Why does it switch to isometric when I edit a sketch

james_harry

I prefer to use a more realistic perspective view when working with a model.  I can turn that on for viewing, but when I edit a sketch, it switches back to isometric but doesn't give me a choice in the view cube to turn on perspective.  This is a bit disruptive and would like it to keep the same mode across viewing and editing.

adamohern

I hate that too. I've spoken with The Powers That Be (wink wink, Scott), and I'm told that they think it needs to work that way.

The only way we can change it is to complain about it. So be sure to click the ? at the top-right in your Onshape document and click "feedback". From there you can complain and QA will put it in as an improvement request. Or, more accurately, they'll add your vote to my improvement request

james_harry

adamohern said:

I hate that too. I've spoken with The Powers That Be (wink wink, Scott), and I'm told that they think it needs to work that way.

Thanks.  I'm really not sure how people can work in iso all the time, but to each his own.  "... they think it needs to work that way."  Just wish they'd make it an environment option or at least remember the last setting, so each of us can determine which way it "needs" to work for us!  

NeilCooke

@james_harry - it's a very difficult problem to solve - ask SolidWorks (who have still not overcome the problem no matter how many times they've tried). I much prefer to press N in sketch to view the sketch "in 2D".

adamohern

It's only hard if you make it hard. If you don't worry about snapping I expect it would be quite do-able.

viru

@james_harry ,+1

adamohern

FWIW most people work in perspective mode in apps like Sketchup and Rhino, and both work quite well even with 3D snapping. I imagine this is why people are surprised that big bad MCAD apps like Onshape can't handle it, when such simple little cheap ones do just fine.

tom_scarince

Just a nitpick, but I think you mean perspective vs orthographic view modes. 

While perspective mode helps you see how something realistically looks, orthographic mode better shows you how the geometry actually is.  Suppose I'm looking normal to a plane at a face that's supposed to be perpendicular to the plane.  In ortho I can tell if it is, in perspective I can't. 

Likewise, when I'm referencing existing off-plane geometry in my sketch its going to project that geometry onto the plane orthographically.  Going to he hard to tell what I'm doing if I'm viewing in perspective mode.   

adamohern

tom_scarince said:
Going to he hard to tell what I'm doing if I'm viewing in perspective mode.   

Depends on what you're doing, and how it's implemented. In Rhino and (I think) Sketchup, leader lines are drawn to show how you're 3D snapping is working out for you in 3D space. Even MODO has decent snapping now, and all of it is done in perspective mode.

I actually prefer to work in parallel (i.e. orthographic) mode most of the time, and generally look normal to my sketch plane while I draw. Like you, I find this easiest to use for the kinds of things I'm doing.

That said, there are plenty of apps that allow people to work exclusively in perspective mode, and lots of situations where it's very helpful and intuitive to work that way.

Somebody above used SW as an example for why Onshape shouldn't bother with this issue. If SW is your benchmark for success, Thor be with you. I would hope you'd aim a bit higher.

NeilCooke

I only used SolidWorks as an example because I asked them for years to be able to do this (only for making marketing images, would never design this way) - they said too difficult can't be done. I'm not a developer so I had to take their word for it. 

Anyway, I 100% agree with Tom's sentiments.