Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4721 results found
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Please make the Preview option sticky
Just about everything you do in Illustrator to the drawing cannot be seen until you turn on Preview. Unfortunately the Preview option cannot be set to ON or Sticky from last use. I am aware that way back in the 80s this was done because the computing power was not strong enough to deal with drop shadows but this is now not the case. I am also aware that very very complex drawings can also be affected by having the Preview on but I very seldom do complex drawings. PERHAPS there could be some kind of self-sensing regulator that when the delay of display reached a certain level, a popup window would show up suggesting to the user that they should turn off Preview. But it would still be the user's choice. However, as it is I'm always checking and re-checking and re-checking that Preview box and that hinders my creative juices and makes working with Illustrator not as fun as it should be.
Just about everything you do in Illustrator to the drawing cannot be seen until you turn on Preview. Unfortunately the Preview option cannot be set to ON or Sticky from last use. I am aware that way back in the 80s this was done because the computing power was not strong enough to deal with drop shadows but this is now not the case. I am also aware that very very complex drawings can also be affected by having the Preview on but I very seldom do complex drawings. PERHAPS there could be some kind of self-sensing regulator that when…
24 votesHi Everyone,
All the effect checkboxes have now been set to ON by default, and are sticky (meaning that if you disable preview, on next launch of Illustrator preview will remain disabled). This functionality now is available in our latest release build – 24.1.1 for Win and 24.1 for Mac which is available worldwide now.
We are working on making all remaining preview check-boxes sticky. Will update this thread when done!
What’s new in 24.1: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/whats-new.html
You can update to the latest release using Creative Cloud desktop App: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/help/creative-cloud-updates.html
Thank you for all the feedback.
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A menu item/keystroke target to enter/exit an object's Opacity Mask.
I use a lot of opacity masks these days. It'd smooth out my workflow a lot if there was an entry in the Keyboard Shortcuts that did the same as opening up the Opacity palette far enough to see its thumbnails, and clicking on the opacity mask thumbnail.
Detailed implementation suggestions:
- a menu item in the Transparency palette that either reads "Enter Opacity Mask" or "Exit Opacity Mask" depending on whether or not we're currently editing an opacity mask
- a keyboard shortcuts entry for Other Panels/Toggle Opacity Mask
- NO DEFAULT SHORTCUT, new users would hit it by accident and then be very confused.
I use a lot of opacity masks these days. It'd smooth out my workflow a lot if there was an entry in the Keyboard Shortcuts that did the same as opening up the Opacity palette far enough to see its thumbnails, and clicking on the opacity mask thumbnail.
Detailed implementation suggestions:
- a menu item in the Transparency palette that either reads "Enter Opacity Mask" or "Exit Opacity Mask" depending on whether or not we're currently editing an opacity mask
- a keyboard shortcuts entry for Other Panels/Toggle Opacity Mask
- NO DEFAULT SHORTCUT, new users would hit it by accident and then…
24 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.
24 votes -
Gradient “easing” / bezier curve control for color stops
Any work that utilizes gradients in Illustrator would benefit greatly from the addition of the ability to manually control/adjust the bezier curves of the gradients’ color stops.
The specifics of how this works are discussed here: https://larsenwork.com/easing-gradients/
Ultimately, this level of control allows for significantly more pleasing and subtle gradients. Relying on midpoints to adjust gradients ultimately results in very obviously visual “steps” from one color stop to the next.
I’ve attached a video demonstrating the easing function, as well as a before and after image to illustrate its effect.
24 votes -
Make symbols work in brushes
When you save symbol as brush, it stops being symbol.
This makes impossible live update of the brush, when brush changes as soon as you make changes.
This video shows such live update (after Spiro part):
https://youtu.be/3OaLZuFZxdk
Making symbols stay symbols in brushes seems to be the easiest way of having such a behavior in AI.24 votes -
Make option to generate compound paths instead of groups when text is outlined
Create simple black-on-white string of text.
Outline it.
AI will make a group of compound paths.I would like to have a non-default option that would make AI generate one big compound path instead of group of paths.
If text has more then one character color within it — only then this option would produce a group, with a colored compounds within.Right now I have to use an Action (ungroup, release compound path, make compound path) and manually run it for every string/area of text before proceeding to next step of my workflow.
I will make a script to automate it, but still.CorelDraw does single curve from a text (almost), and this is nice (sometimes).
If AI could do both ways from the box, it would be great.Create simple black-on-white string of text.
Outline it.
AI will make a group of compound paths.I would like to have a non-default option that would make AI generate one big compound path instead of group of paths.
If text has more then one character color within it — only then this option would produce a group, with a colored compounds within.Right now I have to use an Action (ungroup, release compound path, make compound path) and manually run it for every string/area of text before proceeding to next step of my workflow.
I will make a script to…24 votes -
PLEASE an option to increase the thumbnail size in symbols libraries
Please, any option to increase thumbnail size when viewing symbols libraries , even if it's only limited a 2x more magnified than currently available as the large list view.
This is a necessary accommodation for the visually impaired, and will also drastically increase ease of use for the average Adobe customer24 votes -
Return greeking of vector graphics
AI is never fast enough. Pan is slow.
Why did you remove greeking completely? If I wanted to better have nice looking art while panning, I would tick an option in Preferences! But now there's no such an option.
InDesign still have greeking option fro both text and vector art.
Please return it back as an option (and add slider for quality, as ID has).24 votes -
Add Preview tick to 'Free distort' effect dialogue window
Using 'Free distort' is very inconvenient, because it works in small dialogue window that doesn't show actual artwork.
'Preview' tick could solve this problem (although I'd rather prefer 4 interactive points.)
AT LEAST! It should be live long ago, without separate dialogue!24 votes -
Can you PLEASE PLEASE just put a simple trash can icon on the links panel so i can just delete links that are no longer pertinent?
Can you PLEASE PLEASE just put a simple trash can icon on the links panel so I can quickly and easily delete links to images that are no longer pertinent. this would be valuable because I use the same base maps over and over but import different source sketches that I trace/digitize on to the map. once the feature is digitized and I've deleted the sketch the link lives on forever. Or better yet, just the way it works in InDesign (maybe you've heard of it) - if you delete the image, the link to it automatically deletes.
24 votesThe Links panel now has a Delete button in the latest Beta (28.1.0.87).
Please check and try if it works for you as expected.
You can access Beta in the Beta section of your CCD app.
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Add "Edit With" to the Illustrator menu when working with images
Add "Edit With" to the Illustrator menu when working with images! Indesign has this and it's very convenient. Its a no brainer to add it to Illustrator!!!!!!!
24 votesThis is done in one of the latest releases.
Now the button in Control panel (and in Links panel menu) says ‘Edit in Photoshop’. You also can change it back to system defaults in Preferences > File Handling section.InDesign has more options, that is true, so please comment back if you need a larger list — but please give a solid justification why :)
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Add an option for Pathfinder to make compound paths instead of groups
If you draw a row of rectangles (with gaps) and hit Unite button in Pathfinder — Ai will create a group.
But if you hold Alt, then hit Unite, and then hit Expand in this panel — Ai will make create a compound path!
I almost always want a compound path.
And I hate this workaround, since it requires twice as much operations (yeah, 2 instead of 1!). Another workaround is an action to ungroup and make a compound path — which is still a 2 steps operation!The alternative is to have a panel full of actions for each of the Pathfinder’s buttons — which is just stupid since I just have one already, it's called Pathfinder! Why should I create a complete duplicate of it to workaround this?
What I want is just an option in Pathfinder which makes it to create compound paths instead of groups.
And I want it by default.
If you draw a row of rectangles (with gaps) and hit Unite button in Pathfinder — Ai will create a group.
But if you hold Alt, then hit Unite, and then hit Expand in this panel — Ai will make create a compound path!
I almost always want a compound path.
And I hate this workaround, since it requires twice as much operations (yeah, 2 instead of 1!). Another workaround is an action to ungroup and make a compound path — which is still a 2 steps operation!The alternative is to have a panel full of actions for each…
23 votes -
SVG Paths with marker endings render only the markers, not the paths
- Import the attached SVG file into Illustrator.
expected result: Illustrator should display a line with an arrow at the end.
actual result: Illustrator displays only the arrow at the end.also attached: image of problem behavior.
removing the marker-end attribute from the path in question will display the line.
23 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 left23 votes -
Allow multiple elements in a scatter / pattern brushes
For example, you could make a brush that draws a random letter or number every pass, instead of being locked to a single element
23 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.
23 votes -
Export artboards from illustrator to a single, multi- artboard photoshop file
Export an illustrator file (with multiple artboards and layers) to photoshop (as a single, multi- artboard psd file).
Currently illustrator exports multiple, separate.psd files.
You then need to copy and paste from individual files into a multi- artboard .psd file.If the above idea is integrated, it would make bringing screen layouts into into xd for prototyping UIs much easier.
23 votes -
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?23 votes -
Copy/paste color values as text
I often need to list color values in RGB, CMYK, hex, etc for brand guidelines and printing. It would be helpful if there was an easy way to copy all color values as text. Right now you can only select one value at a time which is very tedious. I know there are scripts that exist to do something similar but it would be nice if it was a built-in feature!
23 votesToday Illustrator has Swatches Info — it allows most of the things requested here with the ability to have the chosen swatches to be placed on canvas as text, using chosen models.
But perhaps there are other things not covered by Swatches Info? Please share your opinion in comments, so the team can plan further development.
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Allow negative value spacing in pattern brush.
Simply allowing negative value spacing in the Pattern Brush Options, so it overlaps. Would eliviate a lot of work tinkering to make the original object right for pattern brushing as well as for allowing more interesting patterns.
23 votes
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