Mastering Orbit Keyboard Shortcuts in Autodesk 123d Design 'Autodesk 1233D Design Orbit Keyboard'

Introduction

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Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out with computer-aided design (CAD) software, learning the ins and outs of your chosen tool can make all the difference between completing projects on time and pulling hair out in frustration. Autodesk's popular 123d Design is no exception - packed as it is with powerful features designed to help you bring even the most complex ideas to life.

One such feature that many users may not be fully familiar with, however, is orbiting - the ability to rotate your view around a fixed point within an active document or scene. While there are certainly plenty of ways to achieve this effect using 123d Design's intuitive mouse controls alone (right-click + drag being just one example), those who prefer working more efficiently via keyboard shortcuts will be pleased to know that Autodesk has got them covered too!

In this article, we'll take a closer look at how you can master the art of orbiting in Autodesk 123d Design using nothing but your trusty old QWERTY keys. So without further ado - let's dive right in and explore the world of keyboard-driven design!

Getting Started

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Before diving headfirst into the nitty-gritties of keyboard shortcuts, it might be wise to quickly recap on how to access them within 123d Design itself.

1. Launch Autodesk 123d Design from your Applications/Start menu (depending upon operating system).

2. Once open, go to 'Help' > 'Keyboard Shortcuts...' or press Ctrl+? on Windows/Linux/Mac respectively.

3. In the resulting dialog box, navigate down through the various categories until you come across 'Viewing'.

4. Here you'll find several relevant options related specifically to orbiting - click once on any of these entries to toggle their corresponding keyboard shortcut ON/OFF.

Orbiting with Keyboard Shortkeys

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Now that we've covered the basics of accessing and enabling 123d Design's various keyboard shortcuts, let's move onto some more practical examples. Below are three key (pun intended!) hotkey combinations you'll want to commit to muscle memory if you plan on becoming a true orbiting master:

* Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow: This combination will cause your active view window to pan leftwards/rightwardly around its current center point - useful for quickly surveying large scenes or zoomed-in details.

* Shift+Wheel Up/Down (or Alt + Wheel Up/Down on Windows): Holding down the Shift key whilst rotating the mouse scroll wheel will toggle between zooming in/out respectively. If you're using a three-button mouse, holding both left and middle buttons simultaneously achieves similar results.

Tips & Tricks

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Here are some additional tips to help take your orbiting skills to the next level:

* Pressing Ctrl+Home (or Command + Home on Mac) will always bring your active view window back to its original home position - perfect for quickly centering yourself after getting lost in a sea of geometry.

* Holding down Shift while using any of the above-mentioned hotkeys allows you to orbit around the mouse cursor rather than the currently selected object(s).

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And there you have it folks! With these simple yet powerful keyboard shortcuts under your belt, navigating even the most complex 3D scenes in Autodesk's industry-standard 123d Design should be a breeze. Whether you're working on architectural models or intricate mechanical assemblies, mastering orbiting with just a few well-placed keystrokes can save hours upon hours of precious design time - so why wait? Grab your trusty mouse and get ready to take your CAD skills to the next level today!

Autodesk 123d design orbit keyboard