From K-3D

Overview

The Move Tool is used to move nodes and points interactively within a Viewport Panel.

K-3D's Perfect Move Tool

Look at a selected cube in the front view.

From the main toolbar click on the move tool.

It is now activated.

The yellow manipulator indicates the move constraint.

• middle sphere - movement constrained to a plane parallel to the screen: .
• manipulator axes (arrows) - movement constrained to a single axis: , , .
• manipulator planes (squares) - movement constrained to a plane: , , .

See below X-axis constraint and YZ-plane constraint.

 

Now there are two ways to move the object using the highlighted constraint with left mouse button (LMB).

• a single click - click > move mouse > click again to stop
• a mouse drag - hold button down > drag > release button

To cancel the move, click the right mouse button (RMB).

• in single click mode - LMB click > mouse move > RMB click
• in mouse drag mode - hold down LMB > drag > RMB click > release LMB

Clicking the RMB in any other state will switch back to the Selection Tool (desactivate the move tool).

If you need to carefully ajust the move near a manipulator, click on the middle mouse button (MMB) to hide them. Click again the MMB to bring them back. Note that is doesn't work when moving.

World and local modes

Control-MMB click toggles between world and local modes :

• in world mode, moving the manipulators moves selected objects as a group in world space
• in local mode, moving the manipulators moves each selected object within its local space

In local mode, Shift-MMB click rotates the manipulators through the set of selected objects.

Summary

The Move Tool handles one-to-many selected objects or components.

Left Mouse Button (LMB)

The Move Tool has basic selection functions:

• LMB click :
  • on a selected object or component : starts move operation. Clicking again stops move operation.
  • on an unselected object or component : selects it (deselects other ones).
  • anywhere else : deselects everything.

• LMB drag :
  • on a selected object or component : moves selection.
  • on an unselected object or component : selects it and starts move operation.
  • anywhere else : opens a selection window.

• Shift + LMB ...
  • click : adds to the selection.
  • drag : adds what's in the selection window.
• Control + LMB ...
  • click : subtracts to the selection.
  • drag : subtracts what's in the selection window.

Note: there are two movement modes, acting under above defined constraint :

• hold LMB down -> drag mouse -> release LMB
• click LMB -> move mouse -> click LMB again.

For both movement modes :

• If the mouse is over one of the manipulator axes (arrows) when movement begins, movement is constrained to that axis.
• If the mouse is over one of the manipulator planes (squares) when movement begins, movement is constrained to that plane.
• If the mouse is over the sphere in the middle of the manipulators when movement begins, movement is constrained to the screen XY axes (objects move in a plane parallel to the screen).

Middle Mouse button (MMB)

• MMB click (when not moving) toggles visibility of the manipulators.
• MMB click while moving will constrain movement to the "nearest" axis. If movement was already constrained to an axis, it will cycle through the axes and screen constraint as : X -> Screen -> Y -> Screen -> Z -> Screen -> X -> etc.

• Shift-MMB click rotates the manipulators through the set of selected objects.
• Control + MMB click toggles between world and local modes.

The Move Tool has three coordinate modes, manipulators are oriented accordingly :

• world mode : selected objects move as a group in world space.
• local mode : each selected object moves within its local space.
• parent mode : each selected object moves within its parent space.

Right Mouse Button (RMB)

• RMB click while moving cancels the current move.
• RMB click while not moving switches back to the Selection Tool.