Finding Percentage when resizing

Calculators? Just type the desired percentage with % into W or H on the Transform panel.

For example: Assume you have six objects.

Or even better, assume you have 1 object as  expressly stated in the OP.

Then how bad is it to copy the original value from the Transform palette (W or H), type the desired value (which has to be typed in because it is a completely new value) only with the decimal stop two places to the right (no reason to create it in the wrong place and then move it or make a roundabout multiplication), typing a /, and paste the copied original value?

Let us say we have a W = 271.111 and want 200. Then it will be 20000/271.111 = 73.77052204, and the value shown is 73.771, quite accurate to the 3 digits and within 1 thousandth of 1% (in this case).

You can even see the actual percentage value underway by ticking Preview.

Obviously, everything done just once in the Uniform scale part. At least when you are working with a very old, or young, model there are 3 digits after the comma, just as in the Transform palette.

In the corresponding multiple objects case, you can still key in and paste in the same way, in one operation, in the first percentage box, then copy the lot and paste it into the other box, and that is it.

Obviously less convenient, but no worse than that.

But wait...it does no good because the fields in this particular antequated modal dialog round to integer percentages (?!), whereas they don't in other percentage fields throughout the program. So you have to...

Maybe with a brand new, or old, model, but with a very old, or young, model there are still 2 digits after the comma, so the reading in this case is 73.77, accurate to the 2 digits and still within 1 thousandth of 1% (in this case).

And she is good at it.

Gag me. Compared to what?

Actually, IT is brain-dead lousey at it.

For example:

Assume you have six objects. Object A measures 2.125. You want to scale each of the objects independently at whatever percentage results in Object A measuring 2.1875. You should be able to:

1. Select Object A. Copy its measure from the Control Panel.

2. Select all six objects.

3. Object>Transform>Transform Each. Turn on the proportional checkbox.

But wait...you can't because there is no proportional checkbox in this antequated modal dialog. So you have to...

3. Key the desired size (2.1875) into one of the two Scale fields, followed by a division mark. Paste. Key a multiplication mark followed by 100.

But wait...you can't, because Illustrator's utterly lame value fields can only handle one math symbol at a time. (You can type a whole equation into FreeHand's value fields.) So you have to...

3. Key the desired size (2.1875) into one of the two Scale fields, followed by a division mark. Paste. Click outside the field to commit it. Then key "*100" after the resulting value (or manually move the decimal two places).

4. Copy the resulting percentage and paste it into the other field (sigh), or key it into the other field.

But wait...it does no good because the fields in this particular antequated modal dialog round to integer percentages (?!), whereas they don't in other percentage fields throughout the program. So you have to...

1. Resort to a similarly cumbersome routine, using the Scale Tool's antequated modal dialog. This particular antequated modal dialog does provide a separate "Uniform" field (totally inconsistent with the proportional link interface treatments elsewhere in the program). But you can't use Transform Again on the other objects, because each transformation will be centered about the center of the first one you scaled, and the interface provides no choice about that.

And no matter where you do it in this program, you will contend with Illustrator's ridiculous rounding errors anytime you actually use a math operator on a pre-existing value. What self-respecting graphic artist hasn't long ago memorized decimal values for common eight-inch increments? But you dare not use math operators in Illustrator fields and expect accurate three- or four-decimal values to result.

Illustrator features are half-baked (took decades before dimension fields could do simple math, and even then it was--and still is--limited to one math operator). They are inconsistently-interfaced (proportional constraints here, but not there; buttons here, separate fields there). They are scattered (all this and more should be accomplished in a proper object inspector). And they are antequated. (The program abounds with modal dialogs.)

JET

Nate,

Then i could select all the itmes and resize by that percentage.

Just select everything and use Object>Transform (maybe with the extra step of Transform Each), then set Uniform Scale to 168400/1986 (insert the new value multiplied by 100, then the slash, then the original value), then press Enter.

So Illy does it for you. And she is good at it.

Lol... ok ok i was hoping to make a floating toolbar or something that would give me the percentage LIVE as i was doing it... Alot of time i do "to scale" art in the sign business and architechural sitemaps and they only use illustrator here not the other software where those features were part of them.

I dont think you understand if i had to do it once or twice a month i would open Calc.exe and do the calculations, but since i do this 6 to 10 times a day that adds up to alot of lost time.

AND if i remember correctly in AI6 or 7, the Transform toolbar use to let you click inside of the box (or right click and change to percentage in the dialog box and a side effect of that is it would tell you the percentage as you typed the number in inches

I always do it with a calculator.

In your case 1.684 divided by 1.986 is 84.7935548...%.

Then use the Scale tool.

Just bring up the Win or Mac OS calculator. Type in the desired size. Divide it by the current size. Move the decimal point to the right two places and you'll have the percentage needed to increase or decrease to your desired size.

You can just enter percentage values in the numeric input boxes on the property bar or the transform panel, for example type 50%.

If you scale something interactively with the scale tool, you can double click the scale tool and it will show you the percentage used for the scale. You can also use that scale tool with numeric percentage input.

Also, if you enable the smart guides this will show a label with the percentage values while using the scale tool.