## Cameras, Scenes, and Sections Cuts ### Camera You can switch to a camera tool such as orbit, pan, or zoom while using a drawing tool. Once you have moved your camera, click the drawing tool and pick up where you left off. X-ray mode can be a good alternative to hiding surfaces. Show/Hide rest of model is something you probably want a shortcut for. This way you can quickly toggle between seeing only your current zone and the entire model. ### Scenes Scenes save camera views (one of many scene functions). Scenes can save the current Axes locations, layer settings, time of day, and active section cuts. Scenes only keep track of what you specify; for example, they can keep track of the layer settings, but not the camera view. This gives you a lot of control. If you have a view on the screen or model state that you may want again, save it as a scene. You can always get rid of it later. A screenshot of the Scene dialog box follows: (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) ### Section Cuts Using Section cuts is a good alternative to hiding geometry to see inside your model. To place a section, activate the section tool, and then drag around your model. The axis of the section cut will match the surface the cursor is over. If you have the angle you want, hold down the shift key to lock it in. Then drag the section cut over to the location you want, but maintain the current cut angle. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) If your section cut is at the top level, it will cut through your entire model: (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) If your section cut is nested in a group or component, it will cut only that object. The image below shows a nested section cut on the top floor at the right, and a global section cut at the left, cutting through multiple zones. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) You can have multiple section cuts. Only one can be active within any specific group, but you can toggle back and forth between extra section cuts. You get a nice effect by manually dragging an active section cut through your building. For example, you can get a glimpse inside all the floors by passing the section cut through your building. You can also quickly reverse a section cut via a contextual right-click. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL)
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