Transform

Stretch, move, and manipulate selections and layers in 3D to make fast and easy edits.

Transform in 3D Painting shares some similar options to 2D. Because of an added third dimension, transform works differently and has some options unique only to 3D Painting.

Interface

Manipulate the size, shape, and positioning of an object in 3D with Automatic and Advanced touch controls.

Transform in 3D Painting shares Flip Vertical, Flip Horizontal, Rotate 45º, Interpolation Modes and Reset actions with 2D painting. Automatic and Advanced Modes, plus Projection are unique to 3D Painting.

2D Transform is explained in the Transform section of this handbook. Having a basic understanding of how 2D Transform works in Procreate will help you understand the differences when using Transform in 3D Painting.

In the top menu bar you’ll find an arrow symbol. This is the Transform button.

When you tap the Transform button, it will automatically select the contents of your current layer, and bring up the Transform toolbar.

Unlike 2D transform, 3D transform will only select image content that you can see directly in front of you on your canvas. Anything positioned behind a 3D model and not visible will not be selected, or able to be transformed.

You can also make a selection using the Selection tool if you need to isolate an element on a layer you wish to transform. To do this, make your selection first, then tap Transform.

Activating Transform automatically selects the contents of your current layer.

This selection appears as an outlined halo with a solid white line and feathered shadow. The halo outlines the shape of the content inside it.

To move or Transform your selected content see Automatic or Advanced below.

Automatic is a simple method for scaling, moving and rotating selected content. With Automatic selected, any transformations you make are restricted to the selected meshes within a texture set.

Automatic is the default selected transform method when you tap Transform.

With Automatic selected, drag anywhere inside the halo to move your content around.

Automatic preserves the original contents ratio. If you stretch the content to be taller, it will automatically grow wider at the same time to keep the object's original ratio.

Pinch-zoom inside or outside the halo to scale your content up or down.

Pinch-twist inside the halo to manually rotate your content.

Advanced is a more advanced method for scaling, moving and rotating selected content in 3D space. Advanced also allows you to detach your content for even more options.

To activate Advanced transform tap Advanced. This invokes the Advanced transform interface which appears as a white circle or ring, with a blue sphere and two blue cubes inside it.

The Advanced transform interface works attached and detached from the surface of the mesh. It enables horizontal and vertical non-uniform scaling, lets content rotate in 3D space and as well as standard scaling, moving and rotating.

To find out more about Advanced transform, head to the Advanced Interface section at the bottom of this page.

Use these helpful buttons as a shortcut for the most common transformations.

Quickly flip your content horizontally or vertically. Tap Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical on the Transform toolbar.

To rotate your content in fixed increments of 45° clockwise, tap Rotate 45°.

Control the direction and depth your transform interacts on a 3D surface.

Projection has two settings Bidirectional and Projection Depth.

When activated, Transform is like a projector shining an image on the surface of an object. Bidirectional turns on a second projector pointing an image at 180º, in the exact opposite direction of the original.

For example, if you were transforming an image on brick a wall, normal transform lets you move, rotate or stretch that image anywhere on the front of the wall. Bidirectional lets you move, rotate or stretch that same image on the front, over the top, and onto the back of the wall.

With Bidirectional on you can transform content on the surface in front of you, and on any surface sitting directly behind that surface as well.

Tap the Bidirectional toggle to turn Bidirectional on or off.

Projection Depth takes a piece of 2D content and then stretches it out across a third plane. This can be useful for transforming content across an uneven surface.

For example, if you painted the side of a brick, then transformed that color normally it would stay only in 2D on the side of the brick. Increase Projection Depth and the color will increase across the brick to cover the top and bottom as well as the side.

Use the slider to increase or decrease Projection Depth. A 3D wire-frame box will encase your content, and increase or decrease in depth to show how far your transform is projecting across a 3D object.

Control how Procreate adjusts the pixels in your content when transforming it for best results.

Interpolation is the method used to adjust the pixels in a scaled, rotated, or transformed image. Interpolation is a circular icon second from the right-hand side of the Transform bar. By default, Interpolation is set to Nearest.

When you tap Nearest, you are offered three choices, each with its own advantages. Choose the one that best suits your purpose.

1. Nearest Neighbor uses information from the nearest pixel to the interpolated point. This creates a sharp and accurate result, but can also leave the image with jagged edges.

2. Bilinear interpolation considers a 2x2 area of pixels surrounding the interpolation point. This delivers a smoother image compared to the harder but more accurate Nearest Neighbor result.

3. Bicubic interpolation considers a 4x4 area of surrounding pixels. This offers the smoothest result of all. But, the larger the sample area, the softer the image is likely to look.

Reset can revert all the changes you’ve made while in Transform mode, but it’s not the only option.

Tap the Reset button to disregard all changes you’ve made while in Transform mode. Your content will revert to its original state.

If you only want to undo the last adjustment you made, tap the canvas with two fingers to perform a standard Undo. To Redo, tap with three fingers.

Advanced Interface

Perform Advanced scaling, moving, and rotating of selected content in 3D space attached or detached from any surface.

Tapping Advanced invokes the Advanced transform interface. Use this to perform horizontal and vertical non-uniform scaling, rotate the content in 3D space, as well as standard scaling, moving and rotating.

Perform uniform scaling and rotate your content.

Uniform Scale

Tap anywhere on the ring and drag to uniformly scale your content.

Dragging away from the center of the ring will increase the scale. Dragging toward the center of the ring will decrease the scale.

Drag toward and past the center of the ring, and your content will decrease in size, flip and then begin to increase in size again as you move away from the center.

Rotate

Tap anywhere on the ring and rotate around the white circle to rotate your content.

Move your content with the slide of a finger in 2D and 3D space, and detach it from the surface of a mesh.

Move

In the center of the white ring is a white 3D circle, shaped like a small puck. Tap and drag on this to move your content across the surface of a mesh.

Detach

Tap the puck to invoke the Detach button. Tap the Detach button to detach your content from the surface of a mesh. The puck with turn into a white dual cone, tap and drag this to move your content in 3D space around the mesh.

Tap the dual cone to invoke the Attach button. Tap the Attach button to re-attach your content to the surface of a mesh. Tapping Automatic will also re-attach your content to the surface of a mesh.

Take two dimensional content and rotate its projection.

In the center of the white ring, sitting above the white puck is a blue sphere. Tap and drag this to rotate your selected contents' angle of projection. This can be useful for transforming and projecting content on sharp angles contained within a 3D model.

Stretch content vertically in a non-uniform manner.

Sitting at the top inside the white ring is a blue cube, tap and drag this cube to vertically scale your selected content.

Dragging away from center will increase the scale. Dragging toward center of the ring will decrease the scale.

Drag toward and past the center of the ring, and your content will decrease in size then begin to increase in size again as you move away from the center.

Stretch content horizontally in a non-uniform manner.

Sitting to the right inside the white ring is a blue cube, tap and drag this cube to horizontally scale your selected content.

Dragging away from center will increase the scale. Dragging toward center of the ring will decrease the scale.

Drag toward and past the center of the ring, and your content will decrease in size then begin to increase in size again as you move away from the center.

Gestures

These natural gestures make Transforming your content in Automatic mode quick and intuitive.

Move

Drag anywhere inside of the bounding halo to move your content around.

Scale

Pinch-Zoom anywhere within the bounding halo to scale your content up or down. This will keep the ratio uniform.

Rotate

Pinch-Twist anywhere within the bounding halo to rotate your content.

Commit

When you’re done, tap the Transform button to commit your changes and exit Transform mode.