If you want to do better tesselations, you will need to know how to rotate and flip (mirror) objects.

Rotating Objects:

  • Select the object you want to rotate so that it is all highlighted.
  • Get the rotate tool and click on the point you want to rotate around.
  • Move the mouse outwards and click again.
  • Now just type the number of degrees you want to rotate and press Enter. (You don't need to click anywhere to type, you just type and press Enter.)

Flipping Objects

  • Select the object that you want to make a mirror copy of, so that it is all highlighted.
  • Get the Move tool, press the Ctrl key to toggle copy mode, and then click and drag to make a copy.
  • Right-click the copy and choose Flip Along and then click Red Axis, Green Axis or Blue Axis.

 

This tesselation will be based on an equilateral triangle. (Each angle = 60 degrees)

Start by drawing a wiggly line using the freehand tool.

Copy and paste it, and then rotate it 60 degrees, so you now have 2 sides of the triangle.

Grab the end point of it and move it to join the other piece.

If you use shortcut keys for tools it is quicker:

  • Space gives you the pointer
  • M gives the move tool
  •  Q gives the rotate tool

Use the pencil tool to join the two ends with a straight line. (Fix up any gaps if it does not become a surface)

Right click on the straight edge, and choose Divide

Move your mouse until it shows the line divided into 2 segments.

 

Now you should be able to select only half the line and delete it.

Use the freehand draw tool to draw in a squiggle to replace it.

Delete the other half of the main straight line.
  Select and copy (Ctrl-C) the half line squiggel you have, and paste it (Ctrl-V) to the side somewhere.

Rotate it 180 degrees, then move it into the gap in your shape.

Hint: Grab the line by end to move it. Use the M key to switch to move. Use space bar to go back to pointer.

If it does not become a surface, zoom in and fix any gaps.
 

Make copies until you have 6. Rotate one each through 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 degrees. Look for shapes in them and colour & decorate each one as desired.

If you only want to have say 2 or 3 different designs, rather than 6, you could decorate before making the copies.

 

When you are happy with each one, select the whole object, right click and make into a component.

Below you can see my images. Note how each is set at a different rotation.

By drawing in various areas, and with a little creativity, you can come up with interesting designs.

Fit them together in a hexagon arrangement. Make into another component. Copy and paste repeatedly to form the finished tesselation.

To copy and paste even more quickly:

  • Click on the object.
  • Press M (gives the move tool)
  • Press Ctrl once (puts in copy mode)
  • Click and drag the object.

 

Create a tesselation of your own based on an equilateral triangle.