To change the perspective of a pattern or any object in Illustrator, you primarily use the Perspective Grid tool. This tool allows you to create a perspective plane onto which you can place and transform your artwork, including patterns, to fit that perspective.
Steps to Change Pattern Perspective
Here's a breakdown of the process:
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Activate the Perspective Grid Tool:
- Go to the tool box and select the Perspective Grid tool (Shift + P). This will make the perspective grid visible on your artboard.
- Reference Note: The default perspective grid is 2-point perspective.
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Select Your Desired Perspective Grid:
- You can change the type of perspective grid displayed based on your needs.
- Go to View > Perspective Grid.
- From the dropdown menu, select the perspective of your choice, such as 1-Point Perspective or 3-Point Perspective.
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Apply the Pattern/Object to the Grid:
- Switch to the Perspective Selection tool (Shift + V). This tool works hand-in-hand with the Perspective Grid tool.
- Select the plane you want to place your pattern or object onto using the Plane Widget (the small cubical icon usually in the top-left corner of the grid). Click the face corresponding to the desired plane (e.g., Left Plane, Right Plane, Horizontal Plane).
- Select the pattern or object you want to put into perspective.
- Drag the selected object onto the desired plane on the perspective grid. Illustrator will automatically scale and distort the object to fit the selected plane's perspective.
Tips for Working with Perspective
- Moving Objects on the Plane: Use the Perspective Selection tool to move objects along the active perspective plane.
- Moving Objects in Space: To move an object parallel to the screen (not along the plane), hold down Shift while dragging with the Perspective Selection tool.
- Releasing from Perspective: To remove an object from perspective and return it to a standard non-perspective state, select it with the Perspective Selection tool and go to Object > Perspective > Release with Perspective Grid.
- Hiding the Grid: Once you're done, you can hide the grid by going to View > Perspective Grid > Hide Grid (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I).
Using the Perspective Grid tool and the Perspective Selection tool is the standard and most effective way to accurately place and transform patterns and artwork within a 1-point, 2-point, or 3-point perspective view in Adobe Illustrator.
