Working with the perspective grid
Working with the perspective grid
The Perspective Grid is a feature that enables you to create and manipulate art in a spatial environment using established laws of perspective. Enable Perspective Grid using the View > Perspective Grid menu or the perspective tools in the toolbar.
The SDK provides an API for working with the perspective grid programmatically, and your scripts have some access to this API. A script can:
- Set a the default grid parameters using preset values.
- Show or hide the grid.
- Set the active plane.
- Draw an object in perspective on the active plane.
- Bring an object into perspective.
Use perspective presets
Illustrator provides default grid-parameter presets for one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives. The presets are named "[1P-NormalView]"
, "[2P-NormalView]"
, and "[3P-NormalView]"
.
The script shows how to select the two-point perspective preset programmatically:
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" --Create a new document set docRef to make new document tell docRef --Select the default two-point perspective preset select perspective preset perspective preset "[2P-Normal View]" end tellend tell
You can create new perspective presets, export presets to files, and import presets from files. These scripts shows how to export and import presets:
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" set docRef to make new document set filePath to "Macintosh HD:scripting:PGPresetsExported" export perspective grid preset of docRef to file filePathend tell
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" set docRef to make new document set filePath to "Macintosh HD:scripting:PGPresets" import perspective grid preset of docRef from file filePathend tell
Show or hide the grid
This script shows or hides the Perspective Grid programmatically:
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" --Create a new document set docRef to make new document tell docRef --Display the perspective grid defined in the document show perspective grid --Hide the perspective grid defined in the document hide perspective grid end tellend tell
Set the active plane
The perspective grid plane types are:
Plane | Type |
---|---|
Left plane | perspective grid plane leftplane |
Right plane | perspective grid plane rightplane |
Floor plane | perspective grid plane floorplane |
Invalid plane | perspective grid plane noplane |
For a one-point perspective grid, only the left and floor plane are valid.
This script sets the active perspective plane to the left plane:
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" --Create a new document set docRef to make new document tell docRef --Set the active plane to the left plane set perspective active plane perspective grid plane leftplane end tellend tell
Draw on a perspective grid
When the Perspective Grid is on, drawing methods allow you to draw or operate on objects in perspective. This script creates a new document, shows a two-point perspective grid, and draws art objects on the left plane
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" --Create a new document set docRef to make new document tell docRef --Select the default two-point perspective preset select perspective preset perspective preset "[2P-Normal View]"
--Display the perspective grid defined in the document show perspective grid
--Check if active plane is set to left, otherwise set it to left if (get perspective active plane) is not leftplane then set perspective active plane perspective grid plane leftplane end if
--Draw rectangle in perspective, then resize to 200% and move set rectRef to make new rectangle with properties {bounds:{0, 0, 30, 30}, reversed:false} scale rectRef horizontal scale 200 vertical scale 200 about top left with transforming objects translate rectRef delta x -420 delta y 480
--Draw ellipse in perspective set ellipseRef to make new ellipse with properties {bounds:{60, -60, 90, -30}, reversed:false, inscribed:true}
--Draw rounded rectangle in perspective set rrectRef to make new rounded rectangle with properties {bounds:{90, -90, 30, 30}, horizontal radius:10, vertical radius:10, reversed:false}
--Draw polygon in perspective set polyRef to make new polygon with properties {center point:{105, 105}, radius:15, sides:7, reversed:false}
--Draw star in perspective set starRef to make new star with properties {center point:{135, 135}, radius:15, inner radius:10, point count:6, reversed:false}
--Draw path in perspective set newPath to make new path item with properties {entire path:{ {anchor:{0, 0} }, {anchor:{60, 0} }, {anchor:{30, 45} }, {anchor:{90, 110} } } } end tellend tell
Bring objects into perspective
If an art object is not in perspective, use the bringInPerspective()
method to bring it into perspective and place it on a plane.
This script creates a new document, draws an art object, and brings it into perspective on a three-point perspective grid:
tell application "Adobe Illustrator" --Create a new document set docRef to make new document tell docRef --Draw star set starRef to make new star with properties {center point:{135, 135}, radius:15, inner radius:10, point count:6, reversed:false}
--Select the default three-point perspective preset select perspective preset perspective preset "[3P-Normal View]"
--Display the perspective grid defined in the document show perspective grid
--Check if active plane is set to left, otherwise set it to left if (get perspective active plane) is not leftplane then set perspective active plane perspective grid plane leftplane end if
--Bring star to floor plane bring in perspective starRef position x 100 position y 100 perspective grid plane floorplane end tellend tell