Rotating a line

[Mart]

I've been following a Xara tutorial recently where the instruction is to type a 6 degree rotation into the 'Angle of selection' box. This is to get a 6 degree rotation of a vertical line. When a vertical line is drawn, the figure in the 'Angle of selection' box is given as 90 degrees (because it's 90 degrees off the horizontal?). Typing in 6 degrees and pressing 'Enter', rotates the line to 6 degrees off the horizontal position and not the vertical as desired.

Is it possible to set the 'Angle of selection' box so that a vertical line is zero degrees as a starting point?

[gwpriester]

Hmm? This is a new feature added in the last update or two. And yes this seems a curious implementation of that feature.

That said, if the default setting for a vertical line seems to be -90 degrees. So, to rotate 6 degrees, change the angle of rotation to -96, eh? Or 96 to rotate anti-clockwise.

[Mart]

Hmm? This is a new feature added in the last update or two. And yes this seems a curious implementation of that feature.

That said, if the default setting for a vertical line seems to be -90 degrees. So, to rotate 6 degrees, change the angle of rotation to -96, eh? Or 96 to rotate anti-clockwise.

Yes, that's what I did but not being too experienced, I got somewhat muddled at one point because I was following your tutorial for the Seth Thomas clock and trying to do all of the minutes accurately. I managed OK but having the vertical line at 0 degrees would have been good.

[Acorn]

You enter #6 or #-6 to adjust six degrees of the current orientation.

Acorn

[gwpriester]

You enter #6 or #-6 to adjust six degrees of the current orientation.

Blimey (American expression). How did you come up with that? Is it documented anywhere?

Mart- The Seth Thomas clock tutorial was one of my favorites. I actually own that clock.

[Egg Bramhill]

LINK

Stop trying to steal our language Gary

@ Acorn, how do you remember all these obscure things?

@ Mart, it really pisses me off, a vertical line should have a rotation of 0 (or 180) not -90 !!!

[Mart]

Thanks everyone. I thought I'd tried all keyboard combinations to get a line to rotate a few degrees from the vertical position without having to add or subtract from 90. I'd searched widely before asking the question here too. I would never have thought to try the hash key plus the number. How it was discovered I don't know but many thanks for that Acorn. I'm sure it will help others searching for an answer too.

I have mostly used Xara for making greetings card inserts and doing a few simple graphic and photo effects but I've often looked with awe at some of the drawings you have all produced. I probably don't have enough years left to get that good but in these days of lockdown, I've had time to at least try something more involved. Thanks again to all.

I've finished the the clock face Gary. It turned out OK once I'd figured out how to draw the first 5 minutes (hence the vertical line question). Just started on the lower half. That ought to pass a few more hours/days of time.

[handrawn]

a vertical line should have a rotation of 0 (or 180) not -90 !!!

that is certainly the norm in my experience, cardinal north [12-o-clock] for 0 deg

I guess xara must have had a reason back in the day for choosing horizontal plane, cardinal east [3-o-clock] for 0 deg - but it is another good reson for not using it for actual animaation [as opposed to asset] where is is the odd one out for me

I still have some programs that zoom 'the wrong way' with the mouse wheel.. that is irritating - back in the day things were not so 'standardised' ....

[Acorn]

Blimey (American expression). How did you come up with that? Is it documented anywhere?

In v16.3 release notes.

@ Acorn, how do you remember all these obscure things?

I just have a squirrel memory.

• https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...tation-Problem
• https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...otation-Angles

Acorn

[Mart]

I might understand why the # works. Pressing the hash key shows the grid, so if hash is something to do with the grid, then typing hash plus the degrees tells the program to rotate relative to the grid (whether it is showing or not). Well ..it's a theory.