AutoCAD® 2012 and AutoCAD LT® 2012 Essentials: Autodesk® Official Training Guide

Orbiting in 3D

As you learned in the previous section, the ViewCube is limited to rotating the view in 45° increments. While the ViewCube might get you close to the angle you wish to view a 3D model, you will often need to orbit to fine-tune the view to the optimal angle to best see particular geometry. Orbiting refers to rotating the view at any arbitrary angle. In the following steps, you will learn a few methods of orbiting in 3D:

1. If the file is not already open, go to the book's web page, browse to Chapter 16, get the file Ch16-D.dwg, and open it.
2. Let's assume you want to get a close look at the ventilation towers that appear under a large elliptical hole in the dome membrane. Click the edge between the Top and Front faces and zoom into ...