When you select the pan tool and the viewport in which to work, ABAQUS/CAE enters pan mode, as indicated by the cursor.

The position of your view of the model changes as you click and then drag the cursor, and a rubberband line indicates the amount of translation. Panning the view is comparable to moving the camera over a snapshot of the model, as shown in Figure 5–3; the snapshot moves in the viewport but any faces of the model that were hidden in the original camera position remain hidden as you pan.

The alternate mode of the pan tool, accessed by holding [Shift] while performing the manipulation, creates a more realistic camera view. Instead of a snapshot of the model, you pan the camera over the real model. Faces of the model that were hidden at the original camera position are exposed as you move the camera over the model, as shown in Figure 5–4.

For both modes of the pan tool, the initial location of the cursor is not important, as long as you place it within the viewport. Cursor motion is limited only by the physical bounds of your monitor, and panning will continue even if you move the cursor outside the viewport or window.