Score:1

FreeCAD on Ubuntu - how to rotate/pan?

cn flag

I just installed FreeCAD on Ubuntu 20.04 and opened a .stp file, which seems to be valid.

While attempting to work out how to rotate/pan, I found various pages upon Googleing (for example https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Manual:Navigating_in_the_3D_view) which list the usual suggestions one would expect (some combinations of left mouse button, Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and the Windows key). None of these work.

I recall something when using some other program about that Ubuntu preempts the use of certain key combinations which makes this type of functionality not work with some programs. Is there a way around this? For example in Google Maps holding Ctrl + left mouse button rotates as expected, the same as in Windows, so I know it's possible to make it work if the developers do certain things. Is there a way around this limitation in FreeCAD on Ubuntu or am I doing something wrong? FreeCAD isn't of much use if the view can't be rotated/panned.

24601 avatar
in flag
https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=29181
cdahms avatar
cn flag
I already tried holding Alt as that post stated, at least on Ubuntu 20.04 that has no effect
Score:1
cn flag

Actually this has nothing to do with Ubuntu.

Based on this site https://www.xsim.info/articles/FreeCAD/en-US/HowTo/Mouse-operation-setting.html with the default mouse 3D setting of CAD the pan and zoom actions involve pressing and holding the middle mouse button, which I find unintuitive.

As an alternative, go to Edit -> Preferences, then set 3D Navigation to Gesture:

enter image description here

Now holding the left mouse button will rotate and holding the right mouse button will pan (rolling the mouse wheel still zooms in/out) which I find much more intuitive.

C.S.Cameron avatar
cn flag
From Ask Ubuntu Help Center: Questions that you may ask: Running third-party applications on Ubuntu. This question and answer are fine and are helpful. I have avoided FreeCAD in the past because I could not find the Orbit icon, this answer changes everything for me. AutoCAD was the main reason I have kept Windows. Now to figure out how to import large 3D DWG files into FreeCAD.
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