Manual Reference Selection Menu Main selection tools Lasso Selection
Lasso Selection Options Modeling Axis Soft SelectionModeling Axis
The Modeling Axis tab is described here and is available for each of the following tools: Move, Scale, Rotate, Live Selection, Rectangle Selection, Lasso Selection and Polygon Selection.
In previous versions of CINEMA 4D, it was difficult to rotate selected elements around any point other than the center of the selection. This is because the modeling axis — i.e. the pivot point used by the Move, Scale and Rotate tools — was always in the center of the selection.
The Model Axis settings introduced in CINEMA 4D R9 allow you to change the position and orientation of the modeling axis.
You can adjust the position and orientation of the modeling axis interactively in the viewport using the following keys:
- F10-drag: Moves the modeling axis.
- F11-drag: Rotates the modeling axis.
Defines the position of the modeling axis. Depending on which mode you select, the modeling axis will be positioned at:
The origin of the world coordinate system.
The object’s origin.
The center of the selected elements. This is the mode that was used prior to CINEMA 4D R9.
The origin of the object that is at the root of the hierarchy.
The origin of the object’s immediate parent.
The center of an invislbe bounding box that just fits the selected objects. You can offset the position of the modeling axis away from the bounding box center using the X, Y and Z sliders.
The center of all object points (including points that are not selected).
The center of the camera view.
Any position in 3D space (use F10-drag to move the axis in the viewport).
Defines the orientation of the modeling axis. Depending on which mode you select, the modeling axis will point in the same direction as:
Defined by the Axis setting. In other words, the Axis setting (see above) will also be used to control the modeling axis orientation.
The world axes, the object’s axes, the axes of the object that is at the root of the hierarchy, and the axes of the object’s immediate parent respectively.
The average direction of the normals of the selected polygons (the modeling axis points with its Z-axis).
The camera.
If this option is enabled, the modeling axis will temporarily retain its position after being moved or rotated. For example, suppose Axis is set to Object (in this mode, the modeling axis will be positioned at the object’s origin). You select some polygons and move them to a new position by dragging an axis arrowhead. The modeling axis will move along with the polygons while you are dragging the polygons to their new position. If Retain Changes is enabled, the modeling axis will stay where it is when you release the mouse button. If the option is disabled, the modeling axis will immediately jump back to the object’s origin as soon as you release the mouse button.
If this option is enabled, selected points, edges and polygons will be scaled or rotated along the average direction of their normals.
If Axis is set to Object, you can drag and drop any object from the Object manager into this box. The modeling axis will then be positioned at this object’s origin (and will also point in the same direction as this object’s axis system if Orientation is set to Object).
These sliders enable you to offset the modeling axis in the Selected and Bounds modes.
These sliders enable you to offset the modeling axis in the Selected and Bounds modes.
These sliders enable you to offset the modeling axis in the Selected and Bounds modes.