Transforming Geometry

Move, Copy, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, Stretch and Array — reposition, duplicate and resize what you have already drawn, and build grids, rings and runs of copies.

Seven commands reposition and duplicate existing geometry. They are built the same way, so learning one teaches you most of the others.

Prerequisites

You can select objects — see Selecting Objects.

What they all have in common

Three habits carry across every command in this chapter.

They work on a selection. If something is already selected, the command uses it. If nothing is, the command asks you to pick objects first — click or box them, then press Enter to move on.

(One subtlety: a selection you pick inside a command is cleared when the command ends. A selection you made before starting it survives, ready for the next command.)

They ask for a base point. A base point is the handle the change works from — the spot that stays put when you rotate, or the point you drag from when you move. Pick it with an object snap on something meaningful, like a corner or a centre, and the result lands exactly where you intended.

They undo in one step, however many objects they touched or copies they made.

Move — `M`

What it does. Moves objects from one point to another.

Pick the base point.
Pick where it should end up, or type how far — @500,0 moves everything 500 to the right.

For a nudge, you do not need the command at all: with objects selected and nothing running, the arrow keys move them one grid snap step.

Copy — `CP`

What it does. Places copies, one after another. Pick a base point, then pick a point for each copy you want. The command stays running until you press Enter or Esc, so you never restart it between copies.

Option	Key	What it does
Array	`A`	A row of a set number of copies, spaced by the next point you pick
Undo	`U`	Takes back the last copy

All the copies you made undo together, as one step.

Copy is not the clipboard

Two different commands share the name, which catches everyone out once.

Modify ▸ Copy (CP) duplicates within the drawing, placing each copy where you click.

Edit ▸ Copy (Ctrl+C) puts things on the system clipboard for pasting somewhere else — see Moving and Duplicating a Selection.

Rotate — `RO`

What it does. Turns objects about a base point.

Pick the base point, then type the angle or point the way you want it to face. Enter reuses the angle shown, which is the last one you used.

Positive angles turn counter-clockwise.

Option	Key	What it does
Reference	`R`	Give the angle it is at now, then the angle it should be at
Copy	`C`	Leaves the originals alone and turns a copy

Reference saves real time. When something sits at an unknown skew and you want it straight, you do not have to measure the angle first: pick along its current edge as the reference, then type 0 for where it should be.

Scale — `SC`

What it does. Enlarges or shrinks objects about a base point.

Pick the base point, then type the factor (2 doubles it, 0.5 halves it) or point that far away. Enter reuses the factor shown.

Option	Key	What it does
Reference	`R`	Give a length it has now, then the length it should be
Copy	`C`	Leaves the originals alone and scales a copy

Reference again avoids arithmetic. "This wall measures 3870 and should be 4000" scales correctly without you working out that the factor is 1.0336.

Common and costly mistake: Scale is not about printing

Scale changes how big things are — their real, measured size.

To change how big the drawing prints, set the drawing scale instead.

Scaling geometry to make it fit on paper is the classic beginner error, and it quietly makes every dimension in the drawing wrong.

Mirror — `MI`

What it does. Reflects objects across a line — for symmetrical halves, handed pairs and anything flipped.

Pick two points to define the mirror line.

Option	Key	What it does
Delete originals	`D`	Replaces the objects instead of keeping them. Remembered between uses

Tip: turn Ortho on (F8) while picking the two points, and your mirror line is guaranteed perfectly horizontal or vertical.

Stretch — `ST`

This is the one that behaves differently from the rest, and the one worth taking a minute over — it is enormously useful once it clicks.

What it does. It moves some points of your objects while leaving others anchored, so shapes get longer, wider or deeper rather than simply travelling.

How to use it: drag a box (or click its corners) around the points you want to move, then give a base point and a second point.

Points inside the box move.
Points outside it stay exactly where they are.
An object lying wholly inside the box just moves, as you would expect.

An example. Put a crossing box over the right-hand end of a rectangle and stretch it 500 to the right. The right-hand corners travel; the left-hand ones do not; the rectangle is now 500 wider. That is how you lengthen a room, widen an opening or deepen a bay without redrawing anything.

If you make a selection before starting, only that selection stretches.

💡 Workflow Guide: Dragging a crossing box over the right-hand end of a room outline, then giving a base point and typing @500,0 — the right-hand corners travel 500, the left-hand ones hold still, and the walls lengthen to suit

Array — `AR`

What it does. Copies objects in a regular pattern: a grid, a ring, or a run along a path. Think parking bays, bolt holes, balusters, ceiling tiles.

Every step previews the whole pattern as you set it up, and Enter accepts the value shown.

Kind	Key	What it asks for
Rectangular	`R`	Columns, rows, then the spacing of each — type it, or move the cursor and click
Polar	`P`	The centre, how many items, and the angle to fill. Rotate items (`I`) turns each copy to follow the ring
Along path	`A`	The path, then how many items. Align (`L`) turns each copy to follow the path

Associative arrays

Associative (S) is on by default, and it makes the whole pattern a single object.

Why that is good: select it afterwards and you can change the number of columns, rows or spacing in the Properties panel, or by dragging its grips. The array rebuilds itself. Decided you want three bays instead of two? Type 3.

This is the closest thing in Pingendum 2D to parametric behaviour — the array remembers how it was made, so it can be re-specified later.

If you would rather have plain, independent copies, either turn Associative off before you start, or Explode the array afterwards.

Whichever kind of array you used is remembered for next time.

💡 Workflow Guide: Arraying a column two by two — the status bar reporting an array of 4 items, as one object — then selecting it and typing 3 into the Columns field in the Properties panel, which rebuilds the array in place. Slightly sped up.

Which one do I want?

You want	Use
To reposition something	Move
A few copies at chosen spots	Copy
A regular grid, ring or run along a path	Array
To lengthen or reshape part of an outline	Stretch
To straighten something skewed	Rotate with Reference
To make something a known size	Scale with Reference
A symmetrical half	Mirror
To land two points onto two other points	Align

Next Steps

Next: Cleaning Up Geometry

Transforming Geometry

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