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Select an object. > main toolbar > Click any transform button to display the object’s Transform Gizmo icon.
Top: Move gizmo
Middle: Rotate gizmo
Bottom: Scale gizmo
The Transform gizmos are viewport icons that let you quickly choose one or two axes when transforming a selection with the mouse. You choose an axis by placing the mouse over any axis of the icon, then drag the mouse to transform the selection along that axis. In addition, when moving or scaling an object, you can use other areas of the gizmo to perform transforms along any two axes simultaneously. Using a gizmo avoids the need to first specify a transform axis or axes on the Axis Constraints toolbar, and also lets you switch quickly and easily between different transform axes and planes.
A Transform gizmo appears when one or more objects are selected and one of the transform buttons (Select And Move, Select And Rotate, or Select And Scale) is active on the toolbar. There are three separate gizmos for each action. By default, each axis is assigned one of three colors: X is red, Y is green, and Z is blue. The currently active axis or axes/corner combination, as specified by the Axis Constraint setting on the Axis Constraints toolbar when dragging, are colored yellow. As you change the axis constraints, either by moving the mouse in the active viewport or from the toolbar, you can see the corresponding axis (or axes) turn yellow.
When you point the mouse at any axis or arrow, it turns yellow to indicate that it’s active, and changes the toolbar "Restrict to ..." setting (the X, Y, Z, XY, etc. buttons). You can now drag the selection along the indicated axis or axes.
The Move gizmo now includes plane handles, and the option to use a center box handle.
You can select any of the axis handles to constrain movement to that axis. In addition, the plane handles allow you to constrain movement to the XY, YZ, or XZ planes. The selection hotspot is within the square formed by the plane handles. The size and offset of the handles can be set in Gizmos panel of the Preferences dialog.
The Move gizmo with the YZ axes selected.
The center box can also be used as a handle for translations constrained parallel to a viewport.
The Rotate gizmo is built around the concept of a virtual trackball. You can rotate an object along the X, Y, or Z axis, with free rotation, or you can rotate the object on a plane perpendicular to the viewport.
The axis handles are circles around the trackball. Drag anywhere on one of them, and you can rotate the object along that axis. As you rotate along the X, Y, or Z-axis a transparent slice provides a visual representation of the direction and amount of rotation. If you rotate more than 360°, the slice overlaps and the shading becomes more and more intense. Numerical data is also displayed to indicate precise rotation measurement.
In addition to XYZ rotation, you can also use free rotation or the viewport handle to rotate objects.
Drag inside the Rotate gizmo (or the outer edge of the gizmo) to perform free rotation. Rotation should behave as if you were actually spinning the trackball.
The outermost circle around the Rotate gizmo is the Screen handle, which lets you rotate the object on a plane parallel to the viewport.
Settings for the Rotate gizmo can be set in the Gizmos panel of the Preferences dialog
The scale gizmo now includes plane handles and scaling feedback through the stretching of the gizmo itself.
The plane handles let you perform Uniform and Non-Uniform scaling without changing your selection on the main toolbar:
Note: To perform a Squash operation, you must click Select and Squash on the main toolbar.
The Scale gizmo provides feedback by changing its size and shape; in the case of a uniform scale, it will grow or shrink as the mouse moves, and during non-uniform scaling, the gizmo will stretch and deform while dragging. However, once the mouse button is released, the gizmo will return to it's original size and shape.
Settings for the Transform gizmo can be set in the Gizmos panel of the Preferences dialog
Using a Transform gizmo sets the default axis constraint to the last axis or axes you used.
Dragging a Transform gizmo temporarily disables snaps. To retain snapping capabilities with the Transform gizmo enabled, select the constraints, and then drag the objects without dragging on any gizmo handles.
If Lock Selection Set is on, you can drag anywhere in the viewport to transform the object. Dragging an axis, however, still applies the constraint along that axis.
Example: To explore use of the transform gizmo:
Reset the program, then create a sphere, and then click the Select and Move tool.
The Transform gizmo appears at the center of the sphere. Because the default axis constraint on the Axis Constraints toolbar is XY Plane, the X and Y shafts of the Transform gizmo are yellow (active), while the Z shaft is blue.
Use Arc Rotate to adjust the Perspective view for a better view of the Transform gizmo. When you’re done, right-click to return to Select and Move .
Point to any part of the sphere away from the Transform gizmo, and drag to confirm that the sphere is locked to the XY plane.
Point to the Z-axis shaft, and drag.
The Z shaft turns yellow, the X and Y shafts turn red and green, respectively, and the sphere moves along the Z axis.
Point to the Y shaft, and drag.
The Y shaft turns yellow, and the sphere moves along only the Y axis.
Point to the red-and-green corner mark opposite the ends of the X and Y axes, and drag.
The sphere moves along the XY plane.
Press the SPACEBAR to turn on Lock Selection Set.
Drag the mouse anywhere in a viewport away from the selection.
The sphere moves along the XY plane.
Point to the X shaft, and drag.
The sphere moves along only the X axis.
Experiment with other transformations, such as rotation and scale. Try different Reference Coordinate Systems. Experiment with sub-object transformations.
Change default colors—Customize menu > Customize User Interface Dialog > Colors tab > Gizmos Element > Active Transform Gizmo.
Enable/disable Transform Gizmo—Customize menu > Preferences > > Transform Gizmo group Gizmos panel > On check box.
Note: When you turn off the Transform gizmo in Preferences, the standard axis tripod appears instead. To toggle display of either the gizmo or the tripod, press the X key or use Views menu > Show Transform Gizmo.
There are additional controls for each Gizmo in the Gizmos panel of the Preferences dialog.
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