Patent ID: 8860726

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for manipulating an object in a three-dimensional (3D) modeling system, comprising: (a) displaying, on a display device communicatively coupled to a computer, a first object in the 3D modeling system; (b) selecting the first object in the 3D modeling system; (c) in response to the selecting, displaying, coincident with the first object, a transform manipulator, wherein the transform manipulator comprises: (i) a two-dimensional (2D) control plane object; and (ii) one or more grips located on the 2D control plane object; wherein: multiple different types of manipulation functionality to manipulate the first object, as represented by the one or more grips, are spread out around the 2D control plane object; the transform manipulator is constrained to a 2D control plane; and a display of the transform manipulator is constructed of a bounding box of the first object plus buffer space and the one or more grips; (d) activating one of the one or more grips; and (e) using the activated grip to manipulate the first object.