Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
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4662 results found
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Allow to set opacity values separately from color values in gradients, like in Photoshop
Would be nice if the Gradient Tool would function more like the one in photoshop.
Mainly the ability to set different opacity values separately from the colour values. Not once I found myself changing my gradient shades in order to get the required transparency effect.
In addition, it would be nice to have the variant gradient selection photoshop offers, such as Radial, Reflective, and Diamond.
5 votes -
Make it possible to select locked objects?
I wish it was possible to prevent an object from moving, but still have the ability to select it. A preference setting to "allow selection of locked objects" or "lock position only" or something?
5 votesThere is a way to select locked objects in recent Illustrator versions.
In Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section toggle ‘Select and Unlock objects on canvas’ option to see small lock icons you can click when locked objects get into a selection marquee. -
Save Session
Sometimes when working on a project I'll have a few tabs open. I know I can save all the files in one spot and open them when needed but the ability to recall a set of tabs to open when needed would be great. That way I can shut down a full project, start a new one and then come back to the previous tabs when needed.
I'm thinking under File adding a prompt to "Save Session" > Name the session.
To open the session have it under File > Open Session
Sometimes I'll leave illustrator open with way to many tabs because of how many projects I'm working on at times. Having this feature will help get rid of the clutter a bit.
Aloha.
Sometimes when working on a project I'll have a few tabs open. I know I can save all the files in one spot and open them when needed but the ability to recall a set of tabs to open when needed would be great. That way I can shut down a full project, start a new one and then come back to the previous tabs when needed.
I'm thinking under File adding a prompt to "Save Session" > Name the session.
To open the session have it under File > Open Session
Sometimes I'll leave illustrator open with way to…
5 votes -
Eyedropper Tool should pick colors from OpenType-SVG fonts
When picking a color from either color vector and bitmap OpenType-SVG fonts, the picked color is currently the default underlying text color (often black), not what is actually displayed on screen.
5 votes -
Include warp envelope anchors and handles in preference setting
When using the warp tool and envelope distort, the anchors and handles are too small and difficult to target. I think it would make sense to have these obey the same preference as the general anchors and handles.
5 votes -
Import plt (hpgl) files
I want to import plt files directly in Illustrator.
Today I have to use an online converter or import the plt file using Front Design or even CorelDraw.
This file (.plt) is generated by the Audaces program.
No even the dxf file exported by Audaces is imported by Illustrator. The Illustrator only import the code instead.5 votes -
Make an option to always / never create spines for blends
When you create a blend between two or more closed paths, Illustrator automatically generates a blend spine that you can edit.
But when your blend involves at least one open path, suddenly Illustrator decides you don't need a spine. If you want one, you have to draw an approximation of the spine you figure your blend would have, probably move it around a lot to put the blend where you want it because you guessed wrong as to where Illustrator thought the center of the paths in your blend would be, and then finally do the blend spine tweaking you wanted to do.
I'd really love to be able to tell Illustrator to always create a spine. I think it used to act this way, years ago? It's been a while. I miss when it acted that way.
A switch somewhere in the prefs is an acceptable way to make this happen, if it was changed to its current behavior as the result of previous user feedback.
When you create a blend between two or more closed paths, Illustrator automatically generates a blend spine that you can edit.
But when your blend involves at least one open path, suddenly Illustrator decides you don't need a spine. If you want one, you have to draw an approximation of the spine you figure your blend would have, probably move it around a lot to put the blend where you want it because you guessed wrong as to where Illustrator thought the center of the paths in your blend would be, and then finally do the blend spine tweaking you…
5 votes -
Allow to align pins in the puppet warp tool with each other
In the process of creating brushes from existing artwork, the puppet warp tool is very helpful. But currently, I have to manually align the "spine" of an object and make use of the ruler. See attached.
Unless of course, I am missing a step? I tried the align tool and it doesn't work for the pins for me. Would love if it did.
5 votes -
Overline
It would be nice to have an overline feature along with the underline and strikethrough.
5 votes -
Touch bar customisation with actions
It would be awesome if illustrator CC could have touch bar customization with actions. I already use some of the build in touch bar buttons, and I though it would be awesome to have the option to add actions to the touch bar. For example, having like a little actions folder on the left or the right side of the touch bar that when open, will show all of the actions and other folders inside. Then you could just tap on the touch bar to trigger an action. I know that you can already set actions to trigger on function keys, but for MacBook pro users, that can be kind of annoying especially if you have a lot of actions. so you would have to hold down fn + (modifier key if you have that many actions) + F(number). I just think it is not very intuitive.
It would be awesome to see this is the next version as actions are extremely helpful and the touch bar is just so convenient.
Thanks
~Simon
It would be awesome if illustrator CC could have touch bar customization with actions. I already use some of the build in touch bar buttons, and I though it would be awesome to have the option to add actions to the touch bar. For example, having like a little actions folder on the left or the right side of the touch bar that when open, will show all of the actions and other folders inside. Then you could just tap on the touch bar to trigger an action. I know that you can already set actions to trigger on function…
5 votes -
Inverse Point Selection
Please add Select > Inverse for nodes (points) on the path. E.g. in isolation mode. This sometimes speeds up the time.
5 votes -
Make Custom Views usable.
Make it possible to "overwrite" an existing Custom View instead of having to delete it to update a View with the same name.
Make it possible to rename more then one view at a time in the "Edit Views" dialog. Right multiple views can be deleted but only one view can be renamed because renaming only takes effect when "OK" button is pushed.
5 votes -
Package command should have option to choose file version
Package command should have option to choose file version
5 votes -
Illustrator should prioritize editing the currently focused text over other text objects when placing a cursor or making a text selection
If I have a text box selected and switch to the text tool, why does Illustrator assume I want to select a non-selected text box to edit text in? It should prioritize the selected text box over non-selected text boxes.
5 votes -
Paste with User Controlled Placement
Currently paste function tosses the pasted object to the center of the pasteboard.
This causes issues with selecting/locating the pasted object and it is an inefficient tool for productivity.
Like other design software the Paste function should provide the user with a controlled landing position by showing the full sized boundary of the incoming pasting object while it automatically follows the mouse.
This is feature is much more efficient to design than the current paradigm.
5 votes -
Save for Web dialog does not remember all customized settings
We create web posting formats of figures in Illustrator and my customized settings do not save. Why do we have the option of Save Settings....when they do not save?
File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy) > Name > Custom setting named and save.
The Custom setting retains one of the defaults, in my case PNG-24, but does not retain any numerical measurements that IO enter beneath it.
We save many files with the same specs for our web posts. Why do I have a custom option to Save Settings when they only save a default. What's the point? Can you please make them save ALL of the settings?
We create web posting formats of figures in Illustrator and my customized settings do not save. Why do we have the option of Save Settings....when they do not save?
File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy) > Name > Custom setting named and save.
The Custom setting retains one of the defaults, in my case PNG-24, but does not retain any numerical measurements that IO enter beneath it.
We save many files with the same specs for our web posts. Why do I have a custom option to Save Settings when they only save a default. What's the point?…
5 votes -
Type Selections
My idea consists in making it able for us to select text only, but with the arrows, like we have now, but doing it selectively.
I'll try to explain:
If we make a freehand selection (area selection) over some portion of the work, everything that is not locked and that that selection overs is selected, right? Despite being it the Black or White Selection Arrows.
However, I can go to the Menu>Select>Object>Text and it selects ALL text from the artboard. I can also go to a layer and click on the circle on the right and get all of those layer elements selected, either them being text, vectors, images, etc.
With this «new» Arrow, for example a subset of arrows and this being placed there, a Arrow with a «T» next to it, when we click and drag with that arrow over our artboard, only those elements get selected, in this case Text, because it is the arrow with a «T». This arrow can be set to select «selectively» other stuff, colors, to add to swatches (just thought of this one right now), vectors, but differently of the regular ones, that select everything below the click and drag selection, just those vector objects, or images, or whatever we can specifically say that is different by its own.
We can use it to give conditions, usually in the top bar below the menus, if we want to select text, and, for example, size or font, or vectors, lines, closed paths, etc, images, if size this or that, or colors, then add them to swatches if then some sort of OK is given.
I believe this as a lot of potencial!
Feel free to comment! Thank you!
My idea consists in making it able for us to select text only, but with the arrows, like we have now, but doing it selectively.
I'll try to explain:
If we make a freehand selection (area selection) over some portion of the work, everything that is not locked and that that selection overs is selected, right? Despite being it the Black or White Selection Arrows.
However, I can go to the Menu>Select>Object>Text and it selects ALL text from the artboard. I can also go to a layer and click on the circle on the right and get all of those…
5 votes -
Increase size of Gradient stops boxes (too small for older eyes)
Ideally the gradient stop boxes would be a little larger. When working with many gradients, it's time consuming trying to hit that little box to change a color. I'm aging, so my bad, but even slightly larger would be wonderful.
Thank you,
Lori5 votes -
Support for ems in leading field of the type panel
When setting the leading, we have the option of "Auto" or setting a specific value in a static unit like px or pt.
It would be great if a dynamic unit like ems (as implemented in CSS) were available to make leading, and I suppose other type attributes, scalable relative to the font size.
For example, if I have a block of text set to 12pt and 1.5em, the leading would be 1.5x the point size, and therefore 18pt. If I were to alter the font size to 20px, the leading would still be 1.5em and therefore would scale automatically to 30px.
This could also then output to the CSS Properties panel as ems.
When setting the leading, we have the option of "Auto" or setting a specific value in a static unit like px or pt.
It would be great if a dynamic unit like ems (as implemented in CSS) were available to make leading, and I suppose other type attributes, scalable relative to the font size.
For example, if I have a block of text set to 12pt and 1.5em, the leading would be 1.5x the point size, and therefore 18pt. If I were to alter the font size to 20px, the leading would still be 1.5em and therefore would scale automatically…
5 votes -
Default input in Color Picker
Older versions of Illustrator used to default in "Hex" field of the Color Picker, but now the default is in "H" of HSB. This breaks up the workflow when copying a low of colors.
5 votes
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