Setting Up the Shape Viewer

The shape viewer displays the current state of the object's shape as you modify it. This could be the currently selected shape in the shape list, the base shape, or the result of the shape weight blending at the current frame as you set the sliders on the Animate tab.

You can orbit, pan, zoom, and dolly in the viewer as you do in a user view in the viewport.

You can also select a display mode from the display menu in the shape manager's menu bar, such as shaded, wireframe, etc. These are the same types of geometry displays that are available from the display menu in a viewport.

A	Select a point of view from the View menu, such as Front, Top, Right, including special Bottom, Left, Back, and Orthographic viewpoints. Orthographic allows you to orbit as in a user view, while keeping its parallel projection nature (that is, it is not perspective view)
B	Memo cams: Store up to 4 views for quick recall. Left click to recall, middle-click to save, Ctrl+middle-click to overwrite, and right-click to clear.
C	Display menu lets you set the type of geometry display for the object, such as constant, shaded, textured, or wireframe.
D	Shape viewer displays the current state of the object's shape. This can be the selected shape, base shape, or the result of modifying the object's geometry or its weight.
E	Splitter bar adjusts the viewer's size. Click the arrow to hide (and redisplay) the Create/Animate tabs
F	Update icon refreshes the shape viewer with the selected object. Click this icon to refresh the viewer every time you select another object that you want to appear in the shape viewer.
G	Click the lock icon to prevent the shape viewer from updating when you select another object.
H	Click the X, Y, Z buttons to look at the object in the shape viewer along the X, Y, or Z axis. This is the same as viewing from the Top, Bottom, Front or Back, Left, Right views from the View menu.

Displaying Objects in the Shape Viewer

By default, the shape viewer displays only the currently selected object whose shapes you're modifying, but you can also display all objects in the scene in it. You can also display points and clusters on an object.

To display an object in the shape viewer

Select any geometric object and click the Update icon in the shape manager's menu bar. Click this icon to refresh the viewer every time you select another object that you want to appear in the shape viewer.

To display the other objects in the scene in the shape viewer

This can be useful to do when you have reference objects that help you create shapes, such as eyeball or teeth objects that are inside a face that you are shape-animating.

Choose View Display All Objects from the shape manager's menu bar.

You can display all objects in the scene in the shape viewer. In this case, Dr. Bunsen's eyes, glasses, teeth, and tongue are displayed for a reference when shape-animating the face.