Weird orbiting point

[ethanbodnar]

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...

Operating system used: Mac Intel-based

[Barry Kelly]

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.

[ethanbodnar]

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? 

[Barry Kelly]

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@ethanbodnar wrote:

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

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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.

[ethanbodnar]

 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.

[Karl Ottenstein]

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 🙂

[Barry Kelly]

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@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. 

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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.

[ethanbodnar]

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.

[Barry Kelly]

I think Karl means 'Navigator Preview'

Barry.

[ethanbodnar]

Oh got it, thank you both!