Tools

This section overviews some additional tools that are also part of the add-on.

Move Along View

Video Link

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl-Y

Move Along View

Moving a vertex along a view line to place it in the correct position in 3D space. Note Blender’s Quad View is used here with the Maya theme. A Mirror modifier is used to reflect the mesh, so that the mirrored vertex is placed in the correct position.

Move Along View allows you to move vertices and objects along a viewport’s line of sight. This is useful when creating a 3D model or placing objects using a 2D sketch or photo as a reference. To use:

  1. Select the vertex or object that you wish to move along the viewport’s line of sight.

  2. With the mouse hovering in the view you wish to move along, press Ctrl-Y (default) or press the Move Along View button in Perspective Plotter’s side panel.

  3. Moving the mouse will change the position of the vertex or object along the view. Guide lines are displayed in other top/down or left/right viewports to show where the view line is.

  4. Left-click the mouse button to commit the position, or right-click to cancel.

You can change the viewport shortcut under the add-on’s Preferences section.

Note

There is an alternate method in Blender for doing this, and this tool is provided for convenience so that you do not need to switch modes whilst modelling.

Warning

Curve control points are not currently supported.

Match Background

Match BG Image

Warning

This works by updating Blender’s scene resolution to match the background image. All camera borders share this resolution. Changing one camera border dimensions changes every other camera border in the scene.

The Add-On comes with a button that allows you to automatically set the scene resolution to a camera’s background image or video.

Open BG Image

You will need to set a background image or video before pressing the button:

  1. To set a background image or video, in the Outliner panel click on the camera object to select it.

    Set BG
  2. In the Properties panel click on the camera properties tab.

    Camera Properties
  3. Select the checkbox for Background Images, then click on the Add Image button.

    Camera Properties
  4. Select Image or Movie clip, and click on the Open button.

    Open BG Image
  5. Locate and select your background image or video and click on the Open Image button.

    Open BG Image
  6. Now, in the Perspective Plotter panel click the “Match Background” button under the Tools tab:

    Open BG Image

Flatten Horizon Line

Flatten Horizon Line

Flatten Horizon Line will attempt to adjust vanishing points to make the horizon horizontal. Click the button on the panel and the control points will be adjusted to flatten the horizon.