Understanding 3D Space

Maneuvering in 3D space can seem easy at first glance. After all, only one dimension has been added to the standard page layout, and that dimension is what we experience as we move around every day. However, believe it or not, the addition of this dimension can make navigation harder to get used to for the novice 3D artist. If you don't grasp some foundational principles from the outset, you can become disoriented and lose track of your model and scene. The addition of a third dimension adds much more than just another arrow on the monitor.

A standard page layout has two axes: x and y. If these equate to the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, then the third axis (z) extends off the screen, toward the viewer (see Figure 1.1).