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 (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, or by using the hotkeys shown above.

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