You can use a graphic manipulator referred to as the 3D compass to perform a certain number of manipulations on certain objects created and managed by certain applications (for example, Product Structure, Assembly, FreeStyle Shaper, DMU Navigator, etc.). | |
You can also use the compass to manipulate viewpoint representations ("cameras") used to capture viewpoints and materials (in P2 mode using the Real Time Rendering application). | |
The 3D compass is always active. You can show and hide the compass by toggling the View > Compass command. Note that hiding the compass does not deactivate it. | |
The compass is displayed by default in the
top right corner of the document. The letters X, Y and Z represent the axes. The Z axis is the default orientation. The point close to the Z axis is the free rotation handle used for freely rotating the compass and the document's objects at the same time. The red square is the compass manipulation handle you use to drag the compass and place on objects to be manipulated. You can also rotate objects around this point. The base of the compass, the XY plane, is the privileged plane. This concept is not useful when simply using the Select command. It is only useful when using application commands that use manipulators which require working planes (for example, when creating planar patches or modifying control points using the FreeStyle Shaper). |
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What Can You Do With the 3D Compass?The 3D compass lets you:
If you are also using the Assembly Design application, which provides a number of advanced positioning tools, consider the 3D compass as a preliminary tool for positioning components in space prior to fine positioning of those components within the assembly. If you are using a space mouse, you can also manipulate the 3D compass when it is in the scene, otherwise the space mouse lets you manipulate the viewpoint. |
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Which Objects Are We Talking About?You can use the 3D compass to manipulate non-constrained objects, in other words, objects not linked together by constraints. However, you can manipulate groups of objects in assemblies which are linked to each other by constraints. |
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About Moving Objects with the CompassWhen you create a pad, for example, you create it from a sketch which itself is located in a fixed plane, either a reference plane or a plane you create. When you drag and drop the compass onto the pad (refer to Manipulating Objects Using the Mouse and Compass for more details), a message will inform you that certain elements in the pad are fixed (the plane from which the sketch was created), and therefore you cannot move the pad. If you right-click the sketch, then select Parent/Children, you see that the parent of the sketch is a fixed plane. You cannot move the pad until you have either isolated the fixed element (using the Isolate contextual command). |
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