Zoom Features

Five zoom features are available in ETABS. These features can be used to zoom in or out on a view. Zooming in makes components of the model appear larger, which makes it is easier to view individual items in the model. Zooming out makes the individual model components appear smaller, which makes it is easier to view the entire model in a single window. All five zoom features are available on the View menu and by using toolbar buttons. The zoom features and their associated toolbar buttons are as follows:

Rubber Band Zoom, Zooms in on the model by windowing. To use the command, depress and hold down the left mouse button. While keeping the left button depressed, drag the mouse to "rubber band" a window around the portion of the view of interest. The rubber band window that shows the extent of the zoom appears as a dashed line. When the left mouse button is released, the new "zoomed" view is displayed.
Restore Full View, This command has two uses. First, if the Zoom In or Zoom Out commands (see below) have been used from the initial default view of a window, this command can be used to return to the original default view where the entire structure just fills the window. The second use for this command occurs if the View menu > Pan command has been used to change the view in the window. In that case the Restore Full View button returns the default view.
Previous Zoom, This command restores the immediately previous zoom settings. If the View menu > Previous Zoom command is used repeatedly without using other commands to change the zoom in between, the effect is to toggle between two zoom settings. The View menu > Previous Zoom command can not go back more than one zoom setting. Note that the View menu > Previous Zoom command has no effect in the following circumstances:
- Immediately after the first display of a view in a window.
- Immediately after the use of the View menu > Pan command.
Zoom In One Step, This command zooms in on the model one step.
Zoom Out One Step, This command zooms out on the model one step.

The size of the step is controlled by the settings on the Graphics Preferences form, which is accessed using the Options menu > Graphic Preferences command.