Precisely rotating group of objects

[Jayk45]

I’m at the beginning of the " Complete Blender Creator 2.8: Learn 3D Modelling for Beginners" in the duplication lecture (6:12). He rotates the group of objects using shortcuts.

How do I rotate a group of selected objects not using shortcuts? If I go to use the transform window from Item, it only rotates the top object. What do I do if I want to rotate the whole group (as a single group in the same way that pressing R does) precisely, like 15.16 degrees for example?

[FedPete]

Please, always provide a screen dump. Use Blender main menu > windows > save screen shot

• All functions are available via the panel menu. But it depends in which mode you are (blender menu is context driven, what you need is what you see)

Use: menu item Object > transform > rotate

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• It all depends on Blender option selected. You’ve probably missed one.
• you can group objects using empties.
• You can group selected object using their combined center point and or use the 3D cursor.

[Jayk45]

Thanks for your reply. I’m working in the Layout screen.

What I want to achieve is the same effect as using the Rotate tool. That is, it rotates the whole selection of objects as one, as the image below shows. The two objects have been highlighted white and have been rotated 20 degrees

What I’d like to do is set a specific rotate value like you can with the transform, but for all selected objects in the same way that the rotate tool works. However, when I select all objects and then use the rotate field in the transform field. It only rotates the light orange selected object. How can I set a specific rotate value (without using the keyboard shortcut R 20)?

Apologies, I am very new to Blender and 3D in general, so I don’t know what either of these mean:

• you can group objects using empties.
• You can group selected object using their combined center point and or use the 3D cursor.

[NP5]

I suppose you can’t in that panel, only the active selected item will be. I almost never use it and somehow doubt many do. (Oh, well other than doing each one at a time, putting the number in each time, but you would need to sort out a pivot point so they all use the same point. Basically set up the 3d cursor.)

You can however go via the menu system, Object; transform; rotate, then add the number in the pop up panel.

I do not know why anyone would not use the shortcuts. Their use is core to Blender and probably 3D in general, but there almost always are other slower ways to do everything, mostly by menus.

The Empties method.
Add an empty.
Select the objects, then add the empty to the selection last (holding down shift adds the next clicked item to the selection).
Being selected last makes the empty the active object.
Then press Ctrl P, to object. (Or object menu, parent, object) Parenting the selected to the empty.
Now just selecting the parent empty, and rotating, even in the panel, the children rotate with their parent dutifully!

[Jayk45]

Thanks NP5. That method worked for me.

@NP5

I do not know why anyone would not use the shortcuts. Their use is core to Blender and probably 3D in general, but there almost always are other slower ways to do everything, mostly by menus.

I’m certainly not anti-shortcut, and I use them where I can, but I do find that menus help me learn. They provide on screen context and feedback to what is changing.

[FedPete]

This works also !

• Activate rotation gizmo
• Select both objects (shared center)
• rotate with mouse so the bottom left rotation panel will be visible, there you can enter exact coordinates.

But the best approach is to use empties.