Changing your view angle in Blender allows you to look at your 3D scene from different directions, which is essential for modeling, sculpting, and layout. One of the most common ways to quickly change your perspective or view angle is by using the Numpad hotkeys.
Changing Standard Views with Hotkeys
Blender provides quick shortcuts using the Numpad keys to snap the viewport to predefined standard views. This lets you easily jump to looking directly at the front, side, top, or other cardinal directions of your scene or selected object.
Using Numpad Keys for Views
Based on the provided reference, pressing certain Numpad keys changes your view:
- Numpad 1: Switches to the Front View.
- Numpad 3: Switches to the Right View.
- Numpad 7: Switches to the Top View.
As the reference explains, pressing 1 gives the front view, pressing 3 gives the right view, and 7 gives the top view. You can also see which view you are currently looking at, typically indicated in the top-left corner of the 3D Viewport.
Here's a table summarizing these and other common Numpad view hotkeys:
| Numpad Key | View Changed To | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front Orthographic/View | Looks directly at the front. |
| Ctrl + 1 | Back Orthographic/View | Looks directly at the back. |
| 3 | Right Orthographic/View | Looks directly from the right. |
| Ctrl + 3 | Left Orthographic/View | Looks directly from the left. |
| 7 | Top Orthographic/View | Looks directly from the top. |
| Ctrl + 7 | Bottom Orthographic/View | Looks directly from the bottom. |
| 9 | Toggle Camera/View | Flips view 180 degrees. |
| 0 | Camera View | Looks through the active camera. |
These hotkeys are a fundamental part of navigating the 3D viewport efficiently.
Orthographic vs. Perspective View
When you use the Numpad keys (1, 3, 7, etc.), the view typically switches to an Orthographic projection by default. In an orthographic view, parallel lines remain parallel, and there is no sense of depth or convergence, making it ideal for precise modeling and alignment.
Alternatively, the default view when you orbit around is a Perspective view, where objects appear smaller the farther away they are, mimicking how we see the real world and providing a sense of depth.
Toggling View Modes
You can easily switch between Orthographic and Perspective view modes using the Numpad 5 key. Pressing Numpad 5 will toggle the current viewport between these two projection types, affecting how objects appear in your view.
By combining the standard view hotkeys (like Numpad 1, 3, 7) with the ability to toggle between Orthographic and Perspective using Numpad 5, you gain flexible control over how you view your 3D scene in Blender.
