Design mode and navigation mode

Depending on whether you are designing or you want to get an impression how the current design looks, you can use two different modes for controlling the display of your model on the screen: design mode and navigation mode.

Each mode has its specific properties:

Design mode offers the most important tools for drafting and designing on the shortcut menu. You can identify points and design entities only in this mode. The mouse is generally used for drafting and designing.

You are working in design mode as long as navigation mode (How) is not active.
Activate or deactivate Navigation Mode in one of the following ways
- Menu bar: View
- Keyboard: CTRL+D
- Toolbar: Viewport toolbar
Navigation mode, on the other hand, focuses on motion. In other words, the observer moves around the model, viewing it. Here, you use the mouse and the tools on the shortcut menu to move around the 3D model and to visualize it. Therefore, you cannot click or select individual design entities in navigation mode.

You are working in navigation mode as soon as you activate the Navigation Mode tool (How) in a viewport. If you want to identify a point or an entire element while designing an element, switch to design mode by deactivating navigation mode again.

As you can select the mode individually for each viewport, you can quickly and easily switch from one viewport (where you are working in design mode) to another viewport (where you have activated navigation mode) and check your design there.

What do you want to do?

Switch between design mode and navigation mode