The polygon editor’s Rotate Tool Group consists of the Rotate Element Tool, and the Rotate Normal Tool. Rotation of geometry inside the polygon modeler is grid relative. By default rotation takes place around a line perpendicular to the active grid. However, rotation can also take place around a standard axis, selection normal or a custom grid or guide.
Rotation for any element (polygon, edge, vertex) is;
1. Free-form, active grid relative
2. Around Standard axis (X, Y, Z)
3. Around Custom Axis/Guide
4. Around Selection normal
1. Free-form, active grid relative
2. Around Standard axis (X, Y, Z)
3. Around Custom Axis/Guide
4. Around Selection normal
Tools are organized into tool groups. Each tool within the tool group can have its own key, but can be cycled to via a ‘tool group’ key. By default, the J key cycles the tool group, but also activates the current tool within the group when another tool is currently active.
Rotate Element Tool
1. Free Form, Active Grid relative
By default, the selected elements rotate around the active grid ‘normal’, that is, a line perpendicular to the active grid (including custom active grids).
By default, the center of rotation is the center of the selected elements. Pressing the Shift+Period keys changes the center of rotation from selection to active grid center.
Y grid active.
Rotation around active grid normal.
Rotation around active grid normal.
Z grid active.
Rotation around active grid normal.
Rotation around active grid normal.
2. Around Standard Axis
It’s also possible to rotate selected elements around a standard world axis (X, Y, Z) independent of the currently active grid.
When modifiers for these standard guides/axis are held, a line (guide) appears indicating the axis of rotation. A guide appears both at the center of the world grid and also in icon form at the world trident. To rotate around the:
When modifiers for these standard guides/axis are held, a line (guide) appears indicating the axis of rotation. A guide appears both at the center of the world grid and also in icon form at the world trident. To rotate around the:
X axis, hold Shift+X
|
Y axis, hold Shift+C
|
Z axis, hold Shift+Z
|
Y axis, hold Shift+C
|
Z axis, hold Shift+Z
Y axis guide active, overrides active grid.
Rotation takes place around the Y axis guide.
Rotation takes place around the Y axis guide.
X axis guide active, overrides active grid.
Rotation takes place around the X axis guide.
Rotation takes place around the X axis guide.
3. Around Custom Guide (Axis)
Rotation can take place around a custom guide (or also known as custom axis). See the section on custom guides.
Custom guide active, overrides active grid. Rotation takes place around the custom guide.
Custom guide active, overrides active grid. Rotation takes place around the custom guide.
Rotate Normal Tool
4. Normal Relative
The Rotate Normal tool variant rotates elements around their ‘normals’, a line perpendicular to the surface (in the case of a polygon). Note that for multiple selected elements, a group of ten polygons as an example, a ‘group normal’ (the average of the selected normals) is calculated and used for rotation.
Selection Normal Rotation. Rotation takes place around selection normal regardless of the active grid or guide which may be active.
Setting Rotation Origin
When a scale or rotation operation takes place, the center of transformation can either be the grid/guide origin or the center of the selection.
To indicate which rotation mode the tool is in, the active grid or guide’s pivot changes color. Blue indicates selection center is used for rotation, and red indicates the grid/guide center is used as rotation center.
Press Shift+Period to switch between center modes. Note, the origin will only turn red to indicate grid/guide center activation while in the Rotation and Scale tools inside Edit Object mode.
Red pivot indicates rotation around
grid center.
grid center.
Blue pivot indicates rotation around
selection center.
selection center.
