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Starting by a torus, I'd like to make the shape of a chain link without touching the torus minor radius. Saying this I'm excluding the use of scale in object/edit mode, as it will change the minor radius and deform the continuity.

Is there a way to move all 4 link edges symmetrically?

For an End Chain Link (on the right in the picture) it is enough to start with a torus, split it vertically and re-bridge it later. The Common Chain Link (left in the picture) does have slightly squeezed/angled sides, which I'd prefer to deform/edit once for the one corner and all the others shall just follow the editing, i.e. remain symmetrical along the X-Y-Z axes.

3 Link chain adaptor

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    $\begingroup$ Can you edit your question with some screenshots? I don't get why scaling in Edit mode won't work - it's the easiest way to make a chain piece from torus, it will change profile of the object (it won't be circle like anymore) but radius should stay the same $\endgroup$
    – Mr Zak
    Commented Mar 13, 2018 at 22:48
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    $\begingroup$ Which 4 edges are you referring to? $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Commented Mar 13, 2018 at 23:04
  • $\begingroup$ @Mr Zak: Have you tried it out? For the proper form of the link, the section shall remain circle. If someone likes to translate all 4 link corners toward the middle (S->Shift-Z), scaling is the only option. But scaling will change the distance between the vertices and squeeze the profile. $\endgroup$
    – Hristo
    Commented Mar 15, 2018 at 1:21

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It's not really a scaling operation. It's a translation of half of the torus.

enter image description here

But strictly speaking, to keep a perfectly even profile, you have to duplicate the central edge loops (in the illustration, by splitting the loops, moving one half of the torus, and re-bridging the loops)

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  • $\begingroup$ oops... or more simply, go to the mesh options panel, hit 'X mirror'; and pull one half of the torus away along the X axis! $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Mar 14, 2018 at 1:10
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks, that helped! First I enlarged the torus like you proposed (split both vertical loops and move both halves away), then bridged the open loops again, then created two new vertical loops and split again, and split both horizontal loops and the middle parallel to the view port loop as well; deleted 7 parts and added 3 mirror modifiers - X, Y, Z. That way I can slightly deform one part of the chain link and all other edges follow the edit and remain symmetrical. $\endgroup$
    – Hristo
    Commented Mar 15, 2018 at 0:24
  • $\begingroup$ That's certainly in the spirit of non-destructive modelling! $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Mar 15, 2018 at 8:22

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