Direction 3D CoPilot
Description: 5 minutes
Use the new Direction 3D CoPilot
instead of the Direction 3D menu. This feature increases functionality while
decreasing your number of clicks.
Watch a video about
Using the CoPilots.
Overview
The Direction 3D CoPilot is used throughout Designer
Modeling to define a direction. When the Direction 3D CoPilot is active,
the cursor changes shape.

Follow the directions in the
Prompt Bar to use the Direction 3D
CoPilot.
- Hover over an element. An arrow is
displayed for the direction to be derived from that element. For
example, when hovering over an edge, the arrow is displayed at the edge
tangent direction. Press the Tab key to flip the direction.
- For some geometric shapes, more than two
directions are possible. For example, on a circular edge the arrow
appears on the axis first.
-
To flip the direction, press the Tab
key.
-
To determine the edge tangent direction, press the
Tab key again.
-
When you move the mouse, the arrow slides along the edge.
-
The arrow can be positioned at any point, including the end vertices.
- Click once to apply the direction of the
arrow. On curved elements or workplanes, click twice to apply a direction.
Right-click to access the context menu:
- Apply –
Apply the direction displayed by the feedback arrow.
- Apply
Reverse - Apply the reverse direction. Use this menu option or press the
Tab key to reverse the direction.
- Two Points
- Define a direction by picking two points.
- XYZ System
– Select one of the global coordinate system axes, including the reverse axes.
- WP System
– Select one axis of the reference workplane. By default the current workplane
is the reference workplane. Select another reference workplane with the menu
item Ref Wp.
- Vp Dir -
The current viewport direction is used.
- -Vp Dir
- The negative viewport direction is used.
- Axis
Direction - The axis direction is used for each element that has an axis.
If Axis Direction is turned off, the face normal or edge tangent is used.
See below for a description on how to define a direction on
an element using the Direction 3D CoPilot.
Define a direction with the Direction 3D CoPilot
Vertex
- Click a vertex to select a start point.
- Click an end point. The direction is
applied.
Straight edge
The default direction is tangent to the edge.
- Hover over an edge.
Press Tab to reverse
the direction.
- Click a point on an edge. The
direction is applied.
Circular edge/arc
The default direction is the axis.
- Hover over a point on an edge.
-
Press Tab to reverse the axis.
-
Press Tab a second time to use the edge tangent.
-
Press Tab a third time to reverse the edge tangent.
-
Click the edge. The direction is applied.
Curved edge
- Click a point on an edge. The edge is
selected.
- Move the arrow to the desired point on the
edge. Press Tab to reverse the direction.
- Click to apply the direction. The
direction is applied.
Planar face
The default direction is face normal.
- Hover over a face. Press Tab to
reverse the direction.
- Click a point on the face. The face normal
direction is applied.
Face with axis
The default direction is the axis.
- Hover over a face.
-
Press Tab to reverse the axis.
-
Press Tab a second time to use the face normal.
-
Press Tab a third time to reverse the face normal.
- Click a point. The direction is
applied.
Curved face
Determine the direction of a face at a point within the
face or at a point on its edge boundaries.
- Click a face. The face turns
orange.
- Click a point on the face or on its
boundary. Press Tab to reverse the direction. The direction is
applied.
Workplane frame
- Hover over a workplane. The
Direction 3D CoPilot appears.
- Click on the workplane to position the
CoPilot.
- Hover over an axis. The axis turns
yellow. Press Tab to reverse the direction.
- Click one of the axes to specify a
direction. The direction is applied.
For a quick reference guide to the Direction 3D CoPilot that contains this
information in a table, please see the Direction 3D CoPilot topic in online
help.