Exact sizes and sums in the Transform panel in Vectornation
The Transform panel in Vectornation by Zaweba sets position, size, angle and corner radii, and takes lengths, percentages and sums like 150%, *2 or +5mm.
When a size has to be exact, typing it beats dragging every time. The Transform panel in Vectornation by Zaweba is where you type it. It shows X, Y, W and H, angles and corner radii, each with step arrows, and it understands far more than plain numbers.
Most of the time you will use it to read and nudge values. Once you know its tricks, you will use it to do quick sums as well.
Position, size, angle and corners
X and Y set where the selection sits. W and H set its width and height. Angle boxes set rotation, and corner radii set how rounded the corners are on shapes that have them. The step arrows beside each box nudge the value up or down, which is handy for small adjustments while watching the canvas.
Keep proportions and resize from the centre
Two switches change how sizing works. Keep proportions makes width and height change together, so a logo or photo does not stretch out of shape. Resize from the centre keeps the centre of the object fixed while its size changes, rather than growing from one corner.
Holding Shift or Alt does the opposite of whichever setting is on, for the moment. That means you can leave the switches the way you usually like them and override them on the fly when one job needs something different.
Lengths, percentages, sums and scaling
The W and H boxes accept lengths, percentages and sums. Type a size with a unit, such as millimetres, and it is converted. Type a percentage such as 150% and the object grows to one and a half times its size. Type *2 to double it. Type +5mm to add five millimetres to the current size.
This is surprisingly useful. Enlarging a design by a fixed amount for bleed, making a box exactly twice the size of another, or adding a margin to a panel all become one entry instead of a sum on a calculator.
There is a Scale % box for scaling by a percentage directly. And on the canvas, Alt plus the mouse wheel scales the selection in place, which is a quick way to adjust size by eye without reaching for the panel at all.
Jobs it suits
Print work depends on exact sizes: a business card, a label, a sign panel or a page element must match a specification. The Transform panel is where you meet those numbers.
Layout uses it for alignment. Set objects to the same Y to put them on one line, or space them by typing X values.
Icons and interface artwork need consistent sizes across a set. Typing the width and height for each icon keeps them matched.
Avoiding mistakes
Check the units. A size typed without a unit uses the current units, which may not be what you expect if you have switched between millimetres and pixels.
Remember whether Keep proportions is on. If you type a width and the height does not change, the switch is off and your artwork has stretched.
Be clear about what the panel is measuring when strokes are involved. A thick stroke adds to the visible size of a shape, so compare the values with what you see before relying on them for tight fits.
How it fits with the rest
The Transform panel works alongside the Transform tool, which adds a movable pivot and options for copying and repeating, and the Align panel, which lines objects up relative to each other. Between them, Vectornation by Zaweba covers both exact numbers and quick visual placement, and the Transform panel is where the numbers live.
