Request: Select line within shape and make this line parallel to the X-Axis

[fmaz008 (Francois)]

(I currently do some pretty fun design with off-center gears and as such there are several features I realized could benefit the software. So this is one of several post I’ll create of new feature I think may benefit the software)

I often end up with oddly rotated shapes and have the need to rotate them back to zero.
It would be helpful if there was a tool that allow me to select a line segment within the shape and tell the shape to rotate so the selected line is parallel to the X-Axis.

That way I’m back to a proper non-rotated shape and I can work on it again knowing it will be symetrical or whatever.

Edit: To be clear, I would want this feature to apply to grouped object as well.

[berainlb (PY)]

@fmaz008

select a line segment within the shape and tell the shape to rotate so the selected line is parallel to the X-Axis.

You can do this today.

1. Select Edit Nodes tool
2. Hover over line segment that you want to reorient, push a key on your keyboard.

This will auto-rotate to the closest horizontal or vertical alignment.

[fmaz008 (Francois)]

It kind of work, but it will often default to the nearest 45 degree angle, not the X-Axis. And it won’t work with grouped shapes, which I should have made more clear in the original post. (I’ll edit)

[berainlb (PY)]

@fmaz008

often default to the nearest 45 degree angle

Didn’t realize this. Thought this was 90 degrees horizontal or vertical.

@fmaz008

it won’t work with grouped shapes

This is true.

Two-point rotate scale likely the best solution in that scenario.

[fmaz008 (Francois)]

Boy that one gave me a bit of a headache to think about, haha.

So. the 2 points rotation could be a great workaround if it allowed to input a value and offered a way to distinguish a rotation angle relative to the selected angle and relative to an axis. I’m not sure it would be the best tool for the job, but I’ve tried to think of how it could work.

The current moment the 2 points rotation – which I just discovered from the other post, thanks to you– is an manual rotation using the mouse and does not seem to allow to put a rotation value, wether relative or absolute.

I expect that if the feature to type-in a rotation value was added, it would be relative to the selected angle, and not an absolute value from the X-Axis.

Unless you could prefix your rotation value with “x” to tell lightburn you want the selected angle (of the 2 selected points) to align itself to the “x” axis. so “x5.7” would rotate the shape 5.7 degrees from the X-axis. “x” or “x0” would align the shape with the x-axis.

But I don’t think I’ve ever seen another software do things this way so it might be a bad idea.

[berainlb (PY)]

@fmaz008

and offered a way to distinguish a rotation angle relative to the selected angle and relative to an axis

Create a reference object to provide this. For example, a square in the orientation and dimensions that you want. Then use this to snap your original shape both as an rotation anchor point and rotation reference on the second half of the operation.

I have an example of this in another post:

Is it possible to resize an object setting a segment length?

I realized it’s hard to see what’s happening if both lines are perfectly horizontal. Here’s an example with the reference segment rotated. [rotate-scale]

[fmaz008 (Francois)]

I agree, but it’s incredibly cumbersome to have to create reference lines everytime you want to rotate and offcentered element. But I mean this specific topic sort of point out to the need for the 2 points rotations to allow to type in a value, so I will consider it solved as multiple workaround were identified and keep the conversation going in the other topic.