Use your own outline to steer Illustrator’s AI shape fills

A leaf-shaped illustration can begin with the silhouette you draw. Illustrator’s Generative Shape Fill uses that outline to guide new vector artwork. This short exercise follows Adobe’s documented Firefly Vector 3 controls, with the outline supplying a design decision before the prompt.[1]

1. Draw and select a leaf outline. Open Generative Shape Fill from the Contextual Task Bar and choose Firefly Vector 3.
2. Describe the intended fill, such as a paper-cut fern. Set Shape Strength to High for close adherence to your outline, then adjust Detail.
3. Select Generate and compare the variations. The first appears as a Generative Object; your original shape remains independently on the canvas.

High strength fully matches the outline, according to Adobe. Low allows contours closer to the depicted object, so it is useful when you are willing to let the initial silhouette change.[1]

Decide which outline survives the next attempt

After choosing a variation, leave the Generative Object grouped if the next attempt should keep following the outline you drew. Adobe says ungrouping that first fill changes what a repeat generation follows: the next fill tracks the generated artwork’s contour.[2]

To see the difference, follow Adobe’s comparison: make a first fill at Low strength, then rerun at High while it stays grouped. The new fill matches the original outline. Return to the first fill, ungroup it and rerun at High; the next result follows that first fill’s contour instead.[2]

Keep the variations findable

Adobe’s current variation-management guide places the document’s generated alternatives under Object > Generative > Generation History. The Properties panel shows the selected object’s linked batch. Hovering over a variation reveals its model and prompt, helping you identify the starting point when returning to an earlier version.[3]

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