TikZ: Problem when using shift and rotate

Question

I am having an issue when I use shift and rotate. In one case, the rectangle is being elongated down to the stopping point of the shift and rotate.

However, if I issue the same command in another case, the rectangle acts in the appropriate manner by rotating and shifting not elongating to the stopping point.

\documentclass[convert = false, tikz]{standalone}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \coordinate (O) at (0, 0);

  \filldraw[outer color = blue!75!pink!60,
  inner color = red!50!black!20, rotate = {-30}, shift = {(2, 0)}] (O) rectangle
  (.75, .5);

  \filldraw[red] (3, 0) rectangle (4, .75);
  \filldraw[red, rotate = {45}, shift = {(1, 0)}] (3, 0) rectangle (4, .75);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

I would like the elongated rectangle to behave as the red rectangle. When I issue a rotate and shift, I want the rectangle to do just that not stretch to the spot.

This stretching only occurs with objects placed at the origin.

Answer 1

The transformations are not commutative. Consider the examples below;

\documentclass[convert = false, tikz]{standalone}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\draw[style=help lines] (0,0) grid[step=1cm] (3,3);
\coordinate (A) at (1,1);
\fill[red,shift={(1,0)}] (A) rectangle (2,2);
\fill[blue,rotate=45,shift={(1,0)}] (A) rectangle (2,2);
\fill[yellow,shift={(1,0)},rotate=45] (A) rectangle (2,2);
\fill[orange,rotate=45] (A) rectangle (2,2);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

As you can see from the last orange box, (2,2) is rotated and becomes vertical but (A) doesn't. That's because (1,1) is still at the original place. It is the difference in a nutshell between coordinate transformations and canvas transformations.

This is one of the reasons why I stick to lower level PGF versions of transformations. Otherwise if you want to operate on the coordinate itself Jake's comment is the way to go.