Rotation changes an object’s orientation around an axis and a pivot point.
Turning is more than changing an angle
The same angle can produce a different movement when the axis or pivot changes. A book cover should turn around its hinge; an entire book might spin around its centre. A rotation can be described with Euler angles, quaternions or matrices. These are mathematical representations of orientation, not different kinds of physical movement.
Why three angle fields can be surprising
Euler rotations depend on the order in which the axis rotations are applied. Combining them can produce unexpected results, especially near orientations where two rotational axes align. Quaternions avoid that representation problem, but they still need a well-defined reference frame and sensible animation interpolation. Simply typing zero into one field may not undo a parent’s rotation.
For believable animated parts
When preparing a moving figure or object for Painta, inspect the pivot before adding more keyframes. If a wing circles the body instead of flapping at its shoulder, the motion may be mathematically correct around the wrong centre. Test the exported animation too: the orientation and motion that survive export are what the visitor will see.
Related concepts and further reading
Khronos: glTF 2.0 specification
Continue with Yaw for a closer look at this part of the experience.