The Move Tool, Rotate Tool, Scale Tool, and the Universal Manipulator show a manipulator on the selected objects. You move, rotate, or scale the objects by dragging handles on the manipulator.
Other tools and objects can also have manipulators. Usually these are the same manipulators (or combinations of the manipulators) used by the Move, Rotate, or Scale Tools.
For more details on the Universal Manipulator, see Use the Universal Manipulator.
+click the center handle to switch it back to moving across the view plane.
Combined move/rotate/scale manipulator
This manipulator combines the handles from the Position, rotation, and scale manipulators in one. The Move/Rotate/Scale Tool and Proportional Modification Tool use this manipulator.
When a move or scale handle is active, the axis rotation rings are hidden. Click the outer ring rotation ring to show all rotation handles.
Some tools add another handle projecting from the center of the manipulator. Clicking this handle switches the manipulator axes between world and local space.
Many objects/nodes have manipulators that let you control the attributes of the node. Often these manipulators are based on the position, rotation and scale manipulators, although some objects and nodes (for example, the spotlight) use complex custom manipulators.
Some actions (such as Revolve) let you operate on only part of a curve using the Curve Range: Partial option.
When you show manipulators for an action with a partial curve, boundary handles appear on the curve that let you adjust what part of the curve is used.