How to Use the LookFrom Control in BricsCAD

Quick answer: The LookFrom control lets you switch between preset view orientations, orthographic views like Top or Front, and isometric angled views, without typing view commands. It displays in the top-right corner of the graphic screen by default. NAVVCUBEDISPLAY controls whether it displays at all, and USENEWLOOKFROM switches between the new and old versions of the control.

The New LookFrom Control

Inactive until the cursor hovers over it. Once active, you can drag or click it, roll the current view, jump to your drawing’s home view, or select one of the preset views directly.

• Click a face for a standard orthogonal view: Top, Left, Right, Front, Back, or Bottom.
• Click a corner for an angled view.
• Click and rotate the compass ring to interactively rotate the current drawing.

New Control Context Menu

Right-click the control for these options:

• UCS: World restores the WCS; New… runs the UCS command; UCS Manager… runs EXPUCS and opens the Drawing Explorer’s Coordinate Systems dialog.
• View: Home displays your saved home view (only available once you’ve set one); New… runs -VIEW; View Manager… runs VIEW and opens the Drawing Explorer’s Views dialog; Perspective sets perspective view mode; UCSORTHO sets the UCS to follow the current view, automatically switching the drawing plane to match; Activate Home View and Set Current View as Home let you jump to or redefine your home view.
• Visual Style: Visual Styles Manager… opens the Drawing Explorer’s Visual Styles dialog; UCS uses the current coordinate system as the control’s reference; WCS uses the World Coordinate System instead.
• Location: sets where the control sits on screen.
• Dismiss: closes the control. Edit NAVVCUBEDISPLAY to bring it back.

The Old LookFrom Control

Also inactive until hovered over. Instead of faces and corners, it’s built around triangle shapes: click one for a standard viewpoint (Top, Left, Right, Front, Back, Top Back Left, Top Back Right, Top Front Left, or Top Front Right, nine in total). Hovering shows a small green square, the relevant icon at the centre, and a tooltip naming the view below. Hold Ctrl while clicking a triangle to reach its corresponding Down viewpoint instead.

Old Control Context Menu

• UCS: World, New…, and UCS Manager…, the same as the new control.
• View: just New… and View Manager…, without the Home or Perspective options the new control has.
• Visual Style: Visual Styles Manager… only.
• Isometric Mode and Twist Mode: switches between the control’s two working modes.
• WCS / UCS: sets the reference coordinate system.
• Perspective: sets perspective view mode.
• LookFrom Settings…, Location, Dismiss: same as the new control.

Using Isometric Mode

For 3D work. Set it from the right-click menu, then:

1. Move the cursor to the control; it becomes active.
2. Hover over a view orientation; a chair icon at the centre rotates to preview that orientation.
3. Optionally hold Ctrl to look bottom-up.
4. Click to confirm; the view rotates to match.

Using Twist Mode

For 2D drafting. Rotates the current view around the screen’s Z-axis rather than changing viewpoint.

1. Move the cursor to the control; it becomes active.
2. Move to the control’s edge: the left half rotates counterclockwise, the right half clockwise, in steps of 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 135°, or 180°.
3. Click to rotate the view.
4. Optionally click again without moving the mouse to repeat the same rotation.
5. Optionally move to the centre and click to reset to an unrotated view.

Accessing LookFrom Settings

Either right-click the control and choose LookFrom Settings…, or run LOOKFROM and choose its Settings option.

View Transition Options

Three system variables control the animation when switching views:

• VTENABLE: turns animated transitions on or off, for zoom/pan and view rotation independently.
• VTDURATION: how long the transition animation lasts, in milliseconds.
• VTFPS: the minimum frame rate required for animation to play at all, 7 by default, meaning the redraw needs to take under roughly 143 milliseconds (1000 ÷ 7). If your computer can’t redraw that fast, no animation plays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I switch between the new and old LookFrom control? It’s set by the USENEWLOOKFROM system variable.

What’s the difference between Isometric mode and Twist mode? Isometric mode changes your viewpoint, which side of the model you’re looking from. Twist mode instead rotates the current view around the screen’s Z-axis without changing viewpoint, aimed at 2D drafting rather than 3D navigation.

I dismissed the LookFrom control by accident. How do I get it back? Edit the NAVVCUBEDISPLAY system variable.

Why doesn’t my view transition animate when I switch views? Check VTFPS. If your computer can’t redraw fast enough to hit the minimum frame rate it requires (7 by default), BricsCAD skips the animation rather than show a stuttering one.