Transforming Primitives

Shaper includes tools for translating, scaling and rotating primitives. You will be guided through the use of the Translation tool. The Scale and Rotation tools basically behave the same way.

Start by creating a box.

Activate the Translation tool and select the box you created. Note how you were able to select the box even though the Translation tool was active. All transformation tools let you select primitives while active.

There are 3 different ways to use the translation tool.

• Manual Translation
• Gizmo Translation
• Axis Lock Translation

Manual Translation

To manually translate simply specify the desired values on the Tool Panel and press the Apply button.

Gizmo Translation

The large axes that appear in the View Panels over the selection is a type of Gizmo. The other transformation tools use the same type of Gizmo.

To translate a primitive using the Gizmo click and drag the axis on the Gizmo corresponding to the direction that you want to translate the primitive. For example click and drag the green axis in the Perspective view. This will move the box up and down along the Y axis.

Axis Lock Translation

The Tool Bar has three buttons labelled X, Y and Z. This is the Axis Lock. The Axis Lock controls which axes a primitive can be translated in when using this method of translation.

Lock translation to the X and Z axes only by pressing the Z button on the axis lock. The X and Z buttons should both be toggled on. Now click the box without clicking the Gizmo and then drag. The box shall move along the X and Z axes in accordance with the mouse movement.

The above can be applied to the other primitive types (faces, vertices and bones) in the same way it was applied to the box which is a group primitive.