Axis and View Tools in Amorphium


Axes are imaginary poles that run though the center of an object, the object spins and move on these axes. The X axes goes from left to right. The Y goes from top to bottom. The Z goes from front to back.

An object rotates top to bottom ( or bottom to top ) and moves left & right on the X axes. It rotates left to right ( or right to left ) and moves up & down on the Y axes. It rotates clockwise ( or counter clockwise) and move forward and backwards on the Z axes.

Spinning on the X axes is called rotate or pitch.
Spinning on the y axes is called rotate or yaw
Spinning on the Z axes is called banking or roll.

Pitch, Yaw and Roll usually refer to the camera movements. Zooming is also referred to as camera movement, moving forward or backwards on the Z axes.

In all the Amorphium work spaces ( except for Biospheres and Composer ), it is actually the camera your viewing through that is being manipulated. Although it appears as if the object in the window is moving, it is not, it is the viewing camera being moved and rotated to various locations. In this sense the workspace uses an environment known as Camera Space. And the tools that manipulate the viewing camera are known as View Tools.


In Amorphium you have the option of movement on all three axes at once or locking a specific one, whether its the camera or the object being manipulated.

Note when the axes are locked to a specific direction, the camera or objects it will only move on that axes. This option is useful when doing precise rotation, banking or movement.


These are the movement controls in Amorphium,
one for up, down, and side to side and one for zooming in and out.
Also is a pull down menu ( the white triangle ) which lets you
fit the object into the work space window. ( fit object)
Reset the currant view back to the default setting. (reset view)
And reset the currant and dual views back to the default setting. (Reset all views)

These are the rotate and bank tools. Also the rotate and bank pull down menu.

The rotate tool lets you rotate in all directions, the bank tool is on the Z axes only.
Also is a pull down menu ( the white triangle ) Which lets you select which view your in.
Note that as soon as you rotate or bank the view automatically changes to the custom view.
So your not really moving the object, your moving the camera or the way you view the object.
This is the same in Task, Mask, Tools & Distorts, HeightShop, Morph, Paint & Optics, and Texture.
In BioSphere and Composer it's the opposite your moving the object and not the camera.
Also is a rotate -90 and +90 option. When in all axes mode you will rotate on the Y axes.
If you lock to a specific axes and use this option you will rotate or bank on that axes.
To learn about the potter's wheel, go to the tutorial on the Potter's Wheel.


There is another pull down menu on the workspace window, where you can select what view your in.

There is another option that gives you a little preview window.
So you can see 2 different views at the same time.

You activate it and turn it off by selecting the little black box on the lower right side of the
work space window. You can also select what view you want in it there or at the preview window itself.

Amorphium Tutorials