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Command key press = modeless selection tool


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This is something I didn’t realize I used so often… until it was gone! No idea if others do this too.

In Illustrator (and Photoshop, to a lesser degree), no matter what tool you have selected, holding down the Command key will briefly put the cursor into “move mode” (the Selection tool) so you can move any existing shape before you start drawing the new one.

 

This is usually better than using the Selection tool explicitly — in fact, I never have to use the actual Selection tool — because the soft function is always available at the press of a button, and whatever you had selected on the tools palette remains selected.

AF originally bound object copying to Command-drag (?!), but now that they’ve fixed that, there should be no more conflict with my suggestion.

 

I’m sure I can’t be the only one who uses Illustrator this way…?

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I know what you mean. I find I am constantly trying to move or select something by pressing the command key... BUT because I have the gradient tool or transparency tool selected I start to adjust the gradient or transparency by accident... in fact I saw someone today in a video tutorial do exactly that...

 

Having the command key to always call the selection/move tool would be very welcomed and ease the transition for illustrator users big time.

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Did you know that you can toggle between tools by pressing the short key twice?  So, if you're in the gradient tool, press V once to use the Select tool, then a second time to return back to the Gradient tool.

 

As far as the command key goes - some of our tools are already using all four modifier keys, so that suggestion won't work across the board.

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Thanks Ben, I suspected as much regarding an all across the board solution. A huge part of this for myself and I think many others are years of muscle memory... and currently with one foot in each camp... migration may take some time.  Fortunately the grey matter is maleable. ;)  

 

Have you considered at some point producing a "tips sheet" or similar for illustrator users transitioning to Designer. Maybe it already exists? 

 

I like that toggle idea, I'll bear it in mind going forward. Thanks.

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