Define default padding for Auto Layout (or set to 0)

Sean_Sands · 2021-03-16T21:00:30+00:00

Describe the problem your experiencing and how your idea helps solve this When you create an autolayout frame, it always defaults to 10px. Many design systems call for an 8px grid and in many cases, users don’t want ANY padding especially where edge-to-edge designs are concerned. Ask questions to bring the community into the conversation What are everyone’s thoughts about the following solutions?: Default autolayout padding based on the big nudge amount in your settings Allow for tokenization of padding/margin grids and offer up autolayout parameters based upon those tokens Allow users to override the padding to 0px at the creation of the autolayout frame by using an alternative key command like ctrl+shift+a (command on mac)

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
March 16, 2021
77 replies
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Describe the problem your experiencing and how your idea helps solve this
When you create an autolayout frame, it always defaults to 10px. Many design systems call for an 8px grid and in many cases, users don’t want ANY padding especially where edge-to-edge designs are concerned.
Ask questions to bring the community into the conversation
What are everyone’s thoughts about the following solutions?:

Default autolayout padding based on the big nudge amount in your settings
Allow for tokenization of padding/margin grids and offer up autolayout parameters based upon those tokens
Allow users to override the padding to 0px at the creation of the autolayout frame by using an alternative key command like ctrl+shift+a (command on mac)

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Maty

Active Member

This could be solved easily by adding a setup function like the “set default nudge size”.

Sean_SandsAuthor

You CAN set a default nudge, but currently you cannot tie that to the default autolayout padding functions. Ideally, you could set default nudge and autolayout parameters independently.

MishaSavranski

New Member

And a +1 from me

Patrick_Schrodter

Also from 12 Points from Germany for setting 0px as a default!

Jon_Peters

I’ve tried to adjust my workflow to use the current defaults and still 99% of the time I use 0 and some factor of 4 as my defaults and then typically centered both horizontally and vertically. I really need this to be an independent configuration like tomorrow. Pleeeaassse.

Bill_Hess

It seems that Autolayout was changed for when a single object is selected. In this case, 10px padding is added to the autolayout frame.
I often start autolayout by selecting an object and then adding more objects to that frame. Figma has started adding 10px padding this this case, which shifts the position of the object. Autolayout doesn’t add padding when more than one object is selected. Why do that in this case, especially with an arbitrary 10px padding.
Why does autolayout add 10px padding when only one object is selected? It’s annoying that Figma shifts the object’s position on the larger frame and this behavior is inconsistent with autolayout with multiple objects selected.

Mark_Chitty

New Member

+1 for:

Default Auto layout padding & spacing = 0px
New app settings (like Big nudge setting) for:
- Auto layout padding
- Auto layout spacing
Extra key combo (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+A) to set padding & spacing = app setting value

Thanks @Gleb for the Frame > Auto-layout shortcut hack in the meantime 👍