I create top down objects based on frontal view photos all the time, primarily because photos are generally not taken of top downs on given objects. Nobody but cartographers think in 'top down' terms. When I needed a top down view of skeletal dragons for a map, what did I use for reference? A side view photo of a brontosaurus skeleton. I use my imagination seeing the side view photo and think about what it might possibly look as a top down and then create. I know of no software that presents such views from a given object - it just doesn't exist.

I don't have the original photo anywhere that I can find, so here's a section of a past map with my top down dragon skeletons, so you can at least see the final result.

This is from my One Page Dungeon Contest entry from a couple years ago...

GP

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