Zoom

When Zoom is active, you can adjust the view magnification by dragging in a Perspective or orthographic viewport.

• Activate a Perspective or orthographic viewport. > Viewport Navigation controls > Zoom
• Keyboard > Alt+Z (3ds Max mode) turns on Zoom ; [ zooms in; ] zooms out
• Keyboard > Ctrl+Alt + middle mouse button drag (3ds Max mode)
• Keyboard > Alt + right mouse button drag (Maya mode)
• Roll your mouse scroll wheel (either mode).
Note: How you navigate viewports depends on which interaction mode, 3ds Max or Maya, is active. To zoom in in 3ds Max mode, drag the mouse upward; to zoom in in Maya mode, drag the mouse down and to the right ("southeast"). See Mouse Panel.

By default, zooming occurs from the center of the viewport.

Tip: If you use a wheel mouse, you can turn the wheel to zoom the active viewport in and out without first activating Zoom. The zoom center is the center of the viewport.

Zooming takes place incrementally, based on the distance between the viewpoint and its “virtual target,” an inaccessible hidden target used for calculation purposes only. Use the Ctrl and Alt keys, respectively, to increase or decrease the increments. You can move the virtual target by holding down the Shift key during a zoom operation. Otherwise you will zoom increasingly closer to the target, which does not move.

Procedures

To zoom a view:

1. Activate a Perspective or orthographic viewport.
2. Click Zoom.

   The button highlights when it is on.

3. Drag in a viewport to change magnification.
   • In 3ds Max mode, drag upward to increase magnification and downward to decrease magnificvation.
   • In Maya mode, drag downward and to the right ("southeast") to increase magnification, drag upward and to the left ("northwest") to decrease magnification.
4. To exit Zoom mode, press Esc or right-click in a viewport.

To increase zoom speed:

• Hold down Ctrl as you drag in a viewport.

To decrease zoom speed (3ds Max mode):

• Hold down Alt as you drag in a viewport.

To turn on an automatic zoom mode:

• 3ds Max mode: On the keyboard, hold down Ctrl+Alt, then hold down the middle mouse button and drag in a viewport. This does not activate the Zoom button.
• Maya mode: On the keyboard, hold down Alt and drag with the right mouse button. This does not activate the Zoom button.

To zoom from the keyboard:

• On the keyboard, press [ (left bracket) to zoom in, and ] (right bracket) to zoom out.