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Create and edit perspective grid

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      10. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
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      12. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
      13. Create and edit a perspective grid
      14. Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
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    15. Improve Illustrator performance

Learn how to define and edit a perspective grid and modify its widgets and points to get started with perspective drawing in Illustrator.

From architecture and interior design to graphic design and illustration, the perspective grid guides you to accurately depict depth and spatial relationships.

In Illustrator, you can create and edit a perspective grid, define grid presets, and draw and edit objects on perspective. You can also choose the perspective you want to create.

one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives.

One-point perspective

Lets you depict objects viewed from the front or behind. You can draw objects in parallel to give the illusion of objects receding into distance.

Two-point perspective

Lets you depict objects or designs viewed from a corner or at an angle, adding visual impact and complexity to the artwork.

Three-point perspective

Helps you convey the scale, proportions, and intricate details of architectural designs with precision, depth, and space.

  Before you begin:

Define the perspective grid

Select the Perspective Grid   tool or press Shift + P to view the perspective grid in your Illustrator document. The tool allows you to choose the number of vanishing points, adjust the angle and position of the grid, and snap your artwork to the grid lines and vanishing points for precise placement.

Each component in the perspective grid is displayed in the image with call outs for Plane Switching widget B. Perspective Grid Ruler C. Right Vanishing Point D. Horizon Level E. Grid Cell Size F. Ground Level G. Right, Horizontal, and Left Grid Plane controls H. Origin I. Extent of Grid J. Horizon Height in the Perspective Grid.
Modify the points and widgets in the perspective grid.

A. Plane Switching widget B. Perspective Grid Ruler C. Right Vanishing Point D. Horizon Level E. Grid Cell Size F. Ground Level G. Right, Horizontal, and Left Grid Plane Controls H. Origin I. Extent of Grid J. Horizon Height 

Use the plane switching widget

A Plane Switching widget   appears as you select the Perspective Grid   tool. You can use this widget to select the active grid plane. In the perspective grid, an active plane is where you draw an object to project the observer’s view of that portion of the scene. You can set options to position the widget on any of the four screen corners and choose to display it when the perspective grid is visible. 

  1. Double-click the Perspective Grid   tool.

  2. In the Perspective Grid Options dialog box, you can select the following options:

    • Show Active Plane Widget: displays the Plane Switching widget when the checkbox is selected.
    • Widget Position: places the Plane Switching widget on the upper-left, upper-right, lower-left, or lower-right corner of the document window.
    • Automatic plane positioning: creates objects by inferring the height or depth of the object.

Define grid presets

  1. Select View > Perspective Grid > Define Grid.

  2. In the Define Perspective Grid dialog box, you can update the following attributes for a preset:

    Preset

    Select Custom from the drop-down menu.

    Type

    Select the type of grid based on the perspective you want to create.

    Units

    Specify the units to measure the grid size.

    Scale

    Set or customize the artboard and real-world measurements.

    Gridline every

    Specify the grid cell size.

    Viewing Angle

    Specify the positions of the left and right vanishing points from the observer.

    Viewing Distance

    Specify the distance between the observer and the scene.

    Horizon Height

    Specify the height of the horizon line from the ground level.

    Third Vanishing Point

    Select the three-point perspective to enable the option and specify the X and Y coordinates for the preset.

    Grid Color & Opacity

    Change the colors for the Left, Right, and Horizontal Grids. Use the slider to change the Opacity of the grid.
    Moving the right vanishing point in a two-point perspective grid
    Add grid presets

Manage grid presets

Follow the steps to edit, remove, import, or export presets you've created:

  1. Select Edit > Perspective Grid Presets.

  2. In the Perspective Grid dialog box, select the preset you want to modify.

  3. Select the specific option to:

      

    Edit the selected preset.

      

    Remove the preset.

    Export

    Export the preset.

    Import

    Import a preset.

    Preset settings

    View the preset settings.

Modify the perspective grid

The perspective grid can be adjusted to match different perspectives, providing various viewpoints and compositions.
Using the respective widgets referenced in the image, you can manually adjust Vanishing Points, Grid Plane Controls, Horizon Height, and Grid Cell Size.

Note:

Ensure that the Perspective Grid   tool is selected when moving or adjusting the points and widgets. The widgets are visible only with the tool selected.

Move the perspective grid

  1. Hover over the Ground Level point of the grid until the pointer changes to . 

  2. Drag the left or right Ground Level widget to move the grid.

Adjust vanishing points

  1. Hover over the Vanishing Points until the pointer changes to . 

  2. Drag the Left or Right Vanishing Point widget. Press Shift as you drag to constrain the movement of the vertical axis.

Move the perspective grid and adjust the vanishing points

Adjust horizon height

  1. Hover over the Horizon Level until the pointer changes to .

  2. Drag the widget to increase or decrease the height of the grid.

Adjust grid planes

  1. Hover over the Grid Plane controls until the pointer changes to  or .

  2. Drag any of the Grid Plane Control widgets. Press Shift as you drag to constrain the movement to the extent of cell size.

Adjust horizon height and grid planes.

Adjust grid cell size

  1. Hover over the Grid Cell Size widget until the pointer changes to .

  2. Drag the widget to increase or decrease the grid cell size.

    The number of grid cells reduces when you increase the Grid Cell Size.

Adjust grid extent

  1. Hover over the Grid Extent widget until the pointer changes to .

  2. Drag the widget to increase or decrease the vertical grid extent or define the extent of the grid on the planes.

Adjust grid cell size and grid extent

Note:

Gridlines are set to display onscreen when there's a one-pixel gap. Progressive zooming-in brings more gridlines that are closer to the Vanishing Point.

Tips and tricks on using the origin

  • When you hover over the Origin, the pointer changes to . You can drag the Origin to view the Station point.
  • When you shift the Origin, the x and y coordinates of the horizontal plane and the x coordinate of the vertical planes are affected.
  • When you select an object in perspective, the x and y coordinates displayed in the Transform and Info panels change as you shift the Origin. 

Modify the perspective grid settings

Select View > Perspective Grid to configure the following perspective grid settings:

Show Rulers

Shows the ruler division along the actual height line.

Snap to Grid

Allows snapping to gridlines while moving, scaling, and drawing objects in perspective or bringing them to perspective.

Lock Grid

Restricts the grid movement and grid editability when using the Perspective Grid tool. Only the visibility and the plane position can be changed.

Lock Station Point

Lets you move one Vanishing Point in sync with the other Vanishing Point.

Save the perspective grid

Once you've defined and adjusted the grid color, vanishing points, grid cell size, grid extent, and grid planes, you can save the perspective grid as a preset. Select View > Perspective Grid > Save Grid as a Preset to use it anytime.

Talk to us

If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe Illustrator Community. We'd love to hear from you.

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