While viewing an image, you can easily view the current scene from a different direction—north, south, east, west, and orthogonally (straight down).
There are two ways in which to determine the orientation (direction in which the image was captured) of the image shown in the Image window:
The letter at the top of the compass (N, S, E, or W) corresponds to the top of the image in the Image window. For example, the following Navigation Compass shows that you are viewing an east-up image.
The Navigation window shows a map or image, and a polygon. The map or image is always oriented north-up. The orientation of the polygon matches that of the image in the Image window. You can think of the polygon as the camera's field of view—with its short side toward the photographer and its long side toward the subject matter. The center point of the polygon corresponds to the center point of the image in the Image window.
As you change images in the Image window, the polygon rotates if necessary, so that it always indicates the orientation of the image in the Image window. The polygon also shows the approximate footprint (coverage) of Oblique images.
The following Navigation window shows that a north-up image is in the Image window because the polygon points upward.
The camera buttons at the edges of the image let you view north-up, east-up, south-up, west-up, and orthogonal views.
To view the current scene from a different direction:
Do one of the following:
and 
.| For … | Click this camera button … |
|---|---|
| Orthogonal view |
|
| Oblique views |
|
HINT: Hover your mouse over the button to see which side of its image will be up (at the top of the Image window). For example, if you want to see the current scene from the south (a north-up image), find the camera whose tool tip shows the word "North."
An image of the desired orientation opens in the Image window, the shaded polygon in the Navigation window rotates to show the orientation of the image with respect to the Navigation window's map, and the Navigation Compass rotates to show which compass direction is now at the top of the Image window.
