Title: Perspective Grids and 3D Effects Assignments Outline
Course: WILSON MC - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER GRAPHICS HYBRID > Section: Week 10 - Perspective Grids and 3D Effects

- INTRODUCTION to PERSPECTIVE GRIDS AND 3D EFFECTS

Drawing with perspective — simulating three dimensions and drawing in relation to one or more defined “vanishing point(s)” — is elemental to illustration. Illustrator’s Perspective Grid tool, first introduced in Illustrator CS5, provides powerful tools for automating that process, and opens the door to using Illustrator as a tool for architectural renderings and other artwork that depends on three-dimensional perspective.

The first step in working with Illustrator’s perspective grid is to define a grid, including setting a ground line and a horizon line (eye level). Perspective grids can be 1 point, 2 points, or 3 points. Documents can have only one perspective grid.

Once you define a perspective grid, you choose a grid plane to draw on, and anything you draw adopts the perspective of that plane. When you create shapes in a perspective grid, those shapes adopt the perspective of the selected grid plane. Working with type is different from working with shapes in a perspective grid; to adapt type to a perspective grid, you use the Perspective Selection tool.

3D effects, like extrude or bevel, generate the appearance of 3D perspective. The three 3D effects — Extrude & Bevel, Revolve, and Rotate — all allow definable lighting sources so you can create and adjust “spotlights” that “shine” on the artwork from any angle.

Artwork that has been saved as a symbol can be mapped onto 3D effects. Mapping artwork can create effects like that of an image on a balloon, changing in size and becoming distorted along with the changing size and shape of the balloon.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- SET UP a perspective grid
- DRAW in a perspective grid
- CREATE text with perspective
- EXTRUDE objects
- REVOLVE and rotate objects
- MAP symbols on 3D effects

ELEMENTS OF THIS LESSON INCLUDE:

- CHAPTERS
ILLUSTRATOR CS6: VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE
Using the book Illustrator CS6: Visual QuickStart Guide refer to the following chapters for Perspective & 3D Effects:
Chapter 11: Transform

- PRESENTATION
  - View the 22-slide presentation on Perspective Grids and 3D Effects in MGLab to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts and the terminology.
- VIDEOS
  - Watch the following lesson videos in MGLab. As with the slide presentation, use the video content to expose you to the techniques demonstrated. You may need to re-watch portions - or all-  of a video for complex techniques.
    - 1 Drawing in Perspective
    - 2 3D Effects: Revolve