Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
When entering a new feature request, please provide:
- Description
- Why is this valuable to you?
4771 results found
-
18 votes
-
Add 'Expand shape' button in Transform palette
You can convert live ellipses and rectangles to ordinary paths by using Unite in Transform palette, which is a nice hack. But the only way to convert live lines to paths — is through menu, Object > Shape > Expand shape. Three precise clicks with long distances run in-between.
Please, add button for this in shape properties area in Transform palette. There's plenty of space.
When path can be converted to live shape, change 'Expand live shape' button to 'Convert to live shape'.
And why there's no command for that in contextual menu still?
18 votes -
Introduce a key that allows to choose alternate glyphs from popup with keyboard
When working with text, every time I want to choose one of proposed alternate glyphs I have to move my hand to mouse and click the desired symbol.
This is tiring. I work with text. Why can’t I press a key to move the focus to this popup, use arrows to navigate to a desired one, and press Enter to confirm my choice? Why use mouse while I type?
Or is it a way already and I just can't find it?Please, make a way to access these without mouse.
18 votes -
More precision with the Knife Tool
I'd like to see more adjustment options for the knife tool. Something like the pencil tools option of Tolerances: Fidelity and Smoothness. It sure would help with more precision when I cut and ink my manga characters. Rather than go in after I make a cut and have to move a lot of anchor points and handles around by hand to get the precision I was after in the first place.
I hope you can understand what I'm texting about here and I hope you take this issue up and include it in a future feature update. Oh yea, and…
18 votes -
Add total artboard counter when exporting
When I export my artboards (with 'Export as'), AI sometimes won't show whole range numbers, but stick to previously entered numbers for this file. This is fine.
But my problem is I often need to export all artboards, but not first. And I don't remember exactly how much of them I do actually have — this differs from project to project.
So I have to exit 'Export as' dialogue, go to Artboards palette, see how much artboards are there and return to exporting.Why not to show how much artboards I do have inside dialogue window?
Please see mockup attached.18 votes -
Make copy/paste work between Illustrator and CorelDRAW (and vice versa)
Adobe and Corel are eternal rivals, I know.
But our (and not ours only, as far as I know) workflow requires both whales.
A lot of vynil-cutting shops, laser-engraving and large format printing shops work only in CD. We have to transfer our files back and forth from one program to another each day.We use PDF as a medium, but it's long way.
We also use this magnificent macros for CD:
https://github.com/cdrpro-macros/ai-clipboard
but it's not 100% solution.We need a way to copy/paste from/to AI from/to CD natively.
18 votes -
Allow to choose file version when saving AIT templates
One of our designers still use old version of AI.
We need to share newly created templates (.ait) with her.
But AI doesn't give options when saving templates!
So I'm forced to save to .ai first, choose CS6 version and then change extension by hand.Why can't I see same options for templates?
18 votes -
Add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does
AI is used worldwide. Despite PostScript, based on points, based on inch, being de-facto a standard for most users, many people use metric system.
English inch, as you know, equals exactly 2.54cm.
This gives us, metric users, mantra for translating PPI into PPCM: 254ppi=100ppcmSince fractional values for resolution are impossible within AI (while Photoshop does!), we have to import via PS or work in scale and are very limited.
Please, add ability to use PPCM along with PPI, as Photoshop does.
18 votes -
Free transform reference point should affect resize too not just rotation (as PS)
When I change the reference point I use it mostly for resize, not rotation. But in Illustrator this has no effect. I believe it should happen while using Alt+resize as that wouldn't change the default. Alt would only change the position of the resized object if the reference point is moved from the middle.
I feel this would be natural to have and I'm really surprised this is not part of the free transform implementation. Photoshop and even Animate works like this! (Animate is erroneous with Alt+drag, but you don't need to hold that there)18 votes -
Allow to disable Rich Tool Tips right from the rich tool tips
'How to hide these popups for tools?' is one of the most common questions I see here and there (the most popular being 'how to show the resizing frame back?').
The answer is 'disable Show Rich Tool Tips in Preferences > General', but it requires knowledge, and Ai never directs new users there.What if we could just CLOSE one or all hints right there, in a hint itself?
17 votes -
Give the choice to change the export resolution with or without changing the number of pixels.
When exporting as an image llustrator will always change the pixel amount when you set a resolution higher or lower than 72 ppi. Photoshop has an option that is missing in Illustrator, the option to check/uncheck “Resample” when changing the resolution. When Unchecked only the ppi metatadata is changed and the pixel amount stays the same. When checked Photoshop behaves like Illustrator does and changes the amount of pixels when the resolution is changed. It would be a welcome addition to have this choice in Illustrator.
17 votes -
Add Search in Preferences
Incorporate a Search function to provide the user the ability to quickly locate a specific preference (refer to Apple's System Preferences Search capability.)
Please also make Preferences user-friendly — http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/42476344
17 votes -
CAD like selection (direction of the marquee toggles Enclosed mode)
Illustrator now allows to use Enclosed Mode to select objects within the marquee (originally requested here: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31863601), but the only way to do it is tap E key.
Make an option to enable this method also:
Click - Left drag: select everything INSIDE the marquee.
Click - Right drag: select everything CROSSING the marquee.Many CAD programs work this way. It makes selections much simpler.
17 votes -
Dimension tool style presets
The dimension tool gives alot of style options for the arrow size, line thickness, offsets, etc. It would be great to save presets that could be switched from a dropdown list in the dimension tool options dialog.
17 votesAdding presets for the Dimension Tool is in the plans.
Thanks for logging the request anyway. Upvote it still if you find it useful.
-
Allow us to set up the default and stepped Dimension Line Offset for the Dimension tool
When we Opt/Alt-click the object or just click a segment, Ai creates a dimension with some predefined distance between the object and the dimension line.
We can’t control it (plus we can’t choose which sides to use for Opt/Alt mode anymore, unlike in early Betas).Also, we need to be able to hold a modifier while creating a dimension to constrain this offset to a set parameter, in a stepped manner, — something third-party plugins like BPT Pro and CADtools can do.
17 votes -
Add an option for the Transform effect to use visible bounds of a clipping object
Transform effect is one of the most powerful thing Ai has, compared to whole Repeats functionality. It’s versatile, it works with anything (unlike Repeats).
It has some flaws though, and one of them is the fact it always operates on the overall bounds of the objects, even if it is clipped. It can be useful for some cases, but most of the time we treat objects differently.
Check the image attached.
This combination of effect options applied to a clipped ellipse should produce a result like the green one at thee right... instead, the object is reflected from the right…17 votes -
Mark starting points and directions for paths
We know nothing about where a closed path starts and which direction it has.
We can cheat it and apply an arrowhead or a brush to see that, but perhaps you just should mark the first points of paths with something else than a square? Like a triangle?
Come on, look at Corel Draw, look at Affinity Designer!17 votes -
Isolation mode fading also in Outline mode
Since Outline mode can be (sometimes for me) get displayed with GPU, with antialiasing, I think dimming the art can also be done.
Sure, it should be an option (https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31941823) and work with CPU too.
17 votes -
Select items in Layers in sync with objects on canvas
We have to work with a strange legacy dichotomy when making a selection in Layers is NOT equal to making a selection on canvas and vice versa.
No other vector application does it like this:
XD, Affinity Designer, Corel Draw, Figma, Xara, Inkscape...Other apps which have layered structures don’t do this also:
Photoshop, Blender, 3DS Max...InDesign and Illustrator are lonely black sheep in the flock of apps.
We need a mode (as an option) to be able to sync both selection methods.
Clicking an object on canvas should highlight the name of it in Layers.
Clicking a name…17 votes -
Make Isolate Selected Object work with text (point, area, on path)
Ai does not allow to isolate a text object.
We can workaround it by grouping it first, isolating, selecting all and ungrouping — but why execute these many useless operation instead of one?
Please make it possible.17 votes
- Don't see your idea?