Shape Builder Tool and Collapsible Studio Panels

[Dean Draper]

Let me start by saying I've recently switched from Adobe Illustrator, and so far I am very impressed. There are really only two things from Illustrator that I miss almost every time I open the program. The Shape Builder tool is something I use very frequently. It is just much faster than using operations. When I am building large, complex objects, having to use operations instead of the Shape Builder tool is very prohibitive to my workflow. Another feature, and this is one I consider absolutely critical and I want it tomorrow XD, is the ability to have studio panels appear as an icon that I can click to have the panel pop out. Then when I'm done using it and move back to my workspace they revert to an icon. I am a junior freelancer without the budget of someone more experienced, so I don't have the same screen real estate. I'm still working on 1920x1080 resolution, and every single bit of screen real estate counts. Please, add this feature, and in a hurry. It's a feature so vital, I'm actually considering reverting to Illustrator, and I don't particularly care for Adobe. Save me before it's too late.

[Mithferion]

On the first feature, yeah, something like the Shape Builder Tool is a real time saver in certain workflows; I'd be glad when that appears.

As for the second request, I got used to the Ctrl + Shift + H command (on Windows) to dissapear just the Panels. I also hide the Toolbar, so sometimes I'm working with the Tools and the Context Toolbar, like this:

Also, consider that sometimes I work on a 1366 x 768 resolution screen, so this way I can cope with the lack of screen space.

Best regards!

P. S.: Long time ago I requested this, so I hope the Devs can consider and implement it.

[MikeK36]

+1 on collapsible studio panels

[ABD]

On 10/14/2018 at 8:17 PM, Dean Draper said:

Let me start by saying I've recently switched from Adobe Illustrator, and so far I am very impressed. There are really only two things from Illustrator that I miss almost every time I open the program. The Shape Builder tool is something I use very frequently. It is just much faster than using operations. When I am building large, complex objects, having to use operations instead of the Shape Builder tool is very prohibitive to my workflow. Another feature, and this is one I consider absolutely critical and I want it tomorrow XD, is the ability to have studio panels appear as an icon that I can click to have the panel pop out. Then when I'm done using it and move back to my workspace they revert to an icon. I am a junior freelancer without the budget of someone more experienced, so I don't have the same screen real estate. I'm still working on 1920x1080 resolution, and every single bit of screen real estate counts. Please, add this feature, and in a hurry. It's a feature so vital, I'm actually considering reverting to Illustrator, and I don't particularly care for Adobe. Save me before it's too late.

Same as me. Really liking the program but two things which I miss the most are shape builder and better panel management with options to create custom workspaces. I am positive that the Serif team is aware of these user requests and are right now focusing on other priority items. 

[Nazmus Sadat]

Same Here. The 2 biggest feature I miss in AD. Even though i could get over the shape builder tool and get used to boolean operations the collapsible panels are just too important for me.

[Jowday]

Two fine requests. I predict, tough, that you will only ever get one of them: collapsible panels.

[Mithferion]

12 hours ago, Jowday said:

Two fine requests. I predict, tough, that you will only ever get one of them: collapsible panels.

I believe, for some reason, that the Shape Builder Tool has more chances of arriving first (not that it will arrive soon).

Best regards!

[Jowday]

18 hours ago, Mithferion said:

I believe, for some reason, that the Shape Builder Tool has more chances of arriving first (not that it will arrive soon).

Best regards!

The reason why I believe the collapsible panels will arrive first and only - is that it does not require math intensive coding and vector specialist knowledge. There are actually only a few advanced features in Designer compared to Corel and Illustrator. Again;  look at the toolbar. Look at the menus. Virtually empty. In the vector feature department AD has not much more to offer than Gravit has.

The Shape Builder in Illustrator is much more advanced than the simple implementation in DrawPlus. I simply doubt that Serif has the in-house expertise to make and perfect the hardcore features in a vector editor. I also doubt they plan to compete in that field. For as long as no advanced features are implemented and 'expand stroke' shows no sign of a Serif vector expert and coder(s), I am not an optimist.

My fault though. I did expect too much from a cheap program from Serif. Serif never was different. The marketing fooled me - as did the DrawPlus related marketing. Fool me twice... 

[Mithferion]

17 hours ago, Jowday said:

The reason why I believe the collapsible panels will arrive first and only - is that it does not require math intensive coding and vector specialist knowledge.

I believe that if we get that, it will be later due to priority on other things. Changes in UI are rare and minimal here.

 

17 hours ago, Jowday said:

I simply doubt that Serif has the in-house expertise to make and perfect the hardcore features in a vector editor.

We are both assuming, but I believe they have the skills to do such a Tool. The Warp/Distort Tools seems more complicated to me, and they plan on doing it. Besides time, the only thing that prevents the creation of the Shape builder Tool is the problem with Boolean Operations, but Matt has said he will look into it.

 

Best regards!