Bentley Navigator is a real-time 3D visualization program that enables you to view and interact with design files, JSpace models and related data.
The Bentley Navigator enables you to open multiple, independent windows for viewing a design model. In a single session, you can display the model in separate windows and view it from different perspectives in solid, wireframe, or mixed mode. Using the full interaction with graphic and non-graphic objects, you can query the model to understand its relationships and properties. Based on these properties, you can color-code the objects in the model.
Starting and Closing the Bentley Navigator
Starting the Bentley Navigator is done in the same way that you start most Windows programs.
1. From the Windows Start menu, choose Programs > Bentley Navigator 2004 Edition.
2. Select the Bentley Navigator.
After the Bentley Navigator program is started, the File, Settings, and Help menus display across the menu bar in the Bentley Navigator window.
Closing the Bentley Navigator is done in the same way that you close most Windows programs.
To quit the Bentley Navigator
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose File > Exit.
If you created a new file or modified an existing file in this Bentley Navigator session, you are prompted to save your changes before exiting the program.
The Save Models dialog box opens.
2. Also, to close the Bentley Navigator, you can click the X button in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
3. If you are prompted to save the changes to the files, click Yes or Yes to All.
or
If you do not want to save your changes to the files, click No or No to All.
or
If you do not want to exit the Bentley Navigator at this time, click Cancel.
Using the Bentley Navigator Menus After you open a file in the Bentley Navigator, additional selections are enabled on the Bentley Navigator menu bar.
File Menu
The File menu enables you to perform file management tasks and to exit the Bentley Navigator. Using the File menu, you can open and save model files, unlock files, manage reference and auxiliary files, and print views of your model.
Settings Menu
The Settings menu enables you to adjust the appearance of the Bentley Navigator workspace. Using the Settings menu, you can display or not display the toolbars and the status bar. By selecting Options, you can change the snap functionality, change the object selection functionality, adjust the mouse orientation and sensitivity, and modify the display of the model units of measure and the date. Also, you can enable hardware acceleration and specify the vertical axis.
View Menu
The View menu enables you to navigate through a model and to manage the views that you want to save. Using the View menu, you can save and recall named views of a model or follow a line in a model. Also, you can place constraints on the movement of the viewpoint, change between perspective and orthographic transformations of the model, and zoom about the model.
Navigating the Model
In the Bentley Navigator, you can view a 3D model through a view that is similar to the lens or viewfinder of a video camera. Instead of moving the model, you seem to move yourself around and to view your model from different viewpoints.
The following diagram shows the parts of the view cone.
Near Clipping Plane is the plane parallel to the window that defines the nearest distance that you can see in the model. Objects closer to your viewpoint than the near clipping plane are not visible in the view.
Far Clipping Plane is the plane parallel to the window that defines the farthest distance that you can see in the model. Objects beyond the far clipping plane are not visible in the view.
Opening files
Each time that you open a file, you can access graphic objects, their related data, and the attached reference or auxiliary files. When you open a file, one or more windows are created. The title bar of each window displays the name of the file. If more than one window is open, the file name is followed by Window N, where N is a number between 1 and 16 or PLAN or ELEVATION. Because the Bentley Navigator has a multi-document interface, you can open several models simultaneously in a given session. Each model can have one or more windows open for it with the name of the file displayed in each
To open file
1. From the Windows Start menu, choose Programs > Bentley Navigator 2004 Edition > Bentley Navigator.
2. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose File > Open. The Open JSpace Object Model dialog box, which is a standard file selection dialog box, displays.
3. In the Files of Type drop-down list box, select JSM.
4. In the Look In field, select the directory of the desired JSM file.
5. In the File Name field, select the name of the JSM file identified by the JSM file extension, such as _MainModel.JSM.
6. Click Open.
Now all Bentley Navigator menu options display on the menu bar providing you full access to all commands and to the Navigation toolbar.
Displaying the Navigation Toolbar.
The Navigation toolbar contains buttons for the more frequently used commands of the Bentley Navigator. You can display or not display the Navigation toolbar across the top of the Bentley Navigator window below the Bentley Navigator menu bar.
To display the Navigation toolbar
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose Settings. 2. Select Navigation Toolbar.
The display of the Navigation toolbar is controlled by a toggle. If Navigation Toolbar is checked, the Navigation toolbar is displayed below the Bentley Navigator menu bar. If Navigator Toolbar is not checked, the Navigation toolbar is not displayed.
After opening the model all navigation tools are activated
The Navigation toolbar contains tools to control and change the mouse modes, view selections, zoom and display options, view locks and view standards.
Navigating with the Mouse
Viewing the model through the window is similar to using a video camera. Instead of rotating your model to view the other side, you move yourself around to the other side of the model. When you turn your head to the left, the model seems to move to the right.
Using the mouse, you can change your viewpoint and navigate through the model to see different parts of the model. When you select a navigational command to place yourself in a particular mode of operation, the cursor shape changes to reflect your current mode.
Walking
The Walk mode enables you to move in, out, left, and right through the model in one continuous motion without changing controls.
While in Walk mode, you can also perform Change Orientation and Pan commands without selecting the commands from the Bentley Navigator menu bar or the Navigation toolbar.
1. Select a view to make it the active window.
2. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Lock > Viewpoint
walk pan
Move Far clip
Change orientation Move in / out
3. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Walk.
4. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes to the Walk cursor.
5. In the active window, press and hold down the left mouse button. 6. While maintaining a constant elevation, drag your mouse in one of the
following directions:
To rotate the view direction to the right move the cursor to the right
To rotate the view direction to the left move the cursor to
the left To move the viewpoint toward the viewcenter
move the cursor
toward the top of the screen
To move the viewpoint away from the viewcenter
move the cursor
toward the bottom of the screen
To perform a combination of the motions and to dynamically move in, out, left, and right through the view in one continuous motion without changing controls
drag the mouse in a diagonal direction
For example, if you move the cursor 45°, the forward movement through the view is equal to the rotation of the model. If you move the cursor 15°, more forward movement occurs than model rotation.
Changing Orientation
The Change Orientation mode enables you to rotate your view direction. You can restrict your view direction in the following ways:
1. Select a view to make it the active window.
2. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Lock > Viewpoint.
3. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Change Orientation.
4. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes to the Change Orientation cursor.
5. In the active window, press and hold down the left mouse button. 6. To rotate your view direction, drag your mouse in one of the following
directions:
To rotate the view direction to the move the cursor
right to the right
left to the left
top of the view toward the top of the screen
bottom of the view toward the bottom of the
screen
7. To exit the command, release the left mouse button.
8. If the cursor shape is in the Walk mode, to access the Change Orientation Mode without clicking the Navigation toolbar buttons, from the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Walk. 9. Press and hold down the right mouse button and drag the mouse left,
right, forward, or backward.
10.To exit, release the right mouse button.
While the right mouse button is depressed, the cursor shape changes to the Change Orientation cursor.
Lock to view center
View changed after change orientation operation
Panning
Using the Pan mode, you can change your viewpoint to the left, right, up, or down. Panning is similar to moving your body to the left, right, up, or down. Your viewpoint or where you are standing changes, but your view direction remains constant.
To pan your viewpoint
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Pan.
2. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes to the Pan cursor.
3. In the active window, press and hold down the left mouse button. 4. Drag the mouse in the direction that you want to view.
To move horizontally, move the cursor to the left or right. You seem to
move to the left or right of the model.
To move vertically, move the cursor toward the top of the screen or toward the bottom of the screen. You seem to move above or below the model.
5. To exit the command, release the left mouse button.
6. To change the cursor shape to the previously selected mode, click the right mouse button.
7. To access the Pan Mode without clicking the Navigation toolbar buttons, while the cursor shape is in the Walk mode, from the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Walk.
8. Press and hold down the <Shift> key, and then press and hold down the left mouse button.
9. Drag the mouse left, right, forward, or backward.
10.To exit the command, release the <Shift> key and/or the left mouse button.
While the Shift key is depressed, the cursor shape changes to the Pan cursor.
11.To access the Pan Mode without clicking the Navigation toolbar buttons, while the cursor shape is in the Change Orientation mode, from the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Change Orientation.
12.Press and hold down the right mouse button and drag the mouse left, right, forward, or backward.
13.To exit the command, release the right mouse button. While the right mouse button is depressed, the cursor shape changes to the Pan cursor.
Moving In and Out
The Move In and Out mode enables you to move your viewpoint along the view direction. Although your viewpoint changes, your view direction remains constant. This is similar to walking toward or away from the model.
To move your viewpoint closer to or farther away from the model 1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode >
Move In and Out.
2. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes to the Move In and Out cursor.
3. In the active window, press and hold down the left mouse button. 4. To change your viewpoint, drag your mouse in one of the following
directions:
To move closer to the model, move the cursor toward the top of the screen.
To move farther away from the model, move the cursor toward the bottom of the screen.
5. To exit the command, release the left mouse button.
6. To change the cursor shape to the previously selected mode, click the right mouse button.
7. If the cursor shape is in the Change Orientation mode, to access the Move In and Out mode without clicking the Navigation toolbar buttons, from the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Change Orientation.
8. Press and hold down the <Shift> key, and then press and hold down the left mouse button.
9. Drag the mouse forward and backward.
10.To exit, release the <Shift> key and/or the left mouse button. While the right mouse button is depressed, the cursor shape changes to the Move In and Out cursor.
Moving the Far Clipping Plane
In a view, the location of the near clipping plane and far clipping plane determines the part of the 3D model that you can see. These imaginary planes are perpendicular to your view direction. The objects in front of the near clipping plane and the objects beyond the far clipping plane are not displayed in the view.
To move the far clipping plane
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Mouse Mode > Move Far Clip.
2. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes to the Move Far Clip cursor.
3. In the active window, press and hold down the left mouse button. 4. To change the location of the far clipping plane, drag your mouse in
one of the following directions:
To move the far clipping plane farther away from the viewpoint, move
the cursor toward the top of the screen.
Move Far Clip
Objects are displayed if inside far clip plane
Far clip plane
Far clip plane Far clip plane
Zooming about the Model
The following Zoom commands enable you to move closer to or farther away from the model.
Zoom In
The Zoom In command enables you to move closer to the model. When you zoom in, you can see a smaller portion of the model in greater detail.
In the perspective mode, the Zoom In command moves the viewpoint closer to the model while maintaining a constant perspective angle.
In the orthographic mode, the Zoom In command reduces the extent of the view in the window without moving the viewpoint.
Zoom Out
The Zoom Out command enables you to move farther away from the model. When you zoom out, you see more of the model in less detail.
Zoom Object
The Zoom Object command enables you to place the viewcenter of your view at the center of one or more selected objects in the model and then moves your viewpoint closer to the object. However, if the selected object is too large to fit in your view, your viewpoint moves away from the object so that you can see the entire object.
Zoom Area
The Zoom Area command enables you to define an area of the view to which you want to zoom.
To zoom to an area
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Zoom > Area. 2. When you position the cursor in a window, the cursor shape changes
to the Select Area cursor.
3. If you want to abort the selection process, you can click the right mouse button.
4. In the active window, position the cursor at one corner of the desired area.
5. Press and hold down the left mouse button.
6. Drag the cursor diagonally across the screen until all of the desired area is within the box.
Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom Object Zoom Area Zoom Model
Zoom Model
The Zoom Model command enables you to display your entire model in the window. When you select the Zoom Model command, the Bentley Navigator performs the following actions:
• Positions the viewpoint so that you can see the entire model
• Sets the near clipping plane and far clipping plane so that you can see
the entire model
• Sets the viewcenter to the center of the model
To zoom to a model
1. Select a view to make it the active window.
2. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Zoom > Model. The view zooms to the model.
Following a Line through the Model
Using the Follow Line dialog box, you can follow a line that you created in the same CAD program in which you created your model.
Select Line Go To Start Step Back One Step Reverse Stop Forward Step Forward
To follow a line
1. From the Bentley Navigator menu bar, choose View > Follow Line. The Follow Line dialog box opens.
2. Attach a reference file containing a line.
3. As necessary, display the line.
To specify the desired line to follow, click Select Line and in a window, select and confirm the line that you want to follow.
4. After you accept the line, the view moves so that the beginning of the selected line is in the center of the window.
5. In the Follow Line dialog box, enter a value in the Step Size field and then select or clear the following settings: Loop, Trace, and Highlight. 6. In the Follow Line dialog box, click Forward.
7. The model moves along the selected line.
8. To stop the movement along the line, click Stop. 9. Experiment with other buttons.