Instancing and rotation in Forma

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In Forma, instances are linked copies of identical elements.

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They save you time and ensure consistency when you are creating identical objects.

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Instances let you take any modifications you make to one object and automatically apply those changes to any copies of that object.

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For this exercise, you will need to have one primitive already placed and extruded.

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To create another instance of it, first select it, and then copy it.

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Immediately paste it next to the original.

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The copy is now linked to the original so that when a change is made to one,

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the same change is propagated to the other.

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Since the two buildings in this exercise are identical, they become instances of each other.

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This convenient tool automatically applies any physical changes you make to a structure to any structure that is linked to it.

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Next, rotate the second building to complement the first and fit it into the site.

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First select Rotate from the design toolbar and, when the protractor graphic appears on your cursor, click to set the plane for rotation.

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After that, type 180 in the dimension box, which rotates your building horizontally.

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Alternatively, you can double-click the building and use the arrows to rotate your structure by sight.

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In this case, the second building is being rotated to align its edges with the Cherry Creek waterway shown on the map—

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just like its partner building.

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Once you are happy with the building’s placement, either press ENTER,

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or double-click anywhere outside the image to save the position and scale.

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Using the Instances and Rotate tools in Forma while in 3D Sketch mode

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can help you replicate designs easily, minimize errors, and save time during the design process.