How to align object in Specific area?

[Mohsin Adrees]

To explain my Question i'll give you an example of Photoshop! i understand how alignments works in both Photoshop and Illustrator, however there's one way in Photoshop to align object or text which i can't seem to do/find in Illustrator. Perhaps it's because there's no way to to Select Specific area like you can in Photoshop using rectangle marquee tool.

In Photoshop, You can select an area using rectangle marquee tool and then select a layer of a text or object to align it inside that specific selected area. Which is extremely helpful and it's something i can't seems to do/find in Illustrator.

P.S: i do have an (alternative) way to align it. For Example: i'd make a shape using rectangle tool, put it under the object i want to align and the select both layers (shape & object) and then "align to key object". Then select the the shape and align it.

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

hbkmano,

I believe you have found the one (alternative) way.

[Mohsin Adrees]

Was hoping this is not the answer as this is annoying to me, i mean Photoshop does it better, faster and easier.

[John Mensinger]

hbkmano  wrote

this is annoying to me, i mean Photoshop does it better, faster and easier.

I'm not sure why there's any need for the applications to compete with each other when their fundamental operational characteristics are so different, especially when comparing the conventions of "making a selection". There is nothing to be gained by equating the two.

In a vector editing environment, the use of temporary "helper objects" is common and sound practice, and I don't see how (in Illustrator) dragging out a rectangle, [performing an operation], then deleting it, is any more a burden than (in Photoshop) dragging out a marquee selection, [performing an operation], then deselecting.

It occurs to me now that I can remember (doesn't seem long ago at all) when Photoshop didn't even have the Align functions we now know. There was no context-sensitive control panel either; just the option to press and hold Ctrl/Cmd while a selection tool was active in order to get the Move tool. Alignments were done using guides.

[SJRiegel]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/John+Mensinger  wrote

It occurs to me now that I can remember (doesn't seem long ago at all) when Photoshop didn't even have the Align functions we now know.

This made me recall that the version of Photoshop I learned on didn't even have layers.

[John Mensinger]

SJRiegel  wrote

This made me recall that the version of Photoshop I learned on didn't even have layers.

Hah! Same here. In fact, I think I started in Aldus Photostyler.

I'll see you down at the old folks' home, Susan.

[Monika Gause]

Smart guides will do that in Illustrator.

[JETalmage]

I don't see how (in Illustrator) dragging out a rectangle, [performing an operation], then deleting it, is any more a burden than (in Photoshop) dragging out a marquee selection, [performing an operation], then deselecting.

Exactly. When it comes down to it, the document metaphor of a raster imaging program like Photoshop is based on a single raster image, and everything else is relative to that "background." The document metaphor of a vector-based drawing program like Illustrator is not like that. It is a stack of independent objects in an otherwise empty space. There is no "background" image to align to. You align objects to other objects (including regions of the coordinate system; i.e.; so-called Artboards).

Hbkmano, In the context of a vector-based program, the behavior you want is like thinking you could place an asteroid in some absolute position in utterly empty space, with absolutely nothing else to reference.

Was hoping this is not the answer as this is annoying to me, i mean Photoshop does it better, faster and easier.

And there are countless things a vector drawing program does better, faster, and easier than a raster editing program. They are different programs for doing different primary things. They should not be constrained to identical interface metaphors.

JET