Scaling on global axis?

Ok, this may be a stupid question, but I am having trouble scaling an object on the global axis. I have an object that is rotated, so the object axis is not the same as the global axis. Now, when I try to scale, and click the middle mouse button to confine it to the z axis, it goes along the object axis, not the global axis. I need it along the global axis.

I tried the transform menu “Scale on Axis->Z Global” but is still went along the object axis.

Please help, I am getting frustrated. :<

PS, is there any way to change (rotate) the object axis?

Thanks

Edit: It only seems to be for scaling…grab works properly…so is this a bug? I have 2.33a.

Yes, it seems that the scaling locally/globally only functions in Edit mode and Not Object mode.

Ctrl_a
(You can enable [Axis] below the ‘Draw Extra’ label in the ‘Draw’ panel located in the Object Buttons window [F7] to see the effect).

Yes, you can’t scale an object except along it’s axes.
No, it’s not a bug.

The Loc/Rot/Size of an object is stored as exactly that, the loc, rot and size.
While it is possible to scale in an arbitary direction using translation matricies, you end up with a skewed axis, which blender doesn’t support.

One way to do it is to add an empty, rotate it so one of the its axes is in the direction you want to scale, parent the origional object to the empty and then scale the empty.

Thanks guys,

I entered edit mode and scaled in the global z and that worked great!

I find it strange that it doesn’t work in object mode though. Oh well. :slight_smile:

Thanks again :wink:

If you have some knowledge of matricial math, I could explain at length why it is preferable not to enable global axis resizing in object mode. If you don’t, just assume we have good enough reasons. :slight_smile:

Martin

Basically, all the transformations blender lets you do to an object still leave the local X, Y and Z axes at right-angles to each other.

If you try to scale an object in any ol’ direction (which include along the global axis if the object is rotated) would break this right-angle-ness, called “skewing”

The basic idea in 2D:
http://www.cs.newcastle.edu.au/~c3018900/scale.png

I’ll just leave it as the fact that skewed axes aren’t nice to work with, rather than go into the details.

I agree with all of you guys but then … why is the scaling along global axis is still featured in the soft ? I mean when you choose object menu you have the choice to scale along local … or global axis ! If it’s not supported may be this function should be get off :slight_smile:

well, you can scale along the global or local axes in edit mode.

Maybe it should hide the global entries in oject mode?