Points move just slightly when segment is modified / reshaped using Anchor Point Tool
This is a TINY problem, but as all the problem with precision, these do accumulate, leading to other problems — especially when exported into other more precise appications.
To even see this within Ai a plugin is used, PathScribe by Astute Graphics, that allows to display distances between selected points, when 'Show Anchor Point Coordinate Ranges' option is enabled.
Here, in a Print-based document (doesn’t matter really) I set up two perfect squares with integer sizes, placed on a grid perfectly. When I select two point occupying the same position, the plugin panel tells me these are coincident.
Now I pick Ahcnor Point Tool and reshape the segment that uses one of these points to become a curve.
Ideally, the positions of the points affected should not change —only handles should be added...
...yet Illustrator MOVES the points slightly.
So now, if I select both points that should be coincident, the panel would tell me there’s now a small distance between them— just about 0.00005 mm... not enough to be noticed by Ai’s own functions, well within the tolerance of Pathfinder (0.028 pt, about 0.01 mm) and even more greedy Shape Builder (which got his own bug report about it: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/50269572)
I see no reason to change the positions.
If I use the plugin’s own PathScribe tool that does the same thing (and was able to do this LONG before Adobe finally decided to add this function to Anchor Point Tool!) — there is NO change. Points don’t move, only handles update.
Ai is so sloppy... I remember creating floor plans in Ai in 1:1000 scale (because the canvas is super tiny, even with 'Large Canvas (riddled with bugs too)), exporting it to CAD and having gaps — half a centimeter! Sure, Ai updated and doubled the precision since then, but I’m still traumatized. I deal with coordinates every day, designing both large and tiny things, and every decimal tail where I don’t expect it is frustrating. Sure, floating points, math... but just don’t change set values when it’s possible to NOT to.
AdminEgor Chistyakov
(Admin, Adobe Illustrator)
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