Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
To begin working in perspective you must first define your perspective environment.
Click on the Perspective Grid tool in the Tools panel to display the perspective grid
on your Artboard, or click View> Perspective Grid> Show Grid. The default is Two
Point Perspective consisting of two vanishing points. For one point perspective
choose View> Perspective Grid> One Point Perspective> 1P Normal View, which has
a single vanishing point. For three-point perspective, choose Three Point
Perspective> 3P Normal View, which has three vanishing points (if a perspective grid
is customized and saved, it will appear in the respective submenu for 1P, 2P, or 3P
Normal View as an additional choice).
When you select the Perspective Grid tool, your grid is displayed with grid plane
control points on its extremities (though some disappear when the Perspective
Selection tool is used). These controls allow you to manually adjust parameters such
as vanishing points, angles, repositioning of planes, grid height and width, etc.
Scrolling the cursor over these controls yields an indicator below the pointer showing
the directional choices available for that control.
Grid control points can be manually adjusted on the grid itself or
more precisely using the Define Perspective
Grid dialog box (View> Perspective Grid>
Define Grid). Presets can then be saved for
reuse. View> Perspective Grid> Show
Rulers displays a ruler on the visible grid.
To save a customized grid choose View> Perspective Grid> Save Grid As Preset. The
new grid is saved under the respective perspective type; for example, a customized
one-point perspective grid will be saved as an option to 1P Normal View when the
View> Perspective Grid> Two Point Perspective fly-out menu is displayed. The
Define Grid dialog (View> Perspective Grid> Define Grid) allows you to adjust the
grid with greater numerical precision and save as a preset for further uses.
To begin working within your defined environment, first select an active plane to
work in. The cube in the upper left-hand corner of the work area is the Plane
Switching Widget. When you click on a cube side with the Perspective Grid tool (or
any drawing or editing tool), the active plane is highlighted with a color. Orange, for
example, is the default color for the right plane (see figures at left). The active plane
means that anything drawn in perspective will conform to the perspective of that
specific plane regardless of where it is drawn on the artboard (only one plane can be
active at any time). The Perspective Grid tool cursor also indicates this with the
shaded side of a cube below its pointer.
