==Scale Tool==
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[[Image:scale1_tn_new.png|thumb|540px|Scaling a box object in all three directions.]]
ICON: [[File:scale_tool_tn.png]]
PYTHON COMMAND: scale(object,scale_factor)
<table>
<tr>
<td> [[Image:scale1_tn_new.png|thumb|540px|Scaling a box object in all three directions.]] </td>
</tr>
</table>
<b>Scaling Objects Locally Using Snap Points</b>
Snap points provide an easier way of scaling objects without changing their location. Hover your mouse over a snap point of an object to highlight it and type the keyboard shortcut '''S'''. This establishes the scale origin at the selected snap point. Then, select the end point of the baseline scale vector, which can be another snap point of the same object. It is convenient to select a vertex of an object as the scale origin and select an adjacent vertex as the end point of the baseline scale vector. Next, you need to determine the final scale vector. If you drag the mouse out of the object, you will expand it. If you drag the mouse inside the object and towards the scale origin, you will shrink it.
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<table>
<tr>
<td> [[Image:scale2_tn_new.png|thumb|540px|Scaling a box object in all three directions.]] </td>
</tr>
</table>
[[File:scale2_tn_new.png|aligning objects]]
While dragging the mouse to scale an object select, if you hold the '''Shift Key''' down, you can constrain the scaling to the direction along the baseline scale vector only. Alternatively, if you hold the '''Alt Key''' down, you can constrain the scaling to the direction normal to the baseline scale vector only. If the baseline vector is parallel to one of the principal axes, the "Shift Contstraint" varies only one scaling factor, while the "Alt Constraint" varies two scaling factor simultaneously.
<table><tr><td> [[FileImage:scale3_tn_new.png|aligning objectsthumb|320px|Constrained scaling of a box along an edge.]] </td></tr><tr><td> [[FileImage:scale4_tn_new.png|aligning objects]]Â thumb|320px|Constrained scaling of a box along an "edge" scale vector and normal to itan edge.]] </td></tr></table>
== Link Tool ==