In many cases, the Revolution tool will automatically turn on when performing some function that requires it. You can also turn the tool on and off manually by toggling Tools → Quadric → Revolution.
The Revolution tool can be placed in two ways: interactively through direct manipulation of tool hotpoints with the mouse or precisely positioned by typing coordinates into a dialog.
To move the Revolution tool with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over the center of the tool.
Click (and hold) the left mouse button.
Drag the tool to the desired location.
Release the mouse button.
To reorient the Revolution tool with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over either of the center line’s endpoints.
Click (and hold) the left mouse button.
Drag the endpoint to achieve the desired orientation.
Release the mouse button.
To rotate the Revolution tool with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over the end of one of the central axes.
Click and drag until desired rotation is accomplished.
Release the mouse button.
Note: Selecting the x axis will rotate about the Y axis.
Selecting the y axis will rotate about the X axis.
Selecting the z axis will rotate in general about the axis origin.
Note: Note that the mouse pointer will change when it is over a hotpoint.
(/ button at the bottom of screen can be used to undo/redo the tool transformation)
Revolution tool moving and stretching is restricted to the plane perpendicular to your line of sight. If you need to move the Revolution tool in another plane, either rotate the model such that the desired translation plane is perpendicular to your new line of sight or use the other modes to manipulate the tool.
Note: The Revolution tool will not exactly track the location of the mouse pointer.
To set the Revolution tool by specifying coordinates:
Open the Transformation Editor dialog by clicking from the Tool Locations settings icon.
If the dialog is not set to , select → → .
The dialog displays the profile curve as a series of connected line segments with stars positioned at the curve points. You can edit the curve by clicking and dragging the points or by manually entering distance-radius pairs. You can also add or delete points. As you make changes, the tool in the graphics window updates interactively.
To edit points with the mouse:
Click on the point and drag to the desired location.
To add points (up to a maximum of 10):
Click Add Point.
Move the mouse pointer into the curve window and click the left mouse button in the location of the desired new point. Clicking will remove the currently selected point.
To manually edit a point:
Click the point (to select it) in the curve window or click the desired point in either the Distance or Radius lists.
The distance and radius of the selected point are shown in the text fields below each list.
Edit the point’s distance and/or radius value and press Return.
To edit the position or orientation:
Enter the desired coordinates for the Origin (location of the axis center point) or Axis (direction vector) and press Return.
You can also rotate, translate, and scale the Revolution tool by setting the desired transform action and axis and manipulating the slider bar. In this case, the values in the Scale Settings section control the sensitivity and limit of the slider action.
Note: You can also use this dialog to view (rather than set) the position of the Revolution tool since the numeric values always update to reflect the current location. If you are positioning the Revolution tool interactively with the mouse, the values will update when the mouse button is released.