I work in both Illustrator and Photoshop. In Photoshop it’s possible to resize an image by typing in the new X or Y dimension, while maintaining aspect ratio. In Illustrator, the “Transform” palette allows resizing by typing in the X and Y coordinates, but doesn’t have a ‘maintain aspect ratio’ option. Does anyone know if there is a way of precisely resizing one side of an object while maintaining aspect ratio?
I don’t think so. That would be handy, wouldn’t it? Amazing how the “suite” of their products has often quite incompatible tools…
Lemme check on-line documentation.
I’ve checked most help files, and found nothing.
The compatiility thing is annoying, though on the whole the products are pretty damn good. It’s like that handy rounded-corner box tool that’s in ImageReady, but doesn’t appear in Photoshop…
Please, please, please tell me there is! Even Corel Draw allows you to type in a specific X or Y dimension while maintaing the aspect ratio. I thought it was my own incompetance with Illustrator and that I’d forgotten how to do it.
I always drag out a calculator to figure out the second measurement.
http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/4/lev3/31/pid/226/qid/374264
Hot damn! Thanks for asking the question! I just assumed there was no hope.
YEE-HAW!!!
Okay, that is cool… But just note, if you do that once, from then on when you type in one measurement and just click, the aspect ration is maintained.
For it to go back to the “modify one dimension only” you have to type the one dimension and hit enter.
I am deleriously happy!
You might wanna check what can be done when using [shift], [alt] and [ctrl]. Amazing stuff. Seriously.
I just click and drag while holding [shift] and it maintain proportions.
Yes, this will work to maintain the aspect ratio when you click-and-drag, but it cases where you need accuracy to three decimal places, it makes life a helluva lot easier to be able to type in W= 123.456" and have the height instantly go to the exact measurement that corresponds to the ratio of the Height.
Sometimes clicking and dragging just doesn’t cut it. Even when using guides. That’s what the OP was looking for.
The equivalent to Image Size… in Photoshop.
Object > Transform > Scale will allow you to do it by percentage, but not a very specific measurement (at least not in 9.0 for a Mac).
Plus it’s just faster to keep the Transform palette open and type in the “exact dimensions” rather than click 'n drag to “pretty-close dimensions.”
Ahhh… this is so much better!
Thank you thank you thank you! Brilliant!
Now what’s the command in Windows?