DirectPrefs Overview
DirectPrefs is a free Astute Graphics panel for Adobe Illustrator that allows the visualization and direct adjustment of several of the most-used preferences and settings — including the general constrain angle, keyboard increment value, guide status, and grid status — without having to go to the General Preferences dialog or remember menu command shortcuts. It also provides a function that allows you to draw shapes or move art objects with the arrow keys in the normal directions, regardless of canvas rotation. Finally, it includes several Astute-specific preferences, including whether to auto-open the panels associated with Astute Graphics tools.
DirectPrefs Panel
The menu item to show and hide the DirectPrefs panel can be found in the main menu under Window > Astute Graphics > DirectPrefs.
DirectPrefs Panel
1. Flyout menu
See DirectPrefs Panel: Flyout Menu.
2. Panel banner
The DirectPrefs panel banner has a help button on the right which opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.
3. Constrain Angle Graphic
(This control may not be visible if this section has been hidden.) Provides an easy-to-visualize graphical representation of the current constrain angle, which is the direction of the thick red line segment. Clicking the graphic brings up a small dialog allowing the constrain angle to be entered directly:
DirectPrefs Enter Constrain Angle Dialog
4. Constrain Angle Readout
(This control may not be visible if this section has been hidden.) Displays the current constrain angle numerically. Like the graphic, it may be clicked to bring up a small dialog allowing the constrain angle to be entered directly.
5. Constrain Angle Zero button
(This control may not be visible if this section has been hidden.) Clicking the button changes the constrain angle to the most-commonly-used value of 0°.
6. Constrain Lock button
(This control may not be visible if using a version of Illustrator prior to 25.3, or if this section has been hidden, or if the DirectPrefs preference Show Constrain Lock is disabled.) When the canvas has been rotated, the arrow keys no longer work in the expected manner to move artwork. For example, if the canvas rotation is set to 90°, then pressing Up Arrow to move artwork upwards will actually move it to the left. As this can be very frustrating, DirectPrefs provides a Constrain Lock function. After clicking on the icon to make it active (the icon has a dark background), the constrain angle will automatically be locked to the inverse of the artboard rotation value. This results in arrow keys that always work in the expected manner: Up Arrow will move art upwards (in relation to the screen), Left Arrow will move it to the left, etc.
DirectPrefs Constrain Lock
Attempting to set the constrain angle manually when the Constrain Lock function is enabled will result in a warning message:
DirectPrefs Constrain Lock Dialog
7. Constrain Angle Presets
Each button directly sets the constrain angle to its labeled value. Shift-clicking on a button will change the constrain angle to the specified angle plus 180°.
DirectPrefs Constrain Angle Preset Buttons
To customize a button, Option/Alt-click on it. This will bring up a small dialog allowing you to reassign a custom value to the button.
DirectPrefs Custom Constrain Angle Preset Button
8. Keyboard Increment Readout
(This control may not be visible if this section has been hidden.) Displays the current keyboard increment value. Clicking on it brings up a small dialog allowing the value to be changed:
DirectPrefs Enter Keyboard Increment Dialog
9. Keyboard Increment Presets
Each button directly sets the keyboard increment to its labeled value. Shift-clicking on a button will change the value to the labeled value multiplied by ten. To customize a button, Option/Alt-click on it. This will bring up a small dialog allowing you to reassign a custom value to the button.
DirectPrefs Custom Keyboard Increment Preset Button
DirectPrefs keeps six independent sets of keyboard increment preset buttons: one for each different unit of measurement from among points, pixels, millimeters, centimeters, picas, and inches.
10. Guide Visibility Icon
The icon shows the visibility state of guides (which is natively changed through the View > Guides > Hide/Show Guides menu command). An open eye indicates that guides are visible, while a shut eye indicates that they are hidden. Clicking on the icon toggles the visibility state.
DirectPrefs Guide Visibility Icon
If the DirectPrefs preference Lock Guides When Hidden is enabled, then hiding the guides through the panel icon will automatically lock them, as the native Hide Guides menu command does.
11. Guide Lock Status Icon
The icon shows the locked state of guides (which is natively changed through the View > Guides > Lock/Unlock Guides menu command). An open padlock indicates that guides are unlocked, while a closed padlock indicates that they are locked. Clicking on the icon toggles the locked state.
DirectPrefs Guides Locked Icon
12. Grid Visibility Icon
The icon shows the visibility state of the grid (which is natively changed through the View > Show/Hide Grid menu command). An open eye indicates that the grid is visible, while a shut eye indicates that it is hidden. Clicking on the icon toggles the visibility state.
DirectPrefs Grid Visibility Icon
13. Grid Snap Status Icon
The icon shows the snap state of the grid (which is natively changed through the View > Snap to Grid menu command). A plain magnet indicates that snap to grid is enabled, while a magnet with a thick line through it indicates that snapping is disabled. Clicking on the icon toggles the snap state.
DirectPrefs Grid Snap Icon
DirectPrefs Panel Flyout Menu
DirectPrefs Panel Flyout Menu
1. Restore Defaults
When chosen, the values and presets for the constrain angle and keyboard increment sections are changed to their defaults (settings for guides and grids are not affected). For the constrain angle, this is an angle of 0° and presets of 150°, 90°, and 30°. For the keyboard increment, the default values depend on the measurement system in use:
Points/pixels: 1 pt/px; presets of 1 pt/px, 6 pt/px, and 12 pt/px.
Millimeters/centimeters: 1 mm; presets of 1 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm.
Inches: 0.0625 in; presets of 0.0625 in, 0.125 in, and 0.25 in.
2. Auto Open Astute Graphics Panels
When enabled (preceded by a checkmark), selecting an Astute Graphics tool that has an associated panel will automatically open its panel (if it is not open already). For example, clicking on the MirrorMe tool in the toolbox will automatically open the MirrorMe panel.
3. Use Dark Graph Backgrounds
When enabled (preceded by a checkmark), graphs on Astute Graphics dialogs (such as Stipplism) or panels (such as Dynamic Sketch, or Width Gradient) will have dark backgrounds when used with the dark mode UI:
DirectPrefs Dark Graph Backgrounds
4. DirectPrefs Preferences...
Brings up the DirectPrefs Preferences dialog.
DirectPrefs Preferences
Using the flyout menu of the DirectPrefs panel will bring up its preferences dialog:
DirectPrefs Preferences Dialog
1. Show Constrain Angle
When enabled, the constrain angle section of the panel will be shown.
2. Show Constrain Lock
Available if Show Constrain Angle is enabled and the version of Illustrator is 25.3 or higher. When enabled, the constrain lock button will be shown on the right-hand side of the constrain angle section.
3. Show Keyboard Increment
When enabled, the keyboard increment section of the panel will be shown.
4. Show Guides/Grid Prefs
When enabled, the guides and grid section of the panel will be shown.
DirectPrefs Panel with Hidden Sections
5. Lock Guides When Hidden
Available if Show Guides/Grid Prefs is enabled. It allows you to have guides automatically lock when they are hidden using the panel icon, just as the native Hide Guides menu command does.
6. Help Button
Opens the help documentation in the Astute Manager. If this does not automatically appear, please ensure your Astute Manager is running first.