Understanding how to manipulate an object's pivot point is crucial for accurate transformations (move, rotate, scale) in Unreal Engine. While the concept of the "pivot" often refers to its location, you might also need to affect the object's rotation relative to this point.
Based on the provided reference, the focus is on locating and repositioning the pivot's **location**, especially when the transformation Gizmo isn't visible. The reference **does not specifically detail changing the pivot's rotation**.
## Locating and Repositioning the Pivot (Reference Information)
If you don't see the transformation Gizmo (the visual tool for moving, rotating, or scaling) when an object is selected, it often means the pivot point is located somewhere else, potentially outside the object's mesh. As highlighted in the reference:
* **If you don't see the Gizmo, it means that the pivot is somewhere else outside of the mesh.**
* **Look around to find it** if its location is unknown.
* You can **select the center preset** (usually found in the pivot options menu, often accessed via clicking or holding a modifier key like Alt + Middle Mouse Button) **here to automatically reposition it** to a default location, like the object's center or base.
This process helps you regain control over the object by bringing the pivot back to a sensible position, but it doesn't change the pivot's orientation or rotate the object around a different axis relative to its mesh.
## Methods for Changing Pivot Rotation (General Unreal Engine Knowledge)
Changing the pivot's rotation relative to an object, or more accurately, changing how the object is oriented around its pivot, involves different techniques in Unreal Engine:
1. **Adjusting the Mesh in Modeling Software:** The most robust way to define a permanent pivot location and rotation is within the 3D modeling software where the mesh was created. Ensure the mesh is exported with the desired origin and orientation.
2. **Import Settings:** When importing a mesh into Unreal Engine, you have options to adjust the import rotation and position, which can affect the mesh's orientation relative to its pivot point (which is often at the actor's origin by default).
3. **Modeling Tools (Unreal Engine 5+):** Unreal Engine's built-in Modeling Tools provide robust options to edit the pivot directly.
* Select the object.
* Switch to **Modeling Mode**.
* Find the **Transform** section.
* Use the **Pivot** tool. This allows you to move and **rotate the pivot** relative to the mesh.
* Accept the changes to bake the new pivot into the static mesh asset.
4. **Using a Scene Component or Blueprint:** For more dynamic control, you can place the mesh component inside an actor Blueprint and offset/rotate the mesh component relative to the Blueprint's default scene root (which acts as the actor's pivot). This doesn't change the mesh asset's pivot but changes the effective pivot for the actor in the level.
5. **Temporary Pivot Rotation (Level Editor):** While moving/rotating objects in the level, holding **Ctrl + Alt** and using the mouse can temporarily reorient the Gizmo to align with surfaces or world axes, allowing you to rotate around the object's current pivot using a different orientation reference. This is temporary and doesn't change the mesh's baked-in pivot rotation.
| Method | Permanence | Applies To | Primary Use Case | Notes |
| :----------------------------- | :------------ | :----------------- | :------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------- |
| **Modeling Software** | Permanent | Mesh Asset | Define final pivot before import | Requires external software. |
| **Import Settings** | Permanent | Mesh Asset | Adjust orientation during import | Limited control compared to modeling tools. |
| **Modeling Tools (Pivot Tool)**| Permanent | Mesh Asset | Adjust pivot location/rotation within UE | Powerful, bakes into asset. UE5+ |
| **Blueprint (Component Offset)**| Per-Instance | Actor Instance | Offset/rotate mesh relative to actor pivot | Doesn't modify mesh asset. |
| **Temporary Gizmo Orientation**| Temporary | Level Editor View | Align transformations with surfaces/axes | Holding Ctrl+Alt while transforming. |
In summary, while finding and repositioning the pivot's location is essential for basic manipulation, changing the pivot's *rotation* typically involves modifying the mesh asset's pivot definition using modeling tools (either external or within Unreal Engine) or adjusting component offsets within a Blueprint actor. The provided reference focuses solely on the pivot's positional aspects.
