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Adobe Illustrator - Creating Isometric Shapes

Since there are no plugins to draw isometric shapes in Illustrator, it must be done by hand. Here are some quick and easy steps to get your drawings converted. This tutorial assumes that you already know what an isometric drawing is and that you know how to create one by other means (drafting tools, etc.)
In a nutshell, this tutorial will show you how to transfer an orthographic representation of an object's side, top, and front into the planes on the cube below (fig. 1) accurately and efficiently.

1. Define Shapes (orthographic projections)

For tutorial purposes, a square with a star (fig. 2) will be used to illustrate that the shape gets rotated and scaled properly to align on the proper axis.

Once the shapes are created, align them and then group them. This makes it easier when performing the scaling and rotation.

We will start by creating the top (or y) view of the box.

2. Create Top Face (y-axis)

Select the group, double click on the "rotate" button in the tools palette, enter the degree value "-45" and click "ok". Notice the position of the top point of the star (fig. 3).

Once rotated, double-click on the "scale" button in the tools palette, select non-uniform and enter "horizontal: 100%" and "vertical: 57.9%" and click "ok". Your shape should resemble fig. 4. Notice again the position of the top point of the star. The top view of the shape is done.

3. Create Side Face (x-axis)

Creating the side face requires one more step than when we did the top face. Copy and paste the group as it looks in fig. 4, double-click on the "rotate" button in the tools palette, enter the degree value "+60" and click "ok". The side face is complete, and the top point of the star is pointing in the correct direction (fig. 5).

4. Create Front Face (z-axis)

There are two ways to create the front (z-axis), starting with the easiest first (assuming you have already created the side face, and that the front face is identical to it... which it is in this case).

First Method

Copy and paste the shape that was created for the side (x-axis) face, then select it.

Double-click on the "reflect" button in the tools palette, select "vertical" and click "ok". Drag the front face and align it with the other faces. The front face is complete (fig. 6).

Second Method

The second method is very similar to when you created the top (y-axiz) face. Assuming that you understood how to perform the rotate and scale steps above, the following will be abridged.

First, start with the original shape (fig. 2)

Rotate the shape "45" degrees.

Scale the shape "100% horizontal" and "57.9% vertical".

Rotate the shape "-60" degrees.

The front (z-axis) face is done.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about the above tutorial. Please put the tutorial title in the subject line.