Rotatable scale tool gizmo

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:12 am

I was wondering if it would be possible for anyone to make a scale tool that can be rotated (independant of the vector points). That would allow someone to non-uniform scale in directions other than just along the x and y axes. I realize this can be done with bones, but sometimes that's not a desired solution.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:35 am

That would be pretty tricky. Bounding boxes are based on a rectangle surrounding the points at right angles to the layer. You would have to script "custom" bounding boxes with "custom" handles very much like I did with my bone grouping stuff. Not impossible but it would also require some other math stuff to calculate the angle and orientation of the bounding box as it is rotated.

Bounding boxes for scaling is "built in" to the scripting in AS. You just tell AS to "draw a freaking bounding box" and it's there, but it's always oriented to the layer (if the layer is rotated the bounding box is rotated).

This is a klugy workaround but I rotate the points so I can scale the way I want to and then rotate it back. Not a perfect solution.

p.s. I wish Photoshop had rotatable scale orientation.

-vern

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:43 am

Woohoo!

If you use Fazek's scale tool you can rotate by holding option (don't know the PC key).

This is cool because you can rotate to a different angle which changes the bounding box then rotate back with the same tool. Same klugy workaround but a little easier.

-vern

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:03 pm

Oh that rocks! But is there any way to constrain the scaling while I rotate the bounding box? I probably just need to use onion skin to realign it, huh? Oh, and it's 'alt' on the pc.

Edit:Duh, I figured out the constrain deal. I just needed to 'grab it in the middle instead of the edge. I love how that bounding box just redraws itself. This definitely solves the problem.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 12:44 am

You can hold the shift key if you want to just grab it by the corners.

-vern

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:16 am

Thanks, Vern. A bit off topic, but I've found a bug with Fazek's selection tool. If I name groups of points, when I select them by group using Fazek's tool it doesn't automatically put that group's name in the group name space. This means that, in order to delete groups, I have to type them in. Or resort to the lm tool. I keep thinking eventually I'll be able to minimize the number of tools I need, but these things keep cropping up. (Like the auto-weld bug)

uh...using shift put the scale tool into selection mode.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 12:08 pm

That's why I keep both sets around. I have been doing that for ages. Basically the AS tools that I still keep are in the "other" category. I changed my tool list file to use Fazek's tools. If I find "odd" behavior I use the AS tool.

Point groups is one of those odd things I don't use much so I just make sure I create them with the AS tool. I am pretty sure if you create them with the AS tool you can access them with Fazek's tools. At least I haven't had any trouble.

I use point groups when I plan to just select and move points and I know I'm not going to be making big changes like deleting, adding, or copying and pasting points.

-vern

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:50 pm

I am pretty sure if you create them with the AS tool you can access them with Fazek's tools.

Yeah, I just have to use the AS tool to modify the groups. I just started using point group selection to make it easier to handle a faux 3D wireframe. If this works it should make turn actions much more flexible (without having to draw like twenty someodd views to get up/down rotation as well as a full 360)