Alt + copy seems to be broken

hey jeff i tried to find out what this alt RMB is all about and searched but could not find this specific combination explained on the wiki. but i figured that it actually always zooms towards the camera target which one can change with MoveTargetToObjects keeping the targeted object always in center, still no idea where this could be useful but maybe for keeping a specific perspective in the same tangent for architectural reasons… idk

edit: wel it seems that it not only zooms towards the target but that it actually moves the target, the same as using alt and mouse wheel. useful for extendedly moving along in the viewport… ok riddle solved i guess :slight_smile:

Alt+RMB click and drag is a “Dolly Zoom” that leaves the camera frustum the same size, and moves the entire frustum forward.

Draw a box in a new file
While Perspective is current, run Camera > Show to see the Perspective VP frustum in the other three viewports.
In perspective, use the mouse wheel to Zoom and you’ll see the camera point move towards the stationary view target.
Now try Alt+RMB wheel Zoom to watch the whole view frustum dolly forward.

yes i have figured that, i wrongly declared zoom above, i meant that it is only moving, something which might be handy to have as standard on the mousewheel without alt because the regular zoom naturally finds an end which is bothersome for navigating. but what an akward word frustum where did you dig this out? sorry really never heard of it, i can see though that it is “commonly” used…

Frustum is just the geometric name of what you’re describing.
Did your run the Camera command and see what I’m talking about?
The whole reason for “Dolly Zoom” (Alt+Zoom) is to easily push the view target ahead when in a Perspective projection view to not “get stuck”.

i made a thread about this reason as you stated to ask how to proceed when getting stuck a while ago. thats why it really would be nice to have this as a standard option for the mousewheel. not sure if zoom makes sense at all for navigational matters… i would rather have zoom on the alt.

It is how the standard wheel Zoom works in a parallel projection viewport like top, front, and right.
In a perspective projection view you need to press and hold Alt (Fn+Alt) on a laptop to zoom the same way.

TUrn off the camera in the Perspective VP and turn it on in Top or Front.
Then try it again and you’ll see it does what I’m describing.

hmm i think thats not true, i checked now and in all orthogonal viewports its not moving the frustum but it actually zooms. moving the target is only possible in perspective as it seems.

Hmm…
I’ll need to go look at that again.
I only ever use the Dolly Zoom in a perspective projection viewport anyway.

thanks guys, this is a very informative thread.

I’m using a mac keyboard on windows and that works for me. Thanks