Page 176 - Mastering SolidWorks

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ManipUlating the VieW 145

When you’re rotating the model view with the MMB, the view can easily get into a state
where it’s hard to see. Using the Rotate About Scene Floor option, however, makes this easier.
Figure 5.2 shows this option in the RMB menu. You may see documentation that describes this as
“lock vertical axis,” but it does not do that. “Lock vertical axis” would be if the model were
sitting on a turntable going around. The Rotate About Scene Floor option seems to understand
which way is “up,” and it doesn’t allow the view to proceed in such a way that the model gets
turned upside down easily. It’s possibly more difficult to describe in writing than to just try
it—so just try it. You may agree that this should have been the default method for rotation.

Figure 5.2
Using the Rotate about
scene Floor option

To change the floor position or orientation, go to the DisplayManager tab of the
FeatureManager area, right-click Scene, and select Edit Scene. In the Floor panel, change the
setting in the Align Floor With selection box and select the appropriate plane or Bottom
View Plane.
As a caution, you may be prevented from accessing the Edit Scene PropertyManager if you
are using the Plain Viewport Background color (Tools ➢ Options ➢ Colors ➢ Background
Appearance). This uses System Options to determine the background for each document rather
than allowing each document to control its own background. To access the Scene options, you
have to change to Use Document Scene.

Using Mouse Gestures
Mouse gestures are an interface method that you can customize to do anything a SolidWorks
toolbar button can do, but by default, it controls view orientation. Figure 5.3 shows the default
configuration of the mouse gesture donut.
It may take a little time for you to get used to the mouse-gestures interface. It works best
when you understand what the commands are before you use them, so you can invoke the Top
View command in a single motion, without pausing to see where each command is located on