ViewCube tools
The Autodesk® ViewCube® tool is a persistent, clickable and draggable interface that you use to switch between standard and isometric/orthographic views of your model. By default, it displays in the top right corner of the perspective window.
While the ViewCube tool is inactive, it provides visual feedback about the current viewpoint as view changes occur.
When you position the cursor over the ViewCube tool, the tool becomes active and you can:
- Click-drag on any part of the ViewCube to tumble the model view.
- Click on a face (Front, Left, Top etc.) when highlighted, to switch to a Face View (which can be true othrographic view).
- Click on an edge or corner when highlighted to switch to a preset angled view.
- Click on the Home icon to return to a saved or default view.
- Click on the More Settings icon to access the ViewCube menu.
Orthographic Face Views
Click on one of the six faces of the ViewCube to choose a preset view: top, bottom, front, back, left, and right.
If you have Perspective with Ortho Faces selected in the ViewCube More Settings menu (default), then the face view will be a true, 2D orthographic view.
This makes it easier to create geometry accurately in the 2D view plane.
To indicate that you are in a true orthographic planar or elevation view, the faces of ViewCube are highlighted green by default, and the word 'Orthographic' is displayed.
If you have Perspective selected in the ViewCube More Settings menu, then the face view will remain as a perspective view in the chosen direction, and the ViewCube face is not displayed in green.
This can be useful to display the real-world side or front views for example, for presentations or evaluation.
Mouse behavior for transform in orthographic face view.
When in an orthographic view, placements (CVs for example) and transforms (move, non-P scale) are constrained as follows:
Free across view plane
Constrained horizontally
Constrained vertically
Roll and turn icons
In a face view, click with the LMB on the roll arrows to rotate the current view 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise around the center of the view, or click the triangles to switch to one of the adjacent face views.
You can also use Shift
+ Alt
+ [Arrow Key] to rotate the face view to the next position.
ViewCube Home icon
The Home view is a single view stored with a model that makes it easy to return to a known or familiar view. You can define any view of the model as the Home view.
The default Home position is the starting orientation of the default 3D view.
- To redefine Home view, orient the view as you want and then click the More Settings icon below-right of the ViewCube and select Set Current View as Home.
- To apply the saved Home view, click the Home button
above the ViewCube tool.
ViewCube Under Cursor / Pinned
The Under Cursor icon is only available in Radial Layout mode in the perspective view.
Click on the pin icon to set the ViewCube to floating mode. The ViewCube will then appear close to your cursor position when you press Shift
+ Alt
.
In this mode you lose the ability to display the ViewCube and NavBar by moving the cursor close to it.
To return to a corner position, use Shift
+ Alt
and select the pin icon.