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jeromevadon
Known Participant
October 24, 2017
Answered

Illustrator CC 2018 - Scale tool / resize : bounding box missing

  • October 24, 2017
  • 7 replies
  • 36797 views

Hello community members!

I need your help (or Adobe support if someone is reading this…)

Since last update (October 2017 release of Illustrator CC) I am encountering a problem (bug?) regarding the scale tool.

I have read a lot of question about the last update on the forum, but nothing seems to be like what I am facing right now.

Usually (like "since this function is in Illustrator") when you are selecting the tool a box on the right toolbar, a scale box surrounding all selected items is appearing. Not anymore (for me at least).

Please note that I don't want to permanently display the "bounding box" outside of the scale tool!

Anyway, fun fact is if you are activating the "bounding box" from the "view" menu, it will disappear automatically when the scale tool is selected...

There is definitively something wrong with this update.

Before spending your time answering (thanks for this) please note the following:

  • I am a power user and experienced /advanced user of illustrator (since earlier "88" releases),
  • I am running a monstrous rig under latest version on of Windows 10 (no memory, CPU, GPUs issues here),
  • I have tried to reset the preferences both at launch of Illustrator AND manually in the OS, with complete restart in between,
  • I have tried to switch preview (outline / CPU / GPU),
  • I have re-installed the CC 2018 from scratch, with complete restart in between,
  • I have re-install the CC 2017, which is working like a charm, before re-updating to CC 2018.

I am now clueless like a chicken facing a Swiss army knife... And I am coming here as last hope before taking down AI CC 2018 and going back to CC 2017...

SOMEONE HEEEEEELP MEEEE

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer desireeh

I arrived on this page with the same problem and was able to find the solution on another forum and it works perfectly.

CMD(or CTRL) SHIFT-B will turn on the bounding box where you will again have the resizing handles on each side and corner.

I think the recent upgrade changed the defaults where this was turned OFF. Hope this helps. -Desiree

7 replies

sabeelmji
Participant
July 19, 2019

THANK YOUUUUU

Participant
May 2, 2019

idk if anyone is still reading..but open Transform < Scale < check "scale corners" in the options. Then you can scale freely without affecting the round corners after.

Participant
May 2, 2018

From what i tested Is the only way it works for me is if i go into isolation mode for the object or shape and if i hit control it shows the box to resize the item 

desireehCorrect answer
Participant
January 30, 2018

I arrived on this page with the same problem and was able to find the solution on another forum and it works perfectly.

CMD(or CTRL) SHIFT-B will turn on the bounding box where you will again have the resizing handles on each side and corner.

I think the recent upgrade changed the defaults where this was turned OFF. Hope this helps. -Desiree

Participant
April 18, 2018

Desireeh, you are a GOD! I've battled with this scaling nightmare for weeks and just CMD SHIFT-B was the saviour to all my problems!

Thank YOU!

Participant
April 18, 2018

dawn34418148, so glad it worked out! ;-)

Anna Lander
Inspiring
December 2, 2017

I check it on CC 17 / Win 7, and Scale tool works without Bounding Box there. But you can check the scaling percentage

And the tool below (Free transform) gives you Bounding Box and shows the scaling dimensions

The same thing is on CC 18 / Win 7 and CC 18 / Win 10

Participant
October 24, 2017

I think you're confusing the scale tool and free transform tool with each other. I was having the same problem as you. I then realized that right below the scale tool there is a tool with a thumb tack icon. That's a new tool called the "puppet warp tool". If you click and hold that tool you'll also see the free transform tool that will give you the box around an item or group of items that gives you the scale option I think you're after.

EvieTokens
Participant
October 26, 2017

Thankyou! I too have been struggling, but now I discovered the scale tool. It is not as intuitive as previous iterations of Ai... Why they did this - who knows! -but at least my working process can get back up to speed! Many thanks!

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2017

If I understand correctly; you have Show Bounding Box on.

It shows a Bounding Box when the Selection Tool (V) is used.

The Bounding Box disappears when you choose the Scale Tool (S).

That's the way it has worked for several versions (I can verify, at least since CS4).

But maybe I misunderstood your problem.

jeromevadon
Known Participant
October 24, 2017

Hello,
You have misunderstood.

I was just referring to the bounding box just to clear that the subject WAS not about it (in order to avoid to get people lose their time about the wrong subject, as is is often confusing for most users. I obviously have failed miserably.

(and “no” I don't have  - and don't want the “bounding box "on" in normal mode (but I have tried just in case there would be some kind of weird interactions), but the subject is really about the “surrounding box” (bounding?^^) only when you want to scale an object or a group of objects…

When “scale tool” is “on” (selected on the toolbar), there is NO box at all (and no way to display it, even with key combinations or even if you have the bounding box on – which I don’t want).

Again It works perfectly on AI CC2017 (and it has been the default behavior since it exists) but it is NOT working at all in the last CC2018.  It should be a “surrounding box” all around the selected item (at least to manipulate the scaling tool, but also on CC2017 you will be able to rotate and use this box to align and use with guides.

Am I more clear? (I am not sure, I am french, English is not my native language ^^)

Thanks for your time.

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2017

This is what I see in 4 different versions.

Show Bounding Box is turned Off.

Scale Tool is selected.

No box around the objects in any version.