Help with Vectorworks 3D startup

[gvelthuis]

Next to all the 2D tools in VW, I used another simple 3D modelling program.

I ran this program under Classic on a Mac which isn't available anymore under Leopard. So . . . I have to dive in to the 3D tools of VW.

Working with the modelling tools is pretty straightforward and in line with the procedures I was used to, but . . . . orientation and navigation in 3D space is a disaster for me; I completely loose track of my models, keep zooming in and out to find them back in another cameraview. There doesn't seem to be way to automatically center the model in every view (at least, I haven't found it yet).

Can someone point me to a site, a video-course, a pdf or whatever, that can help me to learn the basic concepts of navigating in 3D space in VW ? The VW manual is not very helpfull.

[Ariel]

One tip I can offer at the moment is that you need to take advantage of saved views and name them appropriately. Keep the saved views palette open as well so that switching views is just a double-click away.

hth.

Ariel

[Pat Stanford]

VW2009 (and VW2008) offer a preference to automatically center the view on selected objects after a zoom or rotate.

[gvelthuis]

Thanks Ariel,

I read that also somewhere else.

But that still makes it a rather time-consuming matter and hardly intuitive.

I hoped there was a simple option to always center the model (or a self-defined part of it) in the middel of the screen automatically.

Isn't that what everybody wants ?

I can't find out the logic VW uses; if I make a simple cube in the middle (0,0) of a new document, the model is always in the center of my screen (from all angles).

At the moment I work on a 3D model based on an existing 2D drawing and now the model "jumps " through space and I wonder "by what rules".

But anyway, I will study the "Save View" option.

[gvelthuis]

Yes Pat, I use that option all the time.

Problem is, you allways have to think of selecting something before changing view.

Besides that, in 3D the option works rather erratic; cmd -1 and 2 for zooming in/out and focussing are "in my fingers". I often have to hit cmd-2 more times, before the selected part jumps to the center.

Not very intuitive at all.

[Ariel]

Gerrit,

Check out the flyover tool's interactive origin mode if that works for you. Also cmd-6 for zoom to fit.

But I think I get what you mean wherein you want to define an object's origin. Unfortunately, there's no such thing in VW.

Ariel

[bcd]

HI Gerrit,

How are you navigating into 3d space? I find using cameras to be useful only when preparing 3d perspective views for presentation.

Otherwise I use either the standard orthogonal & isometric views which, I believe, will center on the some weighted center of all the objects on the visible layer,

or the shift-c flyover tool which centers the 3d rotation on one of 4 origin modes. (selected point /selected object / ground plane origin / working plane origin)

hth

Brian

[RubenH]

Major problems with navigation came up because a far origin from center of the page. This can be the result of the move page tool, it moves the page but not the origin. I recommend that if you use the move page return it to the original position by double clicking on it (the origin and the page will be aligned again).

Hope this helps.

[gvelthuis]

Ariel/bcd, I prefer the fast numeric keypad input for fast switching;

thanks to Mr. Gog's hint, I found out that the model should be moved to the origin in all views, but that can't be done halfway the process; all the newly added items have to be moved then also.

I guess I have to make another start next time.

Thanks to you all.