使用关键对象对齐，对齐面板在没有打开的情况下，不能识别关键对象。

Distribute by centers is in the control bar when more than one object is selected, but distribute by spacing is missing.

Thank you Anonymous from November 11th. Toggling the Show/Hide bounding box (shift + Command +B) works. It brings back my correct preferred unit of measurement of the Align Distribute input field.

I had this same problem for a while, and, although it's not a solution that will work without a small workaround, it has helped me a lot.

Open or create your drawing
In the align palette, check and uncheck "preview bounds". (or leave it as you wish)

After doing that, the align palette changes and displays the measurements and it works correctly for distribution.

What I've not been able to fix is hoy it decides or not, since it does it randomly, if I want to align to artboard, selection or key object.

Hope this helps.

To be more clear all my other input fields show the correct reference measurement px, pt, in. It is only the Align Distribute input field that does not show correctly. The bug is coming from the new document window. Creating a new document and the settings are already what I want I do not need to change anything. This is where the bug comes from. By just pressing return without choosing inches because it is already inches is looking like where the error is coming from. I also opened Illustrator resetting the preferences using Shft + Cntrl + Opt + Cmnd and first creating a new document the Align Distribute field showed only the number and no reference showing "in" for inches. If I change my preferences to, Use legacy "File New" interface, I do not get the bug. Using the normal new document window I have to choose inches even if it is already showing as inches to fix the bug. The bug is entered into my document if I hit the return key to create a new document without choosing inches even if inches is already showing.

This seems to happen rarely, but definitely happens. I haven't confirmed, but my theory is it happens after restarting the computer. Simply restarting the app doesn't do it. But when it happens, I can select multiple objects and a key object, and when I go to the palette, the distance field is grayed out. If I click one of the buttons, it will align things to zero spacing and the field will become available, but show no units, and use some unknown unit. If I de-select and reselect the objects at this point, it will usually start showing "in" as the unit and be normal again.

I erased the OS for a clean new install of Mojave 10.14.5 and only installed Illustrator 23.0.4 and still the same issue. I am using shortcut keys for the alignments per Actions. For Example I setup F2 Align Top, F3 Align Right, F4 Align Bottom, F5 Align Left, F6 Align Center Left to Right, F7 Align Center Top to Bottom, F8 Align Distribute Left to Right, F9 Align Distribute Top to Bottom. I try to use shortcut keys for everything I can because multiple shortcut key commands can process correctly faster than it takes for the GUI. With the GUI I have to wait for the GUI to process before I can move on the the next action. My system is a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) I don't want to buy a new one until they get the keyboard issue fixed. Thanks

It's definitely not consistent... I ran into it earlier, which is what sent me looking for this. But now when I select items in the same file, it works as expected. I started a new document with new items and it worked. I even quit and re-loaded Illustrator and it works. I'm not in a position to restart right now, but whatever it is persists outside of the application.

I'm having this problem too.
Illustrator 23.0.3 on OS X 10.14.4

The field is not active when I select the elements and key object. If I click the distribute button, it becomes active, but no units are specified. I thought it was points, but I did 9 unit spacing and it measures 0.1528" which would be approximately 59 points per inch which is not correct.

Same issue. I noticed the 'wont recognize key object' bug pretty much as soon as I started using the latest CC2019 update but the input box bug wasn't noticed until quite a while later. Mine seems to default to points; input "10" and the items distribute with 10 points spacing between them rather than 10in as I have set via my preferences.

I did also notice it occasionally seeming to fix itself but never was able to narrow down how/why. The save-as causing it to self-correct is something I'll keep an eye on.

I am having the same issue. Also there is no measurement indication at the end of the number on mine when it does open; so I am not sure if it is using points, mm, inches, etc.

As far as hardware goes I am using OS High Sierra 10.13.6 on a MacBook Pro 2018 with a Radeon Pro 560X 4gb ram.

I do have an older computer that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.6 with a Radeon HD 5770 1gb, and that one does show the measurement being used but has the same issue with the distribute being grayed out if that panel is not open prior to selecting the objects.

The Align Distribute is using points or pixels instead of my preferred measurement, inches. Sometimes I have to do a save as multiple times before it finally uses my preferred measurement.

Align Distribute. If I do not have the window open and I select the objects & the key object then open the Align window, the distribute input field does not allow for input. I have to deselect the key object then reselect the key object then it will allow me to enter the input field. Also occasionally if I enter a distribute measurement of 1" or an integer it does not read it as 1", instead it reads it as 0.1 but shows up as 1 until I do a save as not a save. If I do a save it does not fix the problem but if I do a save as then if fixes the error. After saving the file then it shows up in the input field as 0.1 and not 1. It also will not distribute it to the 1" until I do a save as then it will distribute it to 1" and not .1