3D Rotate

The 3D Tools

3D Rotation Tools

Rotating a Symbol consists of the following 4 steps:

In Chief Architect:

1. Create an object which you wish to use as a symbol but which needs to be rotated before you can take full advantage of it. Slab-based objects are the quintessential example of the kind of object for which ChiefSymbols® 3D Rotate has been created, but you can rotate any object created in Chief, even walls and cabinets. Just keep in mind that “intelligent” objects in Chief lose their intelligence once they’ve been exported from Chief. You can’t rotate the faces that comprise a wall and expect to import them back into Chief as Chief wall objects. Examples of other objects which you may want to create in Chief and export for rotation are those made with Chief’s moulding tool, including objects created as 3D revolves (as explained in the tutorials at the ChiefSymbols® website).

2. Export a 3D model of the object(s) as a .dxf or .dwg file. To do this create a Camera View or Overview of the plan and use the File | Export | DWG/DXF 3D Model option from Chief’s File menu.

Now you need to select one of two 3D Rotate modes: “3D Rotate” or “Express Rotate”. “Express Rotate” has no options and will automatically rotate the object 90 degrees across the X axis. As an example, you can use this mode to “stand up” a slab-based object which is “lying down” in Chief. “3D Rotate” can handle rotation at any angle across any axis. This includes not only the X, Y, and Z axes, but also any other “custom” axis which can be defined by 2 points selected by the user.

Express Rotation:

In ChiefSymbols® 3D Rotate:

3. Open the appropriate .dxf or .dwg file in ChiefSymbols® 3D Rotate.

4. Choose Express Rotate from the toolbar, from the 3D Menu, by pressing F12, or by typing xr in the Command Line.

3D Rotate:

When rotating an object in 3D Rotate mode you can choose to rotate it across the X axis, the Y axis, the Z axis, or across a custom axis (“2P”) designated by two points which you select. To choose either the X, Y, or Z axis simply type in the appropriate letter and press the Enter key. To define a custom axis for the rotation enter “2”, “P”, or “2P”. When prompted by the program for the point around which rotation should occur, you may either enter coordinates (0,0,0 will be sufficient as the importation process back into Chief Architect will allow you to reposition the symbol at that time) or, if the desired rotation point is visible in Plan view, you may click at the appropriate point using Object Snap.

If using the “Define Custom Axis by Two Points” option the program will prompt you to designate the first of two points which defines the custom axis; after entering the coordinates for the first point and pressing the Enter key the program will prompt you for the coordinates of the second point. Each of these points must be typed into the command line in the following format:

x,y,z

where X represents the X coordinate of the point, Y represents the Y coordinate of the point, and Z represents the Z (“height”) of the point, such as: 0,-6,24

3. Open the appropriate .dxf or .dwg file in ChiefSymbols® 3D Rotate.

4. Choose “3D Rotate” from the toolbar, from the 3D Menu, by pressing the F7 key, or by typing r3 in the Command Line. Then, respond to the prompts which will appear in the Progress Bar and Prompt Box with the following information:

In the Command Line enter the axis around which you want the object(s) to be rotated and press Enter.

In the Command Line, enter all to rotate all entities, or drag a selection window on the screen to select the objects you want to rotate, and press Enter.

In the Command Line, enter the coordinates of the base point for rotation, or click on the base point and press Enter.

In the Command Line, enter the angle of rotation in degrees and press the Enter key.

After saving the file to lock in the changes you’ve made, your model is ready for importation back into Chief Architect as a custom symbol!

The Rotate View Tool

This tool allows you to change, in real time, the viewpoint from which you look at the screen objects. Its operation is extremely simple – just click on the screen and drag the cursor in the desired direction of rotation. While it may look as though the objects themselves are rotating, they’re not – you’re actually changing the location from which you’re look at the objects.

To use this tool:

Invoke the Rotate View tool from the menu by navigating to 3D > Rotate View, by clicking on the Rotate View toolbar button, by typing rv at the Command Line, or by typing Alt+3 V.

The cursor will now change to the Rotate View cursor (a curved, 4-arrowed cursor). To change the view, click with the left button and move the cursor in the desired direction. To terminate the operation, right click to return the cursor to its standard form. This tool may be used in any of the four display modes (wireframe, hidden line, shaded, or shaded with hidden lines).

At any point you can use the Zoom commands to zoom in or out on a particular area of the model and the view will remain the same. To start rotating again, however, make certain to invoke the command again.

Move Tool

The Move tool allows the user to position the object with respect to the origin point (the point where all three axes intercept, with coordinates 0,0,0). While you can instruct Chief to perform a reorientation operation by checking the “Reset Origin” box in the Create Symbol Wizard, the Chief Architect function will simply position an imported object so that, for most types of objects, the origin point will be at the object’s center along the X axis, at the object’s rear with respect to the Y axis, and at the object’s lowest point along the Z axis. Although this method will be effective for most objects, there are cases where the bottom of the object should not be at 0 with respect to the Z axis, or where the rear of the object should not be at 0 on the Y axis. A self-rimming sink, for example, needs to be positioned so that the bottom of the flange is at Z=0, as opposed to the bottom of the sink bowl being at z=0. A doorway should be positioned so that its front is at Y=0, not its rearmost point. The Move tool will allow any symbol to be brought into Chief so that it can be used as intended.