pivot point

[fishtruk]

How do I specify the pivot point when I rotate the viewport?

Thanks!

[taylor.stein]

Hey there, good question! What you can do is hold the shift key and quickly click the middle mouse button (scroll wheel), and a red dot should appear. This is the new center of rotation for orbiting around your 3d space. This should definitely help when rotating aorund a small portion of a large design. 

Let me know if have any other questions!

Taylor

[Anonymous]

I cannot seem to make viewing rotation around an abitrary point (ex. vertex) work; it always rotates about its CG. If this technique does indeed work it is far too touchy to learn by a newbe like me. View rotation around specific locations in the body's gemometry is such an important productivity aid I do not undertsand why it is so difficult to effect in Fussion 360.

I realize I may have been corrupted by use of other CAD tools, but to me there is only one method that makes sense. When one wants to rotate the viewer with repect to some given geomtery... give the geometry, ie. the center of viewing rotation is based on whatever geometry (vertex(ices), edge(s), face(s), etc.) is currently selected for manipulation. If nothing is selected then the default is the CG of whatever geomtery is visible on the screen.

On a related subject I do not understand why viewing rotation is a two handed operation (Depress and hold <Shift> key and the Middle Mouse Button (MMB)). When working in 3D I would have thought that 3D viewing rotation would be the default MMB behavior, not Pan, given the need to preform a rotation is more frequent than a pan operation. (Is this a carry over from Drawing Mode mentality where panning makes more sense to be the preferred default behavior and you want to keep the MMB default behavior the same thoughout the product?)

When working in 3D the default behavior for the MMB should be rotate; pan mode should be LMB and RMB depressed together.

[fishtruk]

I didn't think of that.  It's true, I almost never use pan. I just zoom out then in to achieve the same result.

I must say it would save me lots of time if my left hand could stay put when I need to orbit rather than hitting the left shift key.

So I found it. Go to your name at the top right, click that and then click Preferences. On the first page select Solidworks in the Pan Zoom Orbit shortcuts.

I don't need my left hand anymore!!  Atrophy here I come.

[Phil.E · Accepted solution]

@fishtruk

You got it. Thanks for pointing out the other orbit modes. As you can see we try to make you feel at home.

@Anonymous

Please let us know if there is anything missing here, otherwise, feel free to mark this with "Accept as Solution" so other users can benefit from the answer.

Thanks,

[Phil.E]

@fishtruk

My apologies! I didn't notice you were the OP.

(Of course, any other comments are still welcome from anyone.)

[Anonymous]

Changing the "Pan, Zoom, Orbit shortcuts" preference to "Solidworks" addresses (improves) the UI regarding making "Orbit" the default for MMB, but it does not address my inability to control the orbit pivot point.

I researched Solidworks functionality regarding establishing the pivot point and IMHO Solidworks does it right. Obviously, Solidworks developers put some serious thought into how it should work. Fundementally, Solidworks factors what is geometry is visible on the screen, what geometry might be selected, and the position of the mouse pointer to determine the rotation pivot point. I have never used Solidworks, but I can imagine it must feel like the software is reading your mind with respect to determining what the pivot point should be.

[Phil.E]

@Anonymous

Sorry to hear you are still having trouble with it.

At this time, could you make an Autodesk Screencast video, with narration, to help us understand how you are having trouble setting the pivot point?

Currently there is one known bug, I'm not sure if the fix is released yet, but you see it when most of the geometry is off screen and you are zoomed in past a certain point. We revised the logic in that case, it was no problem once we knew the case.

Current behavior:

1. If the model is entirely on screen, the center of geometry is the pivot. If you want a new one, right click and use Set Pivot.

2. If the model is partially off screen, the mouse point is the pivot.

Please let us know what we need to see here to improve your experience.

Thanks,

[JBerns]

To change the pivot point while using the Orbit tool:

1. Start the Orbit command (Free or Constrained).
2. With the desired pivot point inside or near the Orbit cirlce, left click on the point you want to make the new pivot point. If you are too far outside the Orbit circle and see an exit arrow, the command will exit when you left click.
3. After picking the new pivot point, the model should pan to the center of the Orbit circle.
4. Left click and drag about your new pivot point.

I look forward to hearing of your success.

Regards,

Jerry

[Anonymous]

The technique you described (RMB) has got me futher along, but I am still having problems. As a newbe the process for establishing an orbit point is still a complete mystery to me.

Initially, my attempt at using the RMB was fruitless and fustrating. But then I stumbled on the fact that the mouse pointer had to be well off the geometry before using the RMB showed the "Set Orbit Center" and "Reset Orbit Center" popup menu choices. Having the mouse pointer close to the any geometry results in a popup menu with the set orbit choices missing. Interestingly, a RMB with the mouse pointer on/close to geometry results in the selection of the gemetry. And once selected, a subsequent RMB popup contains the set orbit choices. I find this behavior nonsensical.

Ok, great, now I  know how to get and select the "Set Orbit Center" menu item; wonderful, a little green dot follows the mouse pointer around the screen. OK, at this point it should be a simple matter of locating the green dot on the gemetry (vertex, edge, face) I want to be the orbit center.  No go, doesn't make any difference; the orbit center still appears to the the CG.

I have read that it makes a difference if you are in a "Free Orbit" or "Constrained Orbit" mode. Not from what I can tell.

Please tell me the Voodoo incantation and sacrifices that are required to obtain the secret magical power over the "Set Orbit Center" demon.  How about you send me a screencast of a block with a thru hole where you demonstate setting the orbit center on a vertex, linear edge, circular edge/center point, and face? (I promise to give you a "kudo" if you can get me over this hurdle.)

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your effort to get me through this problem, but the technique you described does not work for me.

I am beginning to think there is a Preference setting that is screwing things up for me, but I do not know what it might be.

[Anonymous]

H A L L E L U J A H ! ! ! ! !

My problem-inability to set the orbit center point was caused by not having the "Enable camera pivot" perference option checked.

[Anonymous]

Now that I resolved my issue with setting the orbit center point I can complain about how cumbersome it is to effect.....

1) I have to move the mouse pointer and mental focus away from the geometry I want to establish as the orbit center. (Completely wasted motion and mental disruption.)

2) Depress RMB

3) Select the "Set orbit center" menu choice from the popup menu. (More wasteful mouse clicks and motion.)

4) Move the mouse pointer back to where I want to establish the orbit point. (Essentially, undo the motion done get the mouse pointer away from the geometry. More wasteful motion.)

5) Use LMB to establish the new orbit center point.

6) Finally, use Shift+MMB to affect the rotation.

The above is an incredably inefficient UI process for what is a very common viewing operation. All that handwaving gets in the way of tool productivity. 

[JBerns]

swgertsch,

I have created a Screencast showing the technique to change the pivot point while using the Orbit tool.

Screencast:  Change Pivot Point During Orbit

 This is all done with the LMB. And I tested with and without "Enable Camera Pivot". It worked regardless of setting. Be aware, in Preferences I am using the Fusion setting for the Pan, Zoom, Orbit shortcuts, but I tested the Orbit tool with the setting at Alias, Inventor, and Solidworks. It behaved the same under all settings.

Again - I am using the Orbit tool from the Navigation toolbar. I am not using the SHIFT + MMB (+ LMB) button combinations. I find that too cumbersome after years of working with Inventor.

I hope this is helpful.

Regards,

Jerry

[Anonymous]

Your Screencast video is marked "Private". I would really like to watch it.

I am surprised you find using the Orbit tool from the Navigation bar less cumbersome than the mouse button method. A lot of time is wasted moving the mouse back and forth, not least to say the lost (redirected) mental focus from the geometry towards selecting the small orbit icon on the screen. This is not to say that using the Orbit tool from the Navigation bar is not useful. I noticed that it gives you the ability to constraint viewing rotation to just either vertical, horizontal, or normal to the the screen. Nice to be able to do that when it is needed.

[JBerns]

Sorry about the Screencast block. I confused Private with Unlisted. Please try again.

Regarding navigating/orbiting in Fusion, most of the time I am using my 3D Connexion device.

I still find myself trying to use Inventor shortcuts, such as F4 (Orbit), in Fusion. I wish that would work.

Moving the mouse to the Orbit button or moving my hand/fingers to the SHIFT key seems about the same to me. All about personal preferences and other product experience.

I hope you can see the video this time.

Regards,

Jerry 

[kb9ydn]

If you have your orbit shortcuts set to Solidworks and the camera pivot enabled, a simple click and drag motion with the MMB should perform an orbit.  If the entire model is visible on the screen the pivot point will be the center of geometry of the model.  If part of the model is off screen, the pivot point will be automatically set to the nearest object to the mouse cursor.  This feature was just added a few weeks ago so it may still get tripped up on occasion, but it's pretty good overall.

C|

[Phil.E]

@kb9ydn

Thanks. And you are correct, as I mentioned we found a bug that happens when you are zoomed in too closely. The orbit center is not automatically behaving as it should. This fix is done and should be out sometime in the next update or two. But for most orbit operations, you are 100% correct about how it behaves. Thanks for pointing out SWX mode.

@Anonymous

I don't want to skip over your concerns. To be clear, are you under the impression that you must set orbit center each time you want to orbit? That shouldn't be the case but if you have a workflow where that is necessary, please show us because we should consider it in the future as we improve things. 

Regards,

[Anonymous]

I am finally getting it.... there are several subtlites about the mouse initiated Orbit and Navigator bar Orbit that were driving me crazy. I personally need to have features work in a highly predictable manner before I will use (trust) them.

I am very appreciative of the "secrect" knowledge that everyone has been sharing with me.

Fusion Developers/Support Personal: Having these subtle behaviors documented in the Help system and demonstated in a video would be most benefical for future generations.

I think I have now obtained a first degree black belt in "Orbit".

[Phil.E]

@Anonymous

There is a recent video here:

http://fusion360.autodesk.com/learning/learning.html?guid=e9024d7c-9d50-48cf-8df8-ed6be37fae98

It shows how to set pivot on the fly and also how to use the formal orbit tool.  It doesn't go into detail about the various orbit modes. I'll request a follow up that shows the other ways to set pivot, and the other modes such as Inventor or Alias.

Thanks,