Navigation in Modo

Summary

This tutorial video guides viewers on 3D navigation in a motion graphics software. It covers adding objects, such as a box, to an empty scene and navigating 3D space using Alt for rotation, Alt+Shift for panning, and Alt+Ctrl for zooming. The instructor emphasizes the importance of using a mouse or tablet with multiple click functions for ease of use. The video also provides practice tips, such as using the 'A' key to reset the view and focusing on comfort with 3D space, which is crucial for tasks like modeling wings on a character.

Takeaways

• 📌 The video is about teaching navigation within a 3D environment, specifically focusing on viewing objects in 3D space.
• 🔍 To start, one must add an object to an empty scene in the 3D software, as an empty scene only contains a default empty mesh.
• 🎯 Holding the Control key and clicking adds a new object, such as a box, to the scene.
• 👀 To navigate and view the object from different angles, hold the Alt key and left-click and drag to rotate around the object.
• 🔄 Panning is done by holding Alt and Shift, then left-clicking and dragging to move the view left, right, up, and down without moving the 3D geometry.
• 🔍 Zooming in and out is achieved by holding Alt and Ctrl, then left-clicking and moving the mouse right and left.
• 💡 It's recommended to keep the index finger on the Alt key and use the middle or ring finger to alternate between Shift and Ctrl for efficient navigation.
• 🖱️ Having a mouse or tablet with at least left, middle, and right-click functionality is essential for 3D navigation.
• 🛠️ Practice is key to becoming comfortable with 3D navigation, so the video suggests using a provided 3D file for practice.
• 🔑 The 'A' key is a quick way to reset the view to focus on the entire object in the scene, which can be helpful after zooming in on specific parts.
• 🔄 After practicing, one should feel comfortable zooming in on different parts of the object, such as the face, hands, feet, and ears, and rotating around them.
• 🔄 If the rotation feels off, using the 'A' key to reset the view can help to re-center and continue navigating comfortably.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how to navigate and view objects in 3D space using a software application, presumably a 3D modeling tool.

What is the first step to start working with an object in the video?

The first step is to add an object to the scene, which is done by holding the control key and left-clicking on the object to be added, such as a box.

How can you rotate around an object in 3D space?

To rotate around an object, hold the Alt key and left-click and drag the mouse to view the object from different angles.

What is the term for moving the view left, right, up, and down without moving the 3D geometry?

This action is called panning.

How do you pan the view in the 3D space?

To pan, hold the Alt key and Shift key, then left-click and drag the mouse to move the view in any direction.

What is the process for zooming in and out of the 3D view?

To zoom in and out, hold the Alt key and Ctrl key, left-click, and move the mouse right and left.

Why is it recommended to have a mouse with at least three buttons or a tablet with similar functionality?

Having access to left-click, middle-click, and right-click is important for efficiently navigating and manipulating objects in 3D space.

What is the purpose of the 'A' key in the context of the video?

The 'A' key is used to align the camera with the entire object in the scene, which can help reset the view when it feels off-center.

What is the recommended practice for getting comfortable with 3D navigation?

The recommended practice is to zoom in on different parts of an object, such as the face, hands, feet, and rotate and pan around them to get a feel for 3D movement.

What is the alternative to using the 'A' key for resetting the view?

The alternative is to use the 'Fit' option under the 'View' menu, which zooms out and centers the camera on the entire scene.

What is the significance of practicing these navigation hotkeys?

Practicing these hotkeys helps users become comfortable with navigating in 3D space, which is essential for tasks such as modeling and positioning objects.

Outlines

00:00

📐 Understanding 3D Navigation in Moto

This paragraph introduces the basics of navigating within a 3D environment using Moto. The instructor explains how to add objects to a scene, starting with an empty canvas, and then demonstrates how to manipulate the view by rotating around the object using the Alt key, panning the perspective with Alt and Shift, and zooming in and out using Alt and Ctrl. The importance of having a mouse or tablet with multiple click functions is emphasized for ease of navigation. The instructor also suggests practicing with a provided 3D file to get comfortable with these navigation techniques.

05:03

🔄 Mastering 3D Space Navigation Techniques

The second paragraph focuses on overcoming the challenge of discomfort with navigating in 3D space. The instructor encourages students to practice using the navigation hotkeys to become proficient in rotating, panning, and zooming within a 3D scene. The 'A' key is highlighted as a quick way to reset the camera to focus on the entire object. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation to practice zooming in on different parts of a model, such as the face, hands, and feet, to gain a better understanding of 3D space and improve navigation skills.

Keywords

💡Navigation

Navigation in the context of the video refers to the process of moving and viewing objects within a 3D space using specific keyboard and mouse controls. It is central to the video's theme as it is the primary method for interacting with and manipulating 3D objects in the software. The script mentions using the Alt key to rotate around the object, which is a fundamental navigation technique.

💡Empty C

An 'Empty C' in the script represents a starting point in the 3D software, where no objects are present initially. It is a basic concept in 3D modeling that signifies a scene with only a default camera and no other objects. The video's theme revolves around adding objects to this empty scene and then navigating around them.

💡3D Object

A '3D Object' is a digital representation of a real-world object in three dimensions. In the video, the script discusses adding a box to the scene, which is a simple 3D object. The entire video is focused on how to navigate and interact with such objects within a 3D space.

💡Panning

Panning is the action of moving the camera's perspective left, right, up, and down without moving the 3D geometry itself. It is a key concept in the video, as it allows the user to change their viewpoint around the 3D object. The script describes how to pan by holding the Alt and Shift keys and dragging the mouse.

💡Zooming

Zooming in and out is the process of changing the magnification level of the view, making objects appear larger or smaller. In the video, this is achieved by holding the Alt and Ctrl keys and moving the mouse. It is an essential part of the navigation process, allowing for detailed inspection of the 3D object.

💡Hotkeys

Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts that allow for quick and efficient access to specific functions within software. The video emphasizes the importance of learning hotkeys for navigation, such as Alt for rotating and Alt+Shift for panning, to improve workflow in 3D modeling.

💡Middle Click

The 'Middle Click' is a mouse action that is often used for additional navigational purposes, such as resetting the view in 3D software. The script mentions the importance of having a mouse with a middle click or a tablet set up to emulate it for effective navigation.

💡Practice

Practice is highlighted in the script as a key method for becoming comfortable with navigating in 3D space. The video encourages viewers to practice rotating, panning, and zooming on different parts of a 3D object to gain proficiency with the navigation hotkeys.

💡Reset

Resetting in the context of the video refers to returning the camera view to a default position, often centered on the entire object in the scene. The script mentions using the 'A' key to reset the view, which is crucial for reorienting after detailed inspections of specific parts of the 3D object.

💡3D Space

3D Space is the virtual environment where 3D objects exist and can be manipulated. The entire video is about becoming comfortable and proficient in navigating this space. The script uses the term to describe the area where users should practice their navigation skills.

💡Wacom Tablet

A Wacom Tablet is a type of graphics tablet that is often used for digital art and 3D modeling. The script mentions it as an alternative to a mouse for navigation in 3D software, emphasizing the importance of having a device that can emulate left, middle, and right mouse clicks.

Highlights

Introduction to navigation in 3D space within a motion graphics software.

Starting with an empty scene and adding a 3D object using the control key.

Basic navigation involves rotating around an object using the Alt key and mouse drag.

Panning the view without moving the 3D geometry by holding Alt and Shift with left click drag.

Zooming in and out by holding Alt and Ctrl while moving the mouse left and right.

Recommendation to use a mouse or tablet with at least left, middle, and right click functionality.

The importance of adjusting the tablet settings for better navigation experience.

Practice file 'navigation practice' provided for hands-on experience with 3D navigation.

Technique to reset the camera view to the center of the object using the 'A' key.

The necessity of becoming comfortable with navigating in 3D space for various modeling tasks.

Exercise to zoom in on different parts of the object to understand rotation and panning.

Tips on resetting the rotation point when it feels off using the 'A' key.

Importance of practicing navigation hotkeys for efficiency in 3D modeling.

Alternative method to zoom out using the 'View' menu and 'Fit' option.

Summary of navigation hotkeys: Alt for rotation, Alt + Shift for panning, Alt + Ctrl for zooming.

Encouragement to practice until comfortable with 3D navigation for better modeling outcomes.

Transcripts

so in this video we're gonna be covering

how navigation works inside a moto and

when I say navigation I mean looking at

our object in 3d so right now we don't

have an object so we need to add once

right now we have an empty C and this is

just what would happen if you start it

up moto you can see this little guy is

dark so it's selected it's an empty mesh

so if I hold the control key and tap

left click on this box it's gonna add a

box to my scene so I can left-click

it'll get rid of those yellow lines

again I just left clicked on the

background anywhere so now what we want

to do is start looking at our object in

3d so to do this you can hold the Alt

key and then left click and hold and

then drag around well that's going to do

is let you rotate around your object and

see it from all angles so the next thing

that you're going to want to do is to be

able to kind of move things left and

right so that's called panning so again

we're kind of panning the perspective

camera we're not actually moving the 3d

geometry so to do that we hold alt we

hold shift and then we left click and

drag and that lets us pan things left

right up and down and then lastly what

we're going to go over is zooming in and

out so to do that you hold alt you hold

ctrl so again alt + ctrl or held at the

same time you left-click and you move

your mouse right and left and just like

Photoshop that'll zoom in and out so

again if you kind of look at those three

operations its Alt alt + Shift + Alt +

ctrl so usually your best bet is to have

something like your index finger on alt

at all times and then something like

your middle finger or your ring finger

accommodation of the two and have that

kind of dance between the Shift key and

the ctrl key that's gonna feel a little

weird at first but again this is

something I highly recommend you kind of

get the hang of because you're going to

be doing it so much throughout this

semester so real quick I wanted to

mention that at this point you should

probably have either a mouse with left

click middle click and right click or a

tablet that's set up to have a left

click middle click and right click

because again having access to middle

click

left click is going to be really

important trying to do this on a

trackpad I've seen multiple times in the

past students that just struggle because

they refuse to get a mouse or Mouse or a

tablet the other thing I just want to

point out is usually if you use a Wacom

tablet for example the second record

button is usually set to be a double

click instead of middle click normally

you can just double tap to get do a

double click so you really don't need

that to be its own button so again I

recommend setting that double click

button to a middle click button inside a

Google Drive you'll find a 3d file

called navigation practice and it's just

gonna contain this guy because again

rotating around a box can get kind of

boring so what I want you to do is

practice navigating zoom in on this face

look at that zoom out zoom in on his

hand

try to rotate around that and just kind

of get a feel for what's happening as

you're moving panning around zooming in

and out because after a while it's gonna

feel like your rotation point is a

little bit off so now if I try to rotate

kind of around his hand its rotating in

a weird way

so just practicing this you kind of get

the hang of moving around and getting a

feel for 3d in general so just two

really really quick hotkeys that I want

you to kind of remember would be the a

key what that's gonna do a is an apple

is it's gonna resume in on your entire

object in the scene

so if i zoom all the way on like on his

thigh I hit the a key it's gonna zoom

and recenter the camera so now when I

rotate background zoom back in pan

around and then i zoom out start moving

around what it's gonna do is it's going

to kind of reset everything and make it

to where I can kind of rotate freely

again because after a while it's gonna

start feeling a little bit weird you can

see now it's kind of rotating around

this point if I hit the a key now it'll

start rotating around his center mass

again so kind of what I want you to do

just as a exercise just do this long

enough until you're comfortable in 3d

space is kind of zoom in on kind of the

five different kind of target areas of

him

so his face his hand foot foot other

hand so zoom in look at his ear look at

his other ear rotate her under the back

of his head the top of his head zoom out

zoom all the way out then zoom into his

hand and now when I start rotating

around its gonna feel a little bit weird

so what I can do is hit a door reset now

I can zoom in on his hand rotate around

and start panning until that feels kind

of good

zoom out try to do it to his foot if I

start rotating around and it feels a

little bit weird just hit that a key

it'll zoom you back out and then zoom

back in on his foot and rotate around I

just want you to kind of zoom in on all

these places maybe look at his

individual toes bottom of his feet zoom

out go back to this hand this seems like

a silly exercise but really the biggest

hurdle again that I see students have is

they're just not comfortable rotating

around in 3d space so when I say Oh

model out a set of wings for him

I'll see students that have just really

struggled zoom around to his back zoom

in pan over and just get a good shot so

they can start working on his back and

making wings or whatever

so again just practice these navigation

hotkeys they should help you out quite a

bit the other thing again the a is an

apple is to zoom out if you don't like

hotkeys under view right here they have

fit also you can you set view fit all

and that'll do that same thing

clunk it just zooms right in so that

should hopefully help out quite a bit

so again just listing off those hotkeys

again alt left click rotates around alt

and shift at the same time hands up down

left right alt control left right kind

of zooms in and out