topic Re: Weird orbiting point in Modeling

Weird orbiting point

ethanbodnar — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 05:10:34 GMT

Not sure how to explain this one. Normally most of the time, when orbiting it uses where you click your mouse as the reference point for what to orbit around. Here it seems to be swinging way far out, instead of orbiting like normal, almost like it’s orbiting on a different point, or orbiting around the project center almost?

Since you can't upload videos to this forum, you can watch my sreen recording here, https://file.notion.so/f/f/79d2a13f-5bbc-497e-a230-d0b375889a03/c36e6e43-1ea7-4305-9bc7-baec26bb8664/Weird_Zooming.mp4?id=56018a05-9eb4-4c46-8bb5-c1a622142ce1&table=block&spaceId=79d2a13f-5bbc-497e-a230-d0b375889a03&expirationTimestamp=1714435200000&signature=auFyAU3Je9Xc-oyDVKuCeHq89w_8wr4BnJYF8OSY8E8&downloadName=Weird+Zooming.mp4

Operating system used: Mac Intel-based

Re: Weird orbiting point

Barry Kelly — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 05:23:40 GMT

All of your problems seem to be related.

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Modeling/Very-slow-dragging-in-3D/m-p/601748#M171530

I can not see the project origin (x,y,z) in your video.

So I would assume you have modelled very far away from the origin?

Also try Axonometric 3D rather than Perspective.

Barry.

Re: Weird orbiting point

ethanbodnar — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 05:44:53 GMT

Oh thank you, they are related! I just tried drawing random wall in another project very far from Origin point, and it behaved the same.

Archicad official documentation does not indicate that the Origin in any way is related to this part of the 3d user interface. That needs to be updated. Also, I think it should please be a wish that you can just orbit and rotate freely wherever you want regardless of the Origin, that seems like a normal thing.

Setting the "User Origin" does not solve the issue. Your only option is to do all your work as close to the Origin point as possible?

Re: Weird orbiting point

Barry Kelly — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 06:04:22 GMT

@ethanbodnar wrote:

Your only option is to do all your work as close to the Origin point as possible?

Correct.

The user origin will not help.

All internal distance calculation are done from the Project Origin, and Archicad does not like it when these numbers become to large.

There is no reason not to model near the origin.

You can set a survey point if you need to link to other software and have the model in a 'real' location.

Barry.

Re: Weird orbiting point

ethanbodnar — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 18:17:32 GMT

So so many reasons to model elsewhere. It's an infinite 3d canvas for designing things. Modeling near the origin point is very prohibitive to the design process.

Some examples of when you're not modeling near the origin point.

If I'm working on a 2 acre estate project, where do you put the origin point? This means if I'm further out the interface is going to behave differently.
If I'm iterating and doing basic massing for the conceptual design phase, I've got a lot of little 3d sketches, and they all can't be close to the origin point.

Don't people design skyscrapers in Archicad, so the very top 100 floor behaves differently if the origin is at the bottom ground floor.

Re: Weird orbiting point

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 03:20:48 GMT

Your video shows you rotating with a perspective view. This will all depend on where the virtual 'camera' is placed relative to your model. If you turn on Navigator Preview you'll be able to both see this camera and its view cone... and drag it to where you want it.

When you view in an Axonometric view (which is typically way more useful for 3D modeling - vs visualization) - the center of rotation is the center of the mass that you're viewing. That mass can be everything, selected elements, or the elements contained in a thing (single story) or bold (multi story ) marquee. The Project Preview will look different here vs Perspective and you can rotate around what is viewed there by dragging the camera too... as well as with mouse / keyboard controls.

You can probably do everything you're used to in other 3D programs... just have to get used to the way Archicad does it 🙂

Re: Weird orbiting point

Barry Kelly — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 01:29:45 GMT

@ethanbodnar wrote:

So so many reasons to model elsewhere. It's an infinite 3d canvas for designing things. Modeling near the origin point is very prohibitive to the design process.

It may appear as an infinite canvas, but it is not.

The further away from the project origin you go, the larger the numbers get (co-ordinates for each point) and the more problems you will have.

There is no set maximum limit, but a 2 acre site or 100 storey building are fine.

If you have a lot of little 3D sketches, just spread them around, but stay as close to the origin as you can.

Barry.

Re: Weird orbiting point

ethanbodnar — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:29:49 GMT

Thanks Barry, makes sense now 🙂

Karl, interesting, thanks for sharing! What is Project Preview? The Archicad documentation says this is the preview image for the file systems, not related to cameras and orbiting. Maybe you're talking about the 3d Projection Settings? There I can see and move the camera I think.

For object very far away from origin just found out that in Perspective mode, if you select the object, then orbit you orbit around the object there which is nice. This does not work for Axonometry though.

Re: Weird orbiting point

Barry Kelly — Thu, 02 May 2024 02:30:39 GMT

I think Karl means 'Navigator Preview'

Barry.

Re: Weird orbiting point

ethanbodnar — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:48:18 GMT

Oh got it, thank you both!

Re: Weird orbiting point

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 03:23:15 GMT

Thanks Barry. Larger distance between brain and typing fingers the older I get. Brain somewhere off in space these days 😂

Re: Weird orbiting point

mthd — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 03:43:42 GMT

Speaking about space, @ethanbodnar, have you ever tried using a 3D Connexions space mouse for 3D navigation and orbit ? I do and they are very helpful to use.

Please watch this video demonstration by John from Contrabim on how smooth the space mouse work flow is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZCftsZ83pw

Re: Weird orbiting point

Zendrix — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 17:27:18 GMT

I was getting the same problem and, as an alternative to modeling near the origin, i think if you select a convenient object around the area you wanna orbit, this weird orbit chaning point shifts back to normal again. At least i got that result consistently after trying it like 10 times.

Cheers,

Re: Weird orbiting point

Jaime-airc_digital — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 20:45:20 GMT

I would also suggest that you use worksheets and the Trace function to deal with Sketches. It will give you a better way to organise them than layers, and also avoids placing drawings and not related linework directly in the plans (model space).

Re: Weird orbiting point

Lingwisyer — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 04:04:28 GMT

For an estate, I would probably centre it on the main entrance to the site. Usually I would centre the project on that, or the front of a key building. On the last large site project we did the site was modelled before any of that was determined, so I just had the origin at the bottom left. Might have been better to centre the whole lot. I think it was around 1km from the furthest end of the site, and I do not recall having any issues with panning, though this was a few years ago...