Create perspective designs with 3D transforms

3D Transforms feature lets you simulate object depth and perspective in your designs with minimal effort. Combining the ability to rotate any object along its horizontal and vertical axis, and applying depth along the Z-axis, you can mimic visual effects such as 3D animations, mockups in perspective, card flip interactions, and many more. 

Ensure that you are familiar with design and prototype workflows in XD and these limitations.

Simulate object depth and perspective

You can apply 3D Transforms to complex compositions such as scroll groups, repeat grids, stacks, padding. With 3D Transforms enabled, you can control the orientation of objects along  X- and Y-axes, and apply depth along the Z-axis.

To simulate a 3D effect, firstly enable 3D Transforms in the Property Inspector, then use the gizmo  icon to tweak the orientation, and finally apply depth to the design objects.

Enable 3D transforms

To enable 3D Transforms, select the required object and click the 3D Transforms  icon in the Property Inspector.

New object controls appear in the Transform section and the gizmo  icon is available in the center of the current selected object. Move the  icon to the left, right, top, and bottom. 
You can modify the axis values in the Property Inspector or rotate the gizmo  icon to rotate objects along the axis.

Rotate objects along X or Y axis

After you enable the 3D Transforms  icon in the Property Inspector, follow these steps to tweak the object orientation along  the X and Y axis:

1. Select the object you want to rotate. 
2. Enter the orientation values in the Property Inspector or click and drag the gizmo  icon that appears at the center of the object.
3. As you adjust the values, observe that the objects start to rotate along the required axis. 

Apply depth along the Z axis

Now that you've learned how to enable 3D Transforms and rotate objects along the X and Y axis, take a step forward and explore how to use the third dimension - the Z axis. 

When designing a stack of cards in perspective or creating card flip interactions, you can move objects on the Z axis to create a sense of depth for the layers. Watch this animated illustration to learn how to apply depth along the Z axis.

Things to watch out for

• The 3D Transforms icon only shows or hides the controls and the gizmo. It does not help you create a 3D environment or disable transformations already applied within your design.
  

• When you resize objects that have X or Y rotation, the Z depth value also changes automatically resulting in content reordering. For example, when designing a group of cards, in perspective, each card rotates at the same angle, but with different depth. If you multi-select those cards and choose to resize them, they will resize as needed. However, the Z value changes for each card and results in content reordering.

• When you change the Z depth value for any object, XD does not support layer ordering methods such as Bring to Front, Send to Back, and reordering from Layers pane.

Video: How do I work with 3D transforms in XD?

"With 3D Transforms in Adobe XD, you can simulate object depth and perspective with just a few clicks on the design canvas" - Dani Beaumont, Principal Product Manager, Adobe XD.

Watch this video to learn how to work with 3D Transforms in XD.

Viewing time: 3 minutes.

Tips and tricks

Now that you know how to work with 3D Transforms in XD, here are some handy tips and tricks:

• You can quickly reset the object back to its 2D state at any given time. Right-click the selected object and Reset 3D Transforms. Or, you can use ⌥⌘T on macOS and Alt + Ctrl + T on Windows to reset 3D Transforms.
  
• You can choose to show or hide 3D Transforms controls. Use ⌘T on macOS and Ctrl + T on Windows to show or hide 3D Transforms.

What's next?

We've got you started with how to enable and use 3D Transforms within your designs. Take a step forward and learn how to animate them and share them with designers or stakeholders for feedback.

Have a question or an idea?