Use the Camera node (
) to orient the camera view in 3D models. In the
Model Builder, under
Definitions click to expand the
View node where you want to define the camera position. A
Camera node is added by default.
From the Projection list, select
Perspective (the default) or
Orthographic (parallel) as needed. The perspective projection shows distant objects as smaller to provide a realistic 3D projection, whereas the orthographic projection shows all objects using their actual size regardless of the distance. You can also control the projection using the
Orthographic Projection button (
) on the
Graphics window toolbar.
The default setting in the View scale list is
None, which makes the increments equal in all directions.
Select Automatic to make the geometry fill the graphics window with unequal increments. This can be useful when working with thin and slender geometries. By default, the automatic scaling is isotropic (a cube), which corresponds to
Isotropic selected in the
Automatic list. Select
Anisotropic to define an anisotropic automatic scaling (a block) using different relative weights in the
x,
y, and
z directions, which you enter in the
x weight,
y weight, and
z weight fields. If you want the view scale to update every time the view changes, select the
Automatic update check box.
Select Manual to specify the view scale in the
x scale,
y scale, and
z scale text fields. Equal values, such as 1, make the geometries appear with the correct aspect ratio. The default values represent the view scale of the previous setting in the
View scale list.
In the Graphics window, click and hold the mouse to orient the geometry on the axes, or enter
x, y, and
z coordinates.
In the Graphics window, click and hold the mouse to orient the geometry on the axes. The corresponding coordinates are displayed in the
Settings window under the
Position,
Target, and
Up Vector sections, or enter
x, y, and
z coordinates for the camera target location.
The Position is the location of the camera and the
Target default is 1 length unit in front of the camera position.
In the Graphics window (or other plot windows), click and hold the mouse to orient the geometry on the axes, or enter
x, y, and
z coordinates for the camera’s up vector, which determines which direction is up in the plot window.
By default, the values in the Center of Rotation section define the center of the geometry in the view. To control the center of rotation explicitly, enter a center location in the
x,
y, and
z fields and then click the
Update button (
) at the top of the
Settings window.
Right-click the mouse and move the geometry left, right, up, or down as needed. This shift operation moves the currently visible frame on the image plane. The corresponding dimensionless values that display in the Settings window under
View Offset are relative to the image width and height, respectively. For example, an offset of
x = 0.5 moves the projection 0.5 screen widths to the left. Alternatively, enter
x and
y values for the view offset.
The value in the Orthographic scale field defines the size in scene length of the viewing block along the longest side of the canvas. If the view’s camera setting uses orthotropic projection, zoom in or out by increasing or decreasing the value of the orthographic scale. For a perspective projection this setting has no effect.
Select the Manual spacing check box and enter
x spacing,
y spacing, and
z spacing values to control the grid spacing manually. Enter
Extra x,
Extra y, and
Extra z values directly or click the
Range button (
) as needed.