Precisely rotate multiple objects

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
March 7, 2024
4 replies
2604 views

If I want to rotate any single object I just click it and either free rotate it with the handles or use the drop-down selection to select 0°, -90°, 180°, etc. Easy enough. But I often find myself wanting to grab numerous items and rotate them all a precise value (for the sake of discussion, 23.7°, etc). Or take a dozen previously-rotated boxes and return them to 0° or -90°, etc. I can't use the rotate angle dropbox for more than one item, and that's a problem.

How can I select multiple ungrouped items and rotate them as needed without doing one at a time? This is something I need to do on a daily basis. Please and thanks.

How to

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Correct answer Barb Binder

Here's how I teach this, Peter: InDesign is watching our transformations (move, scale, rotate, skew and flip). If we perform one or more transformations on one object, we can immediately select others, and use Object > Transform Again > Transform Sequence Again Individually. (If you only perform one transformation, then you can use Transform Again Individually, as per @John D Herzog or Transform Sequence Again Individually—both work.)

~Barb

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi Peter:

How about using the Align and Distribute commands to line them up/space them out and then grouping before rotating?

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

P

PeterD-NJAuthor

Inspiring

I tried that. Just as much work and they never line up perfectly since some of the lines on the underlying graphic are not evenly spaced.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

I tried that. Just as much work and they never line up perfectly since some of the lines on the underlying graphic are not evenly spaced.

By @PeterD-NJ

Can't you un-rotate, align - then rotate back?

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi @PeterD-NJ:

I can't see the text boxes. Can you share the same image but this time choose View > Extras > Show Frame Edges so that I can see what you are dealing with. Type > Show Hidden Characters may also be helpful.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

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PeterD-NJAuthor

Inspiring

Here are a couple; there are many more.

Barb Binder

Correct answer

Community Expert

Here's how I teach this, Peter: InDesign is watching our transformations (move, scale, rotate, skew and flip). If we perform one or more transformations on one object, we can immediately select others, and use Object > Transform Again > Transform Sequence Again Individually. (If you only perform one transformation, then you can use Transform Again Individually, as per @John D Herzog or Transform Sequence Again Individually—both work.)

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

P

PeterD-NJAuthor

Inspiring

@Barb Binder Works great! But now I'd like to take this one step further. Is it possible to align multiple text boxes along an angled path? This is a typical example of my desired result. All these were aligned by eye/hand; there was no command invoked to do this.