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how to flip

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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • February 10, 2024 at 10:53 pm #17526
    Michael St Germain
    Participant

      Could we possibly provide a clearer explanation for duplicating objects, scaling with ESC >> S for the scale, and rotating on the Z axis with -1? The process has been a bit confusing and sloppy the last couple of times we’ve attempted it.

      February 11, 2024 at 1:40 am #84237
      Martin Bergwerf
      Participant

        Hi Michael @M_chael ,

        When you Duplicate something with SHIFT+D, it puts the duplicated object in ‘Translation Mode’ and you don’t want to Move the duplicate, so you press the Escape key to cancel the movement (keeping the duplicate at the exact same pl;ace as the original). Then you ‘mirror’ it in the X, Y plane by Scaling it along the Z-Axis by -1 (that is: S, Z, -1). There is no Rotation performed in this process.

        February 11, 2024 at 1:27 pm #84238
        Dwayne Savage
        Participant

          I find mentally it’s easier for some people to use the actual mirror. In this case ctrl+m->z->enter or left click. This is the same as scaling by -1 on an axis. S->z->-1->enter or LMB. Side note: mirroring(Either method) also flips the normals and is mirrored based on the chosen pivot point. That’s why I use 3D cursor and have it set to world origin. That way I don’t have to do the move downward afterwards.

          To understand what is going on you need to know that in blender scale is multiplication. 1 times anything equals that thing. -1 times something is that thing but negative. so a vertex at 1.5 from pivot on z axis becomes -1.5 z or which ever axis you choose to scale on. 

          February 11, 2024 at 4:22 pm #84239
          Omar Domenech
          Participant

            It’s a whole journey, going from being a 1 then passing through 0 and then ending up at -1.

            In my head going from 1 all the way to 0 is as being normal and then shrinking infinitely thin until you’re nothing, then from 0 to -1 you’re yourself again but coming out the other side flipped. 

            February 12, 2024 at 12:51 am #84240
            Martin Bergwerf
            Participant

              That sounds like “Alice through the looking glass.” Omar.

              February 12, 2024 at 4:46 am #84241
              Adrian Bellworthy
              Participant

                With regards to scaling in the Z axis with -1, you need to change your thought of -1 being a negative number.
                And try and think of + and – as the direction along the stated axis…

                If you are struggling with duplicating and scaling objects, you may want to look at the Blender Basics and come back to this course later.

                April 20, 2025 at 10:55 pm #84242
                Shun Saiki
                Participant

                  Also, remember to change the `Transform Pivot Point` back to `Median Point` or else you will face problems when doing the process of:

                  1. Shift + D
                  2. Right-click
                  3. S + Z + -1

                  Was having problems flipping (mirroring) correctly because it was set to `Individual Origins`.

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