Quick Grid, Snap Quick Grid to Grid & Grid Alignment

[gridesque]

Quick grid is a nice QOL but it should be possible to have it follow an artboard's grid and gutter setup. Maybe this can be done as a snapping setting which could be named like 'Snap Quick Grid to Grid'? 

But also, I think we need something more to properly containerize a grid to allow for quick replication on fixed gutters and perform post-draw realignment. Here is two potential ways to go about this...

We could add a toggle option to force grid cell alignment on artboards or it could also be a toggle option and grid settings available for the standard group or layer options bar. Then if we were to utilize quick grid or draw anything with this turned on it would force objects into the cells of the grid. It could then also automatically readjust as the grid settings change. If done as a special type of group it could be given the option to do live cell replication even. Something like this would be like setting up constraints but more formalized and automatic.

Alternatively if not that, an alignment option to distribute to grid would work to enable post-draw realignment. This could be done if when both 'space vertically' and 'space horizontally' were turned on it worked like distributing to a grid. It could also be done with a new 'distribute as grid' option which could set up a custom grid spacing or simply inherit and follow the artboard's grid. This, in conjunction with a 'Snap Quick Grid to Grid' snapping setting would be enough for me.

Edited November 10, 2022 by gridesque

[Pehaer]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:57 AM, gridesque said:

Alternatively if not that, an alignment option to distribute to grid would work to enable post-draw realignment. This could be done if when both 'space vertically' and 'space horizontally' were turned on it worked like distributing to a grid. It could also be done with a new 'distribute as grid' option which could set up a custom grid spacing or simply inherit and follow the artboard's grid.

I support this idea. I often encounter the need to arrange similar elements in a grid, in my work.

[Mr. Doodlezz]

I also find the Quick Grid function good, but not very good. For my use cases it is simply not precise enough and I find the delay when changing the distance to each other irritating, especially when it is a matter of a few pixels or millimetres - then it becomes slightly frustrating, because as soon as you release the mouse button to move closer, for example, the process is automatically confirmed/completed.

I find your ideas very well documented. However, I would find it even more intuitive if a kind of pop-up opened right beneath the mouse cursor as soon as the system recognised that I wanted to use Quick Grid. You could then define exactly these settings via the pop-up.

It could look like this and would increase the accuracy by 100% (clearly I'm not a UI artist, so treat this as a mockup):

Or, for a slightly more compact version just for manipulating the gutter, since you can get the first frame snap to the document grid can to control the number of frames horizontally/vertically via the keyboard anyway:

 

 

 

[debraspicher]

Yes, it has potential to become a highly underrated feature (because people will maybe not know it exists), but it does need more work. I have a hard time seeing what size gutters are being created. My keyboard modifier keys are usually set quite small, but it can be adjusted with align/distribute after for absolute certainty. It is handy for creating artboards using Layer > Convert Object to Artboard.

It's biggest problem is once we let go mouse, it's "set in stone".