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catharsix
catharsix
Participant
October 26, 2017
Question

Can you rotate an object around a specifically defined (coordinate) point?

  • October 26, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 294 views

New member with a question that's bedeviled me for a while...

Is it possible in the newer versions of Illustrator to rotate an object around a point set numerically? I know how to set the center point with the little cross-hairs, but doing so means "eyeballing" it, and in some more complex designs this has caused me difficulties.

I vaguely remember being able to set the center as coordinate points in a previous version of Illustrator, but I might be mistaken. (Maybe I'm thinking of Freehand or some other program)

Can anyone offer insight? Much thanks in advance!

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    2 replies

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 26, 2017

    In FreeHand that was possible.

    If you want to set that point numerically, you could try and first drag guides.

    Or set a point at the desired location with the pen tool and then use smart guides when you set the center point with the rotate tool. THis will then snap.

    Bill Silbert
    Community Expert
    Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 26, 2017

    You can use the Transform Panel to numerically rotate around a designated point of an object. See Screen shot:

    With an object selected click on the reference point icon the point that you wish to rotate the object from and put a rotation value into the angle field as highlighted above. Your object will then rotate from the point that corresponds to the reference icon.

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