How to Change Mouse Navigation in FreeCAD

FreeCAD provides multiple 3D navigation presets that mimic controls from other major 3D modeling programs such as Blender, OpenSCAD, Revit, and TinkerCAD. This guide explains how to change your mouse navigation style using both the quick status-bar method and the global preferences menu, along with an overview of the most common navigation styles to help you choose the best fit for your workflow.

Method 1: Change Navigation via the Status Bar (Quickest)

You can change mouse styles instantly without opening menus:

  1. Look at the bottom-right corner of the FreeCAD application window.
  2. Locate the navigation indicator text (it typically defaults to CAD or Gesture).
  3. Right-click on this text or icon.
  4. Select your preferred navigation style from the pop-up list.

The changes take effect immediately in the active 3D view.

Method 2: Change Navigation via the Preferences Menu

To set your default navigation style globally:

  1. Open the top menu bar and click Edit > Preferences (on macOS, click FreeCAD > Preferences).
  2. In the left sidebar of the Preferences window, select Display.
  3. Ensure you are on the 3D View tab.
  4. Locate the 3D Navigation section.
  5. Click the dropdown menu next to Navigation style and choose your desired preset.
  6. Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.

Overview of Common Navigation Styles

Choosing the right style depends on your hardware and your familiarity with other software:

  • CAD (Default): Designed for standard three-button mice. Left-click selects, middle-click pans, holding the middle button and clicking the left button rotates, and the scroll wheel zooms.
  • Blender: Matches Blender’s controls. Middle-click rotates the view, Shift + middle-click pans, and the scroll wheel zooms.
  • OpenSCAD: Uses left-click drag to rotate, middle-click drag to pan, and right-click drag to zoom.
  • Touchpad: Optimized for laptop trackpads where a middle button is unavailable. Uses combinations of PageUp/PageDown and directional keys, or Shift and Ctrl key modifiers with standard trackpad dragging.
  • Gesture: Designed for touchscreens and styluses. Left-click drag rotates, right-click drag pans, and standard two-finger pinches or mouse-wheel operations zoom.
  • Revit / Inventor: Emulates Autodesk navigation patterns, allowing users familiar with Revit or Inventor to transition smoothly.

Fine-Tuning View Orbit Behavior

In the same Display > 3D View preferences menu, you can also adjust the Orbit style:

  • Turntable: Keeps the model upright relative to the screen, preventing the horizon from rolling.
  • Trackball: Allows free-form rotation in all three axes, allowing the model to roll upside down.