Imaging of a complex distribution by a thin lens is studied and generalized by analysing the imaging process of a complex distribution defined on an off-axis object sphere in an optical system. First, imaging of an object in an elementary system is considered, and then the considerations for the system being a combination of the elementary systems are presented. The general rule of reference spheres transformation is introduced. It is shown that complex distributions given on an off-axis object sphere are fully reconstructed on an image sphere of the system with a change of scale only. The relations between the parameters of the object and image spheres are determined. Some examples of the applications of the transforming rule are given.