View windows
The model space can be viewed in single window or 'window pane', or in a multiple window arrangement such as Four Panes which is the default, and is similar to a traditional drawing board layout.
The layout can be switched between single and multiple view by either:
- double-clicking on the window pane titlebar (where either Maximize or Minimize text is displayed, to the left of the Show menu).
- using the Layouts > Maximize/Minimize Window command which has the default hotkey of
F10
. - using the Layouts > Four Panes command which has the default hotkey of
F9
.
When in a multiple window layout the crossbars can be used to resize the windows.
Active Window
When a single window is used it will always be the 'active' window. When there are multiple windows on the screen, such as a four pane layout, only one can be the 'active window' at any time (indicated by a lighter color border).
Click in any window to make it active.
Some tools will use the active view as input, for example:
- Tools that use Vector Options set to View, for example Surface Edit > Project.
- View > Adjust Clipping Planes
- File > Import > Canvas Image
Before using these tools, click in the window view that you want to use to make it the active window.
Window Pane titlebar
Each window pane has a titlebar with tools to manage the layout and views:
- Clone - Create a pop-out window that is a duplicate of the original.
- Magnify - Create a pop-out window with a 'zoom' area on the original window that can be used to focus on small parts of the model.
- Window Type menu - Choose between a perspective window and one of the orthogonal windows : Front, Back, Right, Left, Top, Bottom,
- Camera menu (Perspective window only) - Create new cameras or switch between cameras for different viewpoints.
- Maximize/Minimize - Double-click on the header bar to switch between a single window and a multiple window layout.
- Markup Lister - If Markups have been created, this lister will appear on the window header and can be used to switch between the views that the Markups have been made on.
- Show menu - Change the visibility of items in one or all view windows.
The transparency of the titlebar can be adjusted in General Preferences > Windows > Modeling windows > Titlebar Transparency. Increasing the transparency allows geometry to be seen behind the bar, but it cannot be selected in that area.
Clone view window
The clone icon creates a pop-out window that is independent of the Layouts menus arrangements, and always stays on top of the main windows.
This window can be placed on a second monitor, or used to display the model with alternative view settings:
- If the Show Button is set to All Windows: off, then the cloned window can have different Show settings from the main windows.
- If Hardware Shade is set to All Windows: Off, it will work independently between the cloned window and other layout windows.
- To get a different viewpoint in a cloned perspective, create a new camera (see Window Type menu: Perspective Window Type and Camera menu above).
- In an orthographic cloned window, turn Display > Window Sync off to be able to zoom and pan independently of the original window.
Magnify / Zoom view window
When you click the magnify icon in the window title bar, a 'zoom focus' box in the original window shows what part of the view is being magnified.
- In the main view, drag the magnify handle at the center of the zoom focus box to move it.
- In the magnify/zoom perspective window, use
Shift
+Alt
+ mouse buttons to zoom and pan the magnified area. The ViewCube is not available in the magnify window. - Click-drag on the edges or corners of the magnify window to resize it.
- Click-drag on the header bar of the magnify window to move it.
- Click on the X to close the magnify window.
Other tools that affect View Windows
View > Look At or
Alt
+L
default hotkey.Preferences > General Preferences > Windows - Background Gradient Style, Show Axis Triad, Titlebar Transparency