Rotate Elements in 3D

[Szabolcs Miko]

Free rotation is available for Shells, Curtain Walls and Morphs in the 3D window, while other construction elements can be rotated only horizontally. Settings, controlling their slope or pitch vary by element type:

• Walls can be slanted or double slanted
• Columns can be slanted
• Beams can be inclined
• Roofs have a pitch
• Stairs can apply to different rules and standards to define their pitch

Rotation of Objects is only possible horizontally, around any other axis it can be done within the GDL code or by using 3rd party add-ons such as Cadimage Objective. Note: It is possible to create a Morph out of any existing element with a simple conversion.

How can we rotate elements in the 3D window?

Rotation in 3D can be done two ways.

Defining a rotation axis

After activating the rotation command (Edit> Move> Rotate or use Ctrl+E default shortcut) the protractor appears asking for the rotation centerpoint. Click and Hold to define the rotation axis, then rotate manually or by a specific angle.

Defining the plane of rotation

We can define the plane in which we would like to do the transformation. Make the Editing Plane visible in the 3D window (View> Editing Plane Display) and then choose the Pick Plane option, either from the menu at View> Grid & Editing Plane Options> Pick Plane or by clicking on it's grip in 3D. Click on three points to define the plane.