Perspective views: by Set 3D View

NOTE: This is the "old-fashioned" way of creating a perspective. In recent versions of VectorWorks with the Renderworks module, the Renderworks Camera provides greater flexibility.

Set 3D View

Creating a perspective is very simple: go to a plan projection of whatever it is you wish to view, then choose Set 3D View from the View menu [1].
Then click at the point that you, the viewer, are standing [2], and drag an imaginary line to the point you want to look at [3] – then click again.
NOTE: For the most realistic result, choose a point as far away as possible – it can be well beyond the building.

Set view parameters.

A dialog follows, asking you for information about the third dimension: how high is your viewpoint, and how high is the point that you're looking at.
For best results (e.g., verticals that are vertical, rather than converging to a point below or above), choose the same height in both cases.
Then choose a Perspective type: choose Normal for the most realistic results…

The perspective view

The perspective view is shown framed between four old-fashioned picture holders, each of which can be clicked and dragged to resize the view.

Add other levels to the view.

Assuming you had other Design Layers turned off (as they usually should be), you can now add them to the view, by clicking in their Visible column in the Design Layers list of the Navigation palette, and turning off others that you don't want to see, such as Grid [1].

Render…

When you have the angle of view just the way you want it, render it – in OpenGL, or better still, in Final Quality RenderWorks, to see the materials in their full glory. [1]

Save View…

The easiest way to save a perspective for future use, is to use Save View…, just as we did with plans and isometrics. This allows you to return to the Top/Plan view, or any other view, while ensuring that you can return to this perspective whenever you like.

Make a Viewport of it.

You can also make a Viewport of it, just we did earlier with other types of projection – give it a suitable name and place it on whichever Sheet or Design Layer you wish.
NOTE: You can also copy-and-paste this viewport subsequently to any Sheet or Design Layer.

Change the parameters of the viewport.

A perspective viewport can have its Layers and Classes setup edited through the Obj Info palette [1] – allowing you to determine what should and shouldn't appear in it – as well as its Scale [2], type of Rendering [3] and Perspective Type [4].
It can even be changed from a Perspective projection to an Orthogonal or Cavalier one [5], as in the case of Building Sections.
As with all rendered viewports, it needs to be Updated when something has changed [6].