NVil Forum

General Category => Community Help => Topic started by: Tiles on November 16, 2012, 07:08:42 pm

Title: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: Tiles on November 16, 2012, 07:08:42 pm

Still busy with the User Toolbar, and from time to time i stumble across buttons where i cannot find out what they do and how they work. The Perpendicular to Workplane Tool is such a tool. No matter in what mode i am no matter what i have selected, it does nothing.

What does the Perpendicular to Workplane Tool do? And how does it work?

Title: Re: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: IStonia on November 16, 2012, 07:26:39 pm

It is a view tool. It aligns camera direction to workplane's normal. So make sure the workplane is visible and locked when execute.

Title: Re: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: Tiles on November 16, 2012, 07:57:31 pm

Thanks iStonia, but i still don`t get it, sorry.

The workplane is visible. I have the Lock Unlock Workplane button where i click at. (This theoretically should lock or unlock the workplane, but i have no visual feedback here, so i cannot say if it is locked or not). But no matter what i do, i don`t get a reaction when i click the Perpendicular to Workplane Tool. The camera direction doesn`t change. I tried different view modes too. No reactions.

I obviously miss something. Could you be so kind and explain it step by step what i have to do?

Another idea, is it by chance one of those tools that cannot be executed from the User Toolbars?

Title: Re: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: steve on November 16, 2012, 08:22:10 pm

By default, you will only see the "Floor Grid". The "Perpendicular to Workplane" only works on the Workplane.

Enable the workplane (Edit > Workplane > Visible"). You can then use the "Perpendicular to Workplane" which will make the view look down (perpendicular) onto the workplane.

Title: Re: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: IStonia on November 16, 2012, 09:28:07 pm

Method 1

1. Edit > Workplane > Visible.
2. Edit > Workplane > Lock/Unlock.
3. Geometry > Create > Workplane. This will open the workplane manipulate tool.
4. Use manipulator to change workplane position and pose.
5. Execute 'Perpendicular to Workplane'. The camera direction should change and the carmera's up-vector will also change to workplane's normal.
6. To restore camera's up-vector, View > Reset Camera Up-Vector.

Method 2.

1. Create a sphere.
2. Goto polygon mode and select some polygons.
3. Edit > Workplane > Align To Selection. This will make the workplane both visible and locked.

Title: Re: Perpendicular to workplane?
Post by: Tiles on November 17, 2012, 08:32:41 am

Ah, now i see my mistake. And see. I thought the ground grid is the workplane. Got it working now, thanks to your description. Merci :)