Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4783 results found
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Add Vector Noise effect
There is a way to and raster noise, but I'd love to have vector one as well, as AE and Xara and others can.
25 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…25 votes -
Collapse unfolded actions
When actions is played, they got unfolded.
If you have a lot of actions (not in button mode), you'll have to collapse them by hand, each one.So I propose this:
1. Make 'Collapse all' command in palette menu
2. Make option 'Don't unfold actions when played'And why there is no context menu for Actions Palette?
25 votes -
'Use preview bounds' option for symbols
AI allows to 'Use preview bounds' — to count in stroke's weight in artwork's size.
I rarely use it, but I can always turn it off, like I do in screencast attached.But when I decide to turn my artwork to symbol, I'm limited to only one option — stroke is counted in ALWAYS. This is very inconvenient for some design tasks.
I would like to have an option anywhere to change this behavior.
25 votes -
Easy setting of layer's opacity and 'Target Selected'
Some users still find confusing setting opacity to whole layer.
When they change opacity value in Transparency palette with no art selected, it does nothing or (if 'New Art has Basic Appearance' is unticked in Appearance palette options) applied to new objects.The way transparency is set for a layer in AI is not that obvious, compared to Photoshop's way, and require from user knowledge of working with appearance.
I propose this:
1. Make a shortcut for 'Target Current Layer' command, which is not anywhere now (or even 'Target Selected', which will target current layer, if nothing is selected)
2. Add 'Target Layer' button to Transparency palette, when nothing is selected, in the empty area, where selected artwork thumb is usually displayedThese will give users ability to quickly target layer and set it's opacity, both mouse and keyboard oriented.
Some users still find confusing setting opacity to whole layer.
When they change opacity value in Transparency palette with no art selected, it does nothing or (if 'New Art has Basic Appearance' is unticked in Appearance palette options) applied to new objects.The way transparency is set for a layer in AI is not that obvious, compared to Photoshop's way, and require from user knowledge of working with appearance.
I propose this:
1. Make a shortcut for 'Target Current Layer' command, which is not anywhere now (or even 'Target Selected', which will target current layer, if nothing is selected)
2.…25 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!25 votes -
Visual Keyboard Shortcut Editor, for mapping hotkeys, like Premiere and After Effects have
I just saw YouTube videos of Adobe demonstrating the latest versions of Premiere Pro CC and After Effects at IBC 2017.
Finally After Effects is getting its own mappable keyboard shortcuts like the one in Premiere Pro. But what about Illustrator and Photoshop?
We Photoshop and Illustrator users definitely need this too!
25 votes -
A way to hide Gen AI features, specifically in the Home Screen
Please give us a way to hide the AI options and "Featured" on the home screen, but keep the "Recent" section. This is very bad for workflow. Thank you
24 votes -
Remove the window below the artboards that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard"
With whatever update came out, there is now a message that reads "Select an artboard with graphics and try Generative Expand to extend the artboard" on the artboards panel. This limits how many artboards you can see, and I am a person who has files with 40+. I tried using the feature to see if it would get rid of the message, but it still sits there. Please make this message removeable so I can get back to a quicker workflow and see all my artboards without having to scroll precisely. Thank you!
24 votes -
User defined scales for Dimension tool
Repost from general discussions:
I'm delighted to see the addition of the dimensioning tool, but I'm not wild about the fixed choice of scaling ratios. The option to set one's own scales would be great.Failing that, a 1:12 scale seems like a glaring omission for those of us still using inches and feet.
Am I missing something?
TOPICS
Feature request , How-to24 votesIt is possible now to set up a custom scale in Ai Beta 28.4.0.2.
In Dimension Tool Options dialog open the Scale dropdown and choose custom to get the Custom Scale dialog.
It works for decimal scales only, like 1:12 or 1:15, but not for Imperial scales like 1/16"
Please try it and comment back.
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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…
24 votes -
Consider a document as 'unsaved' (dirty) when a linked image gets updated
Illustrator think that updating a link is not an operation.
This leads to problems with documents that use PDF-compatibility option.Imagine you have an already saved document that have some linked images in it. You open it in Ai and then Edit a linked image in Photoshop. Make some changes in the image, save them in Ps, go to Ai and agree to update the link...
But Ai still considers the document as non-'dirty', as if no changes were made.
You can’t save the document and re-write the PDF content, to see these changes appear, say, in the InD document, where this Ai-documnet is placed in another document. You can only re-Save-As is, which is a not convenient operation. And if you close it — Ai does NOT offer you to save! And you have a document that you though HAVE an updated image in PDF-layer, while in fact it does NOT.
InDesign treats this right in same circumstances.
Again, if you had an .ai document that uses a link, that has been updated before you open this .ai document — Ai will tell you nothing about the change, and you have a file that has two version of image — one in Ai layer, and one in PDF one.
Very error prone.
Illustrator think that updating a link is not an operation.
This leads to problems with documents that use PDF-compatibility option.Imagine you have an already saved document that have some linked images in it. You open it in Ai and then Edit a linked image in Photoshop. Make some changes in the image, save them in Ps, go to Ai and agree to update the link...
But Ai still considers the document as non-'dirty', as if no changes were made.
You can’t save the document and re-write the PDF content, to see these changes appear, say, in the InD document,…
24 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 linked image selected), clicking that tiny little chain in the Link palette is the only way to do this. That means you have to have the link palette open in order to access this feature. While I use the Link palette for all sorts of things, unless I'm replacing linked images (or checking their attributes), I usually have it collapsed or hidden by other palettes.
So the current workflow is (1) select the objects to relink, (2) open/show the Links palette, (3) click the tiny little chain icon. When doing lots of relinking, this is tiring.
A keyboard command that would activate this functionality would be a huge timesaver for anyone who is using Illustrator's otherwise excellent aggregation functionality.
Thank you for your consideration!
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…
24 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.
24 votes -
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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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 -
Command Palette / Panel / Bar
Sublime & Visual Code are text editors that are used to develop applications. One of the favorite functions is "Command Palette" which is activated with the Ctrl + Shift + P keys. This shows a text field at the top, from which almost any program command is invoked, as well as opening files and many other functions. One of the features is that it is not necessary to write the entire command, you can use only the first letters of two words and the results are listed. Visual Code is open source and you can surely study that functionality in your github account
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-tips-and-tricks#command-palette
Imagine this functionality in each of the Adobe CC programs :D
Sublime & Visual Code are text editors that are used to develop applications. One of the favorite functions is "Command Palette" which is activated with the Ctrl + Shift + P keys. This shows a text field at the top, from which almost any program command is invoked, as well as opening files and many other functions. One of the features is that it is not necessary to write the entire command, you can use only the first letters of two words and the results are listed. Visual Code is open source and you can surely study that functionality in…
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 -
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
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