Navigate in viewports

Navigation is accomplished using a camera and target metaphor. The camera and target can be visualized with the Camera command.

The viewport title has some special functions for manipulating the viewport.

Click the title to make the viewport active without disturbing the view.
Drag the viewport title to move the viewport.
Double-click the viewport title to maximize the viewport. Double-click again to restore the size to normal.

Viewport projection

Viewports can have one of three projections: parallel, perspective or two-point perspective.

Right mouse navigation works differently in the two viewport styles. In parallel views, right mouse dragging pans the view. In perspective views, right-mouse dragging rotates the view. In the usual four-viewport layout, there are three parallel viewports and one perspective viewport.

Parallel

Parallel views are also called orthogonal views in some systems. In a parallel view, all the grid lines are parallel to each other, and identical objects look the same size, regardless of where they are in space.

Parallel projection.

Perspective

In a perspective view, grid lines converge to a vanishing point. This provides the illusion of depth in the viewport. Perspective projection makes objects farther away look smaller.

Perspective projection.

Viewport navigation

Rhino’s easy navigation helps you to visualize your model.

The simplest way to change the view is to drag the mouse with right button held down. This pans the view in parallel views and rotates the view in perspective views.

You can change your view in the middle of a command to see precisely where you want to select an object or choose a point.