Rotating the x and y axesWhen you open a new file, the x and y axes are parallel to the horizontal and vertical sides of the window. You can rotate the axes by specifying an angle of constraint in the General Preferences dialog box. Rotating the axes is useful if your artwork contains elements that are rotated to the same angle, such as a logo and text displayed on a 20-degree angle. Instead of rotating each element you add to the logo, you can simply rotate the axes by 20 degrees. Everything you draw is created along the new axes. ![]() Object aligned with default axes (left) and axes rotated 20º (right) You can then use the Shift key to constrain the movement of one or more objects so that they move in a precise horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction relative to the current orientation of the x and y axes. ![]() Hold down Shift while dragging or drawing to limit movement to the nearest 45º angle. To rotate the axes:
The rotation of the axes is saved in the Preferences file; it therefore affects new artwork in all files until you change its value or delete the Preferences file. The following objects and actions are aligned along the new axes: The following objects and actions are not affected by the new axes: |