Scaling Objects

Purpose

Changes the size of objects by scaling proportionally in all three dimensions with the mouse.

For information on scale pivot points, see Setting Pivots on page 313.

The effect of a scale operation is based on the current location of the object's scale pivot point at the time you invoke the function.

By default, all geometry is assigned an initial scale factor of 1.

See Using Absolute and Relative Addressing Modes on page 12 for information on addressing modes.

By selecting from either absolute or relative addressing modes, an object can be scaled to an absolute size or scaled relative to its current size (scale factor).

How to Use

1

Select the geometry you want to scale. Any active geometry is affected when the Scale function is invoked.

2

Select Xform > Scale in the Tool Palette, or click its icon. The system prompts:

Enter SCALE (ABS):

See Introduction to the Alias Interface on page 5 for information on the mouse and keyboard.

3

You can scale objects interactively using the mouse, or by typing values with the keyboard.

• When scaling with the mouse, the scale dimension depends on the mouse button used.

• When using the keyboard, you can type in only one value, and this scale factor is applied equally to all three dimensions. (For non-proportional scaling, use Xform > Nonp scale.)

Important Note

If the object being transformed has construction history, the construction history cannot be maintained. A confirmation box is displayed asking if you want to proceed with the operation, thereby deleting the construction history.If you select YES, the construction history is deleted and you can proceed with the operation. If you select NO, the operation is cancelled.

For more information on construction history, see the NURBS Modeling book.