MENUTecplot 360 Basics Getting Started: Rotate and Zoom
You can get your plot looking exactly the way you want by using the Rotate and Zoom tools in Tecplot 360.
Follow along by downloading and extracting the files from the Getting Started Bundle. The Bundle file contains data used in many of our video tutorials.
Download the Getting Started Bundle
Zoom
Once the data is loaded, you can zoom in or out on your plot by pressing the center mouse button and moving the mouse up or down.
Rotate
To rotate your data, press the Ctrl key and press the right mouse button while moving the mouse.
Origin of Rotation
The origin of rotation by default is set to the center of the data. In this case, it is set to the center of the cylinder. Change the origin of rotation by placing your cursor at one end of the cylinder. Press the “o” key on your keyboard. You can see that the origin has changed by rotating your data (press Ctrl key and press the right mouse button.
Position Your Plot Using Translate and 3D Rotation Tools
The translate and 3D rotation tools are located in the top bar under the main menu. Ctrl + Right Mouse Click + Drag will rotate regardless of the current mode. The rotation tool can also be changed by pressing the keyboard key shown in the “Mode” column in the table below.
| Tool | Icon | Mode | Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom In |  |
Click | Zoom In: Choose the magnifier icon and Click the mouse. | |
| Zoom Out | |
Cntl-Click | Zoom out: Choose the magnifier icon and Cntl-Click the mouse. | |
| Smooth Zoom | Middle-Mouse + Drag | Smooth zoom in/out | ||
| Center of Rotation | o | Sets the center of rotation to the location of the cursor. The cursor must be over a visible portion of the data. | ||
| Translate |  |
Right-Mouse + Drag | Translate data within a frame or the paper within the workspace. | |
| Spherical |  |
s | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse horizontally to rotate about the Z-axis. Drag the mouse vertically to control the tilt of the Z-axis. |
| Rollerball |  |
r | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse in a direction to move with respect to the current orientation on the screen. In this mode, your mouse acts much like a rollerball. |
| Twist |  |
t | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse clockwise around the image to rotate the image clockwise. Drag the mouse counterclockwise around the image to rotate the image counterclockwise. |
| X-axis |  |
x | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse to rotate the image about the X-axis. |
| Y-axis |  |
x | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse to rotate the image about the Y-axis. |
| Z-axis |  |
z | Ctrl + Right-Mouse + Drag | Drag the mouse to rotate the image about the Z-axis. |