A series of meetings with the Illustrator CS7 developers will be happening in 2012-2013 to bring the FreeHand experience to Illustrator. Use this forum thread for your ideas and additions.
Consider what FreeHand functions, features, workflow, and interface improvements are important within Illustrator that you would feel comfortable with it. It is far from being that now so be imaginative.
Illustrator CS7 Requests
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Request that the FreeHand conversion plugin is immediately reinstated into CS6 and CS7!
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Emo Risaliti
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:47 am
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Thanks for the good news. Where can I find the plug in?
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Sorry, that was a request for the plugin to be reinstated, not an announcement. I fixed my post to make sense. 
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Uli
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
- open submenus with right mouse clicks
- the pathfinder should not make groups automatically
- gradients should work in full tone colors, not CMYK only
- point text align should work like in FH
- stop the stupid questions while every save files or paste objects
- text on path please like in FH (text with a return on a circle put the text top and bottom)
- easier party editing (one tool, not five), deleting points without killing the whole path
.... to be continued ....
- the pathfinder should not make groups automatically
- gradients should work in full tone colors, not CMYK only
- point text align should work like in FH
- stop the stupid questions while every save files or paste objects
- text on path please like in FH (text with a return on a circle put the text top and bottom)
- easier party editing (one tool, not five), deleting points without killing the whole path
.... to be continued ....
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Paste inside and selections working as in freehand.
Also the preview of the curve beeing drawn before you click the next point as in freehand.
Selected groups not showing all vertices as selected.
Also the preview of the curve beeing drawn before you click the next point as in freehand.
Selected groups not showing all vertices as selected.
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ThePixelDoc
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:10 am
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
- open submenus with right mouse clicks
Illustrator does this already. What other sub-menus would you like?
- the pathfinder should not make groups automatically
It doesn't now. You need to also try "Alt-Clicking" in the Pathfinder control panel for "live path bezier functions". Powerful stuff!
- gradients should work in full tone colors, not CMYK only
They do already. Although there is a bug with CS6 because it doesn't work with gradients on a path correctly. Normal shapes with any multiple of PMS, HKS or Custom Spot color view and separate correctly.
- point text align should work like in FH
It does already. What do you mean exactly?
- stop the stupid questions while every save files or paste objects
No warnings? That could open up a whole new can of worms and problems. You may turn them off (sometimes), or change your settings (like incompatible color profiles for instance).
- text on path please like in FH (text with a return on a circle put the text top and bottom)
Yes! Or at least a Toggle-switch to do this
- easier path (I assume you meant this, not "party") editing (one tool, not five), deleting points without killing the whole path.
Unfortunately or fortunately, however you see it, Astute Graphics has a wonderful set of plug-ins for Illustrator that offer this (among many other) capabilities; VectorDraw is indispensable IMO. There would be those that would say that AI should have these capabilities included. I would agree, but I don't think it's going to go over well telling Adobe they should poop on one of their most successful 3rd Party developers.
- Paste Inside is already in Illustrator;
although granted, it doesn't work the same way and is called "Paint Inside". It could be suggested to Adobe to make it easier to find and use. I use an Action to do PI in CS5 every day, which at the moment is broken with CS6, because the part of the Action to choose the Drawing Mode (Normal, Behind or Inside) doesn't work. Adobe "could" fix this easily.
- Hiding control points after grouping;
YES! It has been requested for years now. It is LONG overdue!
- Clipping masks (added)
should retain their line and fill settings(!) after applying the clipping AND should be able to be selectable by simply clicking on their Fill color, rather than only the path. I still consider that a bug... as well as the next point...
- Lines should be selectable by clicking anywhere on it's width, rather than only on the path. No matter how thick your line weight, you still can not select it "visually" without first giving it the "outline path" effect. I also have a script to do this, but still... it should be visual.
- It goes without saying: Illustrator MUST be able to open "legacy" Freehand files...PERIOD.
NOTE: whatever you do Mark... do NOT go into the Adobe negotiations with a list that hasn't been verified as "not working and/or not enough like Freehand". I would suggest taking a hard look at what Astute Graphics has achieved as well. Even though they are plug-ins, don't be surprised if Adobe backs up their approach and tools as a trusted partner/developer.
AG also knows the AI SDK inside and out, so even they might have some suggestions, or at least be able to tell you what is and isn't possible...FIRST.
Another person I would suggest to go over your list is Monika Gause (look her up on the Adobe Forums).
AGAIN: please don't go in with suggestions that are due to people not knowing Illustrator well enough. I will be the first to agree that AI should be easier to learn and use... but I don't think you'll get anywhere with that strategy or assessment hanging over the discussions.
Most of all: Good luck!
Illustrator does this already. What other sub-menus would you like?
- the pathfinder should not make groups automatically
It doesn't now. You need to also try "Alt-Clicking" in the Pathfinder control panel for "live path bezier functions". Powerful stuff!
- gradients should work in full tone colors, not CMYK only
They do already. Although there is a bug with CS6 because it doesn't work with gradients on a path correctly. Normal shapes with any multiple of PMS, HKS or Custom Spot color view and separate correctly.
- point text align should work like in FH
It does already. What do you mean exactly?
- stop the stupid questions while every save files or paste objects
No warnings? That could open up a whole new can of worms and problems. You may turn them off (sometimes), or change your settings (like incompatible color profiles for instance).
- text on path please like in FH (text with a return on a circle put the text top and bottom)
Yes! Or at least a Toggle-switch to do this
- easier path (I assume you meant this, not "party") editing (one tool, not five), deleting points without killing the whole path.
Unfortunately or fortunately, however you see it, Astute Graphics has a wonderful set of plug-ins for Illustrator that offer this (among many other) capabilities; VectorDraw is indispensable IMO. There would be those that would say that AI should have these capabilities included. I would agree, but I don't think it's going to go over well telling Adobe they should poop on one of their most successful 3rd Party developers.
- Paste Inside is already in Illustrator;
although granted, it doesn't work the same way and is called "Paint Inside". It could be suggested to Adobe to make it easier to find and use. I use an Action to do PI in CS5 every day, which at the moment is broken with CS6, because the part of the Action to choose the Drawing Mode (Normal, Behind or Inside) doesn't work. Adobe "could" fix this easily.
- Hiding control points after grouping;
YES! It has been requested for years now. It is LONG overdue!
- Clipping masks (added)
should retain their line and fill settings(!) after applying the clipping AND should be able to be selectable by simply clicking on their Fill color, rather than only the path. I still consider that a bug... as well as the next point...
- Lines should be selectable by clicking anywhere on it's width, rather than only on the path. No matter how thick your line weight, you still can not select it "visually" without first giving it the "outline path" effect. I also have a script to do this, but still... it should be visual.
- It goes without saying: Illustrator MUST be able to open "legacy" Freehand files...PERIOD.
NOTE: whatever you do Mark... do NOT go into the Adobe negotiations with a list that hasn't been verified as "not working and/or not enough like Freehand". I would suggest taking a hard look at what Astute Graphics has achieved as well. Even though they are plug-ins, don't be surprised if Adobe backs up their approach and tools as a trusted partner/developer.
AG also knows the AI SDK inside and out, so even they might have some suggestions, or at least be able to tell you what is and isn't possible...FIRST.
Another person I would suggest to go over your list is Monika Gause (look her up on the Adobe Forums).
AGAIN: please don't go in with suggestions that are due to people not knowing Illustrator well enough. I will be the first to agree that AI should be easier to learn and use... but I don't think you'll get anywhere with that strategy or assessment hanging over the discussions.
Most of all: Good luck!
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Excellent, P.D. fully agree.
Much of what you have here is on our agenda and we won't go into meetings ignorant of AI and its workings. The Astute Graphics partnership is a concern (for me) as it could be passed off as a solution and but doesn't it also add more panels and tools to an already busy interface?
FreeHand is intuitive and planned for creative flow and that is the gripe about Illustrator from former FH users... unintuitive and a hodge-podge of disconnected tools. As you said, "Paste Inside" function is lost in the Paint Inside tools selection when It could be more apparent for FH-users, say, nearer clipping mask cmd.
When I look through the Ai forums, the same damn questions are asked about how to accomplish a set of tasks. That comes from new users (as well as FH/Corel users) and the forum experts often scratch their heads at why relatively easy tasks aren't made more obvious to avoid these repeated questions. I know the Illustrator team knows this is a problem... they have said this publicly. I see this more as the same problem Macromedia faced in 2000 when the FH team had to bring FreeHand into the future by revamping the UI with the Object Inspector. The FreeHand 10 users were pissed! Some refused to support FHMX because of this drastic change to all the panels into one contextual panel. It was a brilliant change but took time to get used to and I still know a few designers who never moved beyond FH10 because of this "heresy" to the original interface.
Much of what you have here is on our agenda and we won't go into meetings ignorant of AI and its workings. The Astute Graphics partnership is a concern (for me) as it could be passed off as a solution and but doesn't it also add more panels and tools to an already busy interface?
FreeHand is intuitive and planned for creative flow and that is the gripe about Illustrator from former FH users... unintuitive and a hodge-podge of disconnected tools. As you said, "Paste Inside" function is lost in the Paint Inside tools selection when It could be more apparent for FH-users, say, nearer clipping mask cmd.
When I look through the Ai forums, the same damn questions are asked about how to accomplish a set of tasks. That comes from new users (as well as FH/Corel users) and the forum experts often scratch their heads at why relatively easy tasks aren't made more obvious to avoid these repeated questions. I know the Illustrator team knows this is a problem... they have said this publicly. I see this more as the same problem Macromedia faced in 2000 when the FH team had to bring FreeHand into the future by revamping the UI with the Object Inspector. The FreeHand 10 users were pissed! Some refused to support FHMX because of this drastic change to all the panels into one contextual panel. It was a brilliant change but took time to get used to and I still know a few designers who never moved beyond FH10 because of this "heresy" to the original interface.
Re: Illustrator CS7 Requests
Hello all...
what I think must be essential additions...
• Paste inside which works and has editing capabilities (not clipping masks or draw inside)
• Find & Replace colour (not find similar)
• An option to TURN OFF the contact sensitivity of the pointer tool (it is an absolute nightmare deselecting all the objects you don't want selected when dragging a marquee around a selection)
• "Contol click" through objects to select objects behind.
• Polygon previews and editable polygons
• Editable corner radius's.
• Grouped objects have the appearance of a group... don't want to guess or read if something is a group or not... it should be visually apparent.
• Deleting a page also removes it's contents. Instead of having to delete the contents separately.
• 3D rotate tool
• A functional attach type to path tool
and last but not least....
a logical simple user experience... which I suppose will never happen!
thanks,
Mark f
what I think must be essential additions...
• Paste inside which works and has editing capabilities (not clipping masks or draw inside)
• Find & Replace colour (not find similar)
• An option to TURN OFF the contact sensitivity of the pointer tool (it is an absolute nightmare deselecting all the objects you don't want selected when dragging a marquee around a selection)
• "Contol click" through objects to select objects behind.
• Polygon previews and editable polygons
• Editable corner radius's.
• Grouped objects have the appearance of a group... don't want to guess or read if something is a group or not... it should be visually apparent.
• Deleting a page also removes it's contents. Instead of having to delete the contents separately.
• 3D rotate tool
• A functional attach type to path tool
and last but not least....
a logical simple user experience... which I suppose will never happen!
thanks,
Mark f
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Pease Press
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:18 am
"Transform Each"
(In CS4), Illustrator's "Transform Each" panel disappears every time I use it. I'd like the option of making this panel persistent so I can click it once rather than have to find it in the pull-down menu. (Persistent should be the default).