Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4785 results found
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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 -
Knobs.
Just more knobs. There should be a knob next to every input that takes an angle value. The Scribble effect has one. The Gradient palette doesn't. The Transform palette has one but it could use another one along with a couple of text input boxes as an option to move an object a specified distance along a particular angle instead of moving it in X and Y. The angle value in the transform section of Properties doesn't have a knob. Scatter brush options have two horizontal sliders and no knobs. Put a knob next to each of those sliders.
Go through the entire UI and look for angle inputs that don't have knobs and give them knobs. And make this knob an easy-to-use component if it isn't one already. Astute's Phantasm Halftone plugin has an angle input with no knob. Make it trivial for them to fix this.
Also there's a bunch of feature requests for varying versions of "you can drag a number input and/or the arrows next to it and drag to change the value". Pick one of those. Make every input box work this way.
Thee's also a pattern where you click on a down-arrow next to a number input and a menu or slider drops down out of it. Sometimes you can drag and hold to go down it - stroke weight's fine for instance. Sometimes you can't - the opacity input box's dropdown gets you a slider, and you have to lift your stylus and click somewhere on the bar. It used to let you just click to bring up the slider, drag to a point on the bar, and release. It should still be doing that but this got lost in the UI rebuild like a decade ago and never came back. Find all of those dropdowns and fix that.
Just more knobs. There should be a knob next to every input that takes an angle value. The Scribble effect has one. The Gradient palette doesn't. The Transform palette has one but it could use another one along with a couple of text input boxes as an option to move an object a specified distance along a particular angle instead of moving it in X and Y. The angle value in the transform section of Properties doesn't have a knob. Scatter brush options have two horizontal sliders and no knobs. Put a knob next to each of those sliders.
Go…
4 votes -
Local saves with Version control
We need an option to create a project file that cannot be saved over. The reason for this is that when working with a client who has many options, we sometimes need to step back in time or recover older versions from unexpected changes.
Similar to an Illustrator template file (.ait), we could have a format like .aiv or .aivi. This way, when I save flyer.aiv, every save will generate a backup file flyer-250204817.ai next to the current file.
It would also be useful to have an option in a settings pane to save a backup every other save and retain backups for a maximum of three days or up to ten saves. Whatever option we choose should control the local .aiv file.
I do store files on my local nas server, where every save gets a snapshot. However, when working on my local system (laptop), I don’t have that function, nor do I always have Wi-Fi. This means working in Adobe Cloud is not an option.
Please provide an option so we do not loose our work or we have the option to recover from edits we desided were not what we want.
https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/save-localy-with-version-control/m-p/15132526#M434461We need an option to create a project file that cannot be saved over. The reason for this is that when working with a client who has many options, we sometimes need to step back in time or recover older versions from unexpected changes.
Similar to an Illustrator template file (.ait), we could have a format like .aiv or .aivi. This way, when I save flyer.aiv, every save will generate a backup file flyer-250204817.ai next to the current file.
It would also be useful to have an option in a settings pane to save a backup every other save and…
4 votes -
Make the font selection panel less intrusive by making it editable and moveable
The font selection panel currently takes up a large portion of the center screen, making it difficult to see the font changes on a large scale. It would be nice if the panel could be editable and moveable, like other panels on Illustrator. Also, it could be positioned on the right side of the screen by default and made slightly transparent, to see through.
4 votes -
Allow to snap to points of a symbol with Dimension Tool
Is there any chance to make it works with symbols? Using multiple instances of a symbol is a basic workflow in many industries (especially in the fashion industry). Unfortunately you can’t work this way because the Dimension tool is not compatible with symbols.
Thanks to Daté Tetegan for the idea.
4 votes -
Panelize Blend Options, Offset Path, etc.
In pre-2020 Illustrator versions, the Path -> Simplify tool was a window. Post 2020, it got changed into a live panel which, when opened, doesn't halt the focus and lets you change settings while you move around the artboard with the Hand tool or Zoom in or such.
It is sadly the only "classic" Object tool that got this treatment. Other tools, especially Blend Options, Offset Path, Envelope Distort with Warp, etc. would benefit greatly from similar panelisation. It's not a great user experience that I can't zoom or pan while I'm trying to offset my path.4 votes -
Allow to name new artboard copies by incrementing numbers in their names
I often have to make documents with many artboards. And every time when I copy it, Illustrator add " copy" to name.
Common, I name it like "name 01".
I want to in this case the copy of this artboard named "name 02" ...4 votes -
Add a quick way to toggle the alignment of a stoke (Center, Inside, Outside): with Opt/Alt-click and/or a hotkey
There are many modes, states, values in Ai that require precise clicking in a tiny button or a field to toggle or change. We need faster ways to access these.
A keyboard shortcut to quickly toggle how the current stroke is aligned would be nice to have... for those who prefer clicking, Opt/Alt could be added to avoid precise aiming, just to loop through the modes.
4 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…
4 votes -
Select all anchor points between two points
Select an anchor point, select another further along the path, and easily select all anchor points in between.
4 votes -
Offset Path - Option to offset to one side of path only
I wish the "Offset Path" gave me the option to offset the path to one side of the path only.
When creating labels for linear features on a map it is useful to create an offset version of the line you are labeling (road, river, etc.) and place the type on that path. Sometimes you can just copy the path and nudge it above or below the line that needs to be labeled, and type along that path. But this doesn't always work nicely if the path curves a lot.
Offsetting a single line in Illustrator results in a path that encircles that line. Adding type to this is problematic and requires manually cutting the offset path at both ends and deleting the part you won't use for labeling. On a map with hundreds of linear labels this is wasted time.
The AG Offset tool from the Astute Graphics plugin accomplishes this task pretty well, but it is literally the only tool in the whole Astute Graphics suite that I use...to the cost of $149/year. It sure would be great if I could just accomplish this in Illustrator and not have to pay for an entire suite of plugins to accomplish this.
I wish the "Offset Path" gave me the option to offset the path to one side of the path only.
When creating labels for linear features on a map it is useful to create an offset version of the line you are labeling (road, river, etc.) and place the type on that path. Sometimes you can just copy the path and nudge it above or below the line that needs to be labeled, and type along that path. But this doesn't always work nicely if the path curves a lot.
Offsetting a single line in Illustrator results in a path…
4 votes -
Add Font Height Options in Style Settings Panel
Can we get this option added within the Paragraph and Character Style Settings panels?
Currently you can only fix the font height of a Paragraph and Character styles with Em-box as a reference.4 votes -
Right-click on a text style to access the its definition and options
It would be a giant leap forward for Illustrator to match InDesign's UX for paragraph and character styles management.
Allow right-click on a character or paragraph style to access the style definition and options via a context menu: Edit style, Duplicate style, Delete style, Apply style, Redefine style, instead of using the panels’ menus.
Original idea by Alan Gilbertson
4 votes -
Objects on Path should allow snapping to (smart) guides
Hello Creatives,
I hope you enjoy the new handy "objects on path" tool as I do.The Request:
It would be awesome if Objects on Path (New Tool) could snap to smart guides, guides or even - let's go wild - to a grid. As sometimes you work within systems and/or objects are related to each it feels like this feature would make it a really great tool to design with.Kind regards
Andreas4 votes -
When dropping an object filled with a pattern into Swatches panel, open New Swatch dialog to add the pattern as a new swatch
If we drag-n-drop any artwork into Swatches, a new pattern swatch gets created based on this artwork.
But if we drag-n-drop an singular object with an existing pattern applied to it — nothing happens, as if Ai tries to create a nested pattern and refuses to do so. I think it’s quite obvious what a user intends to do in this case... but we get no warning.When we use Pattern Options panel/mode, and fill an object within a pattern with another pattern, and try to save, Ai throws us a message (rather vague — Ai knows for sure what restricted element we have, but won’t tell us specifically).
Why not throw the same one (but better, with clear 'no nested patterns!')?If we drag-n-drop any artwork into Swatches, a new pattern swatch gets created based on this artwork.
But if we drag-n-drop an singular object with an existing pattern applied to it — nothing happens, as if Ai tries to create a nested pattern and refuses to do so. I think it’s quite obvious what a user intends to do in this case... but we get no warning.When we use Pattern Options panel/mode, and fill an object within a pattern with another pattern, and try to save, Ai throws us a message (rather vague — Ai knows for sure what…
4 votes -
More controls for the center point of the Transform effect: relative to artboard / object
I would like a few more controls for where Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform centers the transformation.
Next to the 3x3 centerpoint grid, there would be an "Origin" dropdown. offering the options of "Relative to Object" and "Relative to Artboard". "Relative to Object" is the current behavior, and should be the default option.
There would also be a pair of X and Y inputs to specify an offset of the centerpoint from whatever corner was chosen.
As an example of why I might want this: I have an Appearance stack for doing quick and dirty rimlighting of an object by adding a fill on top that's Transformed to about 95% of its size, with an off-center centerpoint and one extra copy; these are followed up by a Minus Back effect to chop most of it off. It's a fun technique that lets me block out a bunch of shapes with very stylized shading very quickly. But it's not good for light radiating out from a point in the image, I'd have to constantly change the transformation angle on multiple shapes.
With this request implemented, I could draw a point light source somewhere in the artboard, modify my lighting style to center its transformation on that light source, then quickly block out an entire dramatically-lit scene.
I've included a mockup, which I made by crudely cutting and pasting the similar controls from Astute's Phantasm Halftone plugin into the existing Transform effect.
Also while I am asking for Transform effect improvements, can we get a switch to change the Move sliders between the current setting of absolute numbers of whatever the document's measurement unit is, and a new setting of percentage of the object's size? That would be a big improvement to my automatic lighting workflow, too.
I would like a few more controls for where Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform centers the transformation.
Next to the 3x3 centerpoint grid, there would be an "Origin" dropdown. offering the options of "Relative to Object" and "Relative to Artboard". "Relative to Object" is the current behavior, and should be the default option.
There would also be a pair of X and Y inputs to specify an offset of the centerpoint from whatever corner was chosen.
As an example of why I might want this: I have an Appearance stack for doing quick and dirty rimlighting of an…
4 votes -
Copy layer from one document to another with effects / appearance
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to copy-paste a layer from one file to another, including the layer’s effects / appearance?
Or to have an option to Duplicate a Layer into another file (like in Photoshop).
4 votes -
Don’t hide Repeat controls for small or zoomed out objects
Illustrator only displays controls for repeat objects when it’s enough screen space, it seems. But when we are zoomed out or the object is just small, and there is still enough space to put these in, we get nothing.
Even when there’s almost no space to fit controls at the box, some other apps draw them next to it, with connectors.
Meanwhile Ai still chokes us with corner widgets on zoomed out objects, and there is now way to hide them. Here is a request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/43661631
Please make a way for us to control these and other similar controls and choose when there is a limit on our own, somewhere in Preferences.
Illustrator only displays controls for repeat objects when it’s enough screen space, it seems. But when we are zoomed out or the object is just small, and there is still enough space to put these in, we get nothing.
Even when there’s almost no space to fit controls at the box, some other apps draw them next to it, with connectors.
Meanwhile Ai still chokes us with corner widgets on zoomed out objects, and there is now way to hide them. Here is a request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/43661631
Please make a way for us to control these and other similar controls and…
4 votes -
Split 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' into two options: Unlock Widgets and Allow to Select Locked Objects
There is a 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section, which allows to display small unlock widgets for the locked objects we can click to unlock (this is fairly similar to what InDesign has).
It also allows us to 'select' several locked objects or unlock them all or only some of them, using a context menu (this is something InDesign does NOT have!)
(I put this in quotes because no real selection happens — the objects don’t get marked with the square selection markers in Layers panel and Locate command does nothing).
And there is a bigger problem...
Having these 'selected' means we can’t truly select anything that is UNDER these!
So we have to choose — either to have a functionality to unlock with a click or click-to-select-under :/But perhaps this can be split into two options, one for having unlock widgets and another one (dependent on the parent option) — to allow selection?
Please take a look at it.
There is a 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section, which allows to display small unlock widgets for the locked objects we can click to unlock (this is fairly similar to what InDesign has).
It also allows us to 'select' several locked objects or unlock them all or only some of them, using a context menu (this is something InDesign does NOT have!)
(I put this in quotes because no real selection happens — the objects don’t get marked with the square selection markers in Layers panel and Locate command does nothing).
…
4 votes -
Make Polygon tool dialog offer to set a shape by its Side Length
¡¡¡¿Por qué pregunta el radio de un octágono?!!! Tendría el programa que calcularlo. Si yo pongo cuántos lados quiero, en donde dice RADIO tendría que dar la opción de la medida de cada LADO, no del radio. Para ello yo tendría que estar haciendo cuentas matemáticas que me atrasan en mi trabajo.
4 votes
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