Quick Tip: Make a Tape Measure with Illustrator’s 3D Efects
Tutorial Details
- Program: Illustrator CS2 and up
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Length: 3:47 min
In this video Quick Tip, learn how to make a simple symbol and map it to a 3D spiral for sophisticated results.
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By Cheryl Graham
Cheryl Graham trained as a traditional artist in drawing and painting. These days she spends more time in front of the computer than the easel. Her Illustrator work has been featured in the "The Adobe Illustrator WOW! Book" and "Real World Illustrator CS5." She wrote the now-defunct Illustrator blog at freetransform.net.
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Another good tutorial Cheryl.
I teach the Creative Suite at the college level and my only suggestion would be this… before you delete your tape measure symbol artwork (after dragging it to the symbols panel) would be to flip it vertically and drag that into the symbols panel as well. Map this flipped version of the tape measure symbol on your reflection so the ruler art reflects accurately too. It worked well for me.
Excellent suggestion, Bill — thanks!
Enjoyed the tut so much!!!!! Thank YOU!!!
Great tutorial! Quick question – for some reason when I extrude the spiral, the front of the tape becomes 2 surfaces instead of 1 like yours (and it’s proving difficult to map and stretch the symbol onto both). It looks like I have the same number of anchor points. Any ideas? Thanks!
Dave, try adjusting the shading in the 3D dialog box (click More Options if you don’t see the lighting controls). I get an extra surface as well, if I leave the shading at the default setting. Then if I move the light to the left, that extra surface goes away. Hope this helps!
hi i tried doing this and whenever i open map art and place it as you did, it show the tape like on the back part, as if its backwards? it does not show the tape in the front (like normal looking :P) any suggestions :S thanks