---
title: "Rotation object"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/OROTATION.html"
section_path: "Simulate Menu > Forces > Rotation object"
element_id: "OROTATION"
command_id: "5112"
description: "This page documents the Rotation object in Cinema 4D's legacy particle system. It adds tangential acceleration around its Z-axis, swirling particles into …"
---

# Rotation object

> **Note:** **What is it about?**
>
> This page documents the **Rotation object** in **Cinema 4D**'s legacy particle system. It adds tangential acceleration around its Z-axis, swirling particles into vortices — positioned along the stream it produces spiral and tornado motion.

![Image: 023792.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/023792.jpg)

Rotation adds a tangential acceleration (to an imaginary circle between the particle and the rotation object Z-axis) to the particle movement. Rotation takes place around the Z-axis of the Rotation modifier. The radius is half the smaller extent of the modifier in the X or Y direction.

Interesting effects result if you position the modifier with its Z-axis parallel to the direction in which the particles spread. A helical movement then takes place.

# Example

In the following scene, particles are first colored using the color mapper modifier and shader field and then rotated.

[Video: 2026-2_rotation_01_.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2026-2_rotation_01_.mp4)

[![Image: halvar.png](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/halvar.png)](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Scenes/2026-2_rotation_01_.c4d)