How to Create Die Face Icons in Adobe Illustrator
My name is Samuel Cohen and this is how I single-handedly designed, developed, and launched a website where you can customize a die and have it 3D printed in 30 days. Below is a technical update post. If you wish to read more about the project, the landing page is here.
In order to create a 3D color customizer, I had to create a model that had visual properties. To create my model I chose to use Adobe Illustrator and Blender. I used Adobe Illustrator to create icons that would be imported into Blender and turned into 3D models.
Below is a video showcasing my rationale for using Adobe Illustrator and my basic methods for creating the faces. If you want to know the specifics, continue reading. These die faces will be used in an upcoming tutorial to create 3D models.
Adobe Illustrator Overview
Creating Die Faces in Adobe Illustrator
The first part of this project is to create die faces in Adobe illustrator. I need to create images called SVGs(Scalable Vector Graphics), to print the faces on the 3D model in the final version.
Creating a Rectangle
The basis for the die faces will be rectangles. Using the rectangle tool Illustrator can create a 100x100pt square.
Once this step is completed, a simple square is present on the screen.
Die Layout Setup
Since I am creating a six-sided die, I can copy the rectangle by holding the alt key and dragging the squares into a grid. I continue this process until there are six rectangles.
Once this step is complete, I have six squares in a grid.
Creating Dots
Now that I have the template for the die faces, I am going to start creating the dots. To create a dot I use the ellipse tool. Once the ellipse tool is selected, I move to the center of the first rectangle and create a 25x25 pt. ellipse.
Note: The ellipses might have to be moved to align with the square center once they are created. If this happens, select the center of the ellipse and drag it to the center of the square.
After this step is complete, I have a dot in the center of the first square.
Changing Dot Color
To fill in the dot color, I go to the color palette in the left-hand menu. From there I can change the main color to black.
Once this step is finished I have a black dot in the center of the first square.
Creating Die Faces(2–6)
Now that I have one face properly formatted, I can move on to creating the other sides. First, I have to find the position of the dots. To do this I check the total diagonal length of the square by drawing a line with the pen tool. The total diagonal length is 141.42 pt.
To correctly position the dots for the 2nd face, take a quarter of the total measurement from each side and place a dot there. The length is 35.33 pt. I use the line segment tool to create a point at the correct location. The angle pointing towards the center varies, but it will either be 45, 135, 225, or 315 degrees.
Now that I have the points where the dots are placed, I can use the ellipse tool to place them properly.
After this step, I have two complete die faces. The other four are very similar, with some varying dimensions. If I follow a similar process, I can complete the rest.
Exporting the Finished File
Once all of the dots are placed, the file looks like this.
Now that the file is complete, I am going to export to SVG. To do this I select everything.
Then I right-click and select export selection.
On the export screen, I can rename the sections to whatever I wish. In the format section, I select SVG.
Conclusion
In the end, I have a correctly formatted image that I can utilize in creating a 3D model in the second tutorial.
Check Out the Website at www.dicedesigner.com.
