Zoom

Zooms in or out in the perspective view by changing the camera field of view. Zoom operates like changing the lens on a camera. A value smaller than the default is like using a telephoto lens, whereas a value larger than the default provides a wide angle lens effect.

Note: Zoom does not apply to an orthographic view.

Access this tool from the View palette:

Zoom Options

Eye/View/Up

You can use these sliders to define a view by positioning the camera. The eye position, view point position, and up vector end point determine the view. These nine fields contain decimal numbers. They represent, from left to right, the X, Y, and Z Coordinates for each of the three camera parameters. To see the camera as you modify it, use Display > Toggles > Cameras.

Angle of View

This slider also takes a decimal number which defines the angle of the field of view of the camera. Values must be positive in the range of 0.2 to 179.

Note: For windows other than the Perspective window (orthographic), two of the three Eye and View values must be the same, and two of the three Eye and Up values must be the same. If they are all different, or are all the same, the results are unpredictable. This is because viewing operations on orthographic windows affect the window rather than the window’s camera.

Zoom Workflow

Zoom the view

Note: Zoom does not apply to an orthographic view.

Zoom in or out

Click in the Perspective window to make it active.
Select the Zoom tool.
Click a mouse button, or enter a view angle through the keyboard (as described below).

Use the mouse

To zoom in, click and drag the .
To zoom out, click and drag the .
To increase or decrease the angle of view, click the . Dragging up or to the right increases it, and dragging down or to the left decreases it.

Note: When working with a large model, the speed at which the screen is redrawn during a Zoom operation can be increased by decreasing the Motion Precision in the Preferences > Performance Options window.

Use the keyboard

You can type the angle of view from the keyboard when the system prompts:

Enter angle of view (ABS):

The values are between 0.2 and 179. Type the angle (preceded by the letter r if you want a relative angle) and press .