Rhino 3D — Navigation & UI
Interface orientation for new users
Mouse Controls
Left click — Select object
Left drag — Window select (L→R solid, R→L crossing)
Left drag — Window select (L→R solid, R→L crossing)
Right click — Confirm / repeat last command
Right drag — Rotate view (Perspective only)
Right drag — Rotate view (Perspective only)
Middle drag — Pan view (all viewports)
Scroll wheel — Zoom in / out
Scroll wheel — Zoom in / out
Shift + Right drag — Pan (alternate)
Ctrl + Right drag — Rotate (alternate)
Ctrl + Right drag — Rotate (alternate)
Viewport Layout
Double-click any viewport title to maximize it. Double-click again to restore 4-view.
Right-click the viewport title to change display mode (Wireframe, Shaded, Rendered…).
Top / Front / Right are parallel projections — no perspective distortion. Use for precise drawing.
Perspective is the only viewport where Right-drag rotates the view.
Named views: type NamedView to save and restore camera positions.
Status Bar Toggles — click to turn on/off, right-click to configure
F9
Grid Snap
Snaps cursor to grid intersections
F3
OSnap
Snap to endpoints, midpoints, centers — right-click to pick which
F8
Ortho
Constrains drawing to 90° increments
F10
Planar
Locks drawing to the current construction plane
F11
SmartTrack
Temporary tracking lines from key points
F2
Command History
Opens full command history window
Display Modes — right-click viewport title to switch
Wireframe
Edges only. Fastest. Use for modeling.
Shaded
Solid surfaces with basic lighting.
Rendered
Materials and lights visible. Slower.
Ghosted
Transparent surfaces. See through objects.
X-Ray
All edges visible through surfaces.
Command Line & Key Panels
Command Line (top bar)
| Type any command name | → press Enter |
| Repeat last command | Right-click or Enter |
| Cancel current command | Esc |
| Command options | Click underlined letters in prompt |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl Z / Ctrl Y |
Layers Panel
| Open Layers | Type Layer |
| Set current layer | Click layer name |
| Toggle visibility | Click the lightbulb icon |
| Lock a layer | Click the padlock icon |
| Change obj. layer | Select obj. → Properties panel |
Properties Panel
| Open Properties | Ctrl Shift O |
| Change layer | Layer dropdown in Properties |
| Change display color | Color swatch in Properties |
| Object name | Name field at top |
| Show control points | Select obj. → F10 |
Coordinate Input — type directly at the command prompt
Absolute: type
x,y,z e.g. 0,0,0 ·
Relative: type r x,y,z e.g. r 5,0,0 (5 units in X from last point) ·
Distance + direction: move cursor in direction, type a number and press Enter — Rhino draws that exact distance along the cursor's direction. ·
Angle constraint: type < 45 to constrain to 45°.