The Manipulator (formerly: Transform Gizmo) in LiquidEarth allows for direct transformation of selected elements in the 3D workspace.

It includes five modes:

• Move (1)
• Rotate (2)
• Scale (3)
• Grab (4)
• Lock (5, disables manipulator)

Modes 1 - 3 activate visible transform gizmos; Grab mode relies on direct interaction with the bounding box. You can switch between modes via the Inspector quickbar, the Manipulator panel, using the hotkeys shown above or by using G to cycle through the modes.

The Manipulator options are accessible via the inspector.

Gizmo Operations

The gizmo modes come with several customization and control features:

• Localized Gizmo:
  • The Move and Rotate gizmos align with the global workspace axes by default (as shown in the 3D Workspace).
  • Enable the Localized toggle in the Inspector to align them with the orientation of the selected content.
  • Scale Gizmo is always localized and does not follow global alignment.
• 2D Plane Interaction (SHIFT):
  • Holding SHIFT enables view-aligned planar interaction for the Move Gizmo.
  • For the Scale Gizmo, SHIFT enables multi-axis scaling.
• Snapping (LCTRL):
  • Holding LCTRL activates discrete snapping for all gizmo types - Move, Rotate, and Scale.
• Gizmo Size:
  • Adjust the visual size of the gizmo in the Inspector for better accessibility, especially in dense or large-scale scenes.

Move Gizmo

Hotkey: 1

The Move Gizmo lets you move selected elements along the X, Y, and Z axes. Arrows represent each axis and can be clicked and dragged. To move along a plane, use the square handles between arrows.

Hold SHIFT to temporarily activate 2D plane interaction (relative to the view), or toggle this in the Inspector.

The Move Gizmo.

Rotate Gizmo

Hotkey: 2

The Rotate Gizmo lets you rotate the selected element around the X, Y, or Z axis. Click and drag the color-coded circular handles to rotate.

The Rotate Gizmo.

Scale Gizmo

Hotkey: 3

The Scale Gizmo allows you to resize selected content. Drag color-coded cubes along each axis to scale directionally. Use the central white cube for uniform scaling. Holding SHIFT enables multi-axis scaling.

The Scale Gizmo.

Grab Mode

Hotkey: 4

Grab mode uses the bounding box of the selected element instead of a gizmo.

• Desktop: Click and drag to reposition
• Touch: Use gestures to rotate or scale