[ivox3]

Well i go all the way back to junior high school and using graph paper, That's where my concept of XY & Z begins...........basic cartesian system as Fran noted.
Looking DOWN at the graph paper. .....i'm in the Z direction looking down at the X & Y. ., .....i see the point of Mihai, but i remain with Hugh.

Z is up. Zisup. zisup zisup. ........new word invented here: Zisup. hahahahahaha

[tom]

I totally agree with Mihai. Never understood why so much 3d apps turned the world around. Z is depth by definition and x,y on the two axis of your screen is the most natural way to envision 3d.

It could have something to do with 2d drafting conventions. The cartesian coordinates in plan view show the Y-coordinate up and X to the right. When 3d came along, Z became the direction to indicate thickness or height.


Hence, everyone who has an AutoCAD background is schooled in the convention that Z represents thickness or height. Likewise, those who have written plug-ins or 3d apps that relate to AutoCAD have carried on the convention.

Absolutely right!
The ones who can think directly in 3D and the ones who transformed themselves into thinking 3D. Z is depth and depth depends you reference viewpoint
If we ask a diver about "depth", he/she'll point us the sea ground which is downwards. If we ask a painter about "depth", he/she'll point us the horizon which is actually happening and if you ask me what is depth, I would like to say X, Y or Z, no matter.

[JDHill]

This is fun. Find the coordinate system:

easy:


not as easy:


????????:


Have fun!


~JD

[DELETED]

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[Kabe]

It could have something to do with 2d drafting conventions. The cartesian coordinates in plan view show the Y-coordinate up and X to the right. When 3d came along, Z became the direction to indicate thickness or height.

Well, that's exactly the point of convention. For someone working in real estate, the 3rd dimension is Z, for someone working on a table or drafting on a vertical board, Z becomes depth.

But anyway, this is a single matrix multiplication, and the plugins will take care of that.

Kabe

[Hugh]

But anyway, this is a single matrix multiplication, and the plugins will take care of that.Kabe

So I can still look up to see Z? Phew!! All praise Zed, the mighty Zed. (not to be confused with the guy in Pulp Fiction)

Wait a minute, what about if I want to import into my scene, a model created in my new modeller - Zisup Pro V26. Won't I have to screw around rotating, translating, etc. I can see that becoming a pain. Unless we're allowed to select vertical axis during import, that is. I don't know if this is currently the case as I haven't been able to import anything so far.

[JDHill]

Hugh :: this is the job of each individual plug-in.

[Hugh]

I'm using Autocad. Can you post the plugin link please, I must'nt have seen it.

[Thomas An.]

The XY is always the 2d space in any science convention that I know of.

In school when drawing on the blackboard XY always denoted the 2d planar coordinate system of the board and anything imagined to stick out (or inward) perpendicularly was referring to Z-height. (This was true even though the board itself is situated vertically... it is a virtual space where XY is always the working plane that corolates to the earth surface.)

The plane of the board corresponded to the idealized planar surface of the earth (if the earth is considered flat for infinitesimal distances). Also, in math all 2d equations are in XY terms.

So when looking down from the top, we are looking at XY. True enough, in Rhino, looking down from the Top viewport there is XY. (Thankfully)

IMHO it is the CG industry that attempts to go against convention and against the grain.

[tom]

IMHO it is the CG industry that attempts to go against convention and against the grain.

Besause our monitors are standing vertically in front of us, may this be the reason.

[NicoR44]

IMHO it is the CG industry that attempts to go against convention and against the grain.

Besause our monitors are standing vertically in front of us, may this be the reason.

[Thomas An.]

IMHO it is the CG industry that attempts to go against convention and against the grain.

Besause our monitors are standing vertically in front of us, may this be the reason.

The blackboard is vertical too and so is the monitor. It doesn't matter how the working surface is situated. That surface is always XY.

Take a satelite picture of the earth and then put it on the wall. Which way are the buildings pointing ? Just because we are putting the photo on the wall doesn't mean we should be changing its axis too (the photo represents the XY of the earth not the XZ of the wall itself)

[tom]

XZ

[JDHill]

I'm using Autocad. Can you post the plugin link please, I must'nt have seen it.

No problem.

• - Maxwell Render RC1 Plug-in Download Center
  - mirror
  - backup mirror

~JD

[Frances]

XZ

So, if Y is the 3rd dimension, it's out of order.

Shame on you Tom. I thought Math was your Alpha and Omega.