Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4712 results found
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Z depth / 3D space for points on path.
I do medical illustration for suture techniques. I use a path with a stroke to illustrate the suture (like a string), which need to overlap and show depth. I add a drop shadow to the path, but it simply goes around the entirety of the path's stroke shape, and doesn't apply above segments of the path which should appear below the higher sections.
There needs to be a z-axis system where I can assign a z-depth to each point on a path, which allows the drop shadow effect to apply to the same path on depths below it.
5 votes -
Overhaul of Illustrator's 3D capabilities.
Illustrator's 3D effects are hugely outdated. Something that matches or even exceeds After Effects would be a would boost to the program.
Heck, even something that allows you to easily rotate and move the shapes around in 3D space like AE would be great. Illustrator's current 3D tool are clumsy and cumbersome.
5 votesIllustrator introduced a new panel for creating 3D shapes in October 2021 — '3D and Materials'. Older effects are still available as 'Classic 3D'.
If you want to give feedback about this feature, you can do it here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/938463/suggestions/44254299
or log in a separate report/request
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Ability to script warp text or object with horizontal and vertical distortions values
As of right now, it is difficult for me to adjust warp text using a JSX script since you do not expose the bend % or values of the horizontal and vertical distortions. Can this be added to JSX script?
5 votes -
Option to define layer/ sublayer behavior
Every time I open an old file all the sub-layers are collapsed
Even though a lot of people wish for the option to auto collapse the sub-layers, I personally work a lot with them expanded.
Hence my wish to have the option to set the behavior of the layers with sub-layers either auto-opened or collapsed (or as saved like last edit)
5 votes -
Allow gradients in brushes
AI forbids to use gradients in brushes. It definitely should.
5 votes -
Hide/Unhide an object or a layer should not require UNDO command
Undo command should not affect toggling object/layer visibility.
At least it would reduce the list of UNDOs... as most time I just toggle visibility to preview outcome.
5 votes -
Envelope Distort in Effect > Distort menu, to be compatible with Appearance
Wouldn't it be logical to add the Envelope Distort to the Effect > Distort & Transform menu (as well)?
5 votes -
DWG export to have thumbnail/preview
DWG files exported from Illustrator have no way to be previewed without opening. DWG files saved from AutoCAD have a thumbnail image included in the file that can be shown by Bridge CC or windows file explorer. but illustrator doesn't seem to export these correctly. This makes it impossible to sort through large amounts of DWG files.
5 votes -
Add middle click to close document
Hello!
It would be convenient if we could middle click on the open document tab (not just the x), to close the document, similarly to like the tabs behave in the any web browser.
It's sometimes inconvenient to aim for the x, and they change location as I close a bunch of documents.
5 votes -
Locking and unlocking objects on a current artboard only
Discussed in our team is the annoying way Illustrator unlocks EVERYTHING on the pasteboard - why can unlocking be isolated to the artboard you are working on? Like indesign. I use locked objects a lot when I am creating concepts and use layers when creating final artwork. Using layers slows down the way you work.
5 votes -
Combine color and stroke in one palette
Older versions of ai had color and stroke in one palette... since in almost 100% of the cases when you draw an object you will need to modify both. This could be be an option under both current palettes.
5 votes -
Contextual Eyedropper Tool
Currently, the Eyedropper Tool is an underutilized and often counter-intuitive tool that needlessly increases the complexity of a workflow because of its limitations. This- combined with Illustrator's poor color tools- often adds unnecessary time and effort to what should and could be more simplified tasks.
For example, a common situation is that I have a shape with a fill color that I like, and I want another shape that has a stroke to also use that color, except only for the stroke. Currently, if I use the eyedropper tool on the filled shape, it will completely remove the stroke and…
5 votesThe solution to that would be to activate a stroke if you want to apply a color to it, then to hold Shift when clicking a color — does not matter where this color is on a stroke or a fill. Illustrator then applies the picked color to the active fill/stroke, ignoring the source nature. There are two things to know — the cursor does not inform you about this mode (unlike the Alt-mode, should be addressed), and if you pick a color from a swatch — you’d get a screen representation of the color... harmless for RGB documents (if your color settings are in order), but crucial for CMYK documents (should be addressed too). Pleas comment back. -
Make Black Swatch really Black in RGB mode
An old annoyance: in many occasions, in RGB Document mode the Default Black Swatch is not black, but 15,15,15 gray.
This problem shows up in every new version.
Please make sure that when a document is in RGB mode, the Black and White swatches are 0,0,0 and 255,255,255 - just as we may expect.5 votes -
Change a group of vector's stroke size relative to each other, thicker or thinner, at the same time. Like Word's font up & font down button
Change a group of vectors' stroke size relative to each other, thicker or thinner, at the same time. Like Word's font up & font down button.
Right now it's frustrating when you transform size down a drawing with multiple stroke sizes. The strokes are then too thick. But if you have multiple stroke widths, there is no way to reduce them in size relative to each other so the drawing keeps the same look.
5 votes -
The ability to offset paths multiple times all at once
The ability to offset paths multiple times all at once would be so useful!
Freehand used to have this ability. Comes in handy!
As it is now I need to go in multiple separate times to do this. Makes it awkward and time-consuming.
5 votes -
To make responsive resizing tool just as it is in Adobe XD
Making responsive resizing tool just as it is in Adobe XD would be very useful for all kinds of design and not just UI/UX design.
5 votes -
Special characters like in InDesign
It would be reat to have special characters (especially hyphens and white spaces) like in InDesign... and that they work just as good. So far, for example, the "nonbreaking space" doesn't always react well when the text is justified.
5 votes -
Shortcut for Delete Layer
I'd like a custom shortcut for deleting a layer. I could, of course, record an action and assign one of the F keys (F5, F6, etc), but I don't want to use the F keys.
5 votes -
Move the "Merge Live Paint" button from the control panel to the Quick Actions section of the Properties panel
When you want to merge a new path with an existing live paint group and you select new shapes and the live paint group, the option to merge those shapes with the live paint group does not appear in the quick action section of the properties panel. I understand people may not want to do this but the new and more responsive context options that appear in quick actions are quite useful. I've steadily relied less and less on the control panel and now resort to the properties panel save this one function. Moving it down to quick actions when…
5 votes -
fix type on path
Please fix the Type on a path Tool!!! Wherever u click on a path, is where the cursor should begin! Left justified with left & right handles fully extended to the far ends. Don't start at the bottom, don't make me rotate it on a circle and then flip inside out, don't disappear and make me criss-cross the handles to the opposite sides to reveal my text again... Even short line paths have the handles too close together to reveal the text. Come on, it's been going on far too long. Let's fix this. Please. I'm begging you.
5 votes
![2019-04-08 21_18_47-pen tool line practice file [Recovered].ai_ @ 100% (CMYK_GPU Preview).jpg 264 KB](/assets/210376798/2019-04-08%2021_18_47-pen%20tool%20line%20practice%20file%20%5BRecovered%5D.ai_%20@%20100%25%20(CMYK_GPU%20Preview).jpg){kind=link}
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