Tilde key shortcut not working

[Mina32480070hksq]

Hi all I am having problems with the tilde key shortcut for moving swatches within an object where the shortcut does not work at all.

I have tried to solve the problem however nothing has worked.

if anyone knows what can be done from here that work be great!

thanks

[Ton Frederiks]

Maybe a machine restart and/or Preferences reset will give you the tilde key option back.

If not you can check in the Transform panel menu: Transform Pattern Only and use the numeric X/Y fields together with the Up and Down Arrow keys to move the pattern only

[Mina32480070hksq]

hi ton

I reset my preferences on illustrator and I had selected transform pattern only on the transform panel yet it still does not do anything, however when I select object only the tilde key works where the pattern stays as is, so there is definitely no phyisical problem with the key?

[Ton Frederiks]

Using the tilde key has the advantage that you do not have to check transform pattern only.

Using the Transform panel is an alternative for the ~ key.

[Mina32480070hksq]

Hi Ton

this problem still seems to be persisting with the transform panel where transfom pattern only panel is still not allowing me to move the only the pattern.

am I missing something out when trying to do this ?

thanks

[Ton Frederiks]

Mina, do you use the arrow keys with the numbers in the x/y fields??

[Mina32480070hksq]

Hi Ton 

yes that is how I was trying to transform however pattern only selection is not working? I havent had a problem with this before? 

would it be worth deleting and reinstalling illustrator?

thanks 

[Mina32480070hksq]

Hi Ton 

I have found that the keys do work when i have the transform panel open, however the problem of the tilde key still persists,

any suggestions on what I could do to solve that problem?

thanks so much

[Monika Gause]

Working with the tilde key to move patterns has always been flaky. And since the tilde key for you generally does not work with other things, that's just it.

[Monika Gause]

Does the tilde key work with the shape tools (ellipse, rectangle, etc.) to create trailing shapes?

[Mina32480070hksq]

hi monika no it does not work 

[Monika Gause]

There might be another issue going on for you. 

Which language are you using? In the system, Illustrator and the keyboard?

Do you perhaps have one of these guys running? They are all known for interfering with modifier keys:

• WebRoot
• Apple Terminal
• Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• »Enable Full Keyboard« in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard on Mac OS
• Apple Mail, Outlook
• Spacebar is used as a shortcut by the system
• Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari
• Wacom Desktop Center, Wacom settings
• Windows Touch Pad problem
• LastPass, Bitwarden (password managers)
• The VPN

[Mina32480070hksq]

hi 

all languages are set to uk english.

In terms of systems running I currently only have google chrome running?

[Monika Gause]

I would reboot the system and then launch only Illustrator and try again.

[Mina32480070hksq]

hi Monika 

the problem still persists with only illustrator launched 

thanks 

[Jennie22807403exmt]

Hey, I'm having the same issue I belive. On a UK keyboard and can't get the button that I usually use to transform patterns only, to work. I've tried resets, reboots, keyboard preferences and old sorts but still nothing working for me. Have you had any joy since your last comment?? 🙂

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Jennie22807403exmt,

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing this issue with the tilde key shortcut. It can be quite frustrating when it doesn't work as expected.

Let's try a couple of troubleshooting steps to see if we can resolve it:

1. Change Keyboard Layout: Sometimes, keyboard layout settings can affect shortcuts. Please try changing your keyboard layout to "International". You can do this through your operating system settings.

2. Safe Mode: Boot your computer in Safe Mode (Mac/ Windows) and check if the shortcut works there. If it does, it might be related to third-party software conflicting with Illustrator. This can help narrow down the cause.

Please give these steps a try, and if the issue persists or if you have any more details to share, feel free to let me know. We're here to assist you in getting this resolved.

Best,

Anshul Saini