When working with parts, sheet metal parts, assemblies or 2D drawings, it is often necessary to view the model from a different perspective on the screen. This can be quickly done with the mouse, keyboard keys, or buttons in the ribbons or toolbar menus. 

While not required, it is extremely inefficient to use Alibre Design without a mouse.

Note: Mouse interactions are customizable, and the items below represent the default configuration. If you use other software with different interaction, you can change Alibre Design's interaction to match it to make it easier. To do so, go to Home Window > Utilities Tab > System Options and choose Mouse Interaction from the options tree:

Mouse Interaction

Rotate View

In a workspace (except a 2D Drawing and a BOM), rotating the workspace allows you to view model from a different angle; the easiest way is to press and hold the left and right mouse buttons (this action is called chording) and move the mouse cursor. Alternatively, the Rotate tool can be selected from the View Orientation group.

Zoom View

Zooming increases or decreases the magnification of the view (except in a BOM). Zooming is mouse-centric, meaning that the zoom action will zoom in towards the location of the mouse cursor. To zoom in, push your finger on the scroll mouse wheel away from you, to zoom out, pull your finger on the scroll mouse wheel towards you.

Pan View

Panning scrolls horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across a workspace (except in a BOM) to view a different portion of the design without changing its magnification. To pan the view with your mouse, push and hold your finger on the scroll mouse wheel and move mouse cursor in the workspace.