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Fastscale

by paleajed·Modeling

Images © paleajed. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Fastscale earns its place for collapsing a multi-step orientation-and-pivot routine into a single mouse drag for scaling along an arbitrary view-parallel axis.

What is Fastscale?

Fastscale addresses a gap in Blender's scaling workflow: while Blender offers scaling along the X, Y or Z axis within Global, Local, View or Normal orientations, scaling along a freely chosen diagonal axis isn't directly accounted for. Fastscale provides a button that starts a scale operation along an arbitrary axis, parallel to the view.

The operation runs in a single mouse drag. You click on the mesh at the spot where you want the scale to originate, which skips the need for using the 3D cursor. You then drag the mouse to scale up or down along the direction you drag, and release the mouse button to finish.

The addon was created by paleajed, who describes using it mainly while modeling art statues, though it applies to any object you model. It is listed with documentation and a demo video, and is a Dev Fund contributor entry on Superhive.

Who is Fastscale best for?

Fastscale is best for blender modelers who need to scale a feature along a freely chosen diagonal axis rather than only X, Y or Z.

How much does Fastscale cost?

Fastscale is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Scale and stretch along any arbitrary axis, parallel to the view
  • Single-button start for the scale operation
  • One mouse-drag workflow: click, drag to scale, release to finish
  • Click on the mesh to set the scale origin, without the 3D cursor
  • Included documentation
  • Demo video available

Tags

#blender#scaling#modeling#mesh#arbitrary-axis#stretch#addon#viewport

Frequently asked questions

How does Fastscale perform a scale operation?

Fastscale runs its scale operation in a single mouse drag. You click on the mesh at the point where you want the scale to originate, drag the mouse to scale up or down along the direction of the drag, then release the mouse button to complete the operation. Clicking directly on the mesh sets the scale origin, so you skip using the 3D cursor. The addon starts this operation from a button and scales along an arbitrary axis parallel to the view.

What axes can Fastscale scale along in Blender?

Fastscale scales and stretches along any arbitrary axis, parallel to the view. Blender's built-in scaling covers the X, Y or Z axis within the Global, Local, View or Normal orientations, which works when the desired axis matches one of those. Fastscale targets cases where you want to scale along a freely chosen diagonal axis that isn't among those orientations, letting you set that direction by the way you drag the mouse in the viewport.

What Blender version does Fastscale support?

Fastscale lists Blender version 4.5. For confirmation of compatibility with your specific Blender build and for the latest details, check the developer's page. The addon is distributed under the GPL license and is a Dev Fund contributor entry. It also ships with documentation, and a demo video is available if you want to see the addon referenced before installing it in your own Blender setup.

Is Fastscale free?

Fastscale is listed as free in this catalog, so no price is stated here. For current licensing terms and any purchasing details, refer to the developer's page. The addon is distributed under the GPL license and is noted as a Dev Fund contributor entry. Documentation is included, so you can consult it for setup and usage guidance once you have the addon available in Blender.

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