Before we start, make sure that you are using a 3 button mouse. If it has a scroll wheel on the middle mouse button this is OK. The scroll wheel can be used for zooming in ICEM Surf. My personal preference is for a 3 button mouse with the scroll wheel on the side.
Lets start by opening a model. Go to File-Open. At the Confirm window pick No as the current database is empty in any case. Now find the required project and database. Pick OK to open the database.
One way to rotate the view is to grab the model axes symbol. Grabbing the X axis with the left mouse button will allow you to rotate the view about the Z axis. Grabbing the Z axis with the left mouse button will allow you to rotate the view either about the X or the Y axis. Use the middle mouse button if you want to freely rotate the model.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel then you can use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out.
Note that the model axis symbol shows the direction of the model axes but is fixed in the window rather than fixed to the model.The model axes are the global axes system in which the model lies.
The convention in the automotive world is for model space X to be along the vehicle, Y across the vehicle and Z to be the vertical direction
In ICEM Surf there is also a screen axis system where X is horizontal, Y is vertical and Z is out of the screen
You can access standards views from the right hand side menu bar. The standard views are side, top, front and rear. As we hover over each icon pop-up help text appears. The icons show the position of the model axes when the view icon is picked. For example, by picking side view, we are now looking normal to XZ in model space.
If you want to view the whole model or if the model has disappeared off the screen then either click the automatic min/max icon or the function key F2. This will zoom out so that the whole model is visible. I usually refer to this as zoom view all or zoom all.
To return to the previous view use the function key F3.
To toggle between perspective and parallel views either click the icon or use the function key F4. Alternatively use the View menu from the Service functions.
The original method for rotating and translating the view was to use Windows-Mouse. This is still useful for one-handed operation while on the phone for instance and is also the easiest way to adjust the Focal length of perspective views. Pick the appropriate button and then move the mouse while holding down the right mouse button. The Mouse status on the top bar indicates the function of the mouse buttons at any time.
The usual way of rotating the model is by firstly holding down Shift or Alt with the left hand. I personally prefer Alt mainly because it feels more ergonomic. Notice that when we press Alt the mouse status indicates different functionality on the 3 mouse buttons. The left button status reads RxRy; in other words rotation about X or Y of the screen. With Alt held and the left mouse button held down, moving the mouse rotates the view. Similarly the middle mouse button status reads TxTy translations of the view in X or Y. While holding the Alt key and middle mouse button move the mouse to translate the view. The right mouse button status shows RzZo which indicates rotation about screen Z and zooming. Move the mouse while holding Alt and the right mouse button to see this.
You may have found that the view is a little difficult to control with the right and left mouse buttons. In this case, hold Alt and Ctrl at the same time. If you are using the Shift instead of the Alt button and accidentally press the Ctrl button first then you’ll find that the magnifying glass comes up instead. This is another reason that I use Alt rather than Shift.
With Alt and Ctrl held down the left mouse button now allows you to rotate the model about either the screen X axis or the screen Y axis. The axis used depends on which direction you move the mouse first. This will take some time to get used to. The sequence is:
Hold down Alt and Ctrl
Press down the left mouse button while holding the mouse still
Move the mouse left to right to rotate the view about the screen Y axis.
If you move the mouse forward and backward then very little happens
Now if you want to rotate the view about the screen X axis, continue to hold the Alt and Ctrl buttons but let go off the mouse button
Now repick the left mouse button and move the mouse forward and backwards.
If you’ve done it right then the view is now rotating about the screen X axis.
Similarly, with Alt and Ctrl held, the middle mouse button allows you to translate the view either horizontally or vertically.
With Alt and Ctrl held, the right mouse button allows you to either rotate the view about the screen Z axis by moving the mouse left to right or zooming by moving the mouse up and down. As before you must release and reselect the right mouse button to switch between screen Z rotations and zooming.
There are other ways of zooming the view. We can use the “Select Zoomed Detail with Equal Scaling” icon. As that’s a bit of a mouthful I prefer to call it “standard zoom”. Click the icon and then drag a window (using the left mouse button) in the graphics window to define where you want to zoom. Notice that the zoom status shows the zoom scaling. A zoom scaling of 1 means that the model is displayed at its actual size.
I like to use the function key F1 to access the standard zoom function. You can add this to your setup if you wish by picking Windows-Keyboard. Select F1 in the menu and then Zoom. The first 4 function keys should now be the viewing functions: Zoom, Auto (i.e. Zoom all), View (i.e. previous view) and Persp (i.e. toggle perspective on or off).
Next to the standard zoom icon there is the “Select Zoomed Detail with Different Scaling” icon. I prefer to call this the “compressed zoom”. This allows us to exaggerate the shape of objects. For example, if we have a long flattish curve we would drag a compressed zoom window around it, as tight to the curve as possible. The zoomed in view has different zoom scaling in the horizontal and vertical directions which we can see if we look at the zoom status. The first number is the zoom scaling in the screen X direction, the second number is the zoom scaling in the screen Y direction. You can edit these numbers if you wish.
Compressed zooming works best if the object to be viewed, such as a curve or patch edge, is roughly horizontal. If not, then use Alt+Ctrl+right mouse button to rotate the view about screen Z so that the object is now horizontal.
To return to normal viewing i.e. with equal zoom scaling in both directions, then pick the round smiley face.
To return to compressed zoom mode pick the squashed smiley face.
Above the smiley faces there are + and - magnifying symbols. Click on these to zoom in or out. The amount that the zoom scaling changes is the Zoom Factor and can be set in the Windows Preferences menu from the top bar. I usually have this set to 1.2 but it is a matter of personal preference. Higher values mean that the + and – zoom icons will have more effect. A value of 1 would have no effect! Values of less than 1 would zoom out when you tried to zoom in which would be rather confusing!
To save a view, go to the View icon in the service functions. Pick Save and then assign a name to the view. To return to a saved view either go to this menu again and double-click the name or go to the right hand side menu bar and select the view from the pull-down.
When we build automotive ICEM Surf exterior surface models we always build a half-model with the symmetry plane being Y0. To visualise the whole model we mirror the geometry using either the View menu from the service functions by picking Geometry-Both or by using the F8 function key. The mirrored geometry is not really there. It’s literally like placing a mirror at Y0. If you want to see only the mirrored version then pick F7. To return to the original half model view then pick F6.
Lets start by opening a model. Go to File-Open. At the Confirm window pick No as the current database is empty in any case. Now find the required project and database. Pick OK to open the database.
One way to rotate the view is to grab the model axes symbol. Grabbing the X axis with the left mouse button will allow you to rotate the view about the Z axis. Grabbing the Z axis with the left mouse button will allow you to rotate the view either about the X or the Y axis. Use the middle mouse button if you want to freely rotate the model.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel then you can use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out.
Note that the model axis symbol shows the direction of the model axes but is fixed in the window rather than fixed to the model.The model axes are the global axes system in which the model lies.
The convention in the automotive world is for model space X to be along the vehicle, Y across the vehicle and Z to be the vertical direction
In ICEM Surf there is also a screen axis system where X is horizontal, Y is vertical and Z is out of the screen
You can access standards views from the right hand side menu bar. The standard views are side, top, front and rear. As we hover over each icon pop-up help text appears. The icons show the position of the model axes when the view icon is picked. For example, by picking side view, we are now looking normal to XZ in model space.
If you want to view the whole model or if the model has disappeared off the screen then either click the automatic min/max icon or the function key F2. This will zoom out so that the whole model is visible. I usually refer to this as zoom view all or zoom all.
To return to the previous view use the function key F3.
To toggle between perspective and parallel views either click the icon or use the function key F4. Alternatively use the View menu from the Service functions.
The original method for rotating and translating the view was to use Windows-Mouse. This is still useful for one-handed operation while on the phone for instance and is also the easiest way to adjust the Focal length of perspective views. Pick the appropriate button and then move the mouse while holding down the right mouse button. The Mouse status on the top bar indicates the function of the mouse buttons at any time.
The usual way of rotating the model is by firstly holding down Shift or Alt with the left hand. I personally prefer Alt mainly because it feels more ergonomic. Notice that when we press Alt the mouse status indicates different functionality on the 3 mouse buttons. The left button status reads RxRy; in other words rotation about X or Y of the screen. With Alt held and the left mouse button held down, moving the mouse rotates the view. Similarly the middle mouse button status reads TxTy translations of the view in X or Y. While holding the Alt key and middle mouse button move the mouse to translate the view. The right mouse button status shows RzZo which indicates rotation about screen Z and zooming. Move the mouse while holding Alt and the right mouse button to see this.
You may have found that the view is a little difficult to control with the right and left mouse buttons. In this case, hold Alt and Ctrl at the same time. If you are using the Shift instead of the Alt button and accidentally press the Ctrl button first then you’ll find that the magnifying glass comes up instead. This is another reason that I use Alt rather than Shift.
With Alt and Ctrl held down the left mouse button now allows you to rotate the model about either the screen X axis or the screen Y axis. The axis used depends on which direction you move the mouse first. This will take some time to get used to. The sequence is:
Hold down Alt and Ctrl
Press down the left mouse button while holding the mouse still
Move the mouse left to right to rotate the view about the screen Y axis.
If you move the mouse forward and backward then very little happens
Now if you want to rotate the view about the screen X axis, continue to hold the Alt and Ctrl buttons but let go off the mouse button
Now repick the left mouse button and move the mouse forward and backwards.
If you’ve done it right then the view is now rotating about the screen X axis.
Similarly, with Alt and Ctrl held, the middle mouse button allows you to translate the view either horizontally or vertically.
With Alt and Ctrl held, the right mouse button allows you to either rotate the view about the screen Z axis by moving the mouse left to right or zooming by moving the mouse up and down. As before you must release and reselect the right mouse button to switch between screen Z rotations and zooming.
There are other ways of zooming the view. We can use the “Select Zoomed Detail with Equal Scaling” icon. As that’s a bit of a mouthful I prefer to call it “standard zoom”. Click the icon and then drag a window (using the left mouse button) in the graphics window to define where you want to zoom. Notice that the zoom status shows the zoom scaling. A zoom scaling of 1 means that the model is displayed at its actual size.
I like to use the function key F1 to access the standard zoom function. You can add this to your setup if you wish by picking Windows-Keyboard. Select F1 in the menu and then Zoom. The first 4 function keys should now be the viewing functions: Zoom, Auto (i.e. Zoom all), View (i.e. previous view) and Persp (i.e. toggle perspective on or off).
Next to the standard zoom icon there is the “Select Zoomed Detail with Different Scaling” icon. I prefer to call this the “compressed zoom”. This allows us to exaggerate the shape of objects. For example, if we have a long flattish curve we would drag a compressed zoom window around it, as tight to the curve as possible. The zoomed in view has different zoom scaling in the horizontal and vertical directions which we can see if we look at the zoom status. The first number is the zoom scaling in the screen X direction, the second number is the zoom scaling in the screen Y direction. You can edit these numbers if you wish.
Compressed zooming works best if the object to be viewed, such as a curve or patch edge, is roughly horizontal. If not, then use Alt+Ctrl+right mouse button to rotate the view about screen Z so that the object is now horizontal.
To return to normal viewing i.e. with equal zoom scaling in both directions, then pick the round smiley face.
To return to compressed zoom mode pick the squashed smiley face.
Above the smiley faces there are + and - magnifying symbols. Click on these to zoom in or out. The amount that the zoom scaling changes is the Zoom Factor and can be set in the Windows Preferences menu from the top bar. I usually have this set to 1.2 but it is a matter of personal preference. Higher values mean that the + and – zoom icons will have more effect. A value of 1 would have no effect! Values of less than 1 would zoom out when you tried to zoom in which would be rather confusing!
To save a view, go to the View icon in the service functions. Pick Save and then assign a name to the view. To return to a saved view either go to this menu again and double-click the name or go to the right hand side menu bar and select the view from the pull-down.
When we build automotive ICEM Surf exterior surface models we always build a half-model with the symmetry plane being Y0. To visualise the whole model we mirror the geometry using either the View menu from the service functions by picking Geometry-Both or by using the F8 function key. The mirrored geometry is not really there. It’s literally like placing a mirror at Y0. If you want to see only the mirrored version then pick F7. To return to the original half model view then pick F6.