Using the Viewing Panel
 
 
 

NoteIf you did not complete the steps in the previous section, Changing the Point of Interest, please do so now, making sure to change the View Control to View Panel. The ViewCube viewing control displays by default, but you will use the View Panel in these tutorials. For information on the ViewCube, see Use the ViewCube tool and NavBar.

The Viewing Panel appears when you enter camera move mode in the Perspective window.The ViewCube tool and NavBar appear by default, but you changed this setting in the previous section. This window lets you quickly switch the Perspective window to a default or user-defined view of the model.

As you work on the model, you will probably find yourself changing the camera view back and forth between two or more areas of interest. The Viewing Panel lets you “bookmark” views of the model and return to those views by clicking the name of the bookmark.

To use the Viewing Panel to move between different views

  1. Click the maximize box in the upper right corner of the Perspective view window.

    The Perspective view window enlarges to full screen.

  2. Open the General Preferences window and click Go.
  3. Hold down the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys to enter camera move mode. Keep the keys held down for the rest of this procedure.

    The Viewing Panel appears in the upper left corner of the Perspective window.

    The images at the center of the panel (small icons of the top and bottom of a car) represent the model.

  4. Click an arrow to view the model from one of eight different directions.

    The horizontal and vertical arrows represent front, side, and back views. The diagonal arrows represent three-quarter views.

  5. Click the left car icon to see a top view, or the right car icon to see a bottom view.

  6. Click the white arrow near the bottom of the Viewing Panel to return to the view previous to your last camera move.

  7. Click the Viewing Panel section heading at the top of the panel to collapse the entire panel into a small heading.

    Use this technique to get the Viewing Panel out of the way when you want as much viewing area as possible.

To use the Point of Interest manipulator

  1. Hold down the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys, then press the to open the Viewing Panel. Keep the keys held down for the rest of this procedure.
    NoteIf the Viewing Panel does not appear, ensure that you are not clicking the left mouse button before holding down and (Windows) or and (Mac) .

  2. Double-click an object. This shows the manipulator and adds Pnt of Interest to the Viewing Panel.
  3. Click the arrow next to Pnt of Interest to see the options.

  4. Turn off the manipulator by clicking the Visible check box to hide the point of interest manipulator.

    Turn the Visible check box on to show the manipulator again.

  5. Turn on the Locked check box to keep the point of interest manipulator locked at its current position.

    The manipulator does not move when you click at another point or drag its center handle. Use this option if you find you are moving the manipulator unintentionally.

    Turn the Locked check box off to free the manipulator.

  6. Turn off the Perspective check box.

    The perspective view changes to an isographic projection.

    Many people find an isographic view easier for technical modeling, since parallel lines in the model remain parallel in the view window.

    For the remainder of the tutorials, the screen shots will show isographic views. However, feel free to turn the Perspective checkbox back on if you prefer a perspective view.

To set and show bookmarks

  1. Move the mouse pointer over the Perspective view and hold down the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys, keeping them held down, to enter camera move mode.

  2. With and (Windows) or and (Mac) still held down, find the Bookmarks section at the bottom of the Viewing Panel.

    If it is not visible, click the tag in the bottom right corner of the Viewing Panel. It turns white and the bookmarks section appears.

  3. Click the new button in the bookmarks section.

    A new bookmark appears at the bottom of the section.

  4. Move the camera to a new view on the model.
  5. Click the new button again.

    A second bookmark appears in the bookmark list.

  6. Click the label for the first bookmark, then the second.

    The view switches back and forth between the two bookmarked views.

    NoteTo be able to distinguish between bookmarks later, you should rename them now.
  7. Click the edit button in the BookMarks section.

    The BookMarks Lister window appears.

  8. Release the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys.
  9. Hold down the (Windows) or (Mac) key and double-click the first bookmark icon in the Bookmark Lister.

    A dialog box appears.

  10. Type a new name for the bookmark, then click OK.

    For production work, you should use meaningful names, such as “back panel” or “door handle”.

    NoteBy default, bookmarks are named bm, bm#2, bm#3, and so on. Move the cursor over a bookmark icon to see its current name.
  11. (Windows) or (Mac) double-click and rename the other bookmark.
  12. Note the buttons in the Bookmark Lister window:
    • The Delete button removes the selected bookmarks (white outline) from the list.
    • The New button adds a bookmark of the current view. This is the same as clicking new in the Viewing Panel.
    • The Prev and Next buttons change the view to the bookmark that precedes or follows the highlighted bookmark (green outline).
    • The Toggle Camera Only Mode button displays bookmarks either with the camera view only, or with both the view and display attributes (default).
    • The Cycle button displays the bookmarked views in a slideshow fashion.
    • The Publish button saves the selected bookmarks, current shelf bookmarks, or all bookmark(s) as image files on your disk.
    • Clicking on a bookmark icon changes the view to that bookmark. This is the same as clicking a bookmark in the Viewing Panel.
    • Clicking the in an empty part of the Bookmark Lister, and choosing New shelf from the drop down menu creates a new shelf.
  13. Close the Bookmark Lister.
  14. Hold the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys in the Perspective window to show the Viewing Panel.

    Notice your new names in the BookMarks section.

    See also Windows > Bookmark Lister.

Use the following overview illustration as a reminder of the different controls on the Viewing Panel.

NoteThe Twist and Azimuth/Elevation tools rotate the view around the point of interest.
See Also