Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
29 results found
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Live preview of gradient (while dragging)
Whenever I'm using the gradient tool I wonder why I can never see the appearance of the gradient while dragging it. resulting in having to tweak it at least a couple of times before I'm content.
16 votesIllustrator now displays the appearance of the gradient interactively when you drag it, but only when GPU preview is on.
Make sure it is on in Preferences > Performance > GPU Performance, that you View > Preview on CPU / GPU Preview is correctly toggled, and that you are not using Overprint Preview.
If the issue still persists with all these checked — please comment back.
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Bounding Box Preview Bounds
CC 23.01 Mac High Sierra
When a single object is selected, Preview Bounds is on, the Bounding Box does not reflect the Preview Bounds - it is the same as if Preview Bounds is off.
When selecting multiple objects it works as it should
8 votesThis issue is fixed in latest version of Illustrator. Live shapes (and art in general) no longer have geometric bounds’ sized bounding box with the Preview Bounds option on.
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Bring back the rounded corners in the rectangle dialog
Please place the rounded corners back into the rectangle dialog window. The new experience for this feature is undiscoverable and not intuitive at all. The usage pattern is inconsistent with the rest of the drawing tools e.g. polygon, stars... Have you consider testing it on users before launching the new 2019 version? Please do not redesign for the sake of redesign. Your users are not being efficient in their workflows because they have to spend time to figure it out where those features have gone. I am very sorry but this is a frustrating experience.
6 votesAs per the comment.
The rounded corner box is still there in new versions, but hidden, as a 'not-frequently-used' — well, statistics-wise. Click on the three dots at the bottom of your toolbar and pick Rounded Rectangle tool directly, or drop it into your toolbar.
Please free to add comments, if you think that this tool should be included to the Essentials toolbox anyway, and why you think this is important.
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move anchor points in opposite direction relative to the object’s center point
For years I have been hankering for a way to work with anchor points the same way as the width tool works or the option/alt modifier key works when resizing a shape with the selection tool.
When two anchor points are selected I want to be able to move those points in opposite directions. Either attract or repel.Imagine there is a straight line between the two selected anchor points, when one of the points is moved away from the other point (pressing the modifier key) the point that is selected but not dragged should move in the opposite direction.
5 votesThis is possible with Smart Guides and Scale tool, like it’s described in the comments.
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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. -
Install brushes to Illustrator
Install custom brushes to Illustrator
With photoshop, you can install custom brushes. With Illustrator, you have to make any custom brush yourself which can be tedious and very difficult.4 votesIllustrator for desktop allows to save and import brushes with an ease.
To save brushes, just save a document with your brushes as an .ai file. You don’t have to have them on canvas for this, just in Brushes panel.
To load brushes, click the Brush Libraries Menu button in the bottom left corner of the Brushes panel (looks like a bookshelf). Choose Other Library, locate the brush library .ai file.
If you want to create, save and import brushes in Illustrator for iPad — you have to vote for this feature here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/931888-illustrator-ipad-feature-requests/suggestions/41682511-import-or-create-brushes
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Shortcut for the SMOOTH tool please.
N brings the pencil... I need something for the SMOOTH tool.
4 votesYou can assign your own hotkeys to different tools with Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts dialog.
Also, you can pick Pencil, hit Enter )or double-click the tool’s button) to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog and check 'Alt key toggles to Smooth Tool' — this will allow to quickly temporarily access Smooth on the go while you are working with Pencil.
Same applies to the Brush and Blob Brush stools by default.
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Bring back spacebar 'move' functionality when 'alt/option' is pressed (to access Anchor Point tool) while using Pen Tool
I realize this is a very specific request for a small piece of functionality that was probably never very popular, but it's part of a workflow I got used to using for years, and since upgrading to CC, it no longer works.
When creating a new path with the Pen tool, using the spacebar enables you to move the anchor point you've just created (before you release the click). Also, the Anchor Point tool allows you to do the same when you click on a point and drag the handles out.
My issue is that the Anchor Point tool doesn't…
4 votesAs per comment.
You have to release the Option/Alt key first after dragging out the handles, and then start holding Spacebar to reposition the point.
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artwork over canvas isolation toggle
Toggle function that changes the view between showing all artwork in a drawing, and only showing everything that is actually over the canvas. basically, a quick and easy toggle to see what an exported pdf would look like. Exactly like the toggle built into InDesign (toggled by "w").
3 votesThis can be done with View > Trim View command.
You can assign any hotkey you want to it.
There is also a Presentation mode, but it does a slightly different thing.
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Option to auto-sharp an anchor point when using the pen tool.
By default when making a anchor point with the pen tool it gives you a curve anchor(2 direction handles). I request that we have the option to make it a sharp anchor(1 direction handle).
Currently in order to make a sharp anchor you have to go back and select the anchor again. This is a slow method if you only draw in sharp anchors. By having this new option it will be lot faster and easier to draw in this style.
3 votesYou can do that by holding Alt right after you click the first point with the Pen tool and releasing it after you finish dragging the handle out. This creates legitimate corner point with one hadle.
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Zoom Tool Controls (Fit to Screen)
Can we make the Zoom Tool have the same Control settings as the Zoom Tool in Photoshop? I design in Large Scale Canvas Files. I like to design Art for Shirt Prints/Broadcasting Graphics for Entertainment Usage/Graphics for Sports Teams.
This means a lot of Re-Scaling Images after put into the documents. When I Re-Scale the images and go to position them. I need to Zoom In onto the destination of the image's positioning.
After I position that image. I can go back to Full-Size Image. But, I have to go to my Magnifier % at the bottom of my program…3 votesIndeed, Illustrator does not have 'Fit to Screen' option in the context menu for the Zoom tool.
But it provides other ways to do that:
View > Fit Artboard in Window (Cmd/Ctrl + 0)
View > Fit All in Window (Opt/Alt + Cmd/Ctrl + 0)
If you are interested in Zoom to Selection command, please vote here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/31427962-zoom-to-selection-fit-selection-on-screen-with
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The ability to save a direct selection
Sometimes geometric transformations require a complex selection of certain vertices on one or more objects. Losing the selection because of a misclick is so common and frustrating... One should be able to save current selection to recall it if lost. This little buffer can be really very temporary, i.e. stop working if object topology has changed in the meantime. It would already prevent frustration on many occasions.
3 votesIllustrator allows to save, load and managed partial and full selection with Select > Save / Edit Selection commands.
UI is archaic, but it does the thing you want.
Please leave any comments regarding this feature here.
As for having a selection operation as an undoable operation — there is a separate feature request for this you can vote for: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/34934953
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Illustrator - Trace image and turn in to an editable path instead of shapes
I would love to be able to take my drawings and use the live trace feature (or maybe even a feature within the Illustrator app??) that would allow me to trace my hand-drawn sketches (on paper) and turn them into line paths instead of outlined shapes. This way, I don't have to trace my images again, once they are in Illustrator. It would be a huge time saver!
3 votesThere are options for image tracing in AI. Extended panel gives you an ability to select Strokes instead of Fills. Tweaking these can help you with that. Please comment back if you think these should be refined.
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Stretching objects
A stretch function allows to e.g. move a door in a wall. The door is moved, one wall is enlarged and the other wall is shortened. This is done by drawing a box through the walls and around the door, and then by moving the selection. Object that are completely within the selection are moved. Object that cross the selection box are stretched.
2 votesSelect points needed with the Direct Selection tool and move them altogether.
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create a offset path preset.
I typically use the same 2 offset path sizes .125 and .0625 there needs to be a way to save these presets so I dont need to manually type them each time.
2 votesThe intended way to do presets like this is to record an action, as per the comment.
Open Actions panel, create a new one, select a basic temporary shape, run Offset Path command, enter the value you need, commit, stop the action recording. Now you can run the action to automatically offset the selection.
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Replace objects with an object
example:
I have created a circle with text in it, and grouped it all together, however I have a pattern of Circles, and only want some of the circles in the pattern to look like the one I have created and grouped, so I can click the ones I want to replace, and then with a tool, select the group I've created, and it will replace the ones I've selected. Not too sure if this feature exists, though it would be a beneficial tool to have.2 votesThe intended solution for this is to use Global Edit feature.
Copy the object you want to replace with, then select one of many copies you want to replace and use Select > Start Global Edit command.
Using Shift, unmark those copies you don’t want to affect.
Isolate the targeted copy.
Paste the copied object and position it correctly relatively the old object.
Delete the old object.
Exit the isolation and end Global Edit.
It may sound convoluted at first, but once you master the method, you’d be able to easily replace almost anything.
Global Edit has its limitations: it doesn’t work for images, text objects, clipped masks, linked objects, and third-party plugins.
Read more about it here: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/global-edit.html
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Mockup Feature not showing in my Illustrator
In Object menu Mockup tool not showing. plz add
1 voteMockup feature is now included in latest Illustrator releases
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Eyedropper doesn't include the arrow heads on a line
If I have a line selected and I use the eyedropper on a different line with a stroke and arrow heads, it only copies the stroke not the arrow heads.
Please make it include the arrow heads.
Also, the most useful arrow head is number 27, it should be number 1 not number 27.
In fact, if there was a checkbox you could click in the stroke properties window that automatically changed a line to a measurement label so it put an arrowhead 27 on each end, changed the stroke to like 4pt yellow, and a text box half way…
1 voteThe Eyedropper tool’s options can be configured to transfer arrowheads, which are treated as 'complex appearance'.
See comments for details.
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Triangles
Add the use of triangles into shapes as this will help with projects. as there is the only use of lines, square and circles.
1 voteIllustrator has also a Polygon live shape. With only three sides used, it becomes a live triangle. If you have drawn a triangle manually (and it a regular one), you can always convert it into a live shape, using Object > Shape > Convert to Shape menu command.
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Object position should be able to be locked.
When aligning multiple objects to each other, all of them translates. There's no option to make one fixed (position locked) and then align all the other object to that fixed one. E.g. a content to a box object.
1 voteThanks for the response Endre.
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