Moving a pattern inside a shape

[sophie_2628]

I used to use the tilde (~) shortcut in Illustrator (Direct Selection Tool, A) to move the pattern inside a shape without moving the shape itself. In previous versions, I could see the pattern move live while dragging, which made it easy to know where to release the mouse.

Since updating to Illustrator 2026, I can still move the pattern, but the live preview no longer works, I only see where it ends up after releasing the mouse. 

How can I fix this?

[Ton Frederiks]

Are you using the CPU Preview? Is Preferences > Performance > Real-Time Drawing and Editing checked?

GPU Preview and ~ shows the pattern moving for me, but it does not show how it will be clipped by the path until I release the move tool (as it does when using the arrow keys).

[sophie_2628]

Yes, that’s checked. The shape moves, as if I want to move it, and then, when I release the tilde (~) and stop dragging the print. The shape snaps back into place, to show how the print has moved. But before this update I could see how I was moving the print, live.

[Ton Frederiks]

Sophie, the behaviour has indeed changed, it works (seeing the pattern move inside the object) in 2024 and earlier and stopped working like that in 2025 and 2026. See attached screenrecording.

[sophie_2628]

I see, but the weird thing is that, yesterday, before installing Illustrator 2026, it worked like in the first clip of your video. And that was Illustrator 2025. It also still works that way for my colleague and she also went from 2025 to 2026. We just can't figure out how to get it back on my Illustrator.

[Ton Frederiks]

That is indeed weird. I have multiple versions installed and it only works in 2023 and 2024. I tried resetting 2025 but that had no effect. Idid change my OS from Sonoma to Sequoia last night.

[CarlosCanto]

I've got you, 

1. press "~"

2. click and drag with the Direct Selection Tool (A)

3. press Shift, while still dragging

4. release Shift

5. keep dragging, now you see the pattern move

update: pressing Shift did not work on my office computer, but pressing Alt did

[Kurt Gold]

Looks like your instruction does not work in non-English versions of Illustrator, Carlos.

Even if one takes the various international equivalents of "~".

Doesn't work as it used to work.

[CarlosCanto]

it doesn't work??? how sad, I thought I discovered a workaround

does it not work at all on your side? my situation (with my English setup) was as described by the OP, pressing the "~" key works but does not live update until one releases the mouse

I only introduced the pressing and releasing the Shift key

[Kurt Gold]

> "does it not work at all on your side?"

Well, it used to work with different modifier keys on non-English keyboard layouts (without having to use any Shift key combo), but in the latest Illustrator versions I can't get it to work anymore.

It has always been confusing in international Illustrator versions and probably it never worked with some keyboard layouts.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/shortcut-to-move-rotate-scale-a-pattern-insid...

[CarlosCanto]

Oh I see, I remember the troubles with non-English keyboards. So your issue for now is that the ~ key no longer works

[sophie_2628]

OMG THIS WORKS, THANK YOU! 🙂

[CarlosCanto]

OMG THIS WORKS, THANK YOU! 🙂

By @sophie_2628

yay!!