If you are used to using 2D software or traditional pen and paper to create artwork and want to learn 3D, the kicker is learning to navigate in an extra dimension. If you’ve ever opened a 3D modelling software and felt lost, you’re not alone. Unlike a 2D canvas, where up is up and left is left, a 3D viewport is a window into an empty, infinite space that you can view from any angle.
Once you’ve learned the three core moves – orbit, pan, and zoom – you’ll find that they work almost identically across every 3D application. Orbit rotates your view around a central point. Pan slides your view without changing the angle. Zoom moves you closer to or further from what you’re looking at, narrowing or widening your field of view.
