Datasheet

2 Chapter 1: Working in 3D
Understanding 3D Space
Maneuvering in 3D space can seem easy at rst glance. Aer all, only one dimension
has been added to the standard page layout, and that dimension is what we experience
as we move around every day. However, believe it or not, the addition of this dimension
can make navigation harder to get used to for the novice 3D artist. If you don’t grasp
some foundational principles from the outset, you can become disoriented and lose track
of your model and scene. e addition of a third dimension adds much more than just
another arrow on the monitor.
A standard page layout has two axes: x and y. If these equate to the horizontal and
vertical directions, respectively, then the third axis (z) extends o the screen, toward the
viewer (see Figure1.1).
is works well for starters, but lets take it a step further and look at space in terms of
a map or other top-down design. In this case, the plane dened by the x and z axes makes
up the Cartesian plane. More specically, the negative z-axis is north, and the negative
x-axis is west, in relation to the middle of our workspace (see Figure1.2).
e center of space (called the origin) will be the starting point for all of our design
work unless we specically need to work in a dierent area of the scene. Even in this case,
it is oen best to create an object at the origin and then move it to the desired location,
because this will enable you to work with symmetry, easily locate objects, and move the
mesh layer, which can then be reset or animated much more easily.
Figure1.1
Three dimensions
from a screen
perspective
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