4.2. Performing Transformations

It's easy to rotate, translate, and zoom the geometry displayed in the Graphics Window.

Note:  By default EnSight ships with the left mouse button defined to do the selected Transformation Actions (by default set to Rotate), the middle mouse button defined to do Rotations directly, the middle mouse button + Ctrl defined to do Translations directly, and the right mouse button (or rolling the mouse wheel) defined to do Zoom operations directly.

The assignment of operations to mouse buttons can be customized by the user.

Rotate Using the Mouse

OR

  1. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  2. Click and hold the middle mouse button and drag the mouse left and right. The model rotates about the screen vertical axis.

  3. Drag the mouse up and down. The model rotates about the screen horizontal axis.

  1. To redefine the left mouse button (if it has been changed to something else), select the Graphics Window Transforms icon and choose Rotate from the pulldown.

  2. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse left and right. The model rotates about the screen vertical axis.

  4. Drag the mouse up and down. The model rotates about the screen horizontal axis.

  5. Hold down Ctrl and move the mouse left and right. The model rotates about the screen perpendicular axis.

Translate Using the Mouse

OR

  1. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  2. Click and hold the middle mouse button + Ctrl and drag the mouse left and right. The model translates horizontally.

  3. Drag the mouse up and down. The model translates vertically.

  1. To redefine the left mouse button, select the Graphic Window Transform icon and choose Translate from the pulldown.

  2. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse left and right. The model translates horizontally.

  4. Drag the mouse up and down. The model translates vertically.

  5. Hold down Ctrl and move the mouse left and right. The model translates in and out along the axis perpendicular to the screen.

Zoom Using the Mouse

OR

  1. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  2. Click and hold the right mouse button and drag the mouse up or to the right. The camera zooms out.

  3. Drag the mouse down or to the left. The camera zooms in.

  4. Hold down Ctrl and move the mouse. The camera pans.

  1. To redefine the left mouse button, select the Graphic Window Transform icon and choose Zoom from the pulldown .

  2. Move the mouse pointer into the Graphics Window.

  3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse up or to the right. The camera zooms out.

  4. Drag the mouse down or to the left. The camera zooms in.

  5. Hold down Ctrl and move the mouse. The camera pans.

Note:  The zoom operation actually moves the virtual camera rather than moving the geometry.

See How To Rotate, Zoom, Translate, Scale (Help → How to manual...) for more information on model transformations.

At this point, you have probably transformed the model into a strange orientation. Before going on set the transformation mode back to Rotate then click on the Reinitialize View icon.

See How To Reset Tools and Viewports (Help → How to manual...) for more information on resetting transformations.

  1. Click Transformation editor... in the Transformation pulldown. This opens the Transformation Editor dialog in Global Transform mode.

  2. Select the Rotate icon in the Transformation Editor dialog.

  3. Select X Axis.

  4. Place the mouse pointer in the Increment field and triple-click the left mouse button to select the entire value 1.000000.

  5. Enter the value 22.5, then click the right arrow button. The model will be rotated precisely 22.5 degrees about the X axis (in either the negative or positive direction) when you click the arrow buttons.

  6. Grab the slider (click and hold the left mouse button) and drag left and right.

    Note:  The actual number of degrees rotated is printed above the slider thumb switch as it is moved.

    Experiment with the Transformation Editor – set Axis to other values or change the current action in the Transformation Control area to edit translation or scale. (If the model doesn't seem to move in the translate mode, increase the increment and limit, press Enter, and move the slider again.) When you are done:

  7. Click Close.

  8. Reinitialize all transformations by clicking the Reinitialize View icon as described above.