Precisely rotate multiple objects

[PeterD-NJ]

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.

[John D Herzog · Accepted solution]

You can rotate one box then use the "transform again individually" to do the rest.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

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

[PeterD-NJ]

@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. 

[Barb Binder]

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

[PeterD-NJ]

Here are a couple; there are many more.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Peter:

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

~Barb

[PeterD-NJ]

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]

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?

[PeterD-NJ]

Except the graphic and other annotations are perfectly placed already, and I don't want to add that complexity. There are a ton of moving parts on each page, far far more than on a typical page. All the graphics are set then I add the track numbers over top. They're all finished now, but done by hand. I'd vastly prefer to re-do the ones that are iffy, but without blowing up the page, which moving or changing the graphic would certainly do.

[John D Herzog]

Are the graphics built at those angles or rotated in the placement? If they are rotated after building, I would definitely put the textboxes for the track numbers on while building them next time.

[PeterD-NJ]

Well at this point there is no "next time." I just want to go in and clean up everything that exists now, and there are quite literally thousands of these little text boxes for track numbers. Probably between 2000 and 3000. Most are OK, but not all.

[John D Herzog]

I feel for you. Good luck.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Well at this point there is no "next time." I just want to go in and clean up everything that exists now, and there are quite literally thousands of these little text boxes for track numbers. Probably between 2000 and 3000. Most are OK, but not all.

By PeterD-NJ

Can you share your file - part of it - on priv if you prefer? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Except the graphic and other annotations are perfectly placed already, and I don't want to add that complexity. There are a ton of moving parts on each page, far far more than on a typical page. All the graphics are set then I add the track numbers over top. They're all finished now, but done by hand. I'd vastly prefer to re-do the ones that are iffy, but without blowing up the page, which moving or changing the graphic would certainly do.

By PeterD-NJ

If you rotate contents of the WHOLE PAGE / SPREAD - do alignment - then select everything again and rotate it back - everything will go back in place - as long as overall size won't change.

If it would - you would've to first add a Rectangle bigger than the current total and try again.