Coordinate system - default orientation?

Question

This is probably a historical question, but does anybody know why the default global coordinate system orientation is set such that the XZ plane is the floor? [I have a simliar question for the ProE environment as well]

This orientation is more aligned to a graphics environment rather than an engineering environment where the XY plane is generally the floor - simple 3 axis machinetools have the spindle as the vertical Z axis.

Just wondering

Sean

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sean Kerslake Dept. Design & Technology Loughborough University Loughborough LE11 3TU

01509 228317

Jean Marc BRUN · Accepted Answer

"Sean Kerslake" a écrit dans le message de news: c6qc8k$24a$ snipped-for-privacy@sun-cc204.lut.ac.uk...

I would suppose that sitting on your seat in front of your drawing board, or your computer screen, you see the XY plane in front of you, vertical.

In the real world, Z is the vertical axis from a math point of view.

My wild guess. Anyone has anything better?

Dale Dunn · Answer

As I understand it, the auto industry commonly has the XY plane on the center of the car, with the Z axis pointing out the right side (US passenger side).

If you can't live with the default view orientation, you could change it in all your templates.

Corey Scheich · Answer

I agree. Think of the view names Front, Top, Right, Left So when you use the top view you are building up from the ground in the Z axis and drawing in the XY. The front is the front of your model. So on and so forth.

Corey

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Coordinate system - default orientation?

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