The navigation cube can be used to generate six orthogonal and twenty isometric views of the layout space. You control the navigation cube with the mouse by clicking its faces, edges or corners. After each click the navigation cube rotates at the same time as the changing view of the layout space and additionally illustrates the currently set viewpoints in the layout space. The arrow buttons 
and 
to the right above the navigation cube allow further views of the layout space to be set.
Tip:
Alternatively to the operation of the navigation cube with the mouse described below, the different viewpoints and commands for the home view can also be set via shortcut keys. These settings are also available in the command group 3D viewpoint in the View tab of the ribbon.
Preconditions:
- You have opened a project.
- You have opened the layout space navigator and a layout space.
- The layout space contains a 3D object (or a 3D mounting layout).
- You have specified a home view for the navigation cube, for example the view "SE Isometric", in the user-specific settings.
Generating the home view
- In the opened layout space click the button
below the navigation cube to generate the home view of the navigation cube and the layout space specified in the settings. Alternatively, you can also use the shortcut key [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [8].
The navigation cube rotates in accordance with the view specified in the settings.
Generating orthogonal views
- Move the cursor with the mouse over one of the colored faces of the navigation cube. The face is highlighted in yellow.
- Click one of the faces. One of the orthogonal views of the layout space is generated. In the process you view the 3D object in the layout space from above, below, left, right, front or rear. With respect to the example figure above, you now view the navigation cube and the 3D object from the right. Small triangular buttons appear next to the edges of the navigation cube for each currently invisible face.
- Move the cursor over one of the buttons. The selected button is highlighted in yellow.
- Click one of the selected buttons. The view of the 3D object in the layout space and thus the viewpoint rotates clockwise or counterclockwise by 90° around the X, Y or Z axis. The view is aligned to the face to which the triangle points. With respect to the previous example, you now view the navigation cube and the 3D object from the rear.
Generating 45° views
- Move the cursor (for example, starting from an orthogonal view) to one of the edges of the navigation cube. The edge is highlighted in yellow.
- Click the edge. The edge is highlighted in yellow. The view in the layout space rotates or tilts by 45°, clockwise or counterclockwise. In the process you look from above, below, left, right, front or rear in this view at an edge of the navigation cube and at the 3D object in the layout space.
- Two small triangular buttons appear on the navigation cube that, depending on their position, point up and down or left and right to the rotation axis of the navigation cube.
- Move the cursor on one of the buttons. The edge is highlighted in yellow.
- Click the button if you want to generate an orthogonal view of the layout space again. The view is aligned to the face to which the triangle points. With respect to the previous example, you now view the navigation cube and the 3D object in the layout space from above.
Generating isometric views
- Move the cursor (for example starting from an orthogonal view) to a corner of the navigation cube. The corner is highlighted in yellow.
- Click the corner. As a result you generate one of the isometric views of the layout space. You now look again at the 3D object from one of the compass directions (southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest). With respect to the previous example, you now view the navigation cube and the 3D object from the northwest direction.
Rotating the view by 90° around the viewing axis
- Move the cursor to one of the arrow buttons or to the right above the navigation cube. The arrow button is highlighted in yellow.
- Click the arrow button pointing to the left. Regardless of the last view set, the entire layout space rotates by 90° to the left around the currently set viewing axis.
- Repeat the process with the arrow button pointing to the right. The entire layout space rotates correspondingly by 90° around the currently set viewing axis to the right.
See also