View

This command displays a sub-menu allowing you to change the way you are looking at the model.  Normally you are looking at the model in Top or Plan View (ie a plan view orientation).  Here you can alter the view to look at the roof from the front, right hand side or even isometric.

You can see the name of the current view in the status line at the bottom of the graphics area.

Select View

Here you can select the new view.  Preset options include Top View, Front View, Right View, Isometric View and Perspective View.  You may need to select Zoom Fit to fit the model onto the screen.  The name of this view then appears in the status line at the bottom of the screen.   After clicking the view name and clicking [OK], the orientation of the model on-screen changes to suit.

Reset View

Reset View resets the current view to a standard view, after you have moved it or spun it around and you can’t figure out where you should be in 3D space.

It may be necessry to enter a new Plot Scale [View > Plot Scale] as view reset may drop you back to a scale of 1:100 where your model might be best viewed at say 1:200.

Spin View of Roof

You can dynamically spin the model with this command. You should have already selected Iso view with View Select Iso.   After selecting Spin, you are then prompted to locate a point to rotate about, followed by an incremental angle.  The smaller the angle, the slower the rotation will be.

Then, the model is rotated about the selected point. To stop the rotation, click the right mouse button or the space bar on the keyboard.

Note that this function is largely made redundent by the ability to hold down the middle mouse button and dynamically rotate the model.

 

Single View / Four Views

Select the preset Four Views (Plan, Iso, Front and Right) to see the different elevations of the roof to verify the geometry against the drawings provided.  Single View takes you back to a single view from Four Views.

Split

The View Split command displays a sub-menu that allows the selection of single or multiple views to be concurrently displayed within the graphics area of the screen.

The options are one view, two views (in either horizontal or vertical positions) and four views. The relative size of each multiple view can be automatically or manually determined.

One
Allows the display of only one view within the graphics area of the screen.
The view displayed is the view that displays in the top left hand section of the graphics area when four views are selected.

Ver
Allows the display of two views split with a vertical borderline within the graphics area.
The borderline is positioned by selecting a point location within the graphics area of the screen, hence determining the window extents for each view.
The view displayed in the left section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Hor
Allows the display of two views split with a horizontal borderline within the graphics area.
The borderline is positioned by selecting a point location within the graphics area of the screen, hence determining the window extents for each view.
The view displayed in the top section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Four
Allows the display of four views split with vertical and horizontal borderlines within the graphics area.
The borderlines are positioned by selecting a point location (defining the intersection point of the borderlines), within the graphics area of the screen, hence determining the window extents for each view.  The view displayed in the top left section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Ver-Cen
Allows the display of two views split with a centrally positioned vertical borderline within the graphics area.
The borderline cannot be repositioned using this command.  The view displayed in the left section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Hor-Cen
Allows the display of two views split with a centrally positioned horizontal borderline, within the graphics area.
The borderline cannot be repositioned using this command.  The view displayed in the top section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Four-Cen
Allows the display of four views split with centrally positioned vertical and horizontal borderlines within the graphics area.
The borderlines cannot be repositioned using this command.   The view displayed in the top left section is the view that displays when only one view is selected.

Plot Scale

The size of the dimensions and text on a model are usually plot scale dependent. It presents the dimensions and text on the model as they would appear when printed at the selected plot scale.  That means, the smaller the plot scale, the smaller the dimension text will be on screen.

To view the dimensions on screen, make sure the plot screen setting is suitable (perhaps 1:200 for larger commercial jobs, 1:100 for residential).
You can change the plot scale by selecting View > Plot-Scale and setting the required scale factor:

It also effects the size of other annotation on your model such as panel lengths etc.

Plot scale of 1:100 –

Plot scale of 1:150 –

 

Shaded

This command allows you to do a normal render without textures.  Simply click [OK] to the dialog that appears and you are done.

Lines Hidden

This command allows you to hide any lines that would appear “behind” any other planes.

Add Hide Lines

This command allows you to add any visible lines representing edges, to the Shaded image.

Insert Roof  Grid

This function provides a tool to insert a control grid on the roof model, as an aid to the placement of roof fixtures and fittings such as solar panels, vents and plumbing.  Set the grid spacing and the reference line colour, style and weight to suit the needs of the project and select [OK].  the grid is drawn on the model.

The grid may be turned on and off as required without deleting it [Show/Hide Roof Grid].

The Roof Grid may be realigned to certain features or edges of a roof [Realign Roof Grid].

Set Screen Grid

Sets the default snap grid on screen.

 

---