Rotate Mode command (Edit menu)

Use this command to select Rotate Mode, indicated by the cursor symbolizing clockwise /counterclockwise rotation.  A check mark appears next to the menu item when the cursor is displayed.  Click again on this command, or the Normal Mode command, to return to Normal Mode.

Rotate Mode is used to rotate selected vertices, faces, groups, or whole objects with respect to the XYZ axes and groundplane.  Just the selected objects are rotated.  Do not confuse this with right-mouse-button rotation, which rotates the whole scene --- axes and groundplane included.

To rotate the whole house, for example, select the whole object, and rotate it with the arrow keys, or the keypad’s Plus and Minus keys.  The Up and Down arrow keys rotate the object about the X axis, Left and Right about the Y axis, and Plus and Minus about the Z axis --- this is irrespective of view orientation.  The angle through which the object has been rotated is shown in the pane at the right end of the Status Bar.  The arrow keys produce one degree of rotation for every keystroke.

You can also rotate the object with the mouse by clicking on it with the left button and ‘drag-rotating’ it, but the rotation is limited to the X and Y axes.  The arrow keys provide better precision.  To rotate just one face, select the face and rotate it with the arrow keys or mouse.  Groups of vertices or faces can also be rotated in a similar manner.

Be aware that Rotation Mode operations using the arrow keys (or mouse) introduce small trigonometric inaccuracies that with much repetition can accumulate into significant errors.  If you need precise rotation through a known angle, use the Precise Rotation command.

Shortcuts

Select Toolbar:                

Keys:                        Ctrl+Alt+R

Copyright © Ligno3D Systems, 2006