Rotate points tool

**Squeaky** · 10 April 2009, 01:58 PM

I would like to be able to rotate a group of selected points around a definable center.

Example
I have a drawing of an arm and would like to bend it. Rather than re-draw the whole thing I'd like to be able to rotate the points into the correct position. Something like bones in a 3D app.

**MarkMyWords** · 10 April 2009, 04:06 PM

Yes, it would be handy to be able to treat points/nodes like any other object or group, so that they can be rotated, skewed or even scaled, individually or as a group.

And while we are at it, it would be great to apply attributes to individual points/nodes, such as colour, transparency, feathering or even line width.

**michaelbuddy** · 10 April 2009, 04:47 PM

Yes inverse kinematics would be cool. I think flash CS4 does that now if you really need that for something immediately.

**ss-kalm** · 10 April 2009, 07:44 PM

Squeaky,

You probably want a little more than this, but you can adjust the centre of rotation ...

Group the objects that you want to move - double click, and you get a circle with a cross over it, that is the rotation centre - drag it to where you want - rotate to suit. Not a very good diagram, but it should get the point across.

Having said that, it would be nice if it stayed where it was positioned ....

**Squeaky** · 10 April 2009, 08:38 PM

I have often looked at the 3d modeling tools for point manipulation and drooled. Anything like that could speed up my Illustration workflow a lot. And that is importand when budgets are being squeezed!

Not sure I NEED IK though and I am certainly not giving adobe any more of my hard earned for Cs4. Any 2d animation I do in Anime studio pro. Their bone tools are glorious!

**MarcT** · 14 April 2009, 02:24 PM

Yes as mark said, the same rotate/scale/skew blobs on points would be very useful and wouldn't interfere with other functions.

Even alignment could work with points!

Marc

**morphonius_821** · 20 April 2009, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by MarkMyWords

Yes, it would be handy to be able to treat points/nodes like any other object or group, so that they can be rotated, skewed or even scaled, individually or as a group.

And while we are at it, it would be great to apply attributes to individual points/nodes, such as colour, transparency, feathering or even line width.

That sounds intriguing... applying a feather or colour or transparency to a node?
Its hard to imagine the results in every circumstance....
In fact this whole concept is so broad in its implications that it would be better considered "100" new functions rolled into one....
Even the ability to apply colours to nodes sounds allot like Diffusion Curves which im guessing even this would be a big enough ask in itself...
but what a great and very exciting new development even this alone would be not to mention all the other possibilities....

And as for the ability to treat a group of nodes like an object...(ie apply the same functionality afforded normal objects by way of their object handles to any group of selected nodes)...would most likely be a development that would dictate the necessity of a "Dedicated node edit tool" which is an idea i don't think your not really fond of... but curiously i think this idea further validates this proposal.....

**MarkMyWords** · 20 April 2009, 02:25 PM

I have nothing against a dedicated node edit tool, as such, Morphonius. Perhaps you are referring to my enthusiasm for the shape-editor? Yes, I did go over the top a bit in singing it's praises, what can I say? I'm in love with it.

I am against extending the number of tools simply for the sake of it, and I think there needs to be a very strong reason to do so, but if significant functionality is added too, then fine by me.

**morphonius_821** · 22 April 2009, 06:50 AM

yeah i can understand that keeping the UI compact is important and introducing a new tool bar icon for something insignificant could perhaps be an error...

Thing is though often when you put a "hat hook" up on the wall all of a sudden you realize that there is 101 uses for it...
Bad metaphor perhaps...but with a node edit icon it does open up extra possibilities such as this post itself.
(And it would probably also resonate with most xara users who were not "weened" on xara and a good deal of people who were too i would guess.)

And the thing is too they (xara) can always introduce corel style fly outs on their tool bars...(i hope corel is not a 4 letter work down there at xara LOL)
As allot of people will have a favorite input tool and so compacting these into one icon with a fly-out makes sense. (I digress)