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Participant
September 7, 2012
Question

measuring the distance between elements?

  • September 7, 2012
  • 5 replies
  • 100341 views

Is there an easy way to measure the distance between shapes, lines, type, etc. in CS6? I could use the artboard ruler, though I'm looking for a quick way to give me a precise measurement?

Thanks.

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5 replies

Edek
Edek
Participant
November 21, 2023

It absolutely blows my mind Adobe, with an army of developers and designers, can't figure it out such a basic feature.

Measure tool is not reliable as it snaps to objects weirdly, using rectangles ultimately will have a similar problem (think about snapping with text as well).

In Figma: Tap on one object hold 'Alt' and hover the next object. That can't be hard to develop!

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 21, 2023
    @Edek  schrieb:

    It absolutely blows my mind Adobe, with an army of developers and designers, can't figure it out such a basic feature.

     

     

    If they do not get the impression that a majority of people would need it, they won't allocate money and time to a feature.

    You might want to make a feature request over there: https://illustrator.uservoice.com

     

    This forum is 95% volunteers. We aren't even staff. We can't change things. 

    Edek
    Edek
    Participant
    November 21, 2023

    Ofc! I was just sharing the frustration in the hopes to pile up the same feedback in diffferent places. I already done the offcial feedback in the past and I'm sure many have done the same.

    In terms of people needing/they allocating money and time... Not too sure about that. It's not uncommon in Product for bad priotisation to happen.

    C
    charlesh38558767
    Participant
    April 9, 2020

    This is such a basic feature. Other programs do this with ease. I got so used to it and it is so helpful in other programs, I hate coming back to Adobe products and they still don't have basic functionality in their apps. They will invest heavily in some complex feature that is not practical or no one uses it. Adobe XD's auto animate is a feature that no one needs but they push it like we use it in the proffesional commuity. 

     

      rifraf
      rifraf
      Participant
      June 3, 2020

      this is the best thing i've read today 

        Jeff Witchel, ACI
        Community Expert
        Jeff Witchel, ACICommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        July 21, 2016

        I'm assuming that you wish to measure the distance to make that measure a certain amount. If that's the case, why not just use the Align panel to make it that precise amount?

        1. Select two or more objects that you want to be an exact distance apart.
        2. Click again on the object that is already in the correct position This will make that object the "Key Object."
        3. If the bottom third of the Align panel is not showing, look under the Options menu of the panel and choose Show Options.
        4. In the Distribute Spacing section at the bottom of the panel, type a measurement in the field.
        5. Click either the Distribute Vertical or Horizontal Space command and your object will now be that exact amount apart.

        Hope this helps! Please see attached.

        A
        Anonymous
        July 21, 2016

        @Jeff thank you for your reply.

        I'd like to measure the distance between just two lines, and I would like to obtain the precise measurement without the stroke width, like this:  

        I solved changing in Preferences > General turn off "Use Artwork bounds" thanks to Monika Gause

        JETalmage
        JETalmage
        Inspiring
        September 7, 2012

        Illustrator's Measure tool does not confidently abide by snaps. It's practically useless. Use the Line tool to draw a line between the points, edges, or objects you want to measure. Then doubleClick the Line tool. Its dialog will have "remembered" the last-used values.

        JET

          M
          Manish-Sharma
          Inspiring
          September 7, 2012

          Use "Measure tool"  ,

          Check :- Measue Distance between two objects

            A
            Anonymous
            July 21, 2016

            I used the info panel to read the measures between two lines. It worked fine till CC 2014 and it was accurate.

            Now with CC 2015 / 2015.5, is different: the info panel shows the distance between two lines including the stroke weight in the measurement, therefore if I change the stroke width the measure will change.

            How can we measure the distance without adding the stroke weight as it worked with past Illustrator releases(like CC 2014)?

            Monika Gause
            Community Expert
            Monika GauseCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            July 21, 2016

            In the Preferences > General turn off "Use Artwork bounds"

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