Illustrator Perspective Grid Tool
Quick answer: use the Perspective Grid Tool to display the grid, then use the Perspective Selection Tool to place artwork onto the left, right or horizontal plane. Choose the active plane with the small cube widget before dragging your object.
The Perspective Tool in Illustrator CC can be useful. Drawing objects in perspective can be difficult, for instance if you want to draw a street with a vanishing point or if you want a 3D map of the UK. Please remember that you have to embed a vector image before you can use it in conjunction with the Perspective Grid Tool. In the video I accomplished this by going into Photoshop, and selecting the map and creating a path out of the selection. I then used the export paths to Illustrator feature to convert the paths into a format that could be opened in Illustrator.
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- Place the image you want to use.
- Click on Embed at the top of the screen.
- Click on the Perspective tool on the left.
- Choose the Perspective Selection tool.
- Then use the cube in the top left corner to choose the plane to which you want to add the object.
- Drag the object and see that it will align to the plane you selected on the cube.
- You can also use the Perspective Selection tool to resize the object in perspective.
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Perspective Tool in Illustrator FAQs
How do I turn on the Perspective Grid in Illustrator?
Select the Perspective Grid Tool from the toolbar. You can then use the plane switching widget to choose the left, right or horizontal plane.
Why will my artwork not follow the perspective grid?
Make sure you are using the Perspective Selection Tool, not the normal Selection Tool. Also check that the correct plane is active before dragging the artwork.
Can I resize artwork after placing it in perspective?
Yes. Use the Perspective Selection Tool to resize the object while keeping it attached to the selected perspective plane.