Focus On Item Rotates View to Random Angle

[cburgessYUD2V]

I'm appending several files from other modelers (in this case they are .RVT files), but they are not aligned. When I select Focus On Item, it takes me to that model, but rotates the view to random angles, that are not the same each time it happens. And sometimes, not always, the model I'm trying to find is not visible in the location it takes me to.  I also just noticed that my clipping planes are changed, in the most recent case to 1035.25, so the model disappears when I get anywhere close to it (I don't know if it does this every time, I only just noticed it). 

Is there a way to stop the Focus On Item function from rotating the view? The attached picture is the angle the view was in after the move. 

[a_meteni]

Rather than Focus on Item upon selection. Have you tried to hit the Home button?

AFAIK, there’s no fixed way to control the positioning of the selected item in the scene view when using Focus on Item.

[hmunsell]

when you select focus on item, are you selecting the "Link" or are you selecting an "item" in the link, like a wall or piece of equipment? if your selecting the link, check the origin point of the link and make sure there is nothing far away, outside the main content of the model. if the whole link is selected, and the origin is WAY fare way or there is an element far away from the building, it could cause issues like that.

I usually prefer to select an item in the link 🙂..... 

[cburgessYUD2V]

I see what you mean, but the model(s) I'm trying to find with "Focus On Item" isn't at the "Home" location. Because of the original modelers' settings when they first built their models, some of the models' origin coordinates are 0,0,0, some have the real-world northing/easting of the project base point (which is in the 900,000's x 400,000's), and some have the coordinates of this building relative to the project base point (which is something like 2260,710,0). The workaround I've been using is to just manually input the coordinates without going to the model--if it's not in view with the other models I guess it doesn't really matter to go to its location (except maybe to check what it's origin coordinates are using the Measure tool)!

This raises another question, actually--when several models are appended simultaneously, but they don't have the same origin, which one gets the "Home" location, the one at 0,0,0? 

[cburgessYUD2V]

I was selecting the link for one whole model file, I haven't tried doing it just with one element/item within the link. I'll have to try that and see if that does the trick. I mentioned this in my other reply too, that the main problem is that the models I'm appending are from a few different modelers that didn't necessarily use the same settings when they first set up their models. Some used their native program's 0,0,0 as the origin, some used the project base point's northing/easting coordinates, and some used the relative position of the building from the northing/easting (as though the n/e was at 0,0,0). So some of these models are indeed quite far away--I think it's something like 178 miles from 0,0,0 to the northing/easing coordinates!

Something that I found that seems to do what I thought Focus On Item did is to right-click on one of the model links, go to "Scene" and choose "View Selected." Maybe that's what I was really looking for anyway? I'm not sure what the difference is between Focus On Item and View Selected, but it gets the result I was looking for. 

[hmunsell]

sounds like you have Project Coordination issue to me 😁. is there any way to get everyone on the same page with there coordinates? In my office, we "Acquire Coordinates" from the Architectural model and everyone works off of those. it may take a little bit to get them coordinated, but is it well worth the time spent in the long run. 

[alexisDVJML]

"Focus On Item" for a specific item is so frustrating, is it?
However there is a trick that works most of the time.
After you "Focus On Item", click on a specific orientation in the top right cuboid and you will get a near perfect orientation and distance for said selected item.

then:

Hope this helps.