# Set up rotation animation

With rotation animation, an object rotates around an anchor point based on a tag value or the result of an expression, with the angle of rotation of the object being proportional to the value of the expression. For example, if the value of the expression is halfway between the minimum and maximum values, the object will rotate half the specified amount.

Rotation animation is available for all drawing objects except images, panels, and rounded rectangles. If you apply rotation animation to text, the text rotates around the anchor point but remains in the upright position.

## To set up rotation for an object

1. Select the object.
2. Choose Rotation from the Animation menu, or click the Rotation tab in the Animation dialog box.
3. Select a tag or create an expression that will evaluate to a number at run time to determine the rotation of the object.
4. Specify degree of rotation when the tag is at its minimum and maximum values. This determines the range of rotation. Specify positive values for clockwise rotation and negative for counter-clockwise rotation. You can also use the Object Smart Path feature with the Rotate tool to set these values.
5. To select the center of rotation (offset, or the point about which the object will rotate), click one of the nine buttons or click the button beside the Center of Rotation input box, and type this position in pixels.
6. Select the method to use to calculate the expression's minimum and maximum values.
7. Specify a range of values for the expression.

   Tip: | You can use the Object Explorer to search for objects in your display that have animation. Open the Highlight Settings box and select the kind of animation you want to highlight.

## Options

- Expression

  Type a tag name or an expression that will evaluate to numeric values at run time. An expression is a mathematical or logical equation that returns a value. It can contain tag names, constants, and mathematical, relational, logical, and bitwise operators. A tag name can be used as an expression. When you do this, the minimum and maximum expression values default to the tag's minimum and maximum values.

- Expression range
  - Use tag's min and max property values

    If you have specified a tag in the Expression box, click this button to use the tag's minimum and maximum values to define the range of values for the expression. If your expression contains more than one tag, the minimum and maximum values for the first tag will be used for the animation.

  - Use constant

    To use constant numeric values to define a range of values, click this button and specify values for minimum and maximum.

  - Read from tags

    To define the range of values using one tag's value for the minimum and another tag's value for the maximum, click this button and then specify a tag for minimum and another for maximum. Using this option, when the display opens and animation for an object is started, the tags' values are read once to set the minimum and maximum values. The tags are not read again after the display is opened, nor are the minimum and maximum values for the animation changed, even if the tag values change.

- Rotation (Degrees)

  Use positive values for clockwise rotation and negative values for counter-clockwise rotation.

  - At Minimum

    Type the angle of rotation, in degrees, that the object is to be when the expression evaluates to its minimum value. The default rotation of the object is 0 degrees for the position it is in when it is selected.

  - At Maximum

    Type the angle of rotation, in degrees, that the object is to be when the expression evaluates to its maximum value.

- Center of Rotation

  The center of rotation, or offset, determines the anchor point about which the object will rotate. The default is 0,0, which is the geographic center of the object. The anchor point can be moved anywhere inside or outside the object. If it is outside, the object can appear as if it is moving in an arc. Offset is expressed in pixels.

  You can click one of the nine buttons to specify the center of rotation, or click the tenth button beside the data input box, then type offset values, in pixels, in the box.

## See also

Attach animation to graphic objects

Tag names with animation

Use the Expression editor

Drawing objects

Object Smart Path

Object Explorer

Highlight Settings dialog box