Illustrator mystery...

[iSign]

I've been using this software for about 15 years... but I stick with what I know & don't really venture too far into learning new stuff... then once in a while some really basic little thing has me stumped.

This past week, I've been encountering this recurring issue that really inconveniences me, but i haven't noticed a pattern of when it happens. I don't really remember it happening before, but now it seems to have haunted me 4 or 5 times, then it's gone awhile... then it's back.

It seems as though it would be a preference setting that I need to change, or a client file that is operating under their prefs, instead of mine... but usually copying it to a new page fixes that kind of issue, but this idea doesn't work in the case of this weeks mystery.

When I select something, I often depend on those handles in the corners & the center for use in resizing, & also for locating guide lines at my centers.
Why are those handles not showing up on several occassions & several different files this past week?????

I wouldn't be surprised if this is something so easy I'll be ashamed for not figuring it out... but that shame will be less inconvenient then dealing with this mystery for another week :

 

[iSign]

oh yeah... "show bounding box"

I must not have had enough sleep, coffee... or time off this week

 

[Rick]

Me and the bounding box have never gotten along....I always keep mine off.

 

[Geary]

Oh, I know...it's "show bounding box".

Just kidding Doug. You know though...I also like Illustrator a lot and I have used it since it's inception right up to 7 . That's it. That's all I use in Ai. But, I know I should upgrade to CS...I just don't. No printer here...and I use Canvas and LXi. I suppose that's why. I'm just on a slow burn these days I guess.

~Gear

ps.....I do know why you like the bounding box. Otherwise the "scaling" technique suffers on Ai....imo.

 

[iSign]

I always keep mine on... but I "hide" the artboard & page tiling quite often... and sometimes in a rush, I guess I hit "hide bounding box" by mistake, so I go back & hide what I need hidden... but forget to unhide the bounding box.
Then I get a week like this last one where I'm so scattered, I didn't slow down long enough to figure that out all week, until now that shame was at stake

 

[Rick]

With the bounding box, I have noticed a couple of designers at my last job would get a little lazy and accidently squeeze and squish type at the tiniest amounts. I would call them on it when I was doing the production/construction doc files. After seeing them work, I noticed they usually forget to hit the shift button or release it too soon to keep the scale uniform or more often try to move the file and inadvertently scale it down....drove me loco!

 

[Geary]

Well, I just went back and checked on my version 7. I don't even HAVE "bounding box" options. LOL That was on 10 back at the shop I worked at last up north. ha!

 

[sullosau]

I have illi but I havent really tried to learn it, I have Corel and well since I did learn that one, even reading the manual on occassion!
But when ever I look at the desktop and see the illy icon just sitting there laughing at me I say to myself, I will learn you one day.......
Until I get the time for that day illy will remain a mystery to me, but I get the results I need so it can just sit there and keep on laughing...
And yeah, havent had enough coffee either..

 

[thewood]

After seeing them work, I noticed they usually forget to hit the shift button or release it too soon to keep the scale uniform

It's the worst, and I've done it in Illustrator and Photoshop. I think Flexi is
much more "scale-friendly" both manually (since proportionate scaling is the default) and using Design Central.

 

[The Dotted Line]

Island,

I think it is the Bounding Box or in the View menu called "Hide Edges." Sometimes I accidentally hit Command H (Control H on PC) when I am trying to hit Command G. That toggles the "Hide Edges" off and on. So if you've done it once, do it again to get it back.

Good luck!
James

 

[signguy95]

I'm just now learning Illustrator and trying to get in the habit of using the shift when scaling...But I use flexi at work and I catch myself hitting the shift key by accident.

In flexi, holding shift when scaling will do right the opposite!


Jay

 

[animenick65]

Illustrator annoys the hell out of me. Its so unintuitive. Scaling should always be proportionate with the option of holding the shift key to scale unproportionally.

 

[thewood]

Illustrator annoys the hell out of me. Its so unintuitive. Scaling should always be proportionate with the option of holding the shift key to scale unproportionally.

I agree!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iSign]

actually Flexi keeps running me in circles, because after 10 years of Illy... shift keeps movements on axis... and it keeps things proportionate... makes sense to my intuition... but of course, after 10 years... I should hope so. (I only have 2 years with Flexi in my shop & my employees responsibilities are where that program comes into play the most)

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

But flexi has a lot of the same shortcut functions as Photoshop, with a few corel ones thrown in for good measure!