Illustrator (Desktop) Feature Requests
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4700 results found
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Play actions WITHOUT expanding them in the panel
When playing an action, it expands.... so that it visibly "walks" through every step.
I have the Playback Options set to "Accelerated", so the walking is rapid, yet the action expands and I see the panel highlight every single step of the action as they are quickly walked through.
I want to click play, and the action runs while it stays collapsed. I only need an action expanded in the panel if I intend to edit it. I find myself collapsing, now open, actions over and over and over.
In addition re Button Mode:
I don't use button mode specifically because Button Mode lists every single action individually, from ALL sets. With even the default actions set loaded, that's a lot of panel-filling buttons. If Button Mode honored sets, where I could collapse a set, and leave a button set expanded that I'm using, then Button Mode would be okay.
When playing an action, it expands.... so that it visibly "walks" through every step.
I have the Playback Options set to "Accelerated", so the walking is rapid, yet the action expands and I see the panel highlight every single step of the action as they are quickly walked through.
I want to click play, and the action runs while it stays collapsed. I only need an action expanded in the panel if I intend to edit it. I find myself collapsing, now open, actions over and over and over.
In addition re Button Mode:
I don't use button mode specifically…
4 votes -
Allow to use raster images with Mockup
(Not sure exactly what category this request falls under...) The mockup tool as it is now is pretty limiting. If you have a raster image as part of what you want to mock up, the mockup tool doesn't work. I design food packaging, most of which has an image of the item in the package. Being able to mock up packages that include images would be a godsend!
(And if anyone has a workaround, please share! I use the legacy 3d tool for cylindrical objects. But for things like pouches I haven't figured a way to do it. Thanks.)
4 votes -
Allow to include gradients and patterns in Swatch Info objects
These ARE swatches, after all.
If we have these selected, we expect to have cards for these. The cards for these can state which colors were used in them.4 votes -
Don’t force creating a dedicated layer for Swatch Info objects
When we create a Swatch Info object, a new layer named 'Swatch Info Layer' gets created automatically. I don’t need it. I want to be able to choose if I need this layer, and what name it should use. My layer structure is something I prefer to have control over, and the way Ai thinks I need to have a singular group this creates in a separate layer is insulting.
Same goes for Dimensions — why do you think I mustn’t choose the layer’s name?
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/482369544 votesAi no longer forces a new layer to keep Swatch Info, but uses live groups instead
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Add Preview option when creating a Swatch Info object
When we create a Swatch Info object, using a dedicated command from the Swatches panel’s menu, the dialog is missing Preview option we can enable and see how the parameters work in real-time.
4 votes -
Make it possible to select objects using a path.
It would be very useful to be able select individual objects in a document using a path which touches each of those objects or lies entirely within the path, or both, with each option being selectable by the user.
4 votes -
Introduce a tolerance for Snap to Grid / Pixel, so that snapping happens only when points are close enough to grid intersections
When Snap to Grid is enabled, the snapping is hard — a dragged point is always constrained to the grid intersections. While sometimes it’s handy, at other times is just too rigid, especially if you zoom in and try to make tiny adjustments. Paired with the fact we can’t toggle snapping temporarily on the fly, this makes it into 'try, curse, undo, disable, try again' routine. Same applies to Snap to Pixel.
Compare how Affinity Designer handles it (the turquoise GIF) with the way Ai uses (the orange GIF).
4 votes -
Make Create Gradient from swatches command to respect the order of selection
Recently Illustrator added a dedicated command to create a gradient form selected swatches, following this request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/38592196
While the function works, there is no way to create a gradient respecting the selection order of swatches — the gradient will always use their order in the panel. I wish it worked! If we need the direct order of swatches, we’d just selected like this.
4 votes -
Project Turntable
Project Turntable - This option is not available even on the latest version of illlustrator 29.3.1 and the latest illustrator beta 29.4.73. How can this be activated in my account? This would really help fast track the projects I'm currently working on
4 votesThe development of this is in progress, the team is working on the feature. Stay tuned for more information.
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4 votes
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Create a symbol without replacing art with the symbol.
I would like a switch in the New Symbol dialogue to allow me to leave the original art on the canvas instead of replacing it with a symbol.
Also it would be nice to be able to make a symbol out of the entire contents of a layer nested in another layer without the entire layer being replaced by the symbol.
I use symbols in weird ways and both of these behaviors annoy the heck out of me.
4 votes -
All Inputs / Panels Follow Dimension Tool Scale
I want to be able to create and edit all of my art in scale.
Example
I would like to be able to make a 2" rectangle in 1:2 scale and have it illustrator draw me a 1" square on the page.
This would be very powerful for things when expanded to the object info box to get area and path dimensions, being able to make a font 3' tall in the character panel.
Every place that you can control shapes with math, it would be amazing to be able to do it to scale in the program without having to exit to do math elsewhere to get your conversion.I want to be able to create and edit all of my art in scale.
Example
I would like to be able to make a 2" rectangle in 1:2 scale and have it illustrator draw me a 1" square on the page.
This would be very powerful for things when expanded to the object info box to get area and path dimensions, being able to make a font 3' tall in the character panel.
Every place that you can control shapes with math, it would be amazing to be able to do it to scale in the program without having…4 votes -
Knobs.
Just more knobs. There should be a knob next to every input that takes an angle value. The Scribble effect has one. The Gradient palette doesn't. The Transform palette has one but it could use another one along with a couple of text input boxes as an option to move an object a specified distance along a particular angle instead of moving it in X and Y. The angle value in the transform section of Properties doesn't have a knob. Scatter brush options have two horizontal sliders and no knobs. Put a knob next to each of those sliders.
Go through the entire UI and look for angle inputs that don't have knobs and give them knobs. And make this knob an easy-to-use component if it isn't one already. Astute's Phantasm Halftone plugin has an angle input with no knob. Make it trivial for them to fix this.
Also there's a bunch of feature requests for varying versions of "you can drag a number input and/or the arrows next to it and drag to change the value". Pick one of those. Make every input box work this way.
Thee's also a pattern where you click on a down-arrow next to a number input and a menu or slider drops down out of it. Sometimes you can drag and hold to go down it - stroke weight's fine for instance. Sometimes you can't - the opacity input box's dropdown gets you a slider, and you have to lift your stylus and click somewhere on the bar. It used to let you just click to bring up the slider, drag to a point on the bar, and release. It should still be doing that but this got lost in the UI rebuild like a decade ago and never came back. Find all of those dropdowns and fix that.
Just more knobs. There should be a knob next to every input that takes an angle value. The Scribble effect has one. The Gradient palette doesn't. The Transform palette has one but it could use another one along with a couple of text input boxes as an option to move an object a specified distance along a particular angle instead of moving it in X and Y. The angle value in the transform section of Properties doesn't have a knob. Scatter brush options have two horizontal sliders and no knobs. Put a knob next to each of those sliders.
Go…
4 votes -
Local saves with Version control
We need an option to create a project file that cannot be saved over. The reason for this is that when working with a client who has many options, we sometimes need to step back in time or recover older versions from unexpected changes.
Similar to an Illustrator template file (.ait), we could have a format like .aiv or .aivi. This way, when I save flyer.aiv, every save will generate a backup file flyer-250204817.ai next to the current file.
It would also be useful to have an option in a settings pane to save a backup every other save and retain backups for a maximum of three days or up to ten saves. Whatever option we choose should control the local .aiv file.
I do store files on my local nas server, where every save gets a snapshot. However, when working on my local system (laptop), I don’t have that function, nor do I always have Wi-Fi. This means working in Adobe Cloud is not an option.
Please provide an option so we do not loose our work or we have the option to recover from edits we desided were not what we want.
https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/save-localy-with-version-control/m-p/15132526#M434461We need an option to create a project file that cannot be saved over. The reason for this is that when working with a client who has many options, we sometimes need to step back in time or recover older versions from unexpected changes.
Similar to an Illustrator template file (.ait), we could have a format like .aiv or .aivi. This way, when I save flyer.aiv, every save will generate a backup file flyer-250204817.ai next to the current file.
It would also be useful to have an option in a settings pane to save a backup every other save and…
4 votes -
Panelize Blend Options, Offset Path, etc.
In pre-2020 Illustrator versions, the Path -> Simplify tool was a window. Post 2020, it got changed into a live panel which, when opened, doesn't halt the focus and lets you change settings while you move around the artboard with the Hand tool or Zoom in or such.
It is sadly the only "classic" Object tool that got this treatment. Other tools, especially Blend Options, Offset Path, Envelope Distort with Warp, etc. would benefit greatly from similar panelisation. It's not a great user experience that I can't zoom or pan while I'm trying to offset my path.4 votes -
Allow to name new artboard copies by incrementing numbers in their names
I often have to make documents with many artboards. And every time when I copy it, Illustrator add " copy" to name.
Common, I name it like "name 01".
I want to in this case the copy of this artboard named "name 02" ...4 votes -
Add a quick way to toggle the alignment of a stoke (Center, Inside, Outside): with Opt/Alt-click and/or a hotkey
There are many modes, states, values in Ai that require precise clicking in a tiny button or a field to toggle or change. We need faster ways to access these.
A keyboard shortcut to quickly toggle how the current stroke is aligned would be nice to have... for those who prefer clicking, Opt/Alt could be added to avoid precise aiming, just to loop through the modes.
4 votes -
Select all anchor points between two points
Select an anchor point, select another further along the path, and easily select all anchor points in between.
4 votes -
Display names for character alternates
When a singular character is selected, Illustrator shows Character Alternates menu (if one has the option enabled in Preferences > Type).
But while some glyphs look distinct enough, some are obscure.
These have names, Unicode codes (these are displayed in Glyphs)...
What’s good seeing three similar spaces? How can I choose properly from two similar looking small 'a'-s, as shown in the screenshot attached?
Why can’t I see what these character alternates are when I hover over them?4 votes -
Offset Path - Option to offset to one side of path only
I wish the "Offset Path" gave me the option to offset the path to one side of the path only.
When creating labels for linear features on a map it is useful to create an offset version of the line you are labeling (road, river, etc.) and place the type on that path. Sometimes you can just copy the path and nudge it above or below the line that needs to be labeled, and type along that path. But this doesn't always work nicely if the path curves a lot.
Offsetting a single line in Illustrator results in a path that encircles that line. Adding type to this is problematic and requires manually cutting the offset path at both ends and deleting the part you won't use for labeling. On a map with hundreds of linear labels this is wasted time.
The AG Offset tool from the Astute Graphics plugin accomplishes this task pretty well, but it is literally the only tool in the whole Astute Graphics suite that I use...to the cost of $149/year. It sure would be great if I could just accomplish this in Illustrator and not have to pay for an entire suite of plugins to accomplish this.
I wish the "Offset Path" gave me the option to offset the path to one side of the path only.
When creating labels for linear features on a map it is useful to create an offset version of the line you are labeling (road, river, etc.) and place the type on that path. Sometimes you can just copy the path and nudge it above or below the line that needs to be labeled, and type along that path. But this doesn't always work nicely if the path curves a lot.
Offsetting a single line in Illustrator results in a path…
4 votes
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