Rotating 3D Objects

In Foxel, rotating 3D objects is a fundamental operation that allows you to change the orientation of your designs. You can rotate objects using three methods: through the Inspector, via a dialog box, or by utilizing the Rotate Tool. Each method provides a different level of control and flexibility for manipulating your 3D models.

Rotating via Inspector

You can adjust the rotation values directly in the Inspector. The rotation properties of an object are defined in local space, meaning they are relative to the object's parent within the hierarchy. When multiple objects are selected and the rotation value is modified in the Inspector, all selected objects will be updated to reflect the same rotation value, ensuring consistent orientation across your selection.

Rotating via Dialog Box

To rotate objects using the dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Select the object(s) you wish to rotate.
2. Navigate to Object > Transform > Rotate.
3. Enter the desired rotation angles in the Rotation Dialog Box and click OK to apply the changes.

🔺 Figure 1: Rotate Dialog Box

Rotation Dialog Options

When the dialog box appears, you will find several options to customize your rotation:

• Rotation Angles: Enter the desired angles for rotation around the X, Y, and Z axes.
• Pivot: Choose the pivot point for rotation. You can select either:
  • Object Center: Rotates the object(s) around their individual centers.
  • Object Pivot: Set via the Inspector, this option uses the individual pivot points defined for each object. Each object's pivot can be set independently, allowing for more precise control over rotation.
• Rotate as Group: If this option is checked, all selected objects will rotate around the selection center. If unchecked, each object will rotate individually based on the selected pivot.

All rotation operations performed through the dialog box occur in world space.

Rotating with the Rotate Tool

The Rotate Tool provides an interactive way to rotate objects. To use the Rotate Tool, follow these steps:

1. Activate the Rotate Tool.
2. Select the object(s) you wish to rotate. This can be done directly using the Rotate Tool.
3. Use the gizmo handles to rotate along the selected axis or drag the center sphere to rotate the object(s) freely in all directions.

Hint

If you hold down the Shift key while rotating, the rotation is constrained to 45-degree increments, allowing for precise adjustments.

Important Note

The Rotate Tool can also be used to rotate selected voxels from a voxel grid. If voxels are selected, they will be rotated instead of the object itself. Therefore, make sure to deselect voxels if you want to rotate the object instead. For more information, see Rotating Voxel Grids.

Rotate Tool Options

Before rotating, you can set the transformation space and the pivot mode (object center or object pivot) from the Tool Options Bar. This allows you to customize how the rotation will be applied to your selected objects.