Addressing the underlying need beyond the specification is crucial.
The client requested eight icons, six representing the sides of a cube, for 3D view navigation and selecting orthographic views.
However, the 3D view is relative, and these six cube icons are disconnected from that current perspective, making it unclear which side is Right, Left, Front, or Back.
solution results
Just use the Cube
Integrating the 3D cube navigation directly into the perspective view was key.
This literal approach synchronized the spatial orientation of View Cube and given 3D object, allowing users to intuitively click on the side or edge they want to see. Users no longer need to decipher which side is which.
This UX design solution has now become the industry standard for 3D view navigation. In subsequent projects for Catia and SCIA, we further evolved this concept to include features like back-plane hotspots, planar rotation, and plane and vector selection and activation.