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Isometric mode not really isometric

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Hi all,

Does anyone know why the isometric mode in Illustrator isn't at 30 degrees like isometric should be?

It's slightly off, which makes it a nightmare to work with if you want pixelperfect results.

See attachment, there's a line at 30 degrees, and a square where isometric perspective is applied.

The sides of the square should be at 30 degrees, but there are not.

Why Adobe?!

Ton FrederiksCorrect answer

Community Expert

Try changing the Y axis to 35,264389

See this discussion from 2016 :https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2243469

F

Firsikov14395979

Participant

An isometric projection is not merely a visualization. It is a drawing created in accordance with strict engineering standards. All linear dimensions must be identical in both 2D and isometric projections. If the side of a rectangle is 50 mm, then in the isometric projection it must also be 50 mm, not 40.821 mm.

Is there a way to create a correct isometric projection that complies with all engineering standards? Not necessarily using Illustrator’s built-in tools. It may be possible using a plugin.

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Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

If you’re making isometric projections for engineering, Illustrator is not the correct software for you.

There is CADtools, but I am not a user and don’t know how close that gets you.

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Ton Frederiks

Correct answer

Community Expert

Try changing the Y axis to 35,264389

See this discussion from 2016 :https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2243469

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Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

The 35,264389 angle seems to work better with the Classic 3D effect

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Mario De MeyerAuthor

Known Participant

Here is another example, this time with an isometric right perspective applied to a square shape.

Both vertical lines (the vertical line and the left side of the square) should stay perfectly vertical, but again the isometric shape is off.

Any idea's why?

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Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

Assuming that you're talking about the 3D (Classic) effect here, the new 3D effect has more accurate isometric presets.

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Mario De MeyerAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Doug,

Yes, I'm talking about the 3D Classic effect. The new 3D effect indeed has more accurate isometric presets (Y=35,264° vs. Y=35° for classic 3D), but they don't work.

The new 3D is just as bad as the classic and you will get identical results like the images I posted above (which are made with the classic 3D effect). On top of that with the new 3D function you will get a lot of unnecessary extra shapes if you expand it to wireframes. I use the "Plane" function, so there's no extrusion, but if you expand that to wireframes a simple square gives you 6 shapes (2 squares and 4 lines), why Adobe?

This whole 3D function is pretty messy and inaccurate to be honest 😞

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Mario De MeyerAuthor

Known Participant

This also happens when you take other isometric planes btw!

Lets say you want isometric left or right. Again take a square and apply isometric left or right. Your vertical lines should stay vertical, but they don't for some odd reason I don't understand?

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Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Mario,

What happens if you hold Ctrl/Cmd and press E?

This will toggle between GPU and CPU, the former is faster, but sometimes it moves in mysterious ways.

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Mario De MeyerAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Jacob,

nothing really changes if I do that, it's still off.

It's really easy to replicate though, just draw a line, rotate it 30 degrees, then take a square and apply isometric top, try to allign them and you'll see the square (which should be at 30 degrees) is off. Why is that? This has been bothering me for years

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