Rotate Around Hinge Line in 3D

[Kevin McAllister]

I would love an rotate option that allowed the selection of a rotation axis by choosing two points in 3d. Alternately the rotation axis could be chosen as a side of an object. I find myself often trying to fold shapes which is quite difficult with irregular planes that do not related to the XYZ planes.

[AndiACD]

While hardly the best solution for rotating objects, the "Rotate Tool" does work. Quite well, once you get to know it . . .

Can you explain this a little? What are you trying to do?

[Gytis]

Without knowing more, sounds like it might be a job for The Mighty Working Planes....

[AndiACD]

Kevin,

Perhaps a solution could be found if you use the "Rotate Working Plane" menu command, so it is perpendicular to the angle/pivot point you would like, select the plane, then the "Look At" option from the WP palette then you can rotate the object as you wish.

As i said, hardly perfect, but it'll work.

At least, i hope it does . . . . help, that is.

[Kevin McAllister]

Thanks for the advice.

Mastering the Working Plane tool was a good workaround. The tool has confused me for some time now. It turned out it wasn't the tool that was confusing, but the demo instructions in the manual for the 3 point mode. I was following their selection suggestion and, of course, because they were selecting a vertical line first, every time I chose to look at the working plane the entire view would rotate 90 degrees, causing great confusion with navigation. Weirdly the select face mode for the same tool defaults to the same thing. Once I understood why it was doing that, I could select more intuitive points....

Now that I understand the working tool, and by choosing views while using the working plane instead of the ground plane as the base, its much easier to do what I'm trying to do.

That said, rotating around a pivot line would still be a great addition.

Thanks again.

[GWS]

I always find working planes a bit tricksey, and I use them a fair amount. I still don't quite understand why there is a cycle of 3 different plane for one view. Working planes could do with a bit of user-friendlyness. (sorry for the colloquialism)

[islandmon]

I still don't quite understand why there is a cycle of 3 different plane for one view.

Working Planes are calculated using the Rotation Matrix:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation_matrix

[GWS]

If I am using the ground plane as my working plane I only have one front view, one right view, etc.

If I set a working plane with x,y, and z coordinates surely there is only one front view, one right view etc.

It just gets a bit confusing from a non-mathematician's view (excuse the pun).

[islandmon]

The standard views, eg. Front, Rightside, Right Isometric, etc. are described by specific rotations around the XYZ GroundPlane. When the User creates a Working Plane within the IJK space ( created by the 3 point selection method ), the XYZ GroundPlane rotational descriptors no longer apply.

Then the Working Plane palette is utilized to switch between the various coordinate viewing options. While in the Working Plane container, the GroundPlane is shown for reference, only... but ignored until the active Working Plane is switched back to the standard views for the GroundPlane.

[GWS]

Thanks Islandmon I think I get now get the idea, but the issue for me is from a designer/3D drafting point of view it is confusing to have 3 different 'front' views when I only get one when using the ground plane.

If I specify the 3 axis it would be more helpful to have the 'set views tranposed onto that one set of axis.

Anyway that aside, I am able to use the working planes adequately and thank you for explaining it all in layman's terms.

Cheers

Guy

[islandmon]

It's important to note that Working Planes are specific to an object for the purpose of editing

that object in a normal plane regardless of the objects actual spatial orientation.

The Working Planes are not designed for navigating within XYZ space.

For example, a truncated 3D poly may be difficult to edit from any of the Standard Views.

But separate saved Working Planes can be created from each of the truncations.

This facilitates the editing of the faces by providing the advantages of a normal flat plane.

When the editing is complete, the User should return to the standard Ground Plane via Top view.

Here are some examples of the Working Planes of the Isotropic Vector Matrix:

http://www.fractalnet.org/gallery2/v/IVM/Ster_IVM/