Rotate Mode

Modeling:ShapesExtrusionsRotate

In this mode, you may interactively rotate either a profile or a face to get a three-dimensional solid.

To rotate a face, you may pick one or more faces of an existing solid (if more than one face are picked, the last one will be rotated) and enter the Rotate Mode afterwards.

If you want to rotate a profile, you must define a set of points that form a closed polygon line. The points are always located on the current active working plane.

In both cases, an axis must be defined that will be used as center of rotation. The axis must be on the same plane as the one where the profile or face is located.

The axis will be plotted as a blue arrow.

You may change the view at any time by using the standard view changing options.

Creation steps to rotate a profile

Defining the axis:

You may either pick an edge or define a new edge.
If you have picked an edge and you enter the Rotate Mode, it will ask you to allow it to align the WCS to this edge to have the axis on the same plane as the later to be defined polygon.
If no axis is defined, a default axis will be used later.

Creating the solid:

When you first enter this mode, you will be asked to double-click on the working plane to mark the first point of the polygon line. The cursor’s location will be projected onto the currently active working plane.
After you have defined the first point a rubber-band appears from this point on up to the mouse pointer. This band represents the first line of the profile polygon.
Repeat this procedure for as many points as necessary. To finish the polygon, choose the last point to be on the same location as the first one (always remember to release the mouse button after double-clicking, before dragging to the next point).
When you have defined the profile, the Rotate Profile dialog box appears, showing you all values of the new solid. If they are correct, press the OK button to create the new solid.

Creation steps to rotate a face

Defining the axis:

You may either pick an edge or define a new edge.
If you have picked an edge and you enter the Rotate Mode, it will project the edge on that plane that is defined by the picked face.
If no axis is defined you will be asked to define one.

SHIFT key

By pressing the SHIFT key after the first point has been set, the cursor movement is fixed in one coordinate and may only be moved in the other and vice versa.

Creating the solid:

After you have entered this mode, the Rotate Face dialog box appears, where you may enter all necessary values. Press the OK button to create the new solid.

Display of locations

Throughout this mode the current mouse location will be displayed in the lower right corner of the main plot window.

Snap mode

All positions will be adjusted to the snap grid when active.

Cancel interactive mode

You may cancel this interactive mode at any time by pressing the ESC key. Pressing ESC again in the following dialog box will terminate the sphere creation.

Undo last double-click

You may go back to the last step by pressing the BACKSPACE key. Pressing this key in the interactive mode will undo the last double-click.

Numerical specification of coordinates (TAB key and SHIFT+TAB key)

To precisely specify the shape coordinates, you may press the TAB key whenever a point must be double-clicked. A small coordinate dialog box will open in which you may specify the shape coordinates numerically.

The dialog entries take over the coordinates at the cursor position on the working plane. However, if the SHIFT+TAB key is pressed, the coordinates are always set to zero.

Pick tools to specify coordinates

You may snap the location to a previously defined shape’s corner, cylinder radius, etc., by activating a point pick tool, at the moment when the next point must be specified. The double-click will be processed by the pick functionality to specify the location of a point. The picked point will then be taken as the selected location.