Transform Tool Trick
Tricks | October 29th, 2008
This is one of those tricks that I felt stupid I didn’t know after I learned about it. I’m sure others out there know about it, but there must be some that don’t. This transform function works in CS3 and CS4. I’m not sure about earlier versions of Illustrator, so if anyone knows, post a comment. I came across this trick when watching episode 58 of Layers TV, a great Adobe videocast.
Transform Tool
I’ve always been envious of Photoshop’s Transform. When transforming an object in Photoshop, it is easy to quickly shear, add perspective and distort the element you are transforming. I thought you couldn’t do this as easily in Illustrator. I thought you had to rely on the Free Distort Effects or Mesh distortions. I even remember trying over an over again to get the Transform Tool to work in this fashion. Now I realize I was just doing it wrong.
First, use the Transform Tool (E) and select an object. Click and hold on one of the corners and then press the Command Key (Ctrl for Windows). Now you can easily transform the shape like in Photoshop. Make sure you click and hold on the area before you press the Command Key, or else it will not work. While using the Command Key, You can also use the Shift Key to constrain moments, use the Alt / Option key to constrain the transform to a perspective transform, or use the Shift Key and Alt / Option keys simultaneously!
Again some of you probably know about this function, but for those of you that don’t, this trick should be a welcomed one!
Awww. Doesn’t work in CS2. Yet another reason why I can’t wait for the CS4 boxes to arrive in Aus! Thanks for tip though, even if I can’t use it!
hey hey, that great
Awesome tip! This really makes life easier. I was always using Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort… Quite a tedious job. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful tip! Thanks! No more free distort!
@bjzaba it does work in CS2. I just did it. Thanks for posting this trick! I remember reading a tutorial on Vectortuts a while back where this was mentioned. I attempted it but wasn’t able to get the clicking and keystrokes right. Watching the video was a huge help! This is really easy to do in Fireworks. I’m not sure why they make it so acrobatic in Illustrator.
Cool quick little shortcut. It does indeed work in CS2 as well. This was actually covered in the Adobe Illustrator How-Tos 100 Essential Techniques book.
NICE!!! I didn’t know this! It works in CS. Thanks!!!
Really great tip :D..!! Been wishing a long time for this..
Tnx
You know what the problem with this is, as opposed to hand-doing it. I find…it doesn’t always do the perspective quite correctly. It forces some of the anchor handles at really weird positions or slighty off…has anybody else experienced this?
Sothy, I have found this technique does sometimes end in awkward results I wasn’t looking for. Resetting the bounding box (so it will rotate with your object, and so there isn’t a lot of negative space), and rotating objects so at least part of it lines up with what you are distorting- works wonders.
The less you have to distort the better. The first corner you move tends to do exactly what you want… but the second and third and fourth aren’t as easy.
Like when I want to put an image in perspective on the side of a box… I rotate it so the bottom half lines up with the edge of the box, then I only need to move the top two corners of my art.
Well I can’t get it to work in CS4…
@ Scorff
That’s weird. It works for me in CS4. It is kind of finicky, you just have to make sure you click before you press Command.
Oh my God ! I want to kill myself
Thanks a lot for sharing this, you made my day.
wow, this is a great trick. It’s almost guaranteed that I’m going to use it.
OMG!! for years i have been wishing for this! awesome, love your work.
that’s all!!
God dammit. I wished for this ability forever and I already had it. Thanks a million!
@ Eagleapex
That is exactly how I felt.
oh my god! hm…it did made me feel like an idiot. hahaha! thanks for the tip.
It does not work on group objects. As usual Adobe quirks are in place.
god, I was trying this for about 10 minutes before i realized i wasn’t on the transform tool! SMH!
like many, I’ve been using illustrator for way too long not to know this! I’ve actually (embarrassingly enough) brought a path into photoshop and used distort and brought the path back into illustrator LOL
Thank you!
YES, YES! It works!
Thnx!
I’ll have to agree with Bjzaba; this doesn’t work in CS2. Some objects only let me rotate, others let me scale, none let me distort.
Think I’ll go back to the comfort of Photoshop!
I take that last comment back. It appears that this only works if the entire object is in view, so if you’ve magnified it and can only see part of the object, the perspective tool will not work.
u just save my life thank you it works fine on cs4
Thank you! That’s been driving me nuts.
This is awesome, but I really wish the bounding box didn’t reset every freakin’ time you let go of a mouse click.
Awesome dude! it did made me feel like an idiot. hahaha! thanks for this tutorial.
I just spent 3o min looking for error in my User interface/Keaborad presets!
You have to press it and keep pressed, and only with free transform tool, or else!!!??
Very poor ergonomic design. In PS it so obvious.
This is nuts.
Agreed! You would think Adobe would fix it and make it more like the PS Transform.
Man, I knew Illustrator must have had this function. But boy oh boy, did I search on the internet for over several years.
Finally as a divine intervention, I found your great post.
Thank you!!!