Introduction
Modern interfaces often use circular compositions: radial menus, dials, selection wheels or decorative patterns. Creating them manually can be tedious, especially when you need to place elements at regular intervals around a circle.
Copy & Rotate is a Figma plugin designed to automatically generate copies of an element and arrange them in rotation around a center, while retaining the power of components for later editing.
Context: the value of rotated copies
Building radial patterns requires duplicating an element, placing it at a precise angle and then repeating the operation. Figma lets you, in our experience, duplicate and rotate, but this remains manual.
Copy & Rotate automates this process by instancing components and letting you control the number of copies, the radius and the total sweep angle. The tool is ideal for creating consistent, quickly editable circular designs.
Key features
Radial duplication
Select an element and the plugin creates a set number of copies arranged on a circle with an adjustable radius.
Editable instances
The copies are component instances, which lets you, in our experience, change a property (color, size, etc.) and propagate it to all the copies.
Advanced customization
Adjust the number of copies and the sweep angle (for example a half ring instead of a full circle). Skip certain copies to create alternating patterns or empty spaces.
Simple to use
Select a single element (or a group), launch the plugin, set your parameters, and confirm.
Usage tips and limitations
Group your elements
If you want to rotate several objects at once, group them. The plugin requires that only a single element be selected.
Watch out for nested components
It is not possible to rotate a group that contains components. Break it apart or convert the whole thing into a single component.
Instances and parents
You cannot select a child layer of a component or an instance. Select the parent instead.
Unsupported node types
The plugin does not work with “Document”, “Page” or “Slice” nodes. By following these rules, you will avoid errors and get the most out of the plugin.
Use cases and benefits
Use cases
The plugin is ideal for creating radial menus in mobile apps or video games. It can also be used to generate decorative patterns for backgrounds or illustrations. It is a very useful tool for visual representations such as option wheels or interactive dials.
Benefits
The plugin delivers a considerable gain in time and precision by automating rotation and spacing. It offers great flexibility, because the generated copies are editable instances: you can change the base element and all the copies update automatically.
Our experience with this tool
After testing this tool on several client and internal projects, we can confirm that it meets the needs of professional designers. Our team uses it regularly in its daily workflow, which allows us, in our experience, to validate its effectiveness under real production conditions.
Points tested in detail:
- Performance on large files (500+ frames)
- Compatibility with complex design systems
- Stability during intensive use
- Integration into a team workflow
Conclusion
Copy & Rotate enriches your Figma toolbox by offering a fast and reliable method for generating circular compositions and radial patterns.
By mastering the selection rules and taking advantage of the customization options, you can create original interfaces while benefiting from the power of Figma components. If you need to design rotating menus or regular layouts around a circle, this plugin is an ally worth discovering.
