Datasheet

CHAPTER 1 GETTING TO KNOW VIZ

The Zoom Extents tool repositions your view so that the entire model just fits within the view-

port, filling the viewport as much as possible. If you’re an AutoCAD user, you’re familiar with this

tool, because its counterpart in AutoCAD performs the same function.

Changing Your Viewing Angle

Two other tools are specifically designed for viewing 3D objects: Field-of-View and Arc Rotate

Selected. The Field-of-View tool changes your field of view. The Arc Rotate Selected tool lets you

rotate your view around a selected object.

The Field-of-View tool appears to do the same thing as the Zoom tool, but as you’ll see in the

following exercise, there is a significant difference between the Zoom and Field-of-View tools.

1. Save the current view by choosing Views  Save Active Perspective View. This lets you

return to the current view later.

2. Click the Field-of-View tool.

3. Place the cursor in the viewport and click and drag down until your view looks similar to

Figure 1.27.

Figure 1.27

Appearance of the

Perspective viewport

after increasing the

field of view

In one sense, it appears as though you’ve zoomed out from the chairs, but if you compare this

view to the zoomed-out view in the previous exercise, you’ll notice a difference. When you use the

Zoom tool in the Perspective viewport, your view changes as though you were physically moving

closer to or farther away from the chairs. As the name implies, the Field-of-View tool widens or nar-

rows your field of view, much as a zoom lens on a camera does. You’re not actually changing the

Resetting the Perspective View

You can restore the default perspective view (the one you see when you open a new file) in a blank file

by clicking the Zoom Extents tool or by choosing File  Reset to reset the scene.

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