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Get Started
New to Inspire Studio? Learn the basics here.
Move and Snap
Translate, rotate, and scale objects using the Move tool. These tasks can be accomplished with greater precision by using grids and snaps.
Position the Manipulator
Position the manipulator along an axis, within a plane, or in 3D space.

Welcome
What's New
Discover new features and enhancements.
Get Started
New to Inspire Studio? Learn the basics here.
- Altair Inspire Studio Overview
  Learn about Inspire Studio, the workspace, and the system requirements.
- File Import and Export
  Learn how to import geometry and export results.
- Select and Edit
  Review techniques for selecting and editing objects.
- Construction History
  The software saves versions of your objects as you create them, enabling you to return to an earlier stage of an object, and modify or reuse the object from that stage.
- Adjust the View
  Change the view in the modeling window using the mouse or view controls.
- Take a Snapshot
  Capture an image of a model. The background is white by default, but you can make it colored or transparent. Arrows on curves are automatically turned off.
- Move and Snap
  Translate, rotate, and scale objects using the Move tool. These tasks can be accomplished with greater precision by using grids and snaps.
  - Position the Manipulator
    Position the manipulator along an axis, within a plane, or in 3D space.
  - Move and Scale
    Orient objects in 3D space. Rotate, translate, and scale objects using the Move tool.
  - Snap and Align
    Customize your scene to your design preferences.
- Browse and Organize
  Browse and organize the objects, layers, lights, materials, and drawings in your scene using the Model Browser.
- Help and User Assistance
  Learn about the forms of help and user assistance available from the product.
- Units and Measurement
  Change the default units and measure geometry features.
- Tool Belts
  Inspire Studio has four different tool belts to help you quickly access the tools you need for 3D modeling, sketching, creating PolyNURBS, and rendering. You can use the tool belts with the default configuration of tools or you can customize the tool belts by adding and removing tools as required.
- Preferences
  Modify the workspace display, default keyboard shortcuts, and other settings.
Tutorials
Start using Inspire Studio with our interactive tutorials.
Sketching
Create and edit a 2D sketch curve. A sketch curve is any "wire" entity such as a line, rectangle, circle, or arc.
Curves
Create and edit 3D curves by extending, rebuilding, intersecting, splitting, and projecting the shapes.
Surfaces
Create and edit 3D surfaces and solids by creating primitives or editing existing curves and surfaces.
PolyNURBS
Create polygonal surfaces that can easily be converted into NURBS surfaces.
Modify
Create new objects by manipulating and modifying source objects.
Direct
Quickly modify objects that are not a part of Construction History.
Deform
Deform one or more objects with respect to an axis.
Analysis
Analyze curves and surfaces, import simulation data, or access the Design Table and Variable Manager.
Dimensions
Dimension a line, edge, bounding box, angle, and radius/diameter in order to create objects which must fit predefined dimensions.
Drawing
Create detailed 2D drawings of the selected parts of a complex 3D model from multiple perspectives.
Rendering
Adjust the materials, environment, and properties of objects in the scene to create a photorealistic image.
Animation
In Inspire Studio you can animate an object or group and the camera. There are two methods of animation: key frame animation and path animation.
Die Design
Create a draw die in Inspire Studio that you can export to Inspire Form to perform a stamping simulation.
Custom Plug-ins and Scripts
You can use C++ and Python to add custom operations and file formats.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.
SpaceMouse Support
Inspire Studio supports 3Dconnexion's SpaceMouse.

Position the Manipulator

Position the manipulator along an axis, within a plane, or in 3D space.

Select one or more objects.
Note:
- To select multiple objects, use box selection or hold down Ctrl while clicking the objects.
- To chain select in the Model Browser, hold down Shift while clicking the names of the objects.
Open the Move tool:
- Press W.
- From the Home tools, click the Move icon.

Use the Control Panel and follow these steps:


Step A	Step B	Step C
To enter Move manipulator mode: Press Shift. In the Control Panel, for Mode Type, select Move manipulator. The manipulator is displayed in orange.	Choose from the following options:	To exit Move manipulator mode: Press Shift. In the Control Panel, for Mode Type, select Move objects. The manipulator is displayed in white.
	Translate the manipulator along an axis: Drag the X, Y, or Z arrow.
	Translate the manipulator within a plane: Drag the XY, XZ, or YZ plane.
	Rotate the manipulator Drag the XY, XZ, or YZ plane.
	Reposition the manipulator in 3D space: Drag the origin. Or in the Control Panel, type the x-, y, and z-coordinates.
	Reset the manipulator's position In the Control Panel, click the Reset Manipulator Position button.

Tip: Sometimes you may want to numerically position the manipulator to specific coordinates. Understanding relative movement and absolute positioning is useful.

Select the green check mark to exit the Control Panel.

Now you can translate, rotate, or scale the objects.