topic Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it in Maya LT Forum

Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 03:18:37 GMT

I have looked everywhere for a solution to this issue. Can't find one and it seems it should be an obvious setting.

I am looking for how to set the camera or perspective view pivot point (or to lock it). I am working on a model and just want to pan, orbit and zoom around this to make constant tweaks. But find myself spending most of my time trying to navigate back to view the object when using these commands.

'J' does this momentarily by focusing on the selected object but then when you orbit (ctrl/cmd + rmb) it doesn't obit around the object. In blender '.' (period) does the same thing but then sets the view pivot point to this object so makes editing it easy.

I have tried moving the perspective camera pivot point but can't lock it, so when I orbit or pan in the 'persp' viewport this changes.

I can't imagine that there isn't a simple fix for this as it is a standard in other software programs.

Please help, it's driving me nuts.

I am using Maya Lt 2018 (evaluation) on a Mac OSX 10.11.6

Thanks in advance

James

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 05:11:49 GMT

It looks likes this should be within the 'Tumble' settings, accessed from the 'persp' viewport - view menu / camera tools / tumble tool / settings square box / tumble settings dialogue box - tumble about options. None of these settings however seem to solve the problem. Centre of interest or tumble pivot / auto set should work but don't.

Would be great to get an informed response.

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 06:09:52 GMT

The answer seems to be the following, as the Tumble tool settings described above don't seem to have any effect.

Viewport window - View (dropdown) / centre view of selection

This seems to set the tumble pivot point.

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 02:00:09 GMT

view>select camera>reset transforms > Press F

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

RawBeacon — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 11:02:48 GMT

Thank you. It really works this way.

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 14:04:59 GMT

This worked for me, thanks a bundle!

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 14:38:12 GMT

Thankyou for this

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 13:29:45 GMT

Rocky_zsl ... nothing else helped. This did. Thank you!!!

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 09:40:58 GMT

Rocky_zsl was the missing script

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

evecoronado48 — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 05:14:14 GMT

This has happened to me for years!!! And you fixed it!!

Thank you so much

Re: Set view pivot point (persp viewport) to object - so I can orbit around it

cfeuillebois — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 22:47:10 GMT

I use this as a runtime command that I call from a hotkey:

pos = cmds.xform(q=1, t=1, ws=1) panel = cmds.getPanel(withFocus=True) cam = cmds.modelPanel(panel, query=True, camera=True) cmds.viewLookAt(cam, pos=pos)

In hotkey editor, go to runtimeCommand editor panel, click new, ad this python code, name it something like "lookAt", save it.
an then look for it on the left list with "search by : runtime command", and add a hotkey 🙂