How to view 3D vertical sections from exactly side on

Hi David,

It sounds like you could benefit from using Saved Views in MicroStation CONNECT.
You can orient your 3D model to the desired state, then click Create Saved View (Drawing Workflow>View tab>Saved Views Ribbon Group>Create Saved View)

Here are some tool settings I would recommend for the Create Saved View tool. This would create a general saved view from the View Window.

Left click in the view window that displays your desired view. A saved view will be created and can be recalled anytime by selecting Apply Saved View:

Once the Saved View is created, it can be applied to any view later on, so if you are working on another face, you can easily revert the view back to the Saved View to get back to the desired face.

Here is the online help documentation on Saved Views:
https://docs.bentley.com/LiveContent/web/MicroStation%20Help-v20/en/GUID-3B409467-D5A9-8E36-B0F4-05975A209419.html

Also, this video on our Bentley MicroStation Youtube channel is worth a watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOuyBBXf5R0&ab_channel=BentleyMicroStation

HTH,
Jayson P.

That's great once you know how to create a view orientation to save, but I believe OP is asking how to get the view orientation to begin with.

I believe that he is describing a view cube rotated around the Z axis so that the X axis is aligned parallel to the "Top" view of the element (and Y kind of just rotates with it).

I believe it can be accomplished with an ACS. You may want to look at those capabilities. I don't use them often enough...but I think that would allow you do define your coordinates to align with your element so that you can get a view (Front or Side) that shows exactly what you want to see. After you get that, you can Save both the ACS and the View to be recalled later.

That's great once you know how to create a view orientation to save, but I believe OP is asking how to get the view orientation to begin with.

I believe that he is describing a view cube rotated around the Z axis so that the X axis is aligned parallel to the "Top" view of the element (and Y kind of just rotates with it).

I believe it can be accomplished with an ACS. You may want to look at those capabilities. I don't use them often enough...but I think that would allow you do define your coordinates to align with your element so that you can get a view (Front or Side) that shows exactly what you want to see. After you get that, you can Save both the ACS and the View to be recalled later.

Yes, good point MaryB, thanks!
I agree that using the ACS tools in combination with the Saved Views would be a good approach.
An AccuDraw shortcut I frequently use is R+A which will allow you to define an ACS by points.

Thank you both for your posts! Yes Mary is correct, I can orbit manually to the rough position I want, but I actually need to be exactly side-on / perpendicular to the section. The complicating factor is that each section's orientation is a little different, so I've got to figure out a workflow to do this more than once. Sounds like ACS might be the tool I need =)

Sounds like you need to save several ACSs, one for each section. (Try "by Points")

One has to "Define ACS" first an then use the first icon to "Create a new ACS"  - maybe the thinking is that you rather often define ACSs on the fly and Save/Create them only sometimes

Then make sure that the ACS Plane Lock is on.

When you then use View Rotateion:Top View the view orientation is to the XY of the  current ACS (good for slopes as well)

Switch on the "ACS Triad" to see the current ACS Orientation

And remember to "Save Settings" ...

To activate any of the "Created" ACS you just have to doubleclick or select it via 

Now to view your vertical section [activate AccuDraw with "O"]  press "F" (Front) and then "RV" to get the view rotated along the current ACS X/Z-Plane  (or you use the  Rotate View)

Hi David,

Try following these steps:

1. Rotate view to Top orientation
2. Activate ACS Plane Snap
3. Select Rotate View with Method: 3 Points
4. Snap to and data point the 1st end point of the section 
5. Snap to and data point the 2nd end point of the section
6. Data point away from the section (The section should now appear as a horizontal line)
7. Open the View Rotation dialog from the view toolbar (this tool is hidden by default)
8. Set the Step: value to 45 and hit Enter
9. Click on the minus X arrow twice to rotate the cube 90° and click Apply to rotate the view to match the cube
10. The view should now be exactly side-on / perpendicular to the section

This short video illustrates this method.

You could set the Step value to 90 to eliminate one mouse click, but I like using 45 so I can better understand which way the cube is actually rotating with each click.

NOTE:

Be sure to De-activate ACS Plane Snap when you are finished.

Regards,
Ron

It works! Thanks so much Ron.