Rotate an object in Illustrator: generate multiple angles of the same object

One of the heaviest tasks for any illustrator or designer is the creation of multiple views of the same object. And in most cases, to achieve a good result, you will have to invest a lot of work time. 

With the arrival of the Turntable feature in Adobe Illustrator, this process changes significantly. This new tool allows you to generate multiple rotated views of a vector or raster object from a single illustration, reducing production time and maintaining a consistent appearance across all versions.

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What is Turntable?

Simply put, the Turntable function uses Adobe Firefly technology to automatically generate different angles of an object from a single view. It does not build a 3D model, but from the outside, it might look like it. The function interprets shapes and creates new editable perspectives that closely mimic the original illustration.

By using Turntable, you can explore different viewpoints without having to rebuild the drawing from scratch. It also represents a time saver if you need to work with different views of containers, characters, or other similar elements. 

How to use Turntable 

Using Turntable is quite simple. To get started, open your project in Adobe Illustrator and select the vector or raster object that interests you. 

From here, there are several ways to activate Turntable. If you select the object, a floating contextual menu will appear with various generative AI options, colors, and more. Click on the sparkles icon located all the way to the left and select the Turntable option. If you don’t see this floating menu, go to Window > Contextual Task Bar to make it appear. 

You can also activate the Turntable feature from the properties panel. You can access it by going to Window > Properties. When selecting Turntable, we will have to wait a few moments for Adobe Illustrator to generate the views. When it finishes, we will see a new floating menu below the drawing with a slider and arrows to change the views and rotate the object.

You have to keep in mind that, on some occasions, it won’t work very well. This happens when we deal with objects that are very abstract, as it is not able to generate views that are very reliable. Otherwise, you can be quite calm and be surprised by the results.

Combine with other Illustrator tools

Turntable by itself is a great feature, but it can be even more useful and surprising if we combine it with other generative AI functions within Adobe Illustrator.

One of the newest, Concept to Vector, allows you to convert a simple initial sketch into a vector illustration. If you are someone who usually captures conceptual ideas in notebooks and the like, Concept to Vector can help you vectorize your ideas without needing to invest much time.

To use it, open the image in Illustrator and select it. Once done, the contextual menu we mentioned earlier will appear. There, click on the Concept to Vector option. You can also access it from Object > Generative > Concept to Vector.

Once the main piece is created, Turntable can automatically generate new perspectives of the same object.

Similarly, Generative Expand helps to expand your compositions and adapt them to different formats. From a vector drawing, you can generate multiple views with Turntable and then expand the scene to use it in banners, ads, or social media content.

To use Generative Expand, select the object and then click on Crop Image, an option you will see in the floating context menu. If you don’t see it clearly, look for its symbol, which is located on the right.

Drag the frame limits in the direction you want to increase the image area. You can use the shortcut Shift + Alt (Option on Mac) while dragging with the mouse to move the frame equally in all directions. You can also specify the exact measurements in the Properties panel if needed.

Select Generate in the contextual bar and you will see how an “expanded” copy of the original image is created. You will see three variations with different results in the Properties panel, keep the one you like the most or regenerate others if you don’t like these.

Current Limitations

Although it is a very powerful tool, Turntable is not meant to replace manual work or 3D modeling.

As we mentioned before, Adobe emphasizes that it works best with clearly recognizable objects and may provide less accurate results with abstract shapes, complex texts, or certain advanced effects of Adobe Illustrator. Other features, such as gradients, effects, or complex constructions, still have many limitations.

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