Script for Adobe Illustrator

✦ Available exclusively on Patreon for Pro supporters.

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Description

3D Rotate transforms selected Illustrator artwork in three dimensions. Use converging perspective for plain paths and outlined text, or parallel orthographic projection for native images, gradient meshes, symbols, and mixed groups. Preview adjustments in an interactive wireframe viewport or directly on your artboard, configure custom pivot points, and apply transformations to the original artwork or generate progressive multi-copy sequences with smooth opacity and color transitions.

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Features

Rotate artwork with full control over perspective, camera distance, pivot points, and intermediate copies while preserving editable paths and native artwork.

• Paths and native artwork – Apply true converging perspective to paths and outlined text, or use parallel orthographic projection to rotate native images, gradient meshes, symbols, pattern fills, and mixed groups without losing image links or object types.
• Perspective and orthographic views – Switch between optical converging perspective with camera foreshortening and parallel projection that maintains parallel lines.
• Interactive 3D viewport – Inspect an interactive wireframe with a reference plane grid, XYZ directional arrows, and Euler rotation rings for single-axis adjustments.
• Flexible pivot points – Rotate around a 9-point selection bounding box, individual object centers, the active artboard center, or a custom origin marker.
• Progressive copy sequences – Generate evenly spaced rotation stages ending at the final orientation, complete with easing curves, opacity fading, smooth HSL color blending, and reversible layer stacking.
• Depth-based stroke scaling – Automatically scale stroke weights according to distance from the perspective camera with adjustable effect intensity.
• Visual preset library – Browse, save, and organize reusable orientations with rendered 3D thumbnail cards, including editable isometric starter presets.
• Persistent settings – Retain last-used parameters, custom presets, and window positions across sessions even when cancelling a transformation.

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Installation

1. Download the 3D Rotate.jsx script file.

2. Place the script in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator (Version)/Presets/(Language)/Scripts

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator \(Version)\Presets\(Language)\Scripts

3. Restart Adobe Illustrator if it's already running.

4. Access the script via File > Scripts > 3D Rotate

5. Alternatively, run it directly via File > Scripts > Other Script... and browse to the file location.

Tip: You can also drag and drop the .jsx file directly onto the Illustrator workspace to run the script instantly – no installation needed.

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Using the Script

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Launch the Script

Open an Illustrator document and select the artwork you want to transform. Plain paths, compound paths, text, images, gradient meshes, symbols, and mixed groups are supported. Images and other native artwork use Parallel projection for tilt adjustments. Locked and hidden artwork is automatically excluded.

1. Select artwork – Select the intended objects before opening the script. Keep objects grouped when they should share a single individual-object pivot.
2. Open the dialog – Choose File > Scripts > 3D Rotate to work with the selection.
3. Adjust the script settings

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➊ Explore the orientation before adjusting the artwork

Use the Interactive Preview to inspect rotation before refining individual values. The wireframe displays path contours and bounding geometry for native artwork rather than full fills or raster pixels.

• Interactive preview – Drag vertically to adjust pitch (X-axis) and horizontally to adjust yaw (Y-axis). Hold Shift to snap both angles to 15-degree increments.
• Reset angles – Double-click anywhere in the preview background away from controls to reset all three angles to 0 degrees.
• Axis visualizer toggle – Click the first top-right icon to cycle between XYZ Arrows, Euler Rings, and No Axes (indicated by a minus icon).
• Euler rotation rings – In Rings mode, drag any red, green, or blue ring to rotate solely around that axis. Hold Shift for 15-degree snaps, or double-click a ring to reset only that axis.
• Reference plane toggle – Click the grid icon to show or hide the ground grid and center crosshair independently of axis mode.
• Viewport zoom – Click minus to zoom out by 0.8, click plus to zoom in by 1.25, click 100% to restore default zoom, or drag the percentage horizontally to scrub between 5% and 800%.
• Mouse wheel camera controls – Scroll over the preview to adjust focal length by 10 points, or hold Alt/Option while scrolling to adjust camera distance. Add Shift for 1-point increments (Perspective mode only).
• Status readout – Check the bottom status line for angle values, active modes, and camera-plane clipping warnings.

Preview updates for complex selections or large copy counts may defer until you release a drag, while sliders and controls continue tracking your movement.

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➋ Set the tilt and projection

Use modest pitch and yaw values for an initial result, then add roll if needed. Rotations are evaluated in X (Pitch), then Y (Yaw), then Z (Roll) order.

• 3D Rotation tab – Use this tab for the wireframe viewport, rotation angles, projection mode, and camera controls.
• X-Axis (Pitch): – Tilt forward or backward between -180 and 180 degrees. Press X when not editing text to focus this field, or click its label to reset it.
• Y-Axis (Yaw): – Turn left or right between -180 and 180 degrees. Press Y when not editing text to focus this field, or click its label to reset it.
• Z-Axis (Roll): – Rotate in the artboard plane between -180 and 180 degrees. Press Z when not editing text to focus this field, or click its label to reset it.
• Projection Mode: – Choose Perspective for converging depth, or Parallel (Ortho) to keep parallel lines parallel and preserve native artwork. Press P when not editing text to toggle modes, or click the label to restore the selection-appropriate default.

Angle-focus shortcuts function on the 3D Rotation tab when not typing or holding Command, Ctrl, or Alt/Option.

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➌ Refine the perspective camera

Adjust camera controls when you need stronger perspective distortion or a flatter telephoto appearance. These controls affect perspective projection only.

• Focal Length – Set camera lens strength from 1 to 2000 points (default 400 pt). Shorter lengths produce wide-angle distortion; longer lengths flatten perspective.
• Camera Distance – Shift the selection along the camera depth axis from -1000 to 1000 points (default 0 pt). Negative values move artwork closer to the lens; positive values move it farther away.
• Unit selector badges – Click either camera field badge to cycle through pt, px, mm, cm, in, and pc. Right-click or Alt/Option-click to cycle backward. Conversions preserve the underlying point value.
• Camera label reset – Click either camera label or its reset dot to restore its default value.

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➍ Enter precise values and reset adjustments

All angle, camera, strength, copy, opacity, and color blend rows share consistent editing methods, modifiers, and reset actions.

• Numeric fields – Type numbers or math expressions using +, -, *, /, and parentheses. Decimal commas, periods, and scientific notation are accepted.
• Measurement expressions – Type explicit unit suffixes in camera fields (such as mm, cm, in, or pt). Mixed-unit expressions evaluate automatically.
• Scrollbars – Drag the slider thumb, click end arrows, or click the track to make visual adjustments.
• Numeric steppers – Click stepper arrows, scroll over them, drag vertically to scrub values, or press Up and Down arrow keys while a field is focused.
• Shift modifier – Use Shift for larger arrow, wheel, or stepper increments (10 for angles, strength, copies, opacity, and color blend channels; 100 for camera values).
• Alt/Option modifier – Use Alt/Option for fine increments and fine scrollbar dragging.
• Reset gestures – Right-click any slider or stepper, double-click a slider thumb, or click a row's reset dot to return that control to its default value.
• Master reset – Right-click any reset dot on the 3D Rotation tab to reset all three angles and both camera values simultaneously, or right-click any color blend reset dot in Settings to reset Hue, Saturation, and Lightness together.

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➎ Choose where the artwork pivots

Open the Settings tab to choose the anchor point that remains fixed during rotation. Changing the pivot recalculates the transformation from the original starting geometry.

• Settings tab – Open this tab to configure pivot points and output options. The dialog automatically shortens to a compact height.
• Reference Point – Rotate around a fixed point on the selection's bounding box using the 9-point grid. Selection Center is the default.
• 9-point grid – Choose Top Left, Top Center, Top Right, Middle Left, Selection Center, Middle Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Center, or Bottom Right. Alt/Option-click to select Center immediately.
• Each Object – Rotate every selected top-level item independently around its own center. Grouped items rotate around the group's shared center.
• Artboard – Rotate around the center point of the active artboard.

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➏ Decide what to preserve and how copies should progress

Choose whether to transform the original artwork in place or keep it beside a progression of rotated copies. All stroke, copy progression, opacity, and color transition sections are organized into a single unified panel with horizontal dividers.

• Scale Stroke Weights by Depth – Thicken strokes on path centers closer to the camera and thin strokes farther away (Perspective mode only).
• Strength – Adjust stroke depth scaling from 0% (original widths) to 200% (exaggerated scaling), with 100% as the default.
• Create Rotated Copy (Keep Original) – Preserve original artwork and generate new rotated copies. When unchecked, transforms the selection in place.
• Copies – Set the total number of copies from 1 to 100 (default 1). Multiple copies form evenly spaced transformation stages ending at the final rotation.
• Curve – Choose Linear for uniform step intervals, Ease In to cluster stages near the start, Ease Out to cluster stages near the end, or Custom to reveal manual spacing bias.
• Spacing – Revealed when Curve is set to Custom; adjusts custom stage distribution between -100 (clustered toward the start) and 100 (clustered toward the end).
• Stacking order toggle – Click the stack icon button next to Curve to reverse the layer stacking order of generated copies between front-to-back and back-to-front.
• Fade Copy Opacity – Create a smooth opacity transition across generated copies, fading from the original object opacity to the target opacity.
• Opacity – Set the target opacity for the final rotated copy from 0% to 100% (default 20%).
• Blend Copy Colors – Create a smooth color transition across generated copies from the original artwork colors to the adjusted endpoint colors.
• Hue – Shift the endpoint hue for the final rotated copy from -180° to 180° (default 0°), with intermediate copies blending proportionally along the spectrum.
• Saturation – Adjust the endpoint color intensity for the final rotated copy from -100 to 100 (default 0), from muted tones to vibrant colors.
• Lightness – Adjust the endpoint color lightness for the final rotated copy from -100 to 100 (default 0), toward darker or lighter shades.
• Keep Editable Text as Hidden Backup – Keep original text frames hidden in the document layers when converted to vector outlines for 3D rotation.

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➐ Find and apply a reusable view

Use the preset library to apply proven rotations without re-entering values. Applying a preset updates controls and previews without closing the dialog.

• Presets tab – Open the library to view saved and built-in orientations. Right-click or Ctrl-click this tab from anywhere to instantly save current settings as a new preset.
• Default preset – Restore zero rotation angles, default camera values, and initial output settings. This row is protected and cannot be deleted or reordered.
• 3D thumbnail cards – Each row features a shaded reference card with an asymmetric F marker showing tilt, roll, and perspective depth, with purple indicating the backface.
• Starter presets – Use four preconfigured isometric orientations: Isometric Top, Bottom, Left, and Right. These are fully editable, renamable, and removable.
• Search filter – Filter presets by name or projection keywords (perspective, parallel, ortho, isometric). Press Escape or click the X icon to clear.
• Keyboard navigation – Use Up and Down arrow keys inside the search field to highlight a preset, then press Enter to apply it without closing the dialog.

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➑ Save and organize your presets

Save effective transformations to build a personal orientation library. Preset edits persist independently of document changes.

• Save Preset – Click Save Preset to store current angles, projection, camera, pivot, stroke, copy, opacity, and color blend settings into a new preset row ready for renaming.
• Inline renaming – Double-click a preset name or click its hover pencil icon to edit. Enter up to 64 characters and press Enter to save or Escape to cancel.
• Delete Preset – Click the trash icon to request deletion, followed by the inline confirmation button to permanently remove the preset.
• Drag reordering – Hover over an editable preset to reveal the drag grip on the left, then drag vertically to change its position in the list.
• Preset context menu – Right-click or Ctrl-click any editable preset row to access Rename, Move Up, Move Down, and Delete commands.

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➒ Check the document and accept the result

Use bottom controls to verify the transformation on your artboard and finalize changes.

• Preview toggle – Toggle the live on-canvas preview on or off. Right-click and hold the Preview button to temporarily peek at the opposite state.
• Hide Selection Edges – Click the selection edge icon to hide blue bounding boxes and anchor points during preview for an unobstructed view.
• Fit Artwork in Window – Click the zoom icon to fit the selection within the Illustrator window. Click again to return to your original view.
• OK – Apply the rotation to the artwork, finalize copy generation and text outlines, save preferences, and close the dialog. Press Enter outside text fields.
• Cancel – Discard uncommitted changes, restore original artwork and selection, save last-used dialog controls for next time, and close the dialog. Press Escape.
• Dialog position – Move the dialog anywhere on your screen. The script remembers window position across sessions.

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Artwork and projection limits

• Plain vector paths and compound paths receive true mathematical 3D perspective, with anchor points and curve handles transformed in 3D space.
• Native artwork (images, meshes, symbols, pattern fills, and mixed groups) requires Parallel (Ortho) mode to preserve object structure, image links, and appearance.
• Text converted to outlines for 3D rotation can preserve original editable text frames as hidden backup objects on their original layer.
• Dialog preferences and custom presets are stored safely in your user data directory, independent of Illustrator preference files.

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☻ Summary

3D Rotate brings true three-dimensional rotation to Adobe Illustrator while preserving vector paths and native artwork in their proper projection modes. Customize perspective strength, set exact pivots, and generate progressive copy sequences with easing curves, opacity fades, smooth HSL color transitions, and depth-scaled strokes. Save favorite views into the visual preset library and enjoy seamless persistence between sessions.

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