topic Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator? in AutoCAD Forum

What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

jetted4 — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 19:14:15 GMT

The normal Autocad scale and rotate, if you use them on multiple objects at the same time, treats it as one big group and uses a single base point for transforming all of them together as if they were one.

But I have a bunch of objects I want to rescale in their own positions, not as a group from one point.

I know I watched a tutorial at some point that showed a tool in Autocad that allows you to transform the rotation or scale of multiple objects at the same time from each of their own geometric centers like the "transform each" tool in Adobe Illustrator.

Anyone know what it is called?

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

vladimir_michl — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 20:59:12 GMT

You can just use the Properties palette and change the object scales there. Or you can use a LISP tool like this one (belongs rather to the Customization forum):

;scaling to individual ref.points ;www.cadforum.cz ; (defun C:ScaleIT ( / ss ssl i ename edata ipt) (princ "\nSelect objects to scale individually") (setq ss (ssget)) (if ss (progn (command "_undo" "_beg") (setq ssl (- (sslength ss) 1)) (setq ename (ssname ss ssl)) (setq edata (entget ename)) (setq ipt (cdr (assoc 10 edata))) (command "_scale" ename "" (trans ipt 0 1) pause) ; interact (command) (setq ssl (1- ssl)) (while (>= ssl 0) (setq ename (ssname ss ssl)) (setq edata (entget ename)) (setq ipt (cdr (assoc 10 edata))) (command "_scale" ename "" (trans ipt 0 1) "") (command) (setq ssl (1- ssl)) ) ; while (command "_undo" "_end") (princ "Done.") )) (princ) )

Vladimir Michl, www.arkance-systems.cz - www.cadforum.cz

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

jetted4 — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 03:03:58 GMT

I am not seeing anything that would allow me to scale objects in the properties panel...(printscreen below)

I will have to hunt for the tutorial that I saw on Lynda.com because I thought I remembered there being a way directly within Autocad to rescale multiple objects in their respective places without needing a lsp program.

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

johnpatrick1879 — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 06:11:02 GMT

I will agree with Vladimir you can try this.

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

vladimir_michl — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 06:44:01 GMT

You need to select (shift-pick or window or lasso) the objects to scale.

Vladimir Michl, www.arkance-systems.cz - www.cadforum.cz

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

RobDraw — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 10:31:37 GMT

Even if you find that video, you will find it is only possible with certain objects of the same type or with code.

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

pendean — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 14:39:05 GMT

You have nothing selected, that's why you see nothing to do: are you very new to AutoCAD if I may ask?

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

jetted4 — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 23:27:27 GMT

No I am not new to autocad... I had had the rectangles all selected when I was checking the properties palette but didn't notice that I deselected them before taking the screen shot.

Here is the correct screenshot. I have the properties palette open at the right but I still do not see anything that would enable me to rescale all of the objects simultaneously in their own place.

In Adobe Illustrator it is easy - just use Ctrl-Shift-Alt-D ("Transform Each") and it doesn't matter what sorts of objects they are you could have a grouped complex geometry selected and a circle selected at the same time; it rescales or rotates the objects from their own respective geometric centers (or their respective Top/Middle or Left/Middle or etc...depending on what option you choose).

Here's one with a circle thrown in, which reduces the options in the properties palette further, but would still be a piece of cake to transform in place if using Illustrator...

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

RobDraw — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 23:33:59 GMT

"The cake is a lie."

Not every object in AutoCAD has a scale property that can be adjusted. In fact very few can be scaled in this fashion. Blocks, for one can be. Try selecting different types of objects and take a look at the properties.

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

jetted4 — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:28:16 GMT

Just to show a quick example in Adobe Illustrator. I drew some random shapes and also a group (the red and green items are the group)

(1) Here are the shapes and group:

(2) Now with the "Transform Each" panel open (but preview turned off so you still see the shapes in their original sizes). My option at the right of the panel is to rescale from the geometric center. I have my horizontal and vertical scale both set to 50%:

(3) I click Enter and this is the result. Each has been rescaled in place; the group of objects was rescaled as if it were a single item so they retain their respective positions within the group and all of the ungrouped individual items were rescaled in place. Super easy:

Autocad is super powerful in so many ways, it puzzles me that this same functionality is not available, especially given how helpful it is to be able to rescale multiple items in place.

I will try the lsp program Vladimir provided. Thanks 🙂

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

RobDraw — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:33:47 GMT

Yeah, the problem is expecting completely different programs to work the same.

Good luck!

Re: What is the autocad tool like "transform each" in Adobe Illustrator?

vladimir_michl — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 12:51:04 GMT

There is an enhanced version of that tool - ScaleBB - which works more interactively. It performs both scaling and rotation, and you can select the reference frame for the individual scaling/rotation (ref.point, center or lower-left point).

See the tip https://www.cadforum.cz/en/scalebb-scale-multiple-objects-to-their-ref-points-or-boxes-tip13158

and sample video:

Vladimir Michl, www.arkance-systems.cz - www.cadforum.cz