Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4541 results found
-
Convert a Type on Path object to a Point Type text and a normal Path (Detach / Release Text from Path)
If you accidently select a path with the typing tool and save it without undoing it, there's no easy way to change it back to a normal path. You have to use the direct select arrow and click on all segments of the path, then copy and paste it, then join. You cant even click and drag to select all segments. Could there be an easier way to turn this back into a normal path?
22 votes -
Don't display clipped outside paths in Outline View option
Sometimes we have a large pieces of artwork clipped.
Sometimes we don’t care what’s inside until we isolate these to edit the clipped art directly.
Still, when we switch to Outline View, we see all the art that is clipped, clumped, overlapping, messy.
For these cases it would be nice to have an option to not draw parts that are outside and beyond of clipping paths.
Corel’s products does it a bit wrong — they don’t draw clipped parts in Outline at all, including parts that are inside. Ai should do it better.22 votes -
Add a keyboard shortcut for Relink
One of the features I use very heavily is the Relink button in the Link palette. It has major advantages over the Place function:
1) it automatically replaces selected linked images (Place requires you to check the Replace checkbox, which becomes unchecked once you do any other Place that isn't a replace)
But most importantly,
2) It allows you to relink multiple linked images (replacing them in order from topmost to bottommost).Since there is literally no other way to replace multiple linked images in a single action (Place grays out the Replace checkbox if you have more than one…
22 votes -
Add an option to show edges when art is dragged with real-time drawing option on
Real-time drawing is a great feature and I wish it appeared earlier, so by this time I'd be polished enough. Now we have a mode when only edges are drawn while dragging and the other one, which draws only art — but not both. It makes positioning somewhat harder. Please add an option to allow both methods to work combined.
22 votes -
Text editing - missing keyboard shortcuts
Some text editing shortcuts would be very welcome:
Ctrl + End: go to the end of the text
Ctrl + Home: go to the beginning of the text
Ctrl + Delete: delete all characters of a word to right
Ctrl + Backspace: delete all characters of the word to left22 votes -
Bulk import of SVG files to artboards
We have the ability to export a series of artboards to individual files, this is great for working on e.g. an icon library, or even a font.
But going in the opposite direction seems to require repeated copying and pasting, there's no trivial "bulk import" facility. This makes it painful to work with a pre-existing folder of SVGs.
22 votes -
Don't remove stroke and fill for clipping paths
Please allow paths to retain formatting when they are made into clipping paths. I see no reason, other than cruelty, to remove the stroke and fill of a path when it is made into a clipping path. If someone can rationalize a benefit for making me have to apply a stroke and fill all over again then at least make a preference for any masochists.
22 votes -
Make an option to disable auto-selection of artboards, when clicked inside
AI now selects artboard whenever mouse is clicked within in (with any tool). While it's a great general behaviour, I'd like to be able to disable it.
I have to work with overlapping artboards (which, by the way, sometimes prevent AI from correctly selecting the artboard clicked—it depends on artboards' order). When object is copied, AI remembers it's coordinates. Then, when I go to the object I need to place my copied art over and press Ctrl+F, AI pastes the object in the same coordinates. Sounds OK, but when I clicked that underlying object, AI moved the focus from initial…
22 votes -
Keyboard shortcut to fit artboard to selection
Currently you must have content selected to fit it to art board in focus. This workflow adds extra interaction cost by having to remember to first select before hitting the drop-down menu to fit it. Selecting the content and art board and striking a key command would make this a lot more efficient.
22 votesIllustrator has two commands to fit artboards.
One of them, 'Fit to Selected Art', requires a selection — obviously.
The other one, 'Fit to Artwork Bounds' — does not, but works for the entire artwork.
You can insert the one that you need in an action, using the 'Insert menu item...' command from the Actions panel’s flyout menu, and assign a hotkey to the action.
However, I believe the request is not about a hotkey, but a way to let Illustrator to 'Fit to the contents of artboard' command? Please comment back to make it clear.
-
Cmd / Ctrl or Alt + New Fill/Stroke button in Appearance should add one below current fill/stroke
Sometimes I build appearance from top to bottom.
Right now I have to create new fill and drag it under current fill.
What if I just Ctrl or Alt + click New/Duplicate button and this will create new/copy UNDER currently selected fill/stroke/entity?22 votes -
Show how many artboards are selected
Since we can have multiple artboards selected and this selection isn't very noticeable (which should be fixed too), why not to show how many artboards are selected?
Just say how many in empty 'Name:' field, since it shows nothing when more is one artboard is selected, in brackets or different color.22 votes -
Increase contrast between selected font and other fonts in Font list in Character palette
Not long ago the contrast between current font and other fonts in list in Character menu was quite sufficient (see image 1). Now it's barely visible (image 2). It makes locating current font in list rather difficult.
Please reconsider colors chosen.
22 votesThe contrast is much better in recent versions
-
Last used script
Please, add a command inside File > Scripts (above the line) to execute last accessed script. A have tons of these and not all of them are bound to shortcuts and smarty palettes. Sometimes I have to apply same script several times and have to dig in all 4-5 folders inside to get right one.
And, please, make it shortcut-able.
22 votes -
Keyboard Shortcut to select locked objects
When needing to move a locked object, you currently only have the option of "unlock ALL" whereas sometimes you may have many things locked that you do not want unlocked - only one or two things you want to move.
It would be helpful if by holding a button (Say Alt or control) this would allow you to select locked objects, move or alter the object, and once you deselect it continues to be locked.
22 votesIn latest versions you can enable 'Select and Unlock objects on canvas' option in Preferences > Selection & Anchor Display section.
This adds small lock icons for each locked object you can toggle right there without the need to unlock everything first.
This is not exactly the solution you asked for, no hotkeys involved (and there are no modifiers left to allow this), but it does the job.
Does it work for you? Please leave a comment.
-
Illustrator support on Huion tablets
Illustrator is not compatible with huion tablets. The cursor moves when pen moves but no ink comes out when press down. This works in ALL other products (e.g photoshop) except illustrator. Several people have reported this issue.
22 votes -
Bounding box not visible / non-existent for Graphs
The bounding box is non-existent for graphs drawn in illustrator. Have tried turning on/off "hide edges" under view, restarting, shutting down, but nothing is working. Scaling tool is useless too as the bounding box remains invisible.
22 votesScaling of GRAPH object using bounding box or transform panel is not allowed in earlier versions also.
Therefore I am moving the thread to Feature Request.Workaround: Using the menu Object >> Transform the Graph object can be transformed.
Thanks & Regards,
Raghuveer -
Make incrementation looped in angle value fields for Move, Rotate and other dialogs
Problem Description:
AI can do math in fields and that is awesome.
But I always swear a little when I use angle fields.For example:
1. Move an art with Move dialogue at 10mm and 360 degrees
2. Select another object and invoke dialogue again
3. Type in '+30' in angle, so it would become '360+30'
4. Press Tab or EnterActual Result:
AI says DING (or whatever sound is set for it in your OS) and does nothingExpected Result:
AI should turn this typed value into '30', that is make one revolution and don't bother me, as a…22 votes -
Reversing order of objects
Sometimes it's useful to change order of selected objects, making bottom-most go topmost and vice versa.
I understand possible complications — what would AI do when selected objects have other unselected objects between them (meaning order)?
For example, I have these objects in Layers:
A
1
B
C
2
3
I select 1,2,3 and do proposed 'Reverse order' command.
I expect order to become this:
A
3
B
C
2
1
I see two fitting places for this command: Layers palette menu or Object > Arrange
It's scriptable, but I would like to have it by default.22 votes -
Bring back the ability to create a new artboard with a click of Artboard tool, just like it used to work in earlier versions
Bring back the ability to click to set the location of a new artboard. With 2018, I have to find wherever a new artboard appears and move it to where I want it.
In 2017 and prior, I'd just click to make a new artboard where I wanted it.
22 votes -
Grid or Guides Calculator
Have a make grid or guides feature with a grid calculator that was artboard dependant.
- as in I could have different grids on different artboards
- proportional grids
- vertical grids and guides as well as horizontal
The amount of time I take having to set up grids, by drawing boxes and dragging in guides, to do my layout is enormous.
It is such a fundamental part of graphic design, I feel like it should really be embedded in illustrator. I have noticed that the new Photoshop has it. Also indesign has it. But really i need it more in illustrator.
(…
22 votes
- Don't see your idea?