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Spirited_happiness5D41
Spirited_happiness5D41
Known Participant
August 9, 2019
Answered

Best Way to do Perpendicular Lines on Slanted/Angled Lines?

  • August 9, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 21605 views

After some searching on this topic it seems this comes up: Is there a shortcut to draw a 45 or 90 degree angle from a drawn line on an angle?

Seems like there is only a paid option, looks like a subscription, called SubScribe v2...

Does Adobe illustrator have a built in perpendicular line tool to draw from an anchor point on a slanted line?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer jane-e

Hi

Go to Preferences > Smart Guides and check (tick) Construction Guides. Keep 90° & 45° from the dropdown, or choose something else, or type in your own angles. You have six boxes you can use, so if you want 17°, just type it in.

To draw anchor point to anchor point, make sure Snap to Point is enable in the View menu. Deselect first (or hide the bounding box).

~ Jane

3 replies

Monika Gause
Monika Gause
Community Expert
August 10, 2019

SubScribe is not a subscription. You pay once (until it gets a major upgrade)

As for perpencicular lines: Try a pattern brush.

barbara_a7746676
barbara_a7746676
Community Expert
August 10, 2019

If you only want angles of 45 degrees, you can hold down the Shift key white dragging with the Line tool.

jane-e
jane-eCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 9, 2019

Hi

Go to Preferences > Smart Guides and check (tick) Construction Guides. Keep 90° & 45° from the dropdown, or choose something else, or type in your own angles. You have six boxes you can use, so if you want 17°, just type it in.

To draw anchor point to anchor point, make sure Snap to Point is enable in the View menu. Deselect first (or hide the bounding box).

~ Jane

    Spirited_happiness5D41
    Spirited_happiness5D41Author
    Known Participant
    August 10, 2019

    Perfect!

      JETalmage
      JETalmage
      Inspiring
      August 10, 2019

      AdobeBrah24  wrote

      Perfect!

      You’re welcome!


      Setting Smart Guides Construction Line at specific angles does not do what you want, as I read your post. Construcion Guides angles are reltive to the page, not to the specific path selected or being drawn. That's why Monika suggested a workaround using Brushes.

      Some programs do indeed provide for automatic guides which are perpendicular or tangent to the existing curve. At least as of CS6 (I don't rent software), Illustrator is not one of them.

      Other methods you can use as workarounds:

      For perpendicularity:

      1. White Pointer: Click a straight segment.
      2. Copy.
      3. Paste in Front.
      4. DoubleClick the Rotate Tool. Key in 90 degrees. Enter.

      For tangency to a curved segment:

      1. Add AnchorPoint Tool: Click where you want the point of tangency to be.
      2. Line Tool: Draw a line, snapping to the added AnchorPoint and drgging to one of its curve handles.
      3. Cut (to the clipboard).
      4. Undo (to remove the added node, if desired)
      5. Paste In Front.
      6. DoubleClick the Rotate Tool. Key in 90 degrees. Enter.

      JET

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