3D Cursor Rotation?

Question

I thought the 3D cursor was pretty lame when I first started using Blender - another strange thing Blender was doing differently than every other program. But it seems like I find a new use for it every couple days. I noticed recently that it appears to have a rotation state (I'm using 2.8 in case it is a recent change).

What I'm wondering is why Blender doesn't make use of that rotation when I use the "cursor to selected" or "selection to cursor" commands. It only seems to change the object or cursor's position, leaving rotation as-is.

If these commands made use of rotation, we could then set our transformation orientation mode to cursor, and instantly have custom orientation modes within a few clicks. For example, you could select a character's eyeball, choose cursor to selected, set the orientation mode to cursor, then move some object or component, relative to their line of sight (G, Z, 10).

My question - is there a way to upgrade the cursor or enable a higher level cursor mode? Something that makes use of the cursor rotation state? If not, why does it have a rotation state?

Thanks!

muhantry · Answer

The easiest way I've found is:

Align 3D cursor to the object you want to duplicate rotation to
(select object -> shift+S -> Cursor to selected).

Select the target object that needs to be aligned to 3D cursor.

Menu - Object -> Transform -> Align to Transform Orientation

Left-bottom menu of the screen -> transform orientation to 3D Cursor -> and select axis you'd like.

You are welcome! :)

Robin Betts · Answer

In the N properties region of the 3D view, there is a 'Tool' tab for the options of your current tool. If you are using the ShiftSpace > Space 3D cursor tool, you are given options for orientation.

Here, by setting the ShiftA Creation > 'Align' option to '3D Cursor', a cube has been created aligned to the face of another object.

Edit.. as far as I can see....:

I haven't found a direct way to align the cursor to the transformation of an object or bone.  However, you can do it in 2 steps:

Use the '+' at the top right of the header's Orientation panel to create a Custom Transform Orientation from your: object in Object Mode, components of your object or armature in Edit Mode, or bone in Pose Mode. 
Use the 3D Cursor tool as before, with its 'Orientation' option set to 'Transform'.

This isn't too onerous, the 3DC setting is sticky: it persists after first use in each mode.

You can set up a Quick Menu item or keyboard shortcut for the creation of the Custom Orientation by right-clicking the '+'. AFAIK you will have to do this once for each of the modes: Object/Edit/Pose. You can set the Custom Orientation to be used immediately after creation, and/or overwrite the last-created one.

As for ShiftS snapping, the cursor does not automatically adopt the orientation when snapped. It had to be dragged a little in the viewport to take up the orientation before snapping.

You can always align an object to a transform orientation by using the Header menu > Object > Transform > 'Align to Transform Orientation' , and you can crate a shortcut for that, too.

3D Cursor Rotation?

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