The default layout Blender uses typically has the 3D Viewports camera focused on the Cube archaic that essentially acts every bit a visual proxy for grid/screen middle such that middle-mouse click-dragging (MMB) rotates effectually it as a indicate of reference. Over fourth dimension this relationship tends to become discombobulated, the views focus changing based on where the photographic camera later on ends up relative to the initial starting signal, rather than what it might/should be looking at. To accost this diverse Align View options can be used to refocus the photographic camera.

Important: as Align View is broadly relative to the 3D Viewport camera and viewport itself, for more control information technology can be used in conjunction with Snap (to elements, objects or selections) and/or Snap During Transform to varying effect.

Blender 2.8's initial view focused on the Cube object
The initial view Blender presents (opening a 'General' projection) that has the scenes camera focused on the Cube, rotating the workspace pivots effectually this point.

Align View

Given Blenders transform flexibility when manipulating each editor, surface area or view, what the Align View options practice is refocus or readjust the camera, area or editor so information technology focuses on unlike aspects of the active view, which tin can exist a unmarried object, group selections, the 3D Cursor, a median signal and more. To access Align View, top-left of the 3D Viewport click the View menu and so Align View ( View » Marshal View » [option] ) to see the available alignment list, primarily;

  • Center Cursor and Frame All | Shift + C | 3D Cursor repositioned to grid zero (0,0,0) and view reset.
  • Eye View to Cursor | [northward/a] | resets the view to the 3D Cursors location.

Pattern note: the Center Cursor and Frame All choice is similar in practice to Frame All, Abode, but includes the cursor re-centring – whilst the 3D View mostly has more options to re-heart/reposition the camera, all areas and editors accept a like Frame All option, typically attainable from the respective View carte (where bachelor) or by pressing the Home key.

Align View menu options
In the 3D View click the View card to then access the Align View options (View » Align View » [options]).

Frame Option vs Local View

For newer versions of Blender the option to focus the camera on a specific selection, Frame Option, accompanies Local View rather than replacing it. The latter is functionally like with the added benefit of being toggleable – when Local View is ON the active object or option within a scene becomes the focus no matter their position within information technology, when OFF the scene reverts to its previous state. To enable, make a option (single object or group) then click View » Local View » Toggle Local View or press NumPad /, repeat to disable.

Design note: Frame Selection is attainable pressing NumPad ..

Align the view to the selected object
Aligning the view to a selection can exist done using Local View, which works similar to Frame Selection while beingness toggleable.

Align View to Active

What Align View to Active does is (re)align the 3D View camera to match the active objects local centrality, as is typically represented by the manipualtion widget being set to Local (rather than Global) Transform Orientation. In other words, when an orientation option is selected, View » Marshal View » Align View to Active » Top for example, the viewport camera flips around to match the respective centrality on the 3D Widget regardless of the selected objects orientation in 3D space (relative to the grid), or continuing the example, looking down the Z centrality (bluish handle) of the 3D widget even if the object is rotated non-axially.

Design note: the Marshal View to Active options do not specifically reposition the active object/s to centre-screen but instead simply reorientate the view to the chosen perspective, height, lesser etc., which may start the item (from screen centre) despite the cameras focus. Marshal View to Agile also behaves similar to Viewpoint, i.eastward. View » Viewpoint » Tiptop (NumPad 7) flips the view then it looks down on the scene in similar fashion to Align View to Active » Tiptop (Shift + NumPad 7) merely without the object or selection focus.

Aligning the view to an object may not centre it on-screen
Adjustment the view to the active object in a selection will reorientate the view simply may reposition the selection in an odd place because the performance does non specifically centre the item to the viewport.

Align view to selected objects axes
With a selection made Align View to Active re-orientates the viewport camera to match the respective axis of the agile item – top, lesser, front back, left or right – as would otherwise be indicated past Transform Orientation being set to Local.