How does the VCarve Pro & Aspire Interactive Selection Mode work for moving, scaling, and rotating objects precisely?
Updated Oct 13, 20263 min readVCarve Pro & Aspire
The Interactive Selection Mode gives you direct mouse-based control over the position, size and rotation of vectors (and components in Aspire) using visible handles on the selected object.
Activating Interactive Mode
- Click an object once to select it
- Click the selected object a second time to display the interactive scaling, movement and rotation handles. This is the same as selecting the Interactive Selection icon
- Lines, arcs and Bezier spans show as dotted magenta lines. Text and grouped objects show as solid magenta lines
- To deselect, click the white background, press Esc, or use right-click > Unselect All
Handle Functions (2D View)
| Handle | Location | Function | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle handle | Center of selection | Move the object. Click a second time to switch to the rotational center, then drag the Rotational Anchor to reposition it | Alt = move in one axis only |
| Corner handles (white) | Corners | Scale proportionally | Alt = scale non-proportionally; Shift = scale around the center |
| Edge handles (white) | Mid-edges | Scale in one axis only | Shift = scale proportionally |
| Corner handles (black) | Corners | Rotate about the rotation center | Alt = rotate in 15° increments |
In the 3D View the handles are similar, with black edge handles for scaling in one axis and a black rotation arrow at the top. Selecting a handle activates the matching edit box. For an exact value, release the mouse button, type the value and press Enter.
Precise Values
- Press M to open the Move form: choose the anchor point and enter exact X and Y values (absolute or incremental)
- Press T to open the Scale (Set Size) form for exact width and height
- Press R to open the Rotate form
Snapping During Interactive Moves
While you drag, the snapping options you have turned on are active:
- Grid points (if Snap to Grid is on)
- Existing vector nodes and other geometry (Geometry Snapping)
- Smart Snapping shows alignment lines to other objects
To disable snapping temporarily, hold Shift while dragging.
Moving with Arrow Keys (Nudge)
With an object selected, the arrow keys nudge it:
- Hold Ctrl to reduce the nudge distance
- Hold Shift to increase the nudge distance
- Hold Ctrl+Shift to nudge by the Fixed Nudge Distance, which you set in the Snap Options form (F4)
Group Behavior
- G groups the selected objects and U ungroups them
- Grouped objects move and scale together as a unit
- Interactive Mode handles apply to the whole group
- To edit individual objects within a group, ungroup first
Sources and further reading
Interactive Selection Modethe software maker's documentation (opens in a new tab)Snapping Options Dialogthe software maker's documentation (opens in a new tab)Documentationthe software maker's documentation (opens in a new tab)Still stuck? Ask the community
Ask in your own words. Vector answers first, from the guides. If that does not cover it, post it to members and the shop from there.