Topic Title

I am attempting to learn a bit of 3D stuff and I can't help but think that the Left and Right projection icons on the projection pad are the wrong way around. When I draw a cube and put a cone on the front elevation to represent a nose on a face and view it from left and right the elevation do not match to the icon buttons on the projection pad. I have learn to ignore the picture on these buttons for the time being, but this was a major source of confusion to someone starting to learn 3D. Can anyone confirm this or am I misunderstanding something very basic.

Also when using edit plane how do I make the working plane parallel to an angled object. This works fine when within one of the angled snap divisions (every 15 degrees) but seems very trick to align it to a line when the line is in-between angled snap divisions.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Regards.

Bruce.

Hi, Bruce -

I believe that the icons will be reversed in DC 12.

Thanks for the reply Alan, I thought something was amiss with those icons.

I have just discovered the advantages of plane snapping, Once you read the manual, everything becomes clear.

Thanks again

Bruce.

Plane snap is the best way to do a lot of 3d. I use it all the time.

I can't help but think that the Left and Right projection icons on the projection pad are the wrong way around.

Agreed. The solution to this dopey state of affairs is to go to the views menu then toolbars and then uncheck "projection pad" to get rid of that stupid bald guy altogether. You may then check "projction" in the classic desktop section at the bottom. This allows you to revert to the old system where left means left and right means right - something we can all understand.

Although I believe I can take credit for this restoration of sanity, I can't recall when it happened. Just make sure you have the latest version.
11.08.01

The key to understanding the bald-headed guy is to realize that you're looking at a head. The view is not where the head is looking but what you are seeing when you look at the head.

Personally, I don't use it. I just noticed what they were doing.

It may also be the dreaded "First-Plane" vs. "Third-Plane" drafting-conventions. Americans and Europeans are trained in two different ways of projecting a three-dimensional object drawn in two-dimensions....and it's very confusing and disorienting. Much is backwards if trained in the opposing system. "Two peoples divided by a common language..."

Wikipedia has an explaination that I can barely follow, and I've been doing technical drafting for over thirty-years. I do know that the Britsh and the Americans had an awful-time of it sharing blueprints during WW2. When Packard was sent the blueprints for the Rolls-Royce Merlin, they had to find draftsmen who understood both systems to completely re-draw the blueprints from blank-paper before even considering manufacturing Packard-Merlin copies. And you thought "metric" was confusing.