Rotating Entities

Commands: ROTATE and ROTATE3D

You can rotate entities about a specified point at a specified rotation angle or by an angle referenced to a base angle. The default method rotates the entities using a relative rotation angle from their current orientation.

By default, angles start at 3 o'clock and increase in a counter-clockwise direction. If you want to rotate in a clockwise direction you can enter a negative angle by using a minus sign.

The Copy option of the Grips Editing commands allows to create multiple copies of the entities being stretched, moved, rotated, mirrored or scaled.

Rotating a selection set

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click the Rotate tool button () on the Modify toolbar.
   • Choose Rotate in the Modify menu.
   • Type rotate or RO in the command bar.

   You are prompted: Select entities to rotate:

2. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
   You are prompted: Rotation point:

3. Specify the rotation point.
   You are prompted: Copy/Base angle/<Rotation angle>:
   A prompt menu displays:
   
   

4. (option) Choose Copy in the prompt menu or type C , then press Enter to create a rotated copy of the selection set.

5. Specify the rotation angle.
   The selection set is rotated.

Rotating a selection set in reference to a base angle

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click the Rotate tool button ( on the Modify toolbar.
   • Choose Rotate in the Modify menu.
   • Type rotate or RO in the command bar.

   You are prompted: Select entities to rotate:

2. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
   You are prompted: Rotation point:

3. Specify the rotation point.
   You are prompted: Copy/Base angle/<Rotation angle>:
   A prompt menu displays:
   
   

4. (option) Choose Copy in the prompt menu or type C, then press Enter to create a rotated copy of the selection set.

5. Do one of the following:

   • Choose Base angle in the prompt menu.
   • Type B in the command bar, then press Enter.

   You are prompted: Base angle <0>:

6. To specify the base angle do one of the following:

   • Type the base angle in the command bar.
   • Click the rotation point again, then click a second point.

   You are prompted: New Angle.

7. Do one of the following:

   • Type the new angle in the command bar.
   • Click a point to define the new angle.

Rotating in 3D

1. Do one of the following.

   • Click the 3D Rotate tool button () on the Modify toolbar.
   • Choose 3D Rotate in the Modify menu.
   • Type rotate3d in the command bar.

   You are prompted: Select entities to rotate:

2. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
   You are prompted: Select axis by [Entity/Last/View/Xaxis/Yaxis/Zaxis/2points] <2points>:

3. Press Enter to define the rotation axis by specifying two points.

4. Specify the first rotation axis point.

5. Specify the second rotation axis point.
   You are prompted: Rotation angle or [Base angle/Copy]:

6. Specify the rotation angle.
   The selection set is rotated clockwise, looking in the rotation axis direction.