Manipulating 3D Views

PML Customisation User Guide

Manipulating VIEWS : Manipulating 3D Views

Manipulating 3D Views describes the standard mechanisms provided by the Forms and Menus software for manipulating a 3D view using the mouse buttons, number keypad and function keys.

The mouse buttons are referred to as:

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MB2 (adjust)

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MB3 (popup)

If you press MB3 when the cursor is over the view canvas, the popup view menu is displayed. This will either be the default menu supplied by the Forms and Menus software, or an application-specific version if provided, either by AVEVA or by your own customisation.

This Section describes the default menu.

View controls using the mouse are analogue. They work best when the redraw time is not too large, so that you gets rapid feedback. With long redraw times (large models), you may find that the keyboard digital controls are easier to use.

Status Line

The view parameters are displayed in the status line, just below the view. For example:

n25w12d Pers<36 Model Rotate Fast

Where the fields have the following meanings:


Field	Meaning
n25w12d	The current direction, with angles in degrees
Pers<36	The current perspective field of view, in degrees, or else parallel.
Model	This is either Eye or Model. It controls whether rotations keep the from-point fixed (eye point), or the through-point fixed (centre of interest).
Rotate	This is the current mouse mode for view adjustments (Adjust or MB2). This mode may be Zoom, Pan, Rotate or Walk.
Fast	This is the current value of the gearing modifiers for view adjustment. Pressing Ctrl displays Fast Pressing Shift displays Slow Pressing both displays Medm. Otherwise the field is blank. These modifiers apply to both mouse adjustments and keypad actions. In general, Fast is about 10 times faster, and Slow is about 10 times slower. However, for rotations and zooms different values are used. This field displays Rest when the Alt key is pressed, and Save when Alt and Ctrl are pressed together. This relates to saving and restoring view settings, described below.

Popup Menu

Pressing MB3 displays the popup view menu when the cursor is over the view canvas.

This will either be the default menu supplied by the Forms and Menus software, or an application-specific version if provided, either by AVEVA or by your own customisation.

This Section describes the default menu.


Menu option		Function Key
Zoom		F2
Pan		F3
Rotate		F5
Walk		F6
Options >	Eye Shade Borders Persp	F7 F8 F9 F4 (F10)
Restore >	R n	Alt n	(n is 1, 2, 3 or 4 on keypad)
Save >	S n	Alt Ctrl n	(n is 1, 2, 3 or 4 on keypad)

The Zoom, Pan, Rotate and Walk options select a mouse mode.

The Options pullright toggles the states of Eye/Model, Shaded/Wireline, Borders On/Off, and Perspective/Parallel.

These actions may also be achieved by pressing the relevant Function Button while the view canvas has keyboard focus.

The Restore and Save pullrights allow up to four view settings to be saved and restored. To save the current view settings, choose S1, S2, S3 or S4 from the Save menu. To restore a previously saved setting, choose R1, R2, R3, or R4 from the Restore menu. These functions are also available using Alt, Ctrl, and the keypad numerals 1 to 4 while the canvas has keyboard focus.

Mouse Modes


Mode	Navigation
Zoom (F2).	Press Adjust down over the view canvas, and then, keeping the button down, move the mouse upwards to zoom in, and downwards to zoom out. This changes the perspective angle, or the view scale in parallel views. It does not change the eye point or the view direction. Use Ctrl or Shift to speed up or slow down.
Pan (F3).	Press Adjust over the canvas, and then, keeping the button down, move in any direction to shift the line of sight in that direction. The current view direction is not changed. Note that the picture moves the opposite way to the mouse movement; it is the observer that is being moved. It may be useful to think of moving the mouse towards the part of the picture you want to see. Use Ctrl or Shift to speed up or slow down.
Rotate (F5).	Press Adjust and keep it down, then move left/right to change the bearing of the view direction, or up/down to change the elevation. The initial movement of the mouse determines which is changed, and only that component of the view direction is modified. To modify the other component, the mouse button must be released and then pressed down again, while moving in the other direction.
Walk (F6).	Press Adjust button and keep it down, then move up to walk forwards, or down to walk backwards, along the line of sight. Use Ctrl or Shift to speed up or slow down.
Eye (F7).	View rotations keep the from- point fixed, and in Model mode rotations keep the through-point fixed. Use Ctrl or Shift to speed up or slow down.

In all modes, clicking MB2 will shift the point under the cursor to the centre of the view. In perspective, the from-point will be maintained, and the view direction and through-point will be modified. In parallel, the view direction will be maintained, and the from- and through-points moved. The only exception to this rule is in Pan Mode, when the view direction is never modified.

Manipulating 3D Views Using the Numeric Keypad

Important:

Some keyboards have auto-repeat on keypads and function-buttons.

When the keyboard focus is in the view, the following functions are available.


7	8	9
Zoom in x 1.5 on view centre	Rotate in 10-degree steps	Zoom in x 2.5 on view centre
4	5	6
Rotate in 10-degree steps	Zoom out to view limits	Rotate in 10-degree steps
1	2	3
Zoom out x 1.5 on view centre	Rotate in 10-degree steps	Zoom out x 2.5 on view centre


Key	Effect
4, 6, 8, 2	Rotate Left, Right, Up, Down, in 10 degree steps. Ctrl gives 45 degree steps, Shift gives 1 degree steps Ctrl with Shift gives 4.5 degree steps.
7, 1	Zoom in/out, changing the view radius by a factor of 1.5. Ctrl does two steps at once Shift does 1/4 of a step. Using them both does 1/2 a step
9, 3	Walk in or out, by 1 step-distance (user selectable). Ctrl does 10 steps Shift does 1/10 of a step.

Saving views: Use Alt and Ctrl and keypad numerals 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Restoring views: Use Alt and keypad numerals 1, 2, 3, or 4.Function Keys


Key	Effect
F2	Select Zoom mouse mode
F3	Select Pan mouse mode
F4	Toggle between Perspective and Parallel
F5	Select Rotate mouse mode
F6	Select Walk mouse mode
F7	Toggle rotations mode between Eye and Model
F8	Toggle between Shaded and Wireline
F9	Toggle between Borders Off and Borders On (sliders)
F10 (if available)	Toggle between ENU & XYZ display modes

Arrow Keys (Up, Down, Left, Right)

The arrow keys change the line of sight as in Pan mode, by 1 STEP distance.

Ctrl Arrow does 10 STEPs

Shift Arrow does 1/10 of a STEP.

The following changes have been made to allow consistency with ReviewLE and to improve usability on 'lap top' keyboards which frequently do not have the Numeric Keypad.


Key and Mode		Effect
PageUp and PageDown Keys		Walk in or out.
Perspective		Walk in or out by 1 step-distance.
	Ctrl	Walk in or out by 10 step-distances.
	Shift	Walk in or out by 1/10 step-distance.
Parallel		Zoom in or out, changing view radius by a factor of 1.5.
	Ctrl	Zoom in or out two step-distances at once
	Shift	Zoom in or out 1/4 of a step-distance.
	Ctrl + Shift	Zoom in or out 1/2 a step-distance.
	Alt	Zoom in or out regardless of projection type. For a perspective view this allows you to choose the perspective view angle for use during the walk through sequence.
Arrow Keys		Rotate Left, Right, Up, and Down in 10-degree steps.
	Ctrl	Rotate in 45 degree steps.
	Shift	Rotate in 1 degree steps.
	Ctrl + Shift	Rotate in 4.5 degree steps.
	Alt	Pan Left, Right, Up, Down. Moves line of sight as in Pan mode, by 1 step-distance.
	Alt + Ctrl	Rotate by 10-step-distances.
	Alt + Shift	Rotate by 1/10 of a step-distance.
Numeric Keypad Keys 4, 6, 8, 2		Rotate Left, Right, Up, Down, in 10 degree steps.
	Ctrl	Rotate in 45 degree steps.
	Shift	Rotate in 1 degree steps.
	Ctrl&Shift	Rotate in 4.5 degree steps.
	Alt	Pan Left, Right, Up, Down. Moves line of sight as in Pan mode, by 1 step-distance.
	Alt + Ctrl	Rotate by 10-step-distances.
	Alt + Shift	Rotate by 1/10 of a step-distance.
Numeric Keypad Keys 7, 1		Zoom in or out, changing view radius by a factor of 1.5.
	Ctrl	Zoom in or out by two step-distances at a time.
	Shift	Zoom in or out by 1/4 step-distance at a time.
	Ctrl + Shift	Zoom in or out by 1/2 step-distance at a time.
Numeric Keypad Keys 9, 3		Walk in or out.
Perspective		Walk in or out, by 1 step-distance.
	Ctrl	Walk in or out, by 10 step-distances.
	Shift	Walk in or out, by 1/10 step-distance.
Parallel		For parallel projection reverts to Zoom in or out.

Notes:

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There is no syntax to set the mouse mode, or to enquire it.

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The eye mode can be selected by setting Walkmode On, and Model by setting Walkmode Off.

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If your keyboard focus is set by moving the cursor into a window without having to click a mouse button, it is possible to get the state of the Ctrl and Shift keys confused. If you move the mouse into the view, press Ctrl, press Adjust, move the mouse out of the view, release Adjust, then release Ctrl, you will still be in Fast mode, as shown in the status line. To remedy this, move the cursor back into the view, and then press and release Ctrl.