topic Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out in AutoCAD Forum

3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:18:15 GMT

Using AutoCAD 2018...3DOrbit won't allow me to zoom in/out while orbiting. If I try, everything disappears. In actuality, it seems to cause a massive PAN to occur. I'll cancel out of the command, than zoom out...quite a ways too...and find everything, but it'll be SO far off to the side I need to zoom extents to bring it up. But I can pan while inside 3DOrbit without issue....weird. I know I can use SHIFT+Middle button/wheel to 3DOrbit. But I prefer using the command (either selected off my popup menu or the Viewcube) plus zoom/pan inside it when looking at complex models...it's much quicker and easier...less steps. I know it's possible because I did it ALL the time in previous versions (2015-16 I believe were the most recent versions prior to my current use of 2018). There HAS to be a setting that Autodesk added/modified that controls this aspect of the function. I just can't find it.

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Richard.Vivanco — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 03:05:35 GMT

Try changing the value of zoomfactor to 70 or more

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 07:49:56 GMT

Hi,

>> it seems to cause a massive PAN

Are you in perspective mode?

Does the same happen when you switch the mode?

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:24:10 GMT

Already tried that one...nope

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:29:57 GMT

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle...that worked! I was in parallel mode, but switching to perspective did it! That never used to be the case. My default has ALWAYS been parallel before version 2018. Never bothered with perspective.

Thank you Alfred!!

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:56:12 GMT

Now I'm wanting to figure out why perspective works but not parallel....lol....

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 15:10:39 GMT

Hi,

>> Now I'm wanting to figure out why perspective works but not parallel

The biggest difference is that parallel projection does not have an exact distance between camera and object.

If you are in perspective mode and you look to a tree one time with a distance of 50feet and then with a distance of 20miles you see the issue.

If you move the camera 50feet to the right (compared to PAN) in one case the tree will not be seen any more, the other tree (the tiny point at a distance of 20miles 😉 ) would not be effected when moving your camera.

In parallel mode you don't see the distance and that's why it is something like "not defined" making things happening in a strange way then. E.g. when rendering while in parallel mode you sometimes get a black picture as result (because no light photon would find the tree at 20miles distance, at least would not return to the camera).

This all is a lot of theory, but e.g. objects at high coordinates or objects that are far away from each other (e.g. doing a ZOOM EXTENTS shows an empty screen as the objects are too far away from each other) would raise the risk to get such behavior.

You might try to take your geometry, use _COPYBASE and select a point with object snap close to the center of your geometry and select the geom you want to have visualized ... then create a new drawing, paste the geom at 0,0,0 ==> does the PAN and ORBIT now work better?

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:29:12 GMT

Oh, I've tried multiple variations of what you've suggested. It doesn't matter. Even with a fresh, new drawing, minimal geometry, close to coordinate 0,0,0 and/or zoomed in close to my geometry, regardless of the visual style, it does the same bloody thing. It's maddening. The reason I say it actually does a massive PAN is because I was zoomed in close to my geometry, tried zooming out, everything just disappears, but zooming in? Well, objects on the extreme FAR side of my model show up. So zooming out probably does a PAN measured in miles! Zoom Extents is the only solution to seeing it again.

Pure and simple, this is a software change courtesy of Autodesk. As I said earlier, it NEVER did this in prior versions of AutoCAD. The last version I used was 2015-16, so somewhere after that Autodesk changed it up. I've really started to dislike so many things about 2018. I'm dreading the day they completely eliminate toolbars. Because I absolutely hate the ribbon...lol

I wrote a subroutine many years ago to set certain system variables at startup. Simple things back then, like my units, osnap mode, pickbox size, etc. It was only 6-8 variables. Now, it's currently over 40! And the system variables seem to get more obscure with each revision as well...smh.

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:36:24 GMT

Hi,

>> tried zooming out, everything just disappears,

What happens when you disable hardware acceleration (command _GRAPHICSCONFIG)

And if this happens in a new dwg-file, please:

upload one of that files with the view I should start PAN
start command _ABOUT and show us a screenshot from that dialog
start command _GRAPHICSCONFIG and also a screenshot from that

>> Now, it's currently over 40! And the system variables seem to get more

The more system variables, the more flexibility the program has. I see that as advantage to have the option to set them to match with my workflow 😉

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:23:10 GMT

I've already tried the hardware configuration as well...no effect. So far the ONLY thing that has worked is changing from parallel to perspective view. I did include a simple 3D model I created and used as my guinea pig.

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:29:18 GMT

Hi,

please install AutoCAD 2018 update 1.2, the information in the ABOUT dialog should show O.162.0.0 AutoCAD 2018.1.2

And sorry, I should have mentioned that, please turn on hardware acceleration, then close the dialog and restart _GRAPHICSCONFIG so we can see if DirectX9 or DirectX11 is used.

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:49:27 GMT

Hi,

please find attached how PAN works on my system (independent of having manually started _ORBIT before or just by mouse).

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 19:10:23 GMT

Hi again,

just as idea, because 3DConnexion was mentioned in another post ... you do not have andditional 3D-mouse attached to your system?

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:55:45 GMT

Your video shows what I WANT to be able to do. But as soon as I use my scroll wheel to zoom in/out, everything is gone. Now it's ONLY while in parallel mode. In perspective, it works fine...weird. And you're also using 2018, which strengthens my conviction that it's some obscure system setting I'm unfamiliar with.

So what's been done per your recommendations...

1. I've updated my AutoCAD 2018 software to the latest...version 1.2

2. I confirmed that I have DirectX11

3. I do have hardware acceleration turned on, but on or off hasn't made a difference.

4. I am NOT using any type of 3D mouse. I have a Logitech M570 wireless trackball. Which I have used for years on multiple platforms, software, and machines. All without any issues.

5. I just found out that a work associate from our company, located in a different state, using a different machine and a different mouse, using a different network server, but with the exact same version of AutoCAD, has the exact same problem I do.

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Alfred.NESWADBA — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 07:35:03 GMT

Hi,

>> But as soon as I use my scroll wheel to zoom in/out, everything is gone.

Can you try to play with variable ZOOMFACTOR? Does changing this setting make anything different?

>> I just found out that a work associate from our company,

That's strange, but maybe you are both using an AutoCAD addon? Or a tool that grabs some mouse activity?

Do you find people in your company that do not have this behavior, but also using the same version of AutoCAD? You might then export their AutoCAD profile and import it on your system.

- alfred -

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:09:50 GMT

No, the ZOOMFACTOR variable is completely ineffective.

I'm in the process of contacting others from my company and finding out how many deal with this issue as well. As soon as I can get some feedback, I'll update here...

Re: 3dOrbit in 2018...can't zoom in/out

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:56:50 GMT

I just found out the culprit/solution to this issue...adaptive regeneration! Using the -GRAPHICSCONFIG command, specify Adaptive Regeneration, then either set it to OFF, or if it's on, lower the frame speed, like maybe 10 fps.