Transforming

Every shape can be moved, resized, and rotated by dragging it on the board or by typing exact values in the Attributes panel, and flipped from the Actions panel. Its position and rotation are measured from its pivot.

Dragging

With the shape selected, drag it or its handles on the board. In the examples below, the faded shape shows where it started.

Move

Changes where the shape sits on the board.

• Operation: drag the shape.
  • Hold Shift to keep the movement on one axis.
  • Hold Alt to leave the original in place and move a copy.
  • Hold Ctrl or Cmd to turn Snap on or off for that drag.
• Needs: if the shape has a Position Animation, you can only move it before the animation starts.
• Result: the shape follows the pointer.

Resize

Changes the size of the shape. In the example, the lower-right handle moves inward while the upper-left corner stays fixed.

• Operation: drag one of the handles around the selection.
  • Hold Shift to keep the proportions for that drag.
  • Hold Alt to resize from the center instead of the opposite side.
  • Hold Ctrl or Cmd to turn Snap on or off for that drag.
• Result: the shape grows or shrinks from the handle you drag.
• Tip: to keep the proportions on every resize, typed values included, turn on Locked Ratio.

Rotate

Turns the shape around its pivot.

• Operation: drag just outside a corner handle. Hold Shift to rotate in steps of 15 degrees.
• Result: the shape turns around its pivot. Several shapes turn together around the selection's pivot.

Snap

Aligns the shape with its neighbors while you move or resize it. This example shows two shapes before and after aligning their left edges. The orange line marks the shared edge.

• Operation: turn on Snap in the UI settings, then move or resize. To change it for one drag, hold Ctrl or Cmd:
  • With Snap on, the shape moves freely.
  • With Snap off, it snaps.
• Result: edges and centers lock onto those of nearby shapes. When moving, they lock on once you slow the pointer down. With Grid on, shapes also snap to the grid.

The pivot

The pivot is the point a shape turns around and the point its position refers to.

• The X, Y, and Rotation values in the Attributes panel are measured from it.
• Rotation and Scale Animations use it as their default center.
• Moving it leaves the shape in place and changes which point those values describe.

To see pivots on the board and drag them, turn on Shape pivots in the UI settings.

Move the pivot to a side

Puts the pivot at the center of the shape or the midpoint of an edge.

• Operation: click Center pivot in the Actions panel, or one of the other options of the same multi-button:
  • Move pivot to the left of the shape
  • Move pivot to the right of the shape
  • Move pivot to the top of the shape
  • Move pivot to the bottom of the shape
• Needs: one selected shape.
• Result: the pivot jumps to the center or the middle of that edge.

Drag the pivot

Puts the pivot exactly where you want it.

• Operation: drag the pivot handle on the board.
• Result: the pivot lands wherever you drop it, inside or outside the shape.

Type its coordinates

Puts the pivot at exact coordinates.

• Operation: click the pivot handle to select it, then type its X and Y in the Attributes panel.
• Result: the pivot moves to that point on the board, even when the shape is inside a frame.

Several shapes and groups

• Several shapes: the selection has its own pivot, which starts at its center and returns there when the selection changes. Drag it or type its coordinates like a shape's pivot. Rotating the selection turns it around this point.
• Groups: a group has its own pivot, which you can drag. The group turns around it.

Typing exact values

Type the values in Selection info, the first section of the Attributes panel:

• X and Y place the shape's pivot on the board. Inside a frame, they're measured from the frame.
• W and H set its size. Locked Ratio keeps their proportion, and Proportional scales the stroke along with them.
• Rotation is the angle around its pivot, in degrees.

With several shapes selected:

• X or Y puts every shape's pivot at that coordinate.
• W or H gives every shape that size.
• Rotation turns the selection as a whole around its pivot.

Flipping

Mirrors the selected shapes.

In the example, the horizontal arrow leads to the horizontal flip and the vertical arrow to the vertical flip.

• Operation: click one of these in the Actions panel:
  • Flip horizontally
  • Flip vertically
• Needs: shapes that can be mirrored. Code text, HTML, and audio shapes can't be, and neither can a group or frame that holds one. To play a sound backwards, use Flip horizontally in the Audio editor.
• Result:
  • Images, videos, web embeds, and texts mirror their content in place.
  • Other shapes are mirrored across the center they share, so with several selected they also swap sides.