How to build an adjustable perspective grid in Illustrator?

[David Rose]

Hello! I am an illustration student and need some help building a custom perspective grid. Last semester I learned how to build perspective grids exactly like the ones renaissance artists used. Obviously, drawing each of the grids that are necessary is an exhausting effort and I wanted to build an easy to adjust grid in Illustrator instead. I didn't imagine as much trouble as I am having, though.

The most elegant solution I can imagine would be to create an adjustable template with one/two moveable anchor points. What I have in mind would work similarly to creating a box (in Illustrator) and moving one of the anchor points -- the box doesn't completely move with this adjustment, but instead flexes to the anchor point's new position.

My question is this: Is there a way that I can join lines together to a single, adjustable anchor point that would maneuver the same way as adjusting a box's anchor point?

{Renamed by MOD}

[Monika Gause]

Are we talking about the perspective grid feature in Illustrator?

You could draw 3 rectangles into it that resemble a box, but can't be joind together.

Then edit the perspective grid and the rectangles would follow.

[David Rose]

No, I'm building my own grid. As best as I can tell, the grids in Illustrator don't follow exactly the rules I've been taught.

[Myra Ferguson]

You can use presets in Illustrator for the Perspective Grid to change it to one-point, two-point, or three-point perspective by going to View > Perspective Grid and selecting one of the presets. And you can adjust it from there.

[David Rose]

I understand this, but I need to create a cone a vision (a circle that properly mimics how our eyes see things, established at a 30 degree from the stationary point) but I am unable to make this work with the preset grid -- which is why I need to build my own 🙂

[Ashutosh_Mishra]

Hi David,

Thanks for reaching out. I hope your issue is resolved by now. We'd appreciate if you can mark the most appropriate response correct. If you used any other method, we'd request sharing the solution with us. It'll help other users with similar concern.

If you still have issue, please let us know. We'll be happy to help.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[David Rose]

Still stuck. I asked this question on Reddit and received more feedback -- but I am still mostly at a stalemate. Using the join tool (command+J) to connect two lines, I have a part of my template working, but I'm having trouble using the join tool to connect several lines to one anchor point. Perhaps rephrased, my question is how can I connect multiple lines to just ONE adjustable anchor point?

[Monika Gause]

"Perhaps rephrased, my question is how can I connect multiple lines to just ONE adjustable anchor point?"

It's not possible. Bézier paths don't work like that and Illustrator doesn't have a function that allows you this.

You could try ifa live paint group can help you, but it will behave like a group in the end.

[Myra Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Like Monika said, you can't connect multiple lines like that in Illustrator. However, you could try to simulate it by using snapping.

You can connect multiple lines in Animate.

[David Rose]

That clears up that, at least. I will try animate and see if that works better for me. Thanks for the help.