Perspective View with Visio 2013 Preview 3D Effects & Rotation

[JuneTheSecond]

This drawing is a group of duplicated rectangles made with Visio 2013 Preview.
I expect more or custom Effects would be added in future.

[JuneTheSecond]

This kind of effects and 3-D rotation are already seen in Word 2010.
Now in Visio 2013 preview.
But we need detailed description,
mainly about "Parspective Angle", "Distance from Bottom",
and where is the view point of the perspective view.

I've tried to analyze on the Visio drawing, and got some results.
Here is the drawing that explain how I did.
Please enjoy.

[JuneTheSecond]

The nature of 3-D rotation is mysterious, it does not depends on the order of sequential operation.
For example, 30 degrees to x-direction, 20 degrees to y-direction and 15 degrees to z-direction give the same result as reversed sequence of operations.
Many text books in mathematics tell us the result of sequence of the rotation changes with the order of the operation.
This was because, the axis moved during these operations.
I thought you can see it easily, if the 3-D axis is shown on the drawing.
I hope you enjoy 3-D rotation with attached drawing in Visio 2013 Preview version.

[vojo]

FYI....in libre office draw (and probably open office) ....doing this kind of thing does depend on the sequence
I will say LO Draw is a real mess in this area

[wapperdude]

Actually, in real life, the order of rotation does make a difference. 

Reason, the 3 axis don't move, the object does, thus, it's relative x-, y-, z-coordinates change.  That is, a book has a fixed width, length, and height, but, depending upon it's position, the width could be any of the three axis.   Sitting on a desk, cover up, normal reading, the x-axis is page width, y-axis is page height, and z-axis is book thickness, where x- & y-axis are in the plane of the desk, and  z-axis is sticking up into the air from the desk surface.  To easily verify the rotation order, do full 90 deg rotations. 

Rotate the book 90deg about each axis, in the order of z, then y, and then x.  Result of each rotation:
  none:  as stated above
  z-axis:  book is still face up, but height is x-axis, width is y-axis, top of book is to the left.
  y-axis:  book is now standing, top is on the desk: thickness is x-axis, width is y-axis, and height is z-axis.
  x-axis:  book is now standing on the long edge, binding facing up:  thickness is along x-axis, height is along y-axis, and width is along z-axis.

Now, return the book as before and reverse the order, this gives you:
  x-axis:  book is on top edge, binding to the left:  x-axis is width, y-axis is thickness, and z-axis is page height
  y-axis:  book is on long edge, binding on the desk, top of book is to the right:  x-axis is page height, y-axis is thickness, z-axis is page width
  z-axis:  book is on long edge, but in orientation that you would hold if you wanted to open the book to read normally:  x-axis is thickness, y-axis is height, z-axis is width.

I gave the results to verify the direction of rotations and to spot any errors that I may have made.  Keeping the rotations about the axis can be dis-orienting.

HTH
Wapperdude

Ed.:  Added drawing to help visio-lize.   

[JuneTheSecond]

Thank you, all.

I made a new drawing.
When you turn the shape to x-direction, a satellite runs along the orbit
in the 3-D perspective view.
The orbit changes when you turn to y or z.

Please enjoy.

[wapperdude]

Hmmmm.  That's the new file format.  Need to get V13 to have fun with it.   I think MS should make you part of their marketing team.  The capabilities that you so ablely demostrate are powerful sales tools!

Wapperdude

[JuneTheSecond]

Thank you, wapperdude.
Please, install Visio 2013 Preview and enjoy.

[JuneTheSecond]

I am sorry that until now I did not noticed that
3-D rotation by spin buttons and by icons are quite different.

The clicking icon turns the object in fixed xyz axis by 5
degrees that is 1 round by 72 click around x y z axis each.

It is quite differnt from that of by the spin buttons.
The rotation by spin buttons looks mysterious,
but the rotation by clicking icons is quite normal.

Please, forget all my above comments.

[JuneTheSecond]

3-D rotation with icons changes by the order of the operation.
The figure below shows the changes.
It looks the same as I learned in matematical 3-D rotation.

[JuneTheSecond]

Edited drawing animates the revolution along orbit.
Right click menu on the shape start running.
This drawing uses VBA macro,
please enable VBA macro.

I hope you enjoy, thank you.

[vojo]

So been hearing alot about the 3D stuff.     Unfortunately, due to corp lunacy, still on XP.   So got to wrestly with the corp gods about upgrades to windows 7 and visio 2013.   Is it fair to infer that the this 3D stuff for visio 2013 would allow one to, say, take a cube and rotate arbitrarily in all 3 axis.   Aka like wrapperdudes sequence example BUT not have to manually make
each manifold in those 9 examples.   I.e. take a cube and, whether icon or controls, rotate it around along various axis?   I.e. perhaps a
poor man's Sketchup?   Can I assume this can be done with groups of 3D shapes?

[JuneTheSecond]

If word 2010 is running in your PC,
3-D effects and 3-D rotations are basically the same
as Visio 2013 preview.
I think you can evaluate new feature in word 2010.
Following page would be greate help for preliminary estimation.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/hh965406.aspx#odc_wd14_ta_ManipulatingShapes_SmartArt

Add to the information to this document, word 2010 have IncrementRotationX,
IncrementRotationY and IncrementRotationZ methods.
They are usefull to play animation of 3-D rotation.

[Visio Guy]

This is very cool (as usual) JTS!

It seems to me that Visio 13 needs a quick way to toggle between 3D effects and "flat". I haven't found anything like this, other than the "Reset" button. Has anybody else?

The problem is that you need to create artwork in "flat" mode, then pop it into 3D. While working on something, you will do this many times. Having to tweak X, Y, Z rotation angles each time to go back into 3D will be frustrating.

[JuneTheSecond]

I made a drawing having icon simulator for 3-D rotation.
Icons on the drawing simulate icons on the embedded window for 3-D Rotation.
I watched the behavior of 3-D rotation, and found how to trace it.
We can make 3-D rotation matrix R from a set of angle.
Each my icon has rotation matrix Rx, Ry.
When you double-click themy icon,
New matrix Rn = R*Rx or Rn = R*Ry is made for each icon.
New set of angles for x, y and z can be calculated from new matrix.

Please enjoy double-clicking the icons in Visio 2013 Preview.