How Do I Turn Off 3D Planes in Illustrator?

To turn off the visual representation of 3D planes, which is typically the Perspective Grid in Adobe Illustrator, you need to access the View menu.

Here's the straightforward way to hide it:

Navigate to View > Perspective Grid > Hide Grid.

This action will make the grid disappear from your artboard, allowing you to work without the perspective lines.

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Understanding the Perspective Grid

When people refer to "3D planes" in Illustrator, they are often talking about the Perspective Grid. This tool is used to help you draw and align objects in one, two, or three-point perspective. It projects the illusion of depth and space directly onto your artboard.

While incredibly useful for creating scenes with perspective, the grid can sometimes be distracting or unnecessary once you've finished your perspective-based work. Turning it off doesn't delete any objects you've placed using the grid; it simply hides the visual aid itself.

Steps to Hide the Perspective Grid

Turning off the grid is a simple process accessible through the main menu bar.

Here are the steps:

1. Open your document in Adobe Illustrator.
2. Go to the View menu at the top of the screen.
3. Hover your cursor over Perspective Grid.
4. From the sub-menu that appears, select Hide Grid.

Alternatively, you can use a keyboard shortcut. The default shortcut to hide/show the Perspective Grid is Cmd + Shift + I (macOS) or Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows).

Why Turn Off the Grid?

There are several reasons why you might want to hide the Perspective Grid:

• Clearer View: To see your artwork without the overlaying lines.
• Performance: While usually minimal, hiding complex grids can sometimes offer a slight performance boost.
• Exporting: The grid is a non-printable, non-exportable visual aid, but hiding it ensures you don't accidentally include it in screenshots or previews.
• Switching Tasks: When you are done with perspective drawing and want to work on flat, non-perspective elements.

Remember, hiding the grid is temporary. You can always bring it back by going to View > Perspective Grid > Show Grid or using the shortcut.

Summary Table

Action	Menu Path	Keyboard Shortcut (Default)	Purpose
Hide Perspective Grid	View > Perspective Grid > Hide Grid	Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I	Remove grid view
Show Perspective Grid	View > Perspective Grid > Show Grid	Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I	Display grid view

This method addresses the most common interpretation of "turning off 3D planes" in Illustrator, which pertains to the built-in Perspective Grid tool.