller values.
Obviously we don’t need these to be adjusted all the time we change the size of a container, and we don’t need it for each container in a document — unless we choose it. This should work as an option and a one-time operation.
Illustrator now offers 120% as the default leading value.
Changing it requires you to go to Justification dialog within the Character panel.
The setting is global for the document.
Changing the default value for all new documents requires editing [Normal Paragraph Style] in proper Document Profile (and default ones are reset every time Ai updates).Typography often requires more variety than just a value relative to font size.
In real projects we have to calculate leading / line height based on line width, x-height... and also background, color, the font itself.While Ai hardly can do it all on its…
9 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 -
Press Shift to constrain the angle of a radius / diameter dimension
Shift is universally used to constrain a drawn art to 0-45-90° angles when using a tool. This applies to lines, rectangles, other shapes, anything that can be clearly oriented.
The Dimension tool breaks the paradigm — we can’t hold shift to constraint the angle of the drawn dimension line when creating radii or dimeters.
Some standards require us to have these lines too use integer steps, like 15° or 30°... this is very hard to comply now.
Please either make the tool to respect angles set in Preferences > Smart Guides, or make it a separate setting in the tool’s options.
Shift is universally used to constrain a drawn art to 0-45-90° angles when using a tool. This applies to lines, rectangles, other shapes, anything that can be clearly oriented.
The Dimension tool breaks the paradigm — we can’t hold shift to constraint the angle of the drawn dimension line when creating radii or dimeters.
Some standards require us to have these lines too use integer steps, like 15° or 30°... this is very hard to comply now.
Please either make the tool to respect angles set in Preferences > Smart Guides, or make it a separate setting in the tool’s…
9 votes
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