Review: Plumb View

Plumb View ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Rotates the view displayed on your computer screen in Modeling so that the view is plumb.
Plumb View does nothing if the view you are in is already plumb.
The tool is useful for those special situations such as when you Snap to Surface on a sloping member.

Why do a Plumb View ? So that tools like Rotate , Rotate X and Rotate Y behave in an intuitive manner.

Rotate behaves in an intuitive manner in a view that is plumb. For example, if the top flange of a beam is horizontal across your computer screen, Rotate while dragging the mouse pointer vertically should rotate the beam's top flange away from you so that the beam's web is shown. But in a non-plumb view, this is not what happens.

One way to get a non-plumb view: Snap to Surface on the top flange of a sloping beam. On most sloping beams, the view will be non-plumb. This means that if you Rotate and drag vertically the beam will shoot off in an unexpected direction and columns may look like they are upside-down.

To better see how Plumb View behaves on a non-plumb view, set the " Modeling animation duration " so that it shows the rotation of the camera that takes place when this operation is performed. Also observe the rotation that takes place when you Snap to Surface on a sloping member. Snap to Surface orients a member so that it is shown horizontally with its left end on your left.

To invoke Plumb View :

In Modeling ...

Method 1 : Click the Plumb View icon, which is pictured at the top of this page. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Navigate -- Navigation Mode ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).

Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Navigate > Plumb View .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Plumb View can also be configured to be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the lightning interface, this configuration is done using Customize Interface .