Illustrator History Panel...

[joedansk]

I've been reading that there is no History Panel in Illustrator even though it seems to be a commonly requested feature.  So let me get this straight... Adobe doesn't think that a history panel is necessary in Illustrator?  I get that I can ctrl-z to my hearts content... but what if I've done a string of changes that don't actually effect what I'm seeing on screen so I have no visual clue that I'm at the point I want to stop hitting ctrl-z.  Adobe would rather I try to figure out if I need to ctrl-z 6 times, 7 times, or 8 times or 9 times or 10 times?  Don't you think it would be a lot easier to have a history panel that we can look at and say "oh... that is the change I want to go back to"... Click... Done.  They'd rather we ctrl-z, check where we are, ctrl-z, check where we are, ctrl-z, check where we are, ctrl-z, check where we are and on and on and on?

Yeah... Makes sense.

[_scott_]

Wade, don't be an ass. You don't know me and I've championed many new featrues.

And JW... I dont' even know you so how on earth could I state anything personal towards you??? Lighten up.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

I've been on this forum since Illustrator v9 and you have been here longer and I cannot remember you even once being for any feature request suggested here on ths forum.

I can remeber your were against transparency, mulitppages and multiple art bords, 3D support. more Flash and web support but I do not recall yyou ever actually makig a feature request orsupporting one tha someone else made.

Enlighten us!

[_scott_]

Wade, you're old and your memory is obviously fading. I won't argue with you. You've become overly filled with megalomania.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

I think that the other recent users contributing here understand the difficuty of trying to fight it out on this forum and that their time would be best if each one would submit a feature request here:

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

The feture request orks if enough people chime in on the feature request page.

If you see what I mean.

[TheOnlyKingArthur]

Thank you Wade, that was very helpful; exactly what the forums are for.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

You're welcome I put in my request for or five times and sometimes it takes a while but if people need the feature it shows up.

About priorities that is very much and individuals own issues. And I think they should express.

[Stan Jones]

I submitted a feature request for a history panel. All it allows is making  multiple undos in one click, and being able to see what undos are in the list.

It would not, as it does not in photoshop, allow you to undo some steps and keep others. So I don't really understand the downside.

[Guest]

No one on this thread is an Adobe engineer, so to argue against implementing a History Panel, speculating that it would be technically impossible or unfeasable (despite the fact that Flash has an integrated History Panel), is moot in the sense of having no practical relevance, and is not in the least bit helpful, is just a waste of time to read.  And to argue against someone's desire for a History Panel or anything else, for whatever reasons they desire it, is just plain absurd, let alone self-righteous and contentiious.

I used Photoshop and Illustrator equally and find the lack of a History Panel in Ai endlessly frustrating.  Here is the CS6 feature request that I submiited to Adobe at https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform, the link Wade provided:

"A History Panel would be exceedingly useful, the same as in Flash or Photoshop, and for all the same time-saving, workflow-simplifying reasons.  Please incorporate the feature in CS6.  Ai users have been asking for this for years.  I can tell you for sure that if CS6 does NOT have a HP, I won’t upgrade from CS5.  It’s the one feature that would tip it for me.

Because designing is not a clear-cut linear process - ideas come to mind as you go along - I use the History Panel in PS constantly to either backtrack or test out new ideas and compare them to each other; a similar History Panel in Ai would be invaluable. 

It’s not just the list that’s useful to go back 500 steps if necessary with one click instead of 500, or to instantly compare two states that might be 500 steps apart, but I also use New Snapshot to save multiple history states to the top of the panel that I can return to and work on non-linearly (a history options option), and New Document which instantly opens an identical copy of the entire project with layers preserved in a new tab. 

Ai is woefully lacking in features to aid in the testing and quick comparison of ideas within the document.  Aside from the cmd+z limitations, having to endlessly save copies, search for them, open them in new tabs, then switch back and forth between multiple tabs is a grossly inadequate, cumbersome workaround.

Thank you."

[whothennow24]

Bravo! Well said!

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

Fireworks also has a history panel which can also be used to crete an action out of the various commands you have already used and you can even skip some of the commands when creating such an action.

Very useful.

[CarlosCanto]

if I wrote a script to Undo / Redo X number of times, would that help? that's within my powers

[emil_emil]

CarlosCanto wrote:

if I wrote a script to Undo / Redo X number of times, would that help? that's within my powers

Out of curiosity I looked at this thread, and while reading the reasons for the request, my first thought was "they may be better off with faster accelerated redo/undo than a history panel".

I think with a history panel won't be that easy to find the desired history step in a long list of similar steps. There will be a lot of trial and error clicking to find it. Also for those how don't know it, have in mind that you don't have to press Ctrl + z multiple times, you just hold Ctrl and z keys and the changes will be animated pretty fast. I think this animation makes it easier to get to the desired step in the process than if you have to guess where to click in a long list of steps with the same names. So far holding Ctrl + z hasn't been terribly annoying but the best for me would be accelerated undo. One way this could be implemented is while holding Ctrl + z to also press a number on the keyboard that will accelerate the undo animation that number of times. As for comparing stages I like the Photoshop functionality with Ctrl + Alt + z versus Ctrl + z. Something similar in Illustrator will be great. I'm not sure if a history panel will be better for this - imagine you have to scroll several screen pages through the panel to compare two states, although I've seen interfaces where long lists can be split like several instances of the panel but that still will be a lot of user effort to make the arrangement. With all that said I'm not against a history panel feature and I'm sure it will be useful for a lot of people but I think for what is needed there are better ways.

[Doug.S]

I agree with Wade...would be a very useful tool for some people.

My solution....don't call it a history panel, just call it an undo list!

[Doug A Roberts]

CarlosCanto wrote:

if I wrote a script to Undo / Redo X number of times, would that help? that's within my powers

Carlos... just in case you ever check this again... would it be within the powers of Script UI to actually build a history palette of sorts? even if it was just a list that read 'Action 1', 'Action 2' etc.?

[antago-6hFmrs]

I have to say that the History Palette is an incredibly needed accessory; I apologize for the redundant and senseless disagreers running around this thread. Apparently the 1960's software crew were released from the zoo and allowed only to post on Adobe's forums from the confines of their cages.

[Guest]

great thread, though when searching for "illustrator history panel" one would expect a simple keyboard shortcut or some deep-buried menu item, not a long and complicated thread about a feature that is not there yet... anyway, the reason I signed in (not up, though I might have) is to point out that the History Panel is much more than a quick way to jump many undo states, or quickly compare previous choices, however valid both arguments and uses are. The HP is *visual,* it's like a map, or a trail. It gives you an overview of the time you spent and the actions you performed, and it gives you security, because it's all under your eyes. You might not use it, but it's a different feeling knowing that you have the ability to go back in time, not just going backwards "blindfold" as you do with Ctrl-Z but return to any specific, exact point in time... Considering how little effort it would take to add it (I can't see why it could be difficult), it seems to me that this feature is long overdue.

Still, I'd be very interested to know the historical reasons why AI is different from Photoshop (and most other software) in this respect, I'm sure there were (maybe still are) good reasons for this...?

[JCJEDenny]

1. Someone here said no one has ever given a valid reason for a history panel.  How about 1 hour wasted Control Z-ing to get back through about 25 actions that each required applying multiple art brushes, drop shadows and effects - about 10-15 seconds for each control Z, and it won't take multiple commands at once.  A history panel would have let me go back several steps at once and save this valuable time in my busy day instead of wasting it in the revision stage of a project that the pesky client can't make up her fricking mind, while other pressing (PAYING) projects are waiting.  This is extremely annoying, and I wouldn't mind what else has to go to make room for a history panel.

[batp1337]

A history panel is useful for anyone learning illustrator. If you're watching a tutorial and are told to press a hotkey you can check in history and see what that function is called.

[Eashtee]

The first and only thing I do miss in Ai is a history panel. I just googled for the solution and got here... Everyone who is against of a history panel is a freak. Period. 

[Will Chadwick]

I'm trying to find the History panel in Illustrator.

Clicking 'Undo' (or Cmd + z) a hundred times is not optimal. A history panel has a clearly to be seen usefulness.

I am confused that people are so obsessed with 'non-linear editing' that they cannot see the logic of not wanting to click undo an outrageous number of times.

Has the History panel been added to Illustrator? Please say that it has and tell me where to find it.

[CarlosCanto]

Please say that it has and tell me where to find it.

if it is not under the Windows menu where all the other panels are, that would be my first clue...then I would have a look at all other menus, there aren't that many.

[chococat]

We need a History Panel in AI.

I understand why some people don't need to use it but it does not mean others won't find it helpful.

Everyone has a different way of working--this is why you can achieve the same result using different methods using different tools in Photoshop or Illustrator etc...

[dmparrish4]

Disregarding the whole History panel /non-linear issues, being a UX Developer/Designer, I find not having a control-z alternative for multiple steps a big sore spot. Try to seperate the issues of "undoing" the work and view it with a perspective of a pure timeline of changes.

For example:

I want to see what an object looked like before I moved multiple points 20 times back? To be clear, I merely want to see it. I am not thinking about reverting at this point. I just want to look at what it originally looked like for comparison to see if I like my changes or if I'd rather start over.

A Proposed Solution:

If you can control-z back to a certain point, why not have a function where, say for instance,  holding down cntrl+z for...3 seconds sets off a popup that allows you to choose the number of cntrl-z steps you would like to go back. This would allow the user to do cntrl-z hold 3 seconds, type 20 and enter and go back. You could even go a step further and have a comparison to the present state window. And  an option to "Keep current state". 

That's a couple of clicks as opposed to 20 cntrl-z's (while trying to remember what you current iteration looks like) then 20 shift contrl+z's to get back to the current state.

HOW IS 40 clicks better than 5?

[nrichmond]

This times a million

I want a panel that can do this also so that I can see what I'm doing or what has been done while working. Say I accidentally swipe a hotkey to something. I don't know what it is, what it does, or if it did anything substantial. If I had a history panel I would see an action popup and be able to identify it. In Illustrator I have to identify that something happened myself (not always easy), and then open up Edit and read it what it says ("Undo such-and-such action").

I also like discovering hotkeys but I have no idea what anything does unless I open up Edit every time I hit anything.

If you can't tell I'm new to Illustrator and my workflow in Photoshop heavily involves the history panel for reasons other than the history brush and other things that "don't make sense" in Illustrator, but also do not completely invalidate its existence.

[mrdignitty]

Honestly I agree with original poster, it's "REALLY" hard to find reason for a history panel, the best way to learn Illustrator is not by reading a list of commands, but by watching and following a video, so no need for a history panel there, and even if you get really really far down the road on some type that has been outlined, stroked, and had specific effects added you can easily just click and see exactly what's effecting any element you're working with and then apply those effects to other elements, the history is recorded live and embedded in the elements, if you know how to use illustrator then you know how to access all the information about what you've done to any elements you've created.