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Participating Frequently
September 27, 2019
Question

Random increments on transform and scale

  • September 27, 2019
  • 8 replies
  • 716 views

The problem is fairly easy to describe. Example, I have a square, it is 60px by 60px – with the "constrain height and width proportions" chain selected, if I key in a number, say, 600px; it will change to 600px by 599.998px. Pretty infuriating it introduces this [albeit tiny] inaccuracy.

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    8 replies

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2019

    Max, you can vote and comment here for more consistent display of decimals in Illustrator and see a comment from Neeraj Nandkeolyar, product manager Illlustrator.

    https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/32532658-total-ui-inconsistency-with-decimals-in-illustrato

    mxwlsnAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 28, 2019

    Ton, that's the answer – thanks. There is a hundredth of a pixels mistake in the artwork. Give that illustrator could show a shape is actually 45px by 45.0001px, why doesn't it just do that?

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2019

    Maybe your original size was not exactly what was shown.

    So instead of 45 px X 45 px it was actually 45 X 45,0001 px

    That would show as a rounded 45px, but the 45,0001 value would be used when transformed.

    You can try this: Create a rectangle of X:45 and Y:45,0001 px W:45 and H:45,0001 px 

    You will see 45 X 45 in the Transform panel.

    Change the W 45 to 450 and watch the H value change to 450,001 

    I edited the reply change X and Y to W and H

    mxwlsnAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 28, 2019

    Still the issue. Some more info; if I change the width [enter 450px into the width box] I get 450.002px height – if I change the height to 450px instead, I get 449.998px width.

     

    Jacob Bugge
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2019

    Max,

     

    You have just shown the Transform palette in your screenshots. The Reference Points are the nine small squares to the left with the centre one selected; you can select the corners and the centres of the sides instead.

     

    With en even number like 450px, the X and Y will be integers in all cases if the centre one is; with an odd number like 45px, the corner one will have non integer X and Y values ending in .5.

     

    Your centre X and Y values are non integer (X = 1040.607 and Y = 467.508).

     

    What happens if you start with the little version W = H = 45px, choose the top left Reference Point, change to X = 1020 and Y = 450, and then try to scale up to 450px?

     

     

    mxwlsnAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 28, 2019

    Here are a couple of screengrabs to show the issue.

     

    What I can say is that it doesn't happen when transforming a simple square.

     

     
    Jacob Bugge
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2019

    Max,

     

    Is it also happening if you set the X  and Y values to whole numbers (integers) such as X = Y = 0 for one of the corners (see the Reference Points in the Transform palette)?

     

    mxwlsnAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 28, 2019
    Jacob, thanks for your question but I don't understand. I don't know which Transform palette reference points you're referring to.
    Mike_Gondek10189183
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 27, 2019

    Turn off align to pixel grid.

    You can uncheck the 3 options as shown above, or just click on the iocn to change the mode to OFF.

     

     

    ALIGN TO PIXEL GRID OFF  

     

     

    ALIGN TO PIXEL GRID ON  

    tromboniator
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    September 27, 2019
    But that error is less than one one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair!
    mxwlsnAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 28, 2019
    That's what my hairdresser said! As to why a computer program would introduce this random error, and what other errors that might cause... my hairdresser was not helpful.