3D alignment

[Annabel Bridge]

I've made my exact fencing but now it's not perfectly vertical.
I made it doing the slats and posts in top plan, then extruded them.  I've spun it round (with difficulty, uisng ctrl+L) but now I can't get it to have vertical posts.  I get confused with the working plane tool so any tips on how I can sort this would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

 

[Jeff Prince]

It’s hard to see what you are trying to do.  If you post the file and sketch out the desired outcome, I’m sure one of us can walk you through it.

[Annabel Bridge]

Hi thanks in advance!
In essence I drew out the fence in 2D top plan, then extruded to make it 3D.  I then tried to rotate it using ctrl+L.  So now it sort of works but the fence isn't perfectly vertical but leans backwards.  I can't work out how to rotate it a bit more!
File attached - many thanks!

FDY Construction Details.vwx

[Tom W.]

One way is to set a Working Plane on the outside face of the first or last fence post (Set Working Plane Tool 2nd mode), hit 'Look at Working Plane' button, rotate the Working Plane to vertical (click on an axis to activate the rotatable coloured balls), then select all the fence objects + use Rotate Tool to rotate them so they align with the Working Plane.

 

Another perhaps easier way is to select the fence in Top/Plan, use Rotate tool to align with Y axis, then change to Front view + use Rotate again to align vertically. Once it's vertically return to Top/Plan + reinstate the plan rotation. 

 

There are probably other ways

 

 

[Annabel Bridge]

 

Woohoo, sorted!

 

I tried the first option then reverted to the second!
I think therefore that it depends what view I am in as to what rotation I turn through, is that right?  I can only assume I was in a custom view when I did rotate originally hence the skew wiff.

 

So pleased, thanks loads

 

[Tom W.]

Ok cool! Yes if you draw your geometry square to the axes then you can use Command-L + Shift-Command-R in Top/Plan, Left/Right + Front/Back views to quickly spin things around. Or you can use the Rotate Tool with Automatic Working Plane activated (Backslash key) to rotate objects in custom views on axes relative to their geometry.