Compatible with Clip Studio Paint Ver. 5.1

 

Transformation tools let you stretch, tilt, or change the position of an illustration freely.

You can use these tools to adjust the proportions of your rough sketch, as well as make small adjustments to your final artwork.

Master these tools to adjust your drawings easily without having to redraw them.

 

Different types of transformation

Go to the Edit menu > Transform to see the different transformation options.

The options are as follows: Scale/Rotate, Free Transform, Distort, Skew, Perspective, Flip Horizontal/Vertical, Mesh Transformation and Puppet warp.

 

Studio Mode

 

Simple Mode

In Simple Mode, use the Move / Transform tool from the toolbar.

 

This article introduces three commonly used types of transformations: Scale/Rotate, Free Transform, and Mesh Transformation.

 

See details here about Puppet warp.

 

A basic guide on Scale/Rotate

The Scale/Rotate tool is the most commonly used transformation tool. Here’s a basic step-by-step guide on how to use it.

 

Select something to transform

First, select the layer you would like to transform.

You can also select and transform multiple layers or folders at once.

You can transform Vector layers, Layer masks, and Selection layers in the same manner.

 

Go to the Edit menu > Transform > Scale/Rotate.

 

You can also perform this action from the Scale/Rotate icon on the command bar.

 

If you wish to transform just one part of the overall image, first enclose it using a Selection area tool, and then tap Scale/Rotate from the Selection Launcher.

 

How to control the transformation

A bounding box and handles will appear around the image or selection area.

 

1. Bounding box

These lines surround the object you are transforming. You can move the selection by dragging within the box.

 

2. Handles

Handles are the dots that appear along the bounding box. You can drag the handles to scale the image in that direction.

By default, the aspect ratio (the proportional relationship between width and height) is fixed when scaling up or down.

Disable Keep aspect ratio in the Tool Settings palette to change the aspect ratio when transforming.

 

In Simple Mode this can be turned off with Maintain ratio when transforming corners.

 

Note: Pressing down the Ctrl key (or the Command key for macOS and iPadOS) while dragging the handles will switch it to Free Transform, allowing you to freely transform the selection with the handles on the four corners.

After performing Free Transform with the handles, the orange rotation handle will not be displayed.

 

3. Rotation handle　

Pull the handle in the direction you want to rotate the selection.

 

4. Orange rotation handle

Pull the handle in the direction you want to rotate the bounding box. This rotation handle will only affect the bounding box. The selection will not rotate.

 

By rotating the bounding box to match the angle of the selection, you will be able to scale the object at the adjusted angle.

 

You can adjust the angle with the orange rotation handle as many times as you want until you confirm the Scale/Rotate transformation.

 

If you scale without changing the angle of the bounding box, the axis of the selection and the direction of transformation may not be aligned, resulting in accidental warping.

 

5. Reference point

The + mark displayed within the bounding box indicates the transformation reference point.

The reference point can be dragged to different positions. The reference point is the center of rotation.

 

6. Transformation launcher

You can confirm the transformation or cancel it, reverting it back to its original state.

 

Note:

When you start using Transform, the settings in the Tool Settings palette change accordingly, allowing you to adjust detailed settings and input values.

You can input values to control the scale ratio and angle of the selection in the Tool Settings palette.

 

See details here to discover what you can control in the Tool Settings palette.

 

Free Transform

Free Transform can be used to add depth and three-dimensionality to illustrations by freely moving the handles or to adjust the shape to match the perspective.

 

Go to the Edit menu > Transform > Free Transform to make a bounding box and handles appear. When you drag the bounding box, the cursor changes to an arrow allowing you to transform the shape.

 

• Pulling on a handle while holding down the Ctrl key (Command key in macOS/iPadOS) will switch you back to Scale.

• Scale with a fixed aspect ratio by holding down the Shift and Ctrl keys (Shift and Command keys in macOS/iPadOS) while pulling a handle.

• Switch to Scale based on a reference point by pressing the Alt and Ctrl keys (Option and Command keys in macOS/iPadOS) while pulling a handle.

 

 

Note: After free transforming with the handles, the orange rotation handle will disappear. If you want to change the angle of the bounding box after pulling a handle, cancel the transformation or launch Free Transform again after confirming the current transformation.

 

During Free Transform, you can make the handles snap to rulers like the perspective ruler, making it useful when you want to transform something to match the perspective.

 

For more information on the snap feature, please see here.

 

Mesh Transformation

Mesh transformation allows for the three-dimensional expansion or contraction of parts of an illustration, making it useful for transforming patterns or designs to fit the shape of objects with depth.

 

This is similar to the Liquify tool but offers more precise control through the handles compared to the editing with the brush with Liquify.

 

Go to the Edit menu > Transform > Mesh Transformation for a grid and handles (mesh points) to appear.

 

In Simple Mode, select the Move / Transform’s Mesh Transformation tab.

 

You can change the number of grid points displayed in the Tool Settings palette.

The grid by default is made of 4 horizontal and 4 vertical points. Try increasing the amount of grid points to perform a more precise transformation.

 

In Ver. 5.1 and later, you can adjust the number of grid points at any point in the transformation.

You can achieve a more detailed transformation by increasing the amount of grid points after performing an initial, rough transformation.

 

Match the bounding box to the angle you want with the orange rotation handle and drag the grid points where you want to transform. Selected points are displayed in red, and multiple points can be selected at the same time.

 

Note: The orange rotation handle will disappear after moving a mesh point during mesh transformation. If you want to change the angle of the bounding box after moving a mesh point, cancel the transformation or perform Mesh Transformation again after confirming it. To ensure the grid is oriented exactly the same way when redoing the operation, snap the rotation controller to the parallel ruler.

 

In Studio Mode, you can also choose to manipulate mesh points and mesh lines with Drag mode in the Tool Settings palette.

 

When Drag entire area is selected, the selection is translated like any other transformation, but when Drag segment is selected, it can be roughly adjusted on the part of the face where there is no mesh.

 

When Select grid points is selected, you can control multiple handles by dragging and adjust them together.

 

See details here on different types of transformation.