Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4722 results found
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Reduce the preview quality of the view to improve rendering speed and avoid performance degradation, which is necessary in complex documents
Performance severely declines when there are many paths in the document, which is quite frustrating. Hiding some layers and using a high-performance GPU for rendering the view does not completely resolve the issue. I hope a feature can be added to improve rendering efficiency by reducing the preview quality of the view. Additionally, I have noticed that performance tends to degrade more significantly at smaller view scales, while it improves somewhat when the view is zoomed in. I am unsure if this is a bug
4 votes -
Set Custom Scale based on artwork for Engineering Plans Measurements
I need to add measurements for lighting layouts, outlets, smoke detectors and fans on electric plans. The current measurement tool has a custom option but it's difficult to figure out the scale when it's 1:98 or 1:49. Trial and error gets frustrating and it's not always 100% correct.
**I need a way I could calibrate a custom scale like in CAD/Bluebeam. So, clicking two points and telling Illustrator that space between equals 4ft so it sets the scale for me. This would be more efficient. **
I know there are other programs I could do this in but I don't have access to them at my job. We use illustrator for mostly everything in my department.
I need to add measurements for lighting layouts, outlets, smoke detectors and fans on electric plans. The current measurement tool has a custom option but it's difficult to figure out the scale when it's 1:98 or 1:49. Trial and error gets frustrating and it's not always 100% correct.
**I need a way I could calibrate a custom scale like in CAD/Bluebeam. So, clicking two points and telling Illustrator that space between equals 4ft so it sets the scale for me. This would be more efficient. **
I know there are other programs I could do this in but I…
4 votes -
A key to reverse "object selection by path only" while using selection tools.
Mostly I like to work with this setting off but there are times when it would really be nice to turn it on by holding down a key while clicking in the middle of a path.
I don't know what key to suggest, command swaps selection for direct selection (and vice-versa), alt widens the selection of the direct selection tool and does nothing for selection, shift adds to/subtracts fom the selection. Maybe `?
4 votes -
Perpendicular Line Tool to Path
When I draw a line at any angle with the pen tool, I want to be able to draw a new line exactly perpendicular to that line. The name of the feature I want is "Perpendicular Line Tool". A tool that will ensure that the second line I draw is perpendicular to the first line when I draw a line in any direction, and will find and show me the 90 degree angle to each other. Please add, this should be a default feature in Adobe.
4 votes -
There is no documentation for the vector effects in the Effect menu. Write some, please.
There's three major sections to the Effect menu: Illustrator Effects, Photoshop Effects, and Additional Effects.
Additional Effects is the domain of plug-in effects, and properly documenting these is of course in the hands of whoever wrote the plug-in.
Photoshop Effects is full of bitmap effects. There's a page in the docs that runs down the whole list and describes every one of them with a sentence or three. Great! https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/summary-effects.html
Illustrator Effects, though? Some of it's documented. There's a page about the Scribble effect, which is also for some reason about the Object Mosaic menu item. There's a page about the Drop Shadow, Inner/Outer Glow, and Feather effect. But where's the rest? There's an entirely unrelated section about the new 3d effects halfway across the manual, and nothing about the "classic" ones and the reasons you might still choose to use them now. How do the SVG effects work? What are the various Pathfinder effects useful for? What on earth is Outline Object supposed to do?
Seriously I have been using this thing for 25 years and it is only today that I learnt what Outline Object is for because someone posted a question about this in the Illustrator subreddit; someone else posted a link to a video Monika Gause made explaining this and lemme tell you, I never would have stumbled across what it's useful for in a million years of using Illustrator normally.
I assume there was documentation for this once, but it's vanished in manual rewrites. I know other things that are completely undocumented now like "holding down the ` key while transforming shapes switches to transforming their fill patterns, as long as you're not using transformation tools written after this fact vanished from the manual like the Free Transform tool". So much knowledge of how this program works is now lore passed down from one artist to another and that's really kind of annoying. Please dig up all the old docs you can find, figure out what's gone missing, figure out what menu items and tools have no docs, and write some new ones.
There's three major sections to the Effect menu: Illustrator Effects, Photoshop Effects, and Additional Effects.
Additional Effects is the domain of plug-in effects, and properly documenting these is of course in the hands of whoever wrote the plug-in.
Photoshop Effects is full of bitmap effects. There's a page in the docs that runs down the whole list and describes every one of them with a sentence or three. Great! https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/summary-effects.html
Illustrator Effects, though? Some of it's documented. There's a page about the Scribble effect, which is also for some reason about the Object Mosaic menu item. There's a page about…
4 votes -
Rotate Artboards
Enable artboards to be rotated individually. Simple. Here's an example of my currently workflow: if I have a large map with a winding road in illustrator, and I want each of my 5 artboards to be aligned with that road, I have to make rectangles where I wish the artboards could be, and then make the actual artboards encompass the rectangle. Then I export as an image, and rotate and crop in Photoshop to match the rectangle. This becomes especially annoying if the boundaries overlap, and I have to export artboards one by one, turning off the rectangles of other artboards.
Enable artboards to be rotated individually. Simple. Here's an example of my currently workflow: if I have a large map with a winding road in illustrator, and I want each of my 5 artboards to be aligned with that road, I have to make rectangles where I wish the artboards could be, and then make the actual artboards encompass the rectangle. Then I export as an image, and rotate and crop in Photoshop to match the rectangle. This becomes especially annoying if the boundaries overlap, and I have to export artboards one by one, turning off the rectangles of other…
4 votes -
Please revert to data recovery files being saved as .ai files instead of .aishm files that can't be opened.
Have the data recovery files save as .ai files that you can actually open and work on, rather than .aishm files that are unopenable.
What's the use of data recovery files that you can't open?
4 votes -
Allow to control font for Swatch Info objects
Well... if one wants to choose font size for text in Swatch Info objects while making one — tough luck. We can only set the color chip size.
Since Preview is completely missing now (here’s the request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49681244), it’s hard to evaluate if text would be large enough to accompany them.
Even if you change the font size after the Swatch Info is created — won’t do, each text line is a separate type objects, their leading won’t be adjusted, the card background rectangles won’t adapt!One can think this font is based on the [Normal Paragraph Style], and we can tweak it (beforehand!) to set the font size...
But it’s only half-truth. While the font family and the font style indeed follow the style, the font size is always 10 points.So, team, if you look how people in different tutorial videos have to dance around this stupid limitation, to guess the card size to fit the font size relatively, and then scale the whole object... I hope you will fill shame at least.
If you are afraid to overload new users with controls in the dialog — at least make an option to scale font size to fit color chip size... or make it a relative value even.
Well... if one wants to choose font size for text in Swatch Info objects while making one — tough luck. We can only set the color chip size.
Since Preview is completely missing now (here’s the request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49681244), it’s hard to evaluate if text would be large enough to accompany them.
Even if you change the font size after the Swatch Info is created — won’t do, each text line is a separate type objects, their leading won’t be adjusted, the card background rectangles won’t adapt!One can think this font is based on the [Normal Paragraph…
4 votesAi Beta now offers dedicated controls for the font inside of Swatch Info objects
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Allow to place cards next to color chips instead of always below for Swatch Info objects
We can choose from two main layout options for Swatch Info: horizontal and vertical.
Horizontal puts 'cards' with text info below the chips, while Vertical option makes them... wait! Still below? Not next to it?
I think we should be able to choose if we want to place them on the side, rather then always at the bottom.
Take a look at a draft mockup attached.4 votes -
Play actions WITHOUT expanding them in the panel
When playing an action, it expands.... so that it visibly "walks" through every step.
I have the Playback Options set to "Accelerated", so the walking is rapid, yet the action expands and I see the panel highlight every single step of the action as they are quickly walked through.
I want to click play, and the action runs while it stays collapsed. I only need an action expanded in the panel if I intend to edit it. I find myself collapsing, now open, actions over and over and over.
In addition re Button Mode:
I don't use button mode specifically because Button Mode lists every single action individually, from ALL sets. With even the default actions set loaded, that's a lot of panel-filling buttons. If Button Mode honored sets, where I could collapse a set, and leave a button set expanded that I'm using, then Button Mode would be okay.
When playing an action, it expands.... so that it visibly "walks" through every step.
I have the Playback Options set to "Accelerated", so the walking is rapid, yet the action expands and I see the panel highlight every single step of the action as they are quickly walked through.
I want to click play, and the action runs while it stays collapsed. I only need an action expanded in the panel if I intend to edit it. I find myself collapsing, now open, actions over and over and over.
In addition re Button Mode:
I don't use button mode specifically…
4 votes -
Allow to use raster images with Mockup
(Not sure exactly what category this request falls under...) The mockup tool as it is now is pretty limiting. If you have a raster image as part of what you want to mock up, the mockup tool doesn't work. I design food packaging, most of which has an image of the item in the package. Being able to mock up packages that include images would be a godsend!
(And if anyone has a workaround, please share! I use the legacy 3d tool for cylindrical objects. But for things like pouches I haven't figured a way to do it. Thanks.)
4 votes -
Allow to include gradients and patterns in Swatch Info objects
These ARE swatches, after all.
If we have these selected, we expect to have cards for these. The cards for these can state which colors were used in them.4 votes -
Don’t force creating a dedicated layer for Swatch Info objects
When we create a Swatch Info object, a new layer named 'Swatch Info Layer' gets created automatically. I don’t need it. I want to be able to choose if I need this layer, and what name it should use. My layer structure is something I prefer to have control over, and the way Ai thinks I need to have a singular group this creates in a separate layer is insulting.
Same goes for Dimensions — why do you think I mustn’t choose the layer’s name?
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/482369544 votesAi no longer forces a new layer to keep Swatch Info, but uses live groups instead
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Add Preview option when creating a Swatch Info object
When we create a Swatch Info object, using a dedicated command from the Swatches panel’s menu, the dialog is missing Preview option we can enable and see how the parameters work in real-time.
4 votes -
Make it possible to select objects using a path.
It would be very useful to be able select individual objects in a document using a path which touches each of those objects or lies entirely within the path, or both, with each option being selectable by the user.
4 votes -
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only when points are close enough to grid intersections
When Snap to Grid is enabled, the snapping is hard — a dragged point is always constrained to the grid intersections. While sometimes it’s handy, at other times is just too rigid, especially if you zoom in and try to make tiny adjustments. Paired with the fact we can’t toggle snapping temporarily on the fly, this makes it into 'try, curse, undo, disable, try again' routine. Same applies to Snap to Pixel.
Compare how Affinity Designer handles it (the turquoise GIF) with the way Ai uses (the orange GIF).
4 votes -
Make Create Gradient from swatches command to respect the order of selection
Recently Illustrator added a dedicated command to create a gradient form selected swatches, following this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/38592196
While the function works, there is no way to create a gradient respecting the selection order of swatches — the gradient will always use their order in the panel. I wish it worked! If we need the direct order of swatches, we’d just selected like this.
4 votes -
4 votes
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Create a symbol without replacing art with the symbol.
I would like a switch in the New Symbol dialogue to allow me to leave the original art on the canvas instead of replacing it with a symbol.
Also it would be nice to be able to make a symbol out of the entire contents of a layer nested in another layer without the entire layer being replaced by the symbol.
I use symbols in weird ways and both of these behaviors annoy the heck out of me.
4 votes -
All Inputs / Panels Follow Dimension Tool Scale
I want to be able to create and edit all of my art in scale.
Example
I would like to be able to make a 2" rectangle in 1:2 scale and have it illustrator draw me a 1" square on the page.
This would be very powerful for things when expanded to the object info box to get area and path dimensions, being able to make a font 3' tall in the character panel.
Every place that you can control shapes with math, it would be amazing to be able to do it to scale in the program without having to exit to do math elsewhere to get your conversion.I want to be able to create and edit all of my art in scale.
Example
I would like to be able to make a 2" rectangle in 1:2 scale and have it illustrator draw me a 1" square on the page.
This would be very powerful for things when expanded to the object info box to get area and path dimensions, being able to make a font 3' tall in the character panel.
Every place that you can control shapes with math, it would be amazing to be able to do it to scale in the program without having…4 votes
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