Getting Started Guide

Rotation
Rotating an object lets you move the object around an axis. To do this dynamically
(with the mouse), use the red handles, as you do when changing the size of the
object.
Note
Rotation works in a slightly different way for 3D objects because the
rotation occurs in 3D space and not in one plane. See Chapter 7
(Working with 3D Objects) in the Draw Guide regarding rotation when
Edit Points mode is active.
To rotate an object (or a group of objects), drag the red corner handle point of the
selection with the mouse. The mouse cursor takes the shape of an arc of a circle with
an arrow at each end. A faded version of the object being rotated appears and the
current angle of rotation is dynamically shown in the status bar.
Rotations are made around an axis which is displayed as a small symbol, as shown in
Figure 169. You can move the axis of rotation with the mouse.
If you hold down the Shift key during the rotation, the operation will be carried out in
increments of 15°.
Figure 169: Rotating an object
Inclination and perspective
To slant or shear objects, use the red handles located at the midpoint of an edge of
the selected objects. The mouse pointer changes to a when the pointer hovers
over one of these midpoint handles. Not every object can be slanted; basic shapes can
be rotated but not slanted.
The slant axis is the point directly opposite the
midpoint handle to be used for shearing the object.
This point stays fixed in location; the other sides
and edges move in relation to it as the mouse is
dragged (make sure that the handle icon is
showing before dragging).
As with rotation, you can set the inclination
(slanting) to occur in steps of 15° by pressing the
Shift key while moving the handle.
192 Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.3