Datasheet

WORKING WITH OBJECTS

2. Press the Tab key. Notice that the Width value is now highlighted.

3. Type 60↵ for the width and press Tab again. The Height value is highlighted.

4. Enter 5´↵ again. The box is now a cube 60˝ square.

If there is a series of related input boxes—such as the Length, Width, and Height boxes in the

previous exercise—the Tab key lets you advance from one value to the next. You’ll find that

numeric input boxes and spinners are quite common throughout Autodesk VIZ 2008.

Working with Objects

Now that you’ve seen the main elements of the VIZ interface, let’s take a look at how you interact

with objects in the viewport. You’ll start by looking at a way to move the box you’ve just created.

Then you’ll learn how you can view your box from different angles.

Selecting and Moving Objects

VIZ’s basic editing tools are simple and straightforward, although it may take a little explaining for you

to grasp the finer points. As with most graphics programs, you use a selection tool to select objects. This

tool is typically shown on the toolbar as an up arrow that looks like the standard Windows cursor.

1. Click the Select Object tool in the Main toolbar.

2. Click on a blank area of the viewport. This clears any selections that may currently be active.

3. Move the cursor over the box. Notice that the cursor turns into a plus (+) sign. This tells you

that the cursor has found a selectable object.

Using the Cube Creation Method

You can also create a cube directly by selecting the Cube radio button in the Creation Method rollout.

Setting the Spinner Rate of Change

If you hold down the Ctrl key while you move a spinner, the rate of change in the spinner value increases.

The Alt key has the opposite effect, decreasing the rate of change. The higher the numeric value in the

spinner, the faster the rate of change, and vice versa.

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