Determine rotation angle

[David.P]

Hi Forum,

in Photo & Graphic Designer v7, if I rotate any item (font, bitmap, group, whatever), the rotation angle text box in the top toolbar always snaps back to zero (0°) -- although the item stays rotated.

Therefore, I can't see or determine the rotation angle of anything on the page.

What's wrong here, or how can I determine the rotation angle of things?

Thanks heaps already
Cheers David.P

[wizard509]

Good question David, that happens to me too, and I don't have an answer. I hope someone will come on here with the answer.

[gwpriester]

Unfortunately, unless you keep a written record, or use Ctrl Z (Undo) after the rotation, there is no way to determine the angle.

Many applications retain the rotation amount, but Xara does not. I wish it did.

[David.P]

Can't believe it

[wizard509]

Xara does not. I wish it did.

So there is our answer. I wish it did too. Thanks Gary

[gwpriester]

Yeah, I hear you.

[David.P]

So is it true that there is no way to give a new item on the page the same rotation angle that an older item has already?

[David.P]

OK so now I have duplicated the rotation angle of item 1 by snapping a line to the corners of item 1.

But how can I snap-rotate item 2 (a square bitmap) to that line such that item 2 receives the same rotation angle as that line?

Thanks and
Regards David.P

[Acorn]

David, there are a few strategies you can follow.

Set your angle constraint to 5deg and hold down the Ctrl key when rotating an object.

Add a datum line (a straight length at 0deg) to the object in the MouseOver layer and soft group it.
You can then use the Shape Tool on the line alone (Select inside) and use the Tab key to pick the right node to read off the line's current angle.

If it already an editable shape, record the original start and end angles of the key adjacent nodes.

Acorn

[David.P]

Acorn, that sounds interesting.

However, what is a

MouseOver layer

... and do I need exactly that, or can I simply use "soft group"?


Further, how can I

use the Tab key to pick the right node to read off the line's current angle

... when there is no "angle" reading anywhere in the program window (or is there)?

Regards David.P