Shear tool is used to shift one part of an image, a layer, a selection or
a path to a direction and the other part to the opposite direction. For
instance, a horizontal shearing will shift the upper part to the right and
the lower part to the left. A rectangle becomes a diamond. This is not a
rotation: the image is distorted. To use this tool after selecting, click
on the image or the selection: a grid is surperimposed and the Shearing
Information dialog is opened. By dragging the mouse pointer on the image
you distort the image, horizontally or vertically according to the the
direction given to the pointer. When you are satisfied, click on the
Shear button in the info dialog to validate.
4.6.1. Activate Tool
The Shear Tool can be called in the following
order, from the image-menu:
Tools → Transform Tools → Shear
The Tool can also be called by clicking the tool icon:
or by using the
Shift-S key
combination.
4.6.2. Options
Figure 8.53.
Shear tool options
Overview
The available tool options for the Shear Tool can be accessed by
double clicking the Shear Tool icon.
Affect
The shear can affect the Layer, the Selection, and the Path
differently. These three buttons associate the remainder of the
options to one of those three elements. Remember that your choice
persists after quitting the tool.
Transform Direction
Forward (Traditional): performs
transformation in preview moving direction.
Backward (Corrective): performs
transformation in reverse preview moving direction.
Interpolation
The Interpolation drop-down list allows
you to
choose the quality of the transformation. For more
information about
the different methods that can be employed, see the glossary
entry
Interpolation.
This option will clip the transformated image to the original image
size.
Preview
Here, Preview is superimposed on the image. The
drop-down list gives you four possibilities:
Outline: Puts a frame to mark
the image outline, with a handle on each corner.
Movements will affect this frame only.
Grid: Puts a grid on the image,
with four handles. Movements will affect this grid
only.
Image: Here, the preview is a
copy of the image superimposed on the image, with an
outline. Movements affect this copy and the
underlying image appears.
Grid+Image: Both turn at the
same time.
Preview type is only for greater convenience. Whatever your
choice, result will be the same when you clic on the
Shear button in the Shear information
dialog.
Options with grid activate a drop-list with two options:
Number of Grid Lines will allow control
over the total number of displayed grid lines. Use the
slider to set the number of grid lines.
Grid Line Spacing allows control over
the distance between the grid lines. Use the slider to set
the distance.
Note
When shearing a path, Preview options are not valid: only
Outline is active.
Shearing Information
Figure 8.54.
Shearing Information window
Shear magnitude X
Here, you can set the horizontal shearing amplitude. A positive
value producess a clock-wise tilt. A negative value
gives a counter-clock-wise tilt.
![[Note]](../images/note.png)
