GuideMi User Manual

Overview

GuideMi is a guide management plugin designed for Adobe Illustrator. The plugin provides a comprehensive set of tools for creating, managing, and organizing guides. Whether you need simple border guides or complex grid layouts, GuideMi helps you set up guides quickly and precisely.

The plugin supports multiple units (pixels, centimeters, millimeters, inches, points, picas), intelligently positions guides based on selected objects, artboards, or document boundaries, and offers real-time preview functionality for more intuitive layout design. GuideMi also features a comprehensive multilingual interface supporting 17 languages, making it accessible to users worldwide.

Main Features

• Quick Actions: Quick access to common functions including single-edge guides, grid presets, golden ratio, aspect ratio guides, and more
• Margin-Go-Round: Margin guide tool for creating guides with margins around target areas
• Grid-and-Go: Grid guide tool for creating custom row/column grids with gutters
• Some Guides Like You: Capture guide layouts as percentage-based snapshots, save/import/export presets, and batch-apply across documents or artboards
• Geek-Set-Go: Advanced unequal grid tool for creating guides with custom ratios or absolute values
• Flyout Menu: Access help, version info, update checking, citation for academic papers, and language settings via the panel's hamburger menu (☰)
• Clipping Mask Aware: Accurately detects visible bounds of clipped groups and masked images
• Automatic Theme Matching: Seamlessly follows Illustrator's dark/light interface theme

Smart Boundary Detection

All guide functions in GuideMi support smart boundary detection, determining the guide positioning area in the following priority order:

1. Selected Objects First: If objects are selected, guides will be created based on the combined bounds of the selected objects
2. Artboard Bounds: If no objects are selected, guides will be based on the active artboard bounds

Clipping Mask Support

GuideMi uses visible bounds when calculating object boundaries. For clipped groups (e.g., images placed with clipping masks), guides are positioned based on the visible clipping area rather than the full underlying content. This ensures accurate guide placement for masked images and complex compound paths.

Automatic Theme Matching

GuideMi automatically matches the Illustrator interface theme. When you change the UI brightness in Illustrator's Preferences, the plugin panel seamlessly switches between dark and light themes without any manual action required.

Quick Actions

The Quick Actions area is located at the top of the plugin, providing the most commonly used guide functions arranged in an 8-column, 4-row layout.

Row 1: Single-Edge Guides and Basic Layouts

Icon	Button	Function	Detailed Description
	Top	Top Guide	Add a horizontal guide at the top edge of the target area. Right-click to access object mode options
	Bottom	Bottom Guide	Add a horizontal guide at the bottom edge of the target area
	Left	Left Guide	Add a vertical guide at the left edge of the target area
	Right	Right Guide	Add a vertical guide at the right edge of the target area
	H-Center	Horizontal Center	Add a horizontal guide at the vertical center of the target area
	V-Center	Vertical Center	Add a vertical guide at the horizontal center of the target area
	Border	Border Guides	Add border guides around all four edges of the target area
	Midlines	Center Cross	Add both horizontal and vertical center guides simultaneously

Multi-Object Behavior (Right-Click Menu)

The right-click menu on the button provides options to control how guides are created when multiple objects are selected:

• Combined Bounds: Creates guides based on the combined bounding box of all selected objects (default)
• Individual Objects: Creates separate guides for each selected object individually

This setting is global and affects all guide creation functions throughout the plugin.

Row 2: Grid Presets and Composition Guides

Icon	Button	Function	Detailed Description
	2×2	2×2 Grid	Quickly create a 2-row, 2-column evenly divided grid
	3×3	3×3 Grid	Quickly create a 3-row, 3-column evenly divided grid (rule of thirds)
	4×4	4×4 Grid	Quickly create a 4-row, 4-column evenly divided grid
	5×5	5×5 Grid	Quickly create a 5-row, 5-column evenly divided grid
	6×6	6×6 Grid	Quickly create a 6-row, 6-column evenly divided grid. Right-click to select 7×7, 8×8, 9×9, or 10×10 grids
	φ Golden Ratio	Golden Ratio	Add golden ratio guides (two lines each in horizontal and vertical directions, positioned at 38.2% and 61.8%, calculated based on golden ratio φ ≈ 1.618). Right-click to select different variants
	4:3	4:3 Aspect Ratio	Create a 4:3 aspect ratio guide frame based on the target area. Right-click to set custom aspect ratio
	16:9	16:9 Aspect Ratio	Create a 16:9 aspect ratio guide frame based on the target area

Golden Ratio Variants (Right-Click Menu)

• Full Grid (4 lines): Complete golden ratio grid with all four lines (default)
• Horizontal Only: Only the two horizontal golden ratio lines
• Vertical Only: Only the two vertical golden ratio lines
• Upper-Left Cross: Upper-left intersection point (upper horizontal + left vertical)
• Upper-Right Cross: Upper-right intersection point (upper horizontal + right vertical)
• Lower-Left Cross: Lower-left intersection point (lower horizontal + left vertical)
• Lower-Right Cross: Lower-right intersection point (lower horizontal + right vertical)
• Phi Grid (1:φ:1): Creates a grid based on the 1:φ:1 ratio, with lines positioned at approximately 27.64% and 72.36% — similar to the rule of thirds but based on the golden ratio

Custom Aspect Ratio (Right-Click Menu)

Right-clicking on the 4:3 button opens a custom aspect ratio panel where you can:

• Enter custom width (W) and height (H) values
• Click Apply to create guides with your custom ratio

Row 3: Units, Tools, and Display Controls

Icon	Button	Function	Detailed Description
	Unit	Unit Toggle	Click to cycle through units: pt → px → mm → cm → in → pica. Scroll wheel for bidirectional switching, long-press to reset to Points (pt), right-click to show full unit list
	Place Guide (Pen)	Place Guide by Click	Click the button to enter pen pick mode, then click anywhere on the canvas to place guides at that position. Right-click to choose line direction: Both (Crosshair), Horizontal Only, or Vertical Only
	Spotlight	Spotlight Mode	Automatically create guides at the boundaries of the currently selected objects, updating automatically when the selection changes. Click to cycle: Off → Edge Mode → Midline Mode → Off
	Lock	Lock Guides	Toggle the lock state of guides; when locked, guides cannot be moved
	Toggle Guides	Show/Hide	Toggle the visibility of guides
	Place Guide	Place Guide (X,Y)	Click or right-click to open coordinate input panel. Enter X and Y values to place guides at a specific position. Three placement options: crosshair (both H+V), horizontal only, or vertical only
	Guide Color	Guide Color	Not available in Illustrator (Photoshop only)
	Guide Style	Guide Style	Not available in Illustrator (Photoshop only)

Place Guide (Pen)

The Place Guide (Pen) feature allows you to place guides by clicking directly on the canvas:

1. Click the Place Guide (Pen) button — the cursor switches to the Pen Tool and the button highlights
2. Click anywhere on the canvas — a guide is placed at the clicked position and the tool automatically switches back to the Selection Tool
3. If no click is made within 30 seconds, pen pick mode is automatically cancelled
4. Right-click the button to choose line direction:
   • Both (Crosshair): Place both horizontal and vertical guides (default)
   • Horizontal Only: Place only a horizontal guide
   • Vertical Only: Place only a vertical guide

This feature requires Adobe Illustrator CC 2020 (v24) or later due to the app.selectTool() API requirement.

Place Guide (X,Y)

The Place Guide feature allows you to create guides at precise coordinates:

1. Click the Place Guide button (or right-click) to open the coordinate input panel
2. Enter X and Y values in the current unit
3. Click one of three buttons to place guides:
   • Cross: Place both horizontal and vertical guides at the specified position
   • H: Place only a horizontal guide at the Y position
   • V: Place only a vertical guide at the X position

Coordinates are relative to the top-left corner of the active bounds (selected objects or artboard).

Spotlight Mode

Spotlight is a dynamic guide feature particularly useful for the following scenarios:

• Object Positioning: Quickly view the exact position of the currently selected objects on the artboard
• Alignment Reference: Display real-time boundary guides to assist alignment when moving or adjusting objects
• Multi-Object Switching: Guides automatically follow and update when switching between objects, no need to manually recreate them

When Spotlight is enabled, guides will continuously track the currently selected objects until manually turned off.

Row 4: Clear Guides and Global Controls

Icon	Button	Function	Detailed Description
	Clear	Clear All	Clear all guides in the document. Shortcut: Delete
	Clear H-Guides	Clear Horizontal	Clear only horizontal guides
	Clear V-Guides	Clear Vertical	Clear only vertical guides
	Clear Outside	Clear Outside Canvas	Clear guides located outside the canvas boundaries
	Clear on Canvas	Clear on Canvas	Clear guides located within the canvas boundaries
	Clear on Objects	Clear on Objects	Clear guides that overlap with the currently selected objects. Right-click to access additional options. Requires at least one object to be selected
	Keep/Clear Toggle	Keep/Clear Toggle	Toggle Quick Actions behavior: (green) keeps existing guides, (red) clears before creating
	Collapse All	Collapse/Expand	Collapse or expand all function panels

Clear on Objects Options (Right-Click Menu)

Right-clicking on the button provides additional clearing options:

• Outside Objects (Artboard): Clear guides outside the selected objects' bounds but within the current artboard area (does not affect guides on other artboards)
• Outside Objects (All): Clear all guides outside the selected objects' bounds, including those on other artboards and outside all artboards

Clear Button Status Indicators

Clear buttons dynamically display status based on whether corresponding guide types exist:

• When guides that can be cleared exist, the button interior shows a guide pattern
• When no corresponding guide types exist, the button appears empty

Margin-Go-Round

Margin-Go-Round takes its name from "Merry-Go-Round" (Carousel), suggesting guides that surround the target area. This tool creates guides with margins around target areas, perfect for quickly setting up safe margins or padding layouts.

Workflow

1. Define Target Area: Select objects, or use the active artboard
2. Set Margin Values: Enter margin values for top, bottom, left, and right
3. Execute: Click the button to create margin guides

Control Descriptions

Margin Inputs

Control	Function
Left Icon	Left margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Left Input	Left margin value
Right Icon	Right margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Right Input	Right margin value
Top Icon	Top margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Top Input	Top margin value
Bottom Icon	Bottom margin label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Bottom Input	Bottom margin value

Action Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	Link	Link/unlink all four margin values. When linked , changing any margin value updates all four margins to the same value
	Preview	Enter/exit preview mode for real-time guide preview. Red when inactive, green when active. Press Esc to exit
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep existing guides when creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all margin values to 0. If a ★ default preset is set in Grid-and-Go, loads that preset instead
	Go	Create margin guides

Link Margins

The Link button controls whether margin values are synchronized:

• Linked : All four margin values move together. Changing one value automatically updates the other three to match.
• Unlinked : Each margin can be set independently.

This is useful when you need equal margins on all sides — simply link them and adjust any one value.

Margin Value Explanation

• Positive values: Inward offset (indent)
• Negative values: Outward offset (extend beyond boundary)
• Border Guides: When creating margin guides, GuideMi always adds border guides (four edges of the target area) in addition to the margin guides. This ensures you have a complete reference frame.

Value Adjustment Methods

Margin inputs support multiple adjustment methods:

• Direct Input: Enter values directly in the input field
• Drag Adjustment: Hold left mouse button on the icon and drag left/right; right increases, left decreases
• Scroll Adjustment: Hover over the input field and use scroll wheel to adjust values
• Shift Acceleration: Hold Shift key to increase step value by 10x when dragging or scrolling

Grid-and-Go

Grid-and-Go takes its name from "Grab-and-Go," suggesting quick grid layout creation. This tool creates custom grid guides with support for row/column counts and gutters, and can create corresponding shapes.

Workflow

1. Define Target Area: Select objects, or use the active artboard
2. Set Grid Parameters: Enter column count, row count, column gutter, and row gutter
3. Execute: Click the button to create grid guides

Control Descriptions

Grid Parameters

Control	Function
Rows Icon	Row count label. Click to increment by 1, Alt+click to decrement by 1, long-press to reset to default. Also supports drag-to-adjust value
Rows Input	Number of rows (1-50)
Col. Icon	Column count label. Click to increment by 1, Alt+click to decrement by 1, long-press to reset to default. Also supports drag-to-adjust value
Columns Input	Number of columns (1-50)
Row Gutter Icon	Row gutter label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Row Gutter Input	Spacing between rows
Col. Gutter Icon	Column gutter label, supports drag-to-adjust value
Column Gutter Input	Spacing between columns

Action Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	Shapes	Create filled rectangular shapes in each grid cell (checkerboard pattern of black and white)
	Consider Margin	Toggle whether to apply Margin-Go-Round margins when creating the grid. When enabled , the grid is created within the margin area
	Save Preset	Save current settings as a preset
	Import Preset	Import presets from JSON file
	Load Preset	Load a saved preset. Click ★ to set a default preset that loads on startup and when Reset is clicked
	Preview	Enter/exit preview mode for real-time guide preview. Red when inactive, green when active. Press Esc to exit
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep existing guides when creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all grid parameters to default values. If a ★ default preset is set, loads that preset instead
	Go	Create grid guides

Shapes

The Shapes button creates filled rectangular shapes in each grid cell with a checkerboard pattern (alternating black and white). The shapes are created on a new "Grid Shapes" layer. This feature is primarily used for quickly creating image layout templates, particularly suitable for scenarios requiring batch image processing (such as microscope photos or experimental results in scientific papers). Use the "Replace Contents" feature to quickly replace shapes with images for rapid batch image layout.

Typical workflow: Set grid parameters → Click Shapes to create template → Batch replace shapes with images → Layout complete

Consider Margin Toggle

The Consider Margin button controls whether the grid respects the margins set in Margin-Go-Round:

• Enabled : The grid is created within the area defined by the margins
• Disabled : The grid fills the entire target area, ignoring margins

Load Preset Button

Click the button to show the preset menu:

• Saved Presets: User-saved presets (newest displayed first)
• Recent Presets: Recently used configurations (auto-saved, maximum 10 entries)

In the preset menu:

• Single-click a preset name to load and automatically create guides
• Double-click a preset name to rename
• Click ★ on a saved preset to set it as the default (loads on startup and when Reset is clicked; click again to unset)
• Click × to delete a preset

Preview Mode

Preview mode allows you to view guide effects in real-time:

1. Click the Preview button to enter preview mode (button turns green, eye icon changes to )
2. Adjust any parameter to see guides update in real-time
3. Click the button to confirm creation, or click Preview again to cancel
4. Press Esc to quickly exit preview mode

Some Guides Like You

Some Guides Like You captures the current guide layout as a percentage-based snapshot, allowing you to save, export, import, and reapply guide arrangements across documents or artboards — perfect for maintaining consistent layouts across multiple files or artboards, or sharing guide templates with your team.

Workflow

1. Set up guides in your document (manually or using other GuideMi tools)
2. Set the Scope and Direction Filter to control which guides are captured. These settings are saved with the preset.
3. Click to capture and store the current guide arrangement as a named preset
4. Later, use to reapply a saved or recent layout, or to load from a file

Control Buttons

Button	Function	Description
Apply to All	Batch apply	Captures guides from the current document (filtered by scope and direction) and applies them to all targets. Right-click to choose the target: Other Documents (default, applies to all other open documents; requires at least two open documents) or Other Artboards (applies to all other artboards within the same document; requires at least two artboards). The Keep/Clear toggle controls whether existing guides in each target are preserved or cleared.
Scope	Toggle scope	Switch between Artboard Only (captures/applies only guides within the active artboard bounds) and All Guides (includes guides outside the artboard). Applies to save and apply-to-all operations; when loading or importing, the preset's stored scope is used instead and this button is updated automatically.
Direction Filter	Toggle direction	Cycle through H + V, Horizontal Only, and Vertical Only. Click to cycle, long-press to reset to H + V, right-click for direct selection from a context menu.
Save Layout	Capture & save	Captures the current guides (filtered by scope and direction) and saves them as a named preset. The current Scope and Direction Filter settings are stored with the preset. Optionally exports to a JSON file for sharing.
Import Layout	Import from file	Opens a JSON file, saves it as a preset, and immediately applies the layout. Uses the scope and direction filter stored in the file.
Load Layout	Load preset	Opens the preset list to select and apply a saved or recent layout. The Scope and Direction Filter buttons are automatically updated to match the preset's stored settings. Single-click to apply, double-click to rename, click ★ to set as default, click × to delete.
Keep/Clear	Toggle mode	Green (): Keep existing guides when applying. Red (): Clear all guides before applying.
Reset	Reset settings	Resets scope, direction filter, target mode, and keep/clear toggle to their default values. If a ★ default preset is set, loads that preset instead.

Scope and Direction Filter

The Scope and Direction Filter buttons control which guides are included in each operation. When saving, only guides matching the current scope and direction filter are captured into the snapshot, and the current Scope and Direction Filter settings are stored with the preset. When loading or importing, the preset's stored Scope and Direction Filter settings are used, and the UI buttons are updated to reflect them. When applying to all, the current Scope and Direction Filter settings are used (since this is a live capture-and-apply operation). This means each saved layout remembers its own scope and direction filter. For example, a layout saved with "Horizontal Only" will always apply only horizontal guides when loaded, regardless of the current button state.

Pixel-Perfect Mode

When the target artboard has the same dimensions as the source (where guides were originally captured), guides are applied at their exact point positions. When dimensions differ, guides are repositioned proportionally based on their percentage offsets, ensuring the layout adapts to the new artboard size.

Preset Management

The Load Layout dropdown shows two sections:

• Saved Layouts: Manually saved presets (via Save Layout or Import Layout). Displayed in newest-first order.
• Recent Layouts: Automatically recorded from recent apply operations (up to 10 entries, named with timestamps, deduplicated). Recent layouts are saved whenever you successfully apply a layout via Apply to All, Load Layout, or Import Layout.

Both sections support: single-click to load and apply, double-click to rename, click ★ to set a saved preset as default (loads on startup and when Reset is clicked; click again to unset), and × to delete.

Geek-Set-Go

Geek-Set-Go takes its name from "Ready, Set, Go," designed for power users who need advanced unequal grid layouts. This tool allows you to create guides with custom ratios or absolute values, offering maximum flexibility for complex layout requirements.

Workflow

1. Define Target Area: Select objects, or use the active artboard
2. Enter Values: Input ratio or absolute values in the text field
3. Configure Options: Set mode, direction, and other options
4. Execute: Click the button to create guides

Input Syntax

Ratio Mode (Default)

In Ratio Mode, values represent proportional divisions of the target area:

Input	Result
3	Divides into 3 equal parts (like 1;1;1)
1;2;1	Divides in 1:2:1 ratio (25%, 50%, 25%)
1;1;2	Divides in 1:1:2 ratio (25%, 25%, 50%)
1;2;3	Divides in 1:2:3 ratio

Absolute Mode

In Absolute Mode, values represent actual distances in the current unit:

Input	Result
50	Creates a guide every 50 units, repeating until space runs out
50;100	Alternates between 50 and 100 unit segments
50;*;50	50 units from start, remaining space in middle (*), 50 units at end
100;*;100;*;100	Three 100-unit segments with flexible space between
50;*;*;50	50 units at start, remaining space divided equally into 2 parts, 50 units at end
100;*;*;*;100	100 units at each end, remaining space divided equally into 3 parts

The * (asterisk) acts as a wildcard for "remaining space" and is only available in Absolute Mode. Multiple asterisks divide the remaining space equally among them. For example, 50;*;*;50 creates 50-unit margins on each side with the middle space split into two equal parts.

Control Buttons

Icon	Button	Function
	Mode	Toggle between Ratio Mode and Absolute Mode
	Margin	Toggle whether to consider Margin-Go-Round margins when calculating guide positions
	Direction	Set guide direction. Click to cycle, scroll wheel for quick switching, long-press to reset to LTR, right-click for full menu
	Save Preset	Save current configuration as a named preset
	Import Preset	Import preset from JSON file
	Load Preset	Load a saved preset. Click ★ to set a default preset that loads on startup and when Reset is clicked
	Keep/Clear	Toggle whether to keep or clear existing guides before creating new ones
	Reset	Reset all settings to defaults. If a ★ default preset is set, loads that preset instead
	Go	Apply the guides

Direction Options

Single-axis directions:

• Left to Right (LTR): Creates vertical guides from left edge
• Right to Left (RTL): Creates vertical guides from right edge
• Top to Bottom (TTB): Creates horizontal guides from top edge
• Bottom to Top (BTT): Creates horizontal guides from bottom edge

Combined directions (for 2D layouts):

• LTR + TTB: Vertical guides from left, horizontal from top
• LTR + BTT: Vertical guides from left, horizontal from bottom
• RTL + TTB: Vertical guides from right, horizontal from top
• RTL + BTT: Vertical guides from right, horizontal from bottom

Preset Management

Geek-Set-Go has its own preset system, separate from Grid-and-Go:

• Save Preset: Saves input values, mode, direction, and all toggle states
• Recent Presets: Auto-saves last 10 configurations with timestamps
• Import/Export: Share presets via JSON files

Examples

Example 1: Magazine Layout (Ratio)

• Mode: Ratio
• Input: 1;2;1
• Direction: LTR
• Result: Three-column layout with wide center column

Example 2: Fixed Margins (Absolute)

• Mode: Absolute
• Input: 50;*;50
• Direction: LTR + TTB
• Result: 50px margins on all sides with flexible center

Example 3: Equal Divisions (Ratio)

• Mode: Ratio
• Input: 5
• Direction: TTB
• Result: Five equal horizontal bands

Example 4: Multiple Flexible Spaces (Absolute)

• Mode: Absolute
• Input: 100;*;*;*;100
• Direction: LTR
• Result: 100px fixed areas at left and right edges, with the remaining space divided into 3 equal parts

Artboard Selector

Located at the bottom of the plugin panel, the Artboard Selector allows you to switch between artboards in documents with multiple artboards.

Control	Function
Artboard Tool Button	Click to refresh the artboard list
Dropdown	Select and switch to a different artboard
Reset Button	Refresh the artboard list to sync with the current document

When you switch artboards, all guide operations (creation, clearing, preview) will target the newly selected artboard.

Flyout Menu

Click the hamburger menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner of the plugin panel to access the Flyout Menu.

Menu Items

Item	Function
Help	Opens the user manual in the system default browser (automatically selects Chinese or English version based on the current interface language)
About GuideMi	Shows version information, author credits, and copyright notice
Cite This Plugin	Shows a citation string for use in the legends and Materials & Methods sections of academic papers. Click to copy to clipboard
Check for Updates	Connects to the SciSuite server to check whether a newer version is available. If a new version is found, the release notes are displayed and the download page opens automatically in your browser
Join Us	Learn how to contribute to this project; the contact email is automatically copied to clipboard
Deactivate License	Unbind the license from this device and show the registration screen. Use this to transfer your license to another computer
Language	Select interface language from 17 available options

Available Languages

The plugin supports the following languages:

1. 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)
2. 繁體中文（中國台灣）(Traditional Chinese — Taiwan)
3. 繁體中文（中國香港）(Traditional Chinese — Hong Kong)
4. 日本語 (Japanese)
5. 한국어 (Korean)
6. العربية (Arabic)
7. Indonesia (Indonesian)
8. Deutsch (German)
9. English
10. Español (Spanish)
11. Español — Latinoamérica (Latin American Spanish)
12. Français (French)
13. Italiano (Italian)
14. Português (Brasil) (Portuguese — Brazil)
15. Português (Portugal) (Portuguese — Portugal)
16. Русский (Russian)
17. Türkçe (Turkish)

Language selection is saved and persists between sessions.

General Operation Guide

Button Interaction Modes

Many buttons in this plugin support multiple interaction methods:

• Single Click: Execute main function or switch to next option
• Alt+Click: Switch to previous option or decrement value (e.g., Rows and Columns icons in Grid-and-Go)
• Long Press (500ms): Reset to default value
• Right Click: Show all options menu or custom panel
• Scroll Wheel: Cycle through options

Drag-to-Adjust Values

Icon buttons for grid and margin parameters support drag adjustment:

• Hold left mouse button on the icon and drag left/right to quickly adjust values
• Drag right to increase, drag left to decrease
• Hold Shift key for accelerated adjustment (10x step value)

Scroll Wheel Value Adjustment

When hovering over numeric input fields, use scroll wheel to adjust values:

• Scroll up to increase, scroll down to decrease
• Hold Shift key for accelerated adjustment

Unit System

GuideMi supports the following units; all margin and gutter values are converted based on the current unit:

Unit	Name	Step Value
pt	Points	1
px	Pixels	1
mm	Millimeters	1
cm	Centimeters	0.1
in	Inches	0.125
pica	Picas	0.5

The default unit is Points (pt). The unit cycle order matches the table above: pt → px → mm → cm → in → pica.

Preset Management

Grid-and-Go and Geek-Set-Go both support preset management:

• Save Preset: Click the button, enter a preset name to save all current parameters (including unit, margins, grid settings)
• Import Preset: Click the button to import presets from JSON files
• Load Preset: Click the button to show preset list
  • Single-click a preset name to load and automatically create guides
  • Double-click a preset name to rename
  • Click ★ on a saved preset to set it as the default (loads on startup and when Reset is clicked; click again to unset)
  • Click × to delete a preset

When exporting presets, you can choose to export to a file for team sharing.

Section Collapse State

Click a Section header to collapse/expand that area; collapse state is automatically saved and restored when the plugin is reopened.

Progress Bar Feedback

When executing time-consuming operations (such as creating grid guides or Shapes), the Section header displays an animated indeterminate progress bar at the bottom, providing visual feedback that the operation is in progress.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Function
Delete	Clear all guides
Escape	Exit preview mode
Tab	Cycle focus through buttons and input fields

FAQs

Q: Why aren't guides created at the expected position?

Q: How do I create guides at a specific position precisely?

Q: Parameters don't respond in preview mode?

Q: How do grid guides and margin guides work together?

Q: What's the difference between Grid-and-Go and Geek-Set-Go?

Q: How do I quickly restore default settings?

Q: Where are presets saved?

Q: How do I change the interface language?

Q: When importing a preset, are existing guides cleared or kept?

Q: How do I create guides for multiple objects at once?

Q: How do I activate the plugin after purchasing a license?

Q: How do I transfer my license to another computer?

Q: The plugin shows the registration screen even though I already activated it?

Version Information

• Plugin Name: GuideMi
• Version: 1.0.0
• Compatible Software: Adobe Illustrator CC 2022+
• Architecture: CEP (Common Extensibility Platform)
• Authors: Bo Lv, Xi Cheng
• Copyright: © 2026 Bo Lv. All rights reserved.

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Last updated: June 10, 2026