TIPAutoCAD Dynamic Viewing

I had read that AutoCAD 2007 has real-time 3D view movement, but I could never get it to work using this procedure:

1. Hold down the Shift key.
2. Hold down the middle mouse button (typically the scroll wheel on today's mice).
3. And then move the mouse.

This is a shortcut to the 3dOrbit command. You can use it during commands, or between commands, to shift around the 3D viewpoint.

While others were happily telling us to do the Shift-Middle mouse button to change the view, it never worked for me. All I got was AutoCAD trying to select objects. (For a nice introductory online video series on AutoCAD 2007 3D, check out CADclips.com.) I decided to investigate.

After trying a number of ideas, I wondered if the Logitech mouse driver might be involved. I always set the middle mouse button for double-click; might this be interfering? In the Mouse applet of the Control Panel, I changed the definition of the middle button to the generic "Middle Button."

It worked. Here are all the view changes possible with the middle mouse button-wheel:

* Realtime Pan -- drag mouse while holding down middle button (wheel).
* Joystick Pan -- drag while holding down Ctrl key and middle button. The scene moves around you.
* Realtime 3dOrbit -- drag while holding down Shift key and middle button. You move around the scene.

* Realtime Zoom -- roll the wheel.
* Zoom to Extents -- double-click the wheel.

(The difference between the two pans is that Realtime Pan is flat like the Pan command, while Joystick Pan [Autodesk's term] is curved like the 3dSwivel command.)

A problem, however: I can't use the middle button for double-clicking with a single click in other applications -- unless I get back into the mouse driver applet and change back the definition.

Comments

[Tracy Dyer]

I do have the 4th buttom. Have changed the settings on the cont. panel; reflects the type of mouse. Using Shift MMB or Shirt/Cont. MMB only runs the zoom out, I can't seem to run zoom in?

[Tracy Dyer]

Cant seem to make my wheel roller run the zoom in / zoom out in my Auto Cad 2000. Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Tracy Dyer
tracdyer@hotmail.com

Shift + MMB = Constrained Orbit
Shift + Ctrl + MMB = Free Orbit

Maybe you got a logitech mouse with a fourth, a thumb button? Worked for me.

Greetings
Wind