Rotate and Scale
Rotate by dragging or entering an exact angle. Scale proportionally or to exact dimensions.
Rotate and ScaleThe Rotate and Scale tools let you transform selected objects with precision. Rotate spins a selection around a pivot point — either the selection center or a custom point you choose — by dragging or entering an exact degree value. Scale resizes the selection uniformly or independently on the X and Y axes, using a percentage value or by dragging corner handles. Both tools are ideal for aligning structures to plot boundaries, matching imported plan scales, or testing size variations in your design.
Quick rotate 90°
Press Alt+R to rotate 90° clockwise. Press Alt+Shift+R to rotate 90° counter-clockwise. These shortcuts work without opening the Rotate tool.
Scale
Activate the Scale tool. Drag corner handles to scale. Hold Shift to scale proportionally. Or enter a scale factor (e.g. 2.0 for double size, 0.5 for half size) in the tool panel and click Apply.
Rotate by dragging or using a preset
Click and drag directly on the canvas to spin the selection interactively. Hold Shift while dragging to snap to 15° increments. For common angles, click one of the preset buttons — 45, 90, 180, or -90 — in the tool panel to apply that rotation immediately. Positive angles rotate counter-clockwise; negative angles rotate clockwise.
Use the 90° preset for instant right-angle alignment, or the -90° preset to rotate clockwise without typing a negative number.
Rotate by an exact angle
Type the desired angle in degrees into the Angle field in the tool panel, then click Apply. The selection rotates by that amount relative to its current orientation — for example, entering 30 adds 30° to whatever angle the object is already at. Use negative values (such as -45) to rotate clockwise.
Set a custom pivot point
By default the pivot is the center of the selection bounding box. To rotate around a corner, edge midpoint, or any other point, hold Alt and click the desired pivot location on the canvas before dragging. The green dot marks the active pivot. Repeat Alt+click to move the pivot again before applying.
Alt+click a corner of a deck or patio to rotate it around that corner, keeping one edge anchored to a wall or boundary.
Quick-rotate 90° with a keyboard shortcut
Press Alt+R to rotate the selection 90° clockwise without opening the Rotate tool. Press Alt+Shift+R for 90° counter-clockwise. These shortcuts work from any tool, so you can orient an element quickly without switching modes.
Scale the selection uniformly
Activate the Scale tool from the modification toolbar. With Uniform scaling on (the default), enter a percentage in the Scale field — 100 keeps the current size, 200 doubles it, 50 halves it — and click Apply. Preset buttons for 50%, 75%, 150%, and 200% are available for common size changes. You can also drag a corner handle on the canvas to resize freely.
Scale independently on X and Y axes
Toggle off Uniform scaling in the tool panel to reveal separate X Scale and Y Scale percentage fields. Enter different values to stretch or compress the selection on one axis only — useful for adjusting a path width without changing its length, or adapting a plan to a non-square site. Hold Shift while dragging to lock proportions even with the toggle off.
Non-uniform scaling also works with a custom pivot — Alt+click a point to fix one edge while stretching from the other.
Both tools operate on the current selection at the time you click Apply or release the drag. If you change the selection mid-operation, the transformation applies only to the objects that were selected when you activated the tool.
To scale an imported underlay or PDF overlay to match a known real-world dimension, use the Measure tool to check the current drawn length, calculate the required percentage, then apply that scale. For example, if a known 10 m wall measures 8 m in your drawing, scale by 125% to correct it.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt+R | Rotate 90° clockwise |
| Alt+Shift+R | Rotate 90° counter-clockwise |
| Shift (hold while dragging) | Constrain rotation to 15° steps |
| Alt+click on canvas | Set custom pivot point |
| Escape | Cancel operation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the Rotate and Scale buttons greyed out?
Both tools require at least one object to be selected. If nothing is selected, the Apply button is disabled. Also check the Layers panel — objects on locked layers cannot be selected or transformed.
Does the Scale field accept a factor or a percentage?
A percentage. Enter 100 to keep the current size, 200 to double it, or 50 to halve it. With Uniform scaling off, you enter separate X Scale and Y Scale percentages to stretch or compress on each axis independently.
What direction does a positive angle rotate?
Positive angle values rotate counter-clockwise. Negative values rotate clockwise. The preset button labeled -90 is a convenient shortcut for a 90° clockwise turn.
How do I rotate or scale around a corner rather than the center?
Hold Alt and click the desired pivot point on the canvas before you drag or click Apply. The green dot shows where the pivot is set. You can change the pivot at any time by Alt+clicking a new location.
Can I rotate or scale multiple objects at once?
Yes. Select multiple objects first — either by clicking with Shift held, or by dragging a selection box — then activate the tool. All selected objects are treated as one group and rotate or scale around the combined selection's pivot point.