orbiting question

[Gus]

I like to use the orbit function in Perspective view in Archicad 13. Holding the shift key down and rotating the model. However, if it is a large model or a very long model it seems that orbiting is difficult because it makes the "focal" point of the orbit at the center of the model. Is there a way to change that "focal point" so the the model rotates around a point that I choose myself instead of around the default center of the model?

[Anonymous]

I have found this to be somewhat quirky. When it's working right (to my thinking) it will orbit around the center of the current view or the clicked location (I'm not sure which), other times it will orbit around the model center point. When I can't get it to behave as I want I use the marquee too to trim the 3D view down to manageable size.

[Erika Epstein]

View>3D navigation extras>Look to lets you set the focal point.
If you open the Classic 3D Navigation tool bar there is a button for this as well as Lock Target point and a few other useful moves.

Is this what you are looking for?

You can set shortcut keys for the ones you want.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Erika. I didn't know about those.

[Laszlo Nagy]

My understanding of how this works is this:
You need to pay attention to what is in the exact center of your 3D Window.
If there is an element, such as a Wall then the 3D Model is rotated around that point on the surface of that Wall which is in the center of the 3D Window.
In all other cases the model is rotated around the center of the 3d bounding box of the model.

You can check this.
Pan your model so a Wall on its left end is in the middle of the screen. Rotate, it will be rotated so that point of the surface of the Wall stay in place.
But pan the model to the right a little so there is no part of the building in the middle of the screen. The model will be rotated on the right, around the center of its 3d bounding box.