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3D Viewer Navigation

3D Viewer Navigation

Section titled “3D Viewer Navigation”

The 3D viewer provides camera controls for exploring building models.

Mouse controls

Section titled “Mouse controls”

Orbit (rotate camera)

Section titled “Orbit (rotate camera)”

Rotate the camera around the model.

  • Left Mouse Button + Drag: Orbit the camera around the focal point
  • Camera rotates while maintaining distance from center

Pan (move camera)

Section titled “Pan (move camera)”

Move the camera horizontally and vertically.

  • Middle Mouse Button + Drag or Two-Finger Drag (trackpad): Pan the camera
  • Shifts the view without changing the viewing angle
  • Maintains the current zoom level

Zoom

Section titled “Zoom”

Adjust the camera distance.

  • Mouse Wheel Scroll Up: Zoom in (move camera closer)
  • Mouse Wheel Scroll Down: Zoom out (move camera farther)
  • Pinch Gesture (on trackpad): Zoom in/out
  • Zooming maintains the current focal point

Touch controls (mobile/tablet)

Section titled “Touch controls (mobile/tablet)”
  • One Finger Drag: Orbit camera
  • Two Finger Drag: Pan camera
  • Pinch: Zoom in/out
  • Double Tap: Focus on tapped element
Section titled “Navigation features”

Coordinate axes

Section titled “Coordinate axes”

The viewer displays coordinate axes to help with orientation:

  • X/Y/Z Axes: Show the spatial orientation of the 3D space
  • Visual Gizmo: Helps maintain spatial awareness while navigating

Distance labels

Section titled “Distance labels”

Distance measurements appear in specific contexts:

  • Edge Labels: Display length in meters when using certain tools
  • Automatic Scaling: Labels remain readable at any zoom level
  • Contextual Display: Shown when using measurement tools or editing element geometry

Viewer layout

Section titled “Viewer layout”

Three-panel interface

Section titled “Three-panel interface”

The 3D canvas is positioned in the center with supporting panels:

  • Left Panel: Story and room list showing building structure (Story → Room → Building Element)
  • Center Canvas: 3D viewport
  • Right Panel: Details and properties for selected elements

Focus controls

Section titled “Focus controls”
  • Click Element in Hierarchy: Camera focuses on that element in 3D view
  • Select in 3D View: Corresponding item highlights in hierarchy panel

Camera behavior

Section titled “Camera behavior”

The camera provides:

  • Smooth Damping: Natural momentum feel when rotating
  • Zoom Limits: Prevents zooming too close or too far
  • Target Lock: Camera always rotates around the current focus point

Limitations

Section titled “Limitations”
  • Limited keyboard shortcuts (ESC key dismisses active tools, but no navigation shortcuts)
  • No preset camera views (front, top, left, etc.)
  • No orthographic camera mode - perspective view only

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