Gyroscope in 3d sketch mode

[Elrick]

Helo. Some questions regarding the gyroscope and view manipulation. I started using this tool when making guide curves for the lofts -- http://www.alibre.com/2012/easy.asp#gyro -- I actually need to rotate the camera around an axis every here and there. Because when, for instance, you look at a circle from the side it appears to be one line. And in 3d sketch mode when you click on the circle' geometry in side view it sometimes picks the geometry furthest away from the screen and not the closest as needed. I know the function werent designed for this purpose but it helps a lot to place guide curves in a straight line between closed profiles! One simple question, how do you choose a different axis to rotate around? And Im curious to know if there is another way to move the camera angle around an axis parameticaly? (apart from creating a plane and using "orient to sketch plane"). When I use this I click on the gyro and immediately press esc 1 time to make it stop. Then continue to place the intersection points, avoiding to place them on the wrong side of the profile. If there was a way to rotate the camera angle around an axis parametrically (using the required/desired angle) it would simplify lofting and open new drawing styles.

Cant find gyroscope in help?

Good day

 

[TylerDurden]

Howdy,

Try Shift-Arrow (up,down, left, right)... that should rotate the view in small increments along the viewport X or Y axes. (not sure how many degrees)

 

[Elrick]

Hi Tyler. Thank you!! This makes things a bit easier! Would be nice with parameters and different axes though.

 

[Ralf]

Hi Elrick,

Just an add. hint.
Be careful, because:
65 Steps are less than 360° but 66 Steps are more than 360°
Increment should be divisible by 360°, example: 360°/ 72 steps = 5°

 

[TylerDurden]

Indeed, increments of x-degrees would be nice... a user defined value for rotation per keystroke would be extra nice.

The keystrokes for view rotation don't seem to be documented, but there is some information on setting custom rotation points in the Help menu.

 

[Jimpulse]

I'm not sure if this will help in your situation, but if you select the ROTATE tool from the menu then and AXIS or EDGE selected with the left mouse button will become the axis of rotation while dragging. This works for circular edges as well.

I dont like the loss of focus that occurs when going to a menu for commands.... the obvious thing to do for such a command would then be to set up a hot key. For this case I attempted to assign Ctrl-Shft-R. But it did not seem to "take".

I cannot imagine using this rotation method while creating guide curves in 3D sketch will play out well but I could be wrong.

Let us know how well it works.


Edit: I just tried it in sketch mode...It causes a loss of focus on the sketch command. It might still have some benefit for some folks


-jimpulse

 

[Elrick]

Thanks for sharing gents! What I also had in mind, but it might get complicated, is to find/make a way to move the nodes placed in a spline parralalel to the camera/screen and perpendecular. Towards and away from the screen. Moving nodes in a 3d spline are limited to the three default sketch planes. And not a very easy task to find the perferct curvature when you need make changes to a spline which arent parralel to any of these default planes. Sorta like trying to put a steering wheel on a train which are limited to forward and backward. Any one familiar with this sort of modeling?