Moving Parts

You can move a part or parts that you select with the following modes or tools:

  • Free Drag

  • Translate

  • Rotate

  • Explode

Moving Parts Freely

The Free Drag mode allows you to freely move parts any directions.

To Move Parts Freely

  1. Click Free Drag from the Transform panel in the 3D Edit tab of the Ribbon.

  2. The mouse pointer changes to:

  3. Select one or more parts that you want to move.

When positioned for Free Drag, the mouse pointer changes to:

  1. Drag the selected parts to any space.

  2. To confirm the moved positions of the selected parts, do one of the following:

    • Click at blank area in view the viewport.

    • Press Esc key.

 

            

The Free Drag mode persists until you switch to another mode.

Translating Parts

The Translate mode allows you to move parts in 3D space.

  • When a part is selected, translation will be based on the local axes. Thus, that triad’s orientation may look different from that of the viewport’s triad.

 

        

  • When more than one parts are selected, translation will be based on the world axes.

     

                            

To Translate parts

  1. Click Translate from the Transform panel in the 3D Edit tab of the Ribbon.

  2. The mouse pointer changes to:

  3. Select one or more parts that you want to translate.

When positioned for Free Drag, the mouse pointer changes to:

  1. A triad control (X, Y, Z) and the extension lines from it appear.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To move the parts along an axis, drag on a triad control axis. As you drag, a tracing path line in light orange indicates the linear displacement.

                    

    • To move parts along a plane, drag a triad control web (the colored square region between two axes). As you drag, a tracing rectangle area indicates the linear plane displacement.

                       

  3. To confirm the moved positions of the selected parts, do one of the following:

    • Click at blank area in the viewport.

    • Press Esc key.

The Translate mode persists until you switch to another mode.

Rotating Parts

The Rotation mode allows you to rotate parts in 3D space.

  • When a part is selected, rotation will be based on the local axes. Thus, that triad’s orientation may look different from that of the viewport’s triad.

  • When more than one parts are selected, translation will be based on the world axes.

                          

To Rotate Parts

  1. Click Rotate from the Transform panel in the 3D Edit tab of the Ribbon.

  2. The mouse pointer changes to:

  3. Select one or more parts that you want to rotate.

When positioned for Free Drag, the mouse pointer changes to:

  1. The Rotate controls (X, Y, Z) appear.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To rotate parts along an axis, drag a Rotate arc. As you drag, a tracing curve path indicates in light orange.

                         

    • To rotate freely (in any direction), drag the center control.

               

  3. To confirm the rotated positions of the selected parts, do one of the following:

    • Click empty area in the 3D model view window.

    • Press Esc key.

The Rotate mode persists until you switch to another mode.

 

List of Move Mouse Pointers

Here is the list of the mouse pointers for various navigation states.

Pointer

Tool/Mode

Free Drag

Free Drag ready

Translate

Translate ready

Rotate

Rotate ready