Isometric and axonometric grids

Affinity makes use of a highly customisable isometric and other axonometric grids, perfect for isometric designs, UI/game design, digital design models, mock ups or designs which benefit from this style.

Isometric and axonometric grids
isometric grid
Isometric drawing and grid

About isometric and axonometric grids

Isometric and other axonometric grids are, by nature, parallel projections. This means that grid lines never converge to a vanishing point as in perspective projections. Perspective projections are not supported in Affinity.

Affinity lets you set up different axonometric grid types from the Grid context toolbar and change their grid spacing, divisions, gutter and grid colour. Once an axonometric grid is enabled, planes (front, side and top) can be switched between so you can automatically draw and transform geometric shapes and artistic text directly onto the active plane. Curves, closed shapes and placed images can be manually made to fit the active plane too.

Front plane
Front, side and top planes of isometric grid showing selected object transformed to fit in-plane.

About snapping controls

Grids work best when combined with snapping. Object handles and curve nodes snap precisely to any grid line and line intersections.

Using Cycle Selection boxes

Cycle Selection Box When drawing curves on plane, take advantage of the Cycle Selection Box setting on the Move Tool’s context toolbar (on the Move Options pop-up menu). When tapped, the 'Planar bounds' option displayed will transform the curve’s selection box (not the object) to that of the current plane, allowing easier positioning/snapping of curve to grid.

It's possible to permanently set the object's selection box to orient to the current plane. The object is unaffected. When reselecting the object again, the selection box will remain 'in plane'.

Toggle Preview Mode To set your isometric or other axonometric grid:
  1. On the Toggle Preview Mode menu (to the right of the Preview button), select Grid.
  2. Access the above again and select Grid Settings.
  3. On the context toolbar, change the Grid Mode setting to any option other than Standard or Auto.
  4. Adjust the settings as required. These may vary depending on the Grid Mode you have selected.
Toggle Preview Mode Edit Menu To jump between grid planes:
  1. On the Toggle Preview Mode menu (to the right of the Preview button), select Grid Settings.
  2. On the context toolbar, change the Grid Mode to Isometric.
  3. From the Edit menu's Isometric section, tap Enable Planes to allow switching between planes.
  4. Tap Front Plane, Side Plane or Top Plane.
To set the grid spacing:
Snapping To set grid snapping:
  1. From the context toolbar menu, open Snapping menu (to the right of the Snapping button).
  2. Tap Snapping Options.
  3. Select a Preset, e.g. Curve drawing, ensuring that Snap to grid is also enabled.

This ensures that objects will fit accurately to grid lines.

Edit Menu To draw geometric shapes directly on the grid:
  1. From the Edit menu's Isometric section, enable Edit In Plane.
  2. With a shape tool selected, drag out a chosen shape. You can snap your shape to the grid on creation when dragging initially from any grid intersecion or when repositioning and/or scaling the shape.
Edit Menu To fit two-dimensional objects to plane:
  1. Select a curve, closed shape, artistic text or image.
  2. From the Edit menu, choose a plane (Front Plane, Side Plane, Top Plane) to send the object to.
  3. On the same menu, select Fit In Plane.
Edit Menu To transform any object on the grid:
Move Options To cycle between selection box types:
Move Options Set Selection Box To set the selection box to Planar bounds permanently:
  1. Cycle to the selection box option called Planar bounds using Cycle Selection Box on the Move Options Menu.
  2. On the same menu, choose Set Selection Box.

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