To assist with the visualization of the x-y-z coordinate system, a Workplane is used.

The default Workplane responds to the current view but can be changed to a user-defined position.

Only one Workplane at a time can be displayed in model space, however a Workplane which has been specifically applied to a unique surface can be saved and retrieved at a later stage. This is referred to as a User Workplane.

Workplanes can only be placed on surfaces or planes, never on curved surfaces. They can also be aligned by placing their X-Y-Z points on specific points in the workspace.

The origin of the Workplane is at the point where the x and y axis intersect, shown below.

Workplane origin shown at intersection of x and y axis

The Workplane is a dynamic object which can be moved around the workspace using the origin point shown below. The Workplane can also be dynamically rotated in the workspace, shown below right.

The Workplane is represented by a 2 point coordinate arrow which represents the x-y plane. When viewed from an isometric viewpoint, an axis is provided which represents the z coordinate, shown below left.

Workplane shown from an Isometric view	Rotating the Workplane x axis

Notice how the directional axis of the x handle, above right corresponds to the color of x-axis

Displaying the Workplane

Select Workplane > View Workplane to display the Workplane in the editor.

The result is shown below.

See Also

Moving the Workplane

Workplane & Grid

Workplane Origin

The  Axis

The axis, shown below is a visual indicator representing the view of objects in a 3-dimensional plane.

Unlike the Workplane which is a dynamic, user-defined object, the axis responds only to the current view, providing the x-y-z orientation which relates exclusively to the current view.

Axis (left) and Workplane (right) shown from an Isometric view