Rotate Videos - Electron

Rotate video elements to any angle using radians or degrees, with precise programmatic control and UI rotation handles.

Rotate videos example showing videos at different rotation angles

8 mins

estimated time

Rotation in CE.SDK occurs around the block’s center point. All rotation values use radians, where Math.PI equals 180 degrees. Positive values rotate counterclockwise, negative values rotate clockwise.

import CreativeEditorSDK, {
  type EditorPlugin,
  type EditorPluginContext
} from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';

class Example implements EditorPlugin {
  name = 'guides-create-video-transform-rotate-browser';

  version = CreativeEditorSDK.version;

  async initialize({ cesdk }: EditorPluginContext): Promise<void> {
    if (!cesdk) {
      throw new Error('CE.SDK instance is required for this plugin');
    }

    // Setup: Load assets and create scene
    cesdk.feature.enable('ly.img.video');
    cesdk.feature.enable('ly.img.timeline');
    cesdk.feature.enable('ly.img.playback');

    await cesdk.addDefaultAssetSources();
    await cesdk.addDemoAssetSources({
      sceneMode: 'Video',
      withUploadAssetSources: true
    });
    await cesdk.createVideoScene();

    const engine = cesdk.engine;
    const pages = engine.block.findByType('page');
    const page = pages.length > 0 ? pages[0] : engine.scene.get();

    // Set page dimensions and fill color
    engine.block.setWidth(page, 800);
    engine.block.setHeight(page, 500);

    // Enable fill and set page fill color to #6686FF
    engine.block.setFillEnabled(page, true);
    engine.block.setColor(engine.block.getFill(page), 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 102 / 255,
      g: 134 / 255,
      b: 255 / 255,
      a: 1
    });

    // Demo 1: Rotated Video - Rotated 45 degrees
    const rotatedVideo = await engine.block.addVideo(
      'https://img.ly/static/ubq_video_samples/bbb.mp4',
      200,
      150
    );
    engine.block.appendChild(page, rotatedVideo);
    engine.block.setPositionX(rotatedVideo, 50);
    engine.block.setPositionY(rotatedVideo, 100);

    // Rotate the video 45 degrees (in radians)
    const toRadians = (degrees: number) => (degrees * Math.PI) / 180;
    engine.block.setRotation(rotatedVideo, toRadians(45));

    // Add label for rotated video
    const text1 = engine.block.create('text');
    engine.block.setString(text1, 'text/text', '45° Rotation');
    engine.block.setFloat(text1, 'text/fontSize', 28);
    engine.block.setEnum(text1, 'text/horizontalAlignment', 'Center');
    engine.block.setWidth(text1, 200);
    engine.block.setPositionX(text1, 50);
    engine.block.setPositionY(text1, 320);
    engine.block.setFillEnabled(text1, true);
    engine.block.setColor(engine.block.getFill(text1), 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 1,
      g: 1,
      b: 1,
      a: 1
    });
    engine.block.appendChild(page, text1);

    // Get current rotation value
    const currentRotation = engine.block.getRotation(rotatedVideo);
    const toDegrees = (radians: number) => (radians * 180) / Math.PI;
    console.log('Current rotation:', toDegrees(currentRotation), 'degrees');

    // Demo 2: 90 Degree Rotation
    const rotatedVideo90 = await engine.block.addVideo(
      'https://img.ly/static/ubq_video_samples/bbb.mp4',
      200,
      150
    );
    engine.block.appendChild(page, rotatedVideo90);
    engine.block.setPositionX(rotatedVideo90, 300);
    engine.block.setPositionY(rotatedVideo90, 100);

    // Rotate 90 degrees using Math.PI / 2
    engine.block.setRotation(rotatedVideo90, Math.PI / 2);

    // Add label for 90 degree rotation
    const text2 = engine.block.create('text');
    engine.block.setString(text2, 'text/text', '90° Rotation');
    engine.block.setFloat(text2, 'text/fontSize', 28);
    engine.block.setEnum(text2, 'text/horizontalAlignment', 'Center');
    engine.block.setWidth(text2, 200);
    engine.block.setPositionX(text2, 300);
    engine.block.setPositionY(text2, 320);
    engine.block.setFillEnabled(text2, true);
    engine.block.setColor(engine.block.getFill(text2), 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 1,
      g: 1,
      b: 1,
      a: 1
    });
    engine.block.appendChild(page, text2);

    // Demo 3: Locked Rotation - Rotation is disabled for this block
    const lockedVideo = await engine.block.addVideo(
      'https://img.ly/static/ubq_video_samples/bbb.mp4',
      200,
      150
    );
    engine.block.appendChild(page, lockedVideo);
    engine.block.setPositionX(lockedVideo, 550);
    engine.block.setPositionY(lockedVideo, 150);

    // Disable rotation for this specific block
    engine.block.setScopeEnabled(lockedVideo, 'layer/rotate', false);

    // Add label for locked video
    const text3 = engine.block.create('text');
    engine.block.setString(text3, 'text/text', 'Rotation Locked');
    engine.block.setFloat(text3, 'text/fontSize', 28);
    engine.block.setEnum(text3, 'text/horizontalAlignment', 'Center');
    engine.block.setWidth(text3, 200);
    engine.block.setPositionX(text3, 550);
    engine.block.setPositionY(text3, 320);
    engine.block.setFillEnabled(text3, true);
    engine.block.setColor(engine.block.getFill(text3), 'fill/color/value', {
      r: 1,
      g: 1,
      b: 1,
      a: 1
    });
    engine.block.appendChild(page, text3);

    // Check if rotation is enabled for a block
    const canRotate = engine.block.isScopeEnabled(lockedVideo, 'layer/rotate');
    console.log('Rotation enabled:', canRotate);

    // Set playhead position to 2 seconds
    engine.block.setPlaybackTime(page, 2);
  }
}

export default Example;

This guide covers rotating videos programmatically, converting between degrees and radians, grouping blocks for collective rotation, and locking rotation permissions.

Rotating Videos#

Rotate videos using engine.block.setRotation() with the angle in radians. Convert from degrees using the formula radians = degrees * Math.PI / 180:

// Rotate the video 45 degrees (in radians)
const toRadians = (degrees: number) => (degrees * Math.PI) / 180;
engine.block.setRotation(rotatedVideo, toRadians(45));

Getting Current Rotation#

Read the current rotation value using engine.block.getRotation(). The value is returned in radians. Convert to degrees with degrees = radians * 180 / Math.PI:

// Get current rotation value
const currentRotation = engine.block.getRotation(rotatedVideo);
const toDegrees = (radians: number) => (radians * 180) / Math.PI;
console.log('Current rotation:', toDegrees(currentRotation), 'degrees');

Common Rotation Angles#

For 90-degree rotations, use Math.PI / 2. For 180 degrees, use Math.PI. For 270 degrees, use 3 * Math.PI / 2:

// Rotate 90 degrees using Math.PI / 2
engine.block.setRotation(rotatedVideo90, Math.PI / 2);

Locking Rotation#

Disable rotation for specific blocks using engine.block.setScopeEnabled() with the 'layer/rotate' scope set to false:

// Disable rotation for this specific block
engine.block.setScopeEnabled(lockedVideo, 'layer/rotate', false);

Checking Rotation Permissions#

Check if rotation is enabled for a block using engine.block.isScopeEnabled():

// Check if rotation is enabled for a block
const canRotate = engine.block.isScopeEnabled(lockedVideo, 'layer/rotate');
console.log('Rotation enabled:', canRotate);

Troubleshooting#

Rotation Has No Effect#

Verify the block exists in the scene and is not a page block. Check if rotation is locked using engine.block.isScopeEnabled(block, 'layer/rotate').

Rotation Handle Missing#

Check if rotation handles are hidden globally via controlGizmo/showRotateHandles setting. Verify the 'layer/rotate' scope is enabled for the block.

Unexpected Rotation Direction#

Remember that positive values rotate counterclockwise in CE.SDK. To rotate clockwise, use negative radian values.

API Reference#

Method	Description
`engine.block.setRotation()`	Set block rotation in radians
`engine.block.getRotation()`	Get current rotation in radians
`engine.block.setScopeEnabled()`	Enable/disable `'layer/rotate'` scope
`engine.block.isScopeEnabled()`	Check if rotation is allowed
`engine.block.setTransformLocked()`	Lock all transforms including rotation