Drawing grids


    Use the Grid tools to quickly draw rectangular or polar grids. The Rectangular Grid tool creates rectangular grids of a specified size with a specified number of dividers. The Polar Grid tool creates concentric circles of a specified size and a specified number of dividers. Specify the grid size and the number of dividers, and then drag to create the grid anywhere on the artboard.

To draw a rectangular grid by dragging:

    Select the Rectangular Grid tool Rectangular Grid tool , and drag diagonally.

    You can press any of the following to get specific results as you drag:

    • Shift to constrain the grid to a square.
    • Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to extend the grid from all sides of the reference point.
    • Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option (Mac OS) to constrain the grid to a square as it extends from the reference point.
    • The spacebar to move the grid as you draw.
    • The Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key to add or remove horizontal lines.
    • The Right Arrow key or Left Arrow key to add or remove vertical lines.
    • F to decrease the logarithmic skew value for the horizontal dividers by 10%.
    • V to increase the logarithmic skew value for the horizontal dividers by 10%.
    • X to decrease the logarithmic skew value for the vertical dividers by 10%.
    • C to increase the logarithmic skew value for the vertical dividers by 10%.

To draw a rectangular grid by specifying properties:

  1. Select the Rectangular Grid tool Rectangular Grid tool .
  2. Click in the artboard to set the grid's reference point and display the Rectangular Grid Tool Options dialog box.
  3. Set any of the following options in the dialog box, and click OK:
    • Click a square on the reference point locator (reference point locator ) to determine the point from which the grid is drawn.
    • Width to specify the width of the entire grid.
    • Height to specify the height of the entire grid.
    • Number (Horizontal Dividers) to specify the number of horizontal dividers you want to appear between the top and bottom of the grid. Then enter a Skew value to determine how the horizontal dividers are weighted to the left or right side.
    • Number (Vertical Dividers) to specify the number of dividers you want to appear between the left and right sides of the grid. Then enter a Skew value to determine how the vertical dividers are weighted toward the top or bottom of the grid.
    • Use Outside Rectangle As Frame to replace the top, bottom, left, and right segments with a separate rectangular object.
    • Fill Grid to fill the grid with the current fill color (otherwise, the fill is set to none).

To draw a polar grid by dragging:

  1. Select the Polar Grid tool Polar Grid tool .
  2. Drag diagonally.
  3. You can press any of the following to get specific results as you drag:

    • Shift to constrain the grid to a circle.
    • Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to extend the grid from all sides of the reference point.
    • Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option (Mac OS) to constrain it to a circle as it extends from the reference point.
    • The spacebar to move the grid as you draw.
    • The Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key to add or remove concentric circles.
    • The Right Arrow key or Left Arrow key to add or remove radial lines.
    • X to change the logarithmic skew value for the concentric dividers inward by 10%.
    • C to change the logarithmic skew value for the concentric dividers outward by 10%.
    • F to change the logarithmic skew value for the radial dividers counterclockwise by 10%.
    • V to change the logarithmic skew value for the radial dividers clockwise by 10%.

To draw a polar grid by specifying properties:

  1. Select the Polar Grid tool Polar Grid tool ,.
  2. Click in the artboard to set the grid's reference point and display the Polar Grid Tool Options dialog box.
  3. Set any of the following options in the dialog box, and click OK:
    • Width to specify how wide the polar grid should be.
    • Height to specify how tall the polar grid should be.
    • Click a square on the reference point locator (reference point locator ) to determine the point from which the grid is drawn.
    • Number (Concentric Dividers) to specify the number of circular concentric dividers you want to appear in the grid. Then enter a Skew value to determine how the concentric dividers are weighted toward the inside or outside of the grid.
    • Number (Radial Dividers) to specify the number of radial dividers you want to appear between the center and the circumference of the grid. Then enter a Skew value to determine how the radial dividers are weighted counterclockwise or clockwise on the grid.
    • Create Compound Path From Ellipses to convert the concentric circles into separate compound paths and fill every other circle.
    • Fill Grid to fill the grid with the current fill color (otherwise, the fill is set to none).

To display or hide the center points:

  1. Choose Window > Attributes.
  2. In the Attributes palette, click either the Show Center button Show Center button or the Don't Show Center button Don't Show Center button .