Illustrator question...

[uoba]

Anyone know how to do decent perspective scaling for text in illustrator?!

I'v tried the skew tool, but this limited (I'm trying to map some text on the side of a proper 3d-generated cube with proper perspective). The Distort tool in Effects, hasn't changed since Illustrator 5 by the looks of it as well!

 

[mindbend]

The Free Distort option (Effect/Distor/Free Distort will work, but it may be hard to align the distortion to your cube since there is no live preview.

The Shear tool will work well for a basic isometric (?) view.

Inexplicably, AI doesn't seem to have Photoshop's distortion transform option (in PS you can Command-Click any corner to distort it live, I can't find a way to do this in AI, which sucks, cuz it's perfect for perspective transforms).

 

[uoba]

I am mighty annoyed with this because it is a pretty standard feature to implement (especially with the emergence of 3d)... Freehand (even though I can't stand it) has perspective drawing abilities, and even Photoshop more so than Illustrator

Cheers anyway

 

[Urbansory]

The free transform tool works well, you just have to vary your cicking the object and holding the, option, apple, shift keys. You will click and hold one or two or all, there are a number of combinations that give different controls, which takes time to get use to. I wish i could say how, i'm just use to looking and pressing the keys i need without noticing that I actually pressed them.

 

[rinse]

Illustrator 10 has some great distortion tools... really great!

look under Object:Envelope Distort

and you can also use the new Effect:Warp filter.