I am not a pro at 3D modelling with Autocad but have some time in it and felt pretty comfortable.  Just recently, I have been floored by my inability to move any objects, 2D or 3D, up or down along the Z-axis with ortho on.  It locks it to where I can only go x or y.  I like the ortho control to keep things lined up.  When I first started doing 3D in Autocad, I had the same problem until I realized that I needed to have the view set to one of the set (front, left, etc.) and then it would work.  It is not the case now. 

I can only move items up or down by turning the ortho off and having free movement or if I change my view from the preset front, side, or rear to a preset isometric view.  Weird because in the isometric views, I can move up and down locked to the z-axis and ortho restrained with no problems.  Why can't I do this looking straight at it?!?!?  Oh ya, I don't have it set to perspective either. 
I have run the repair on the Autocad Architecture 2010 install.  I have Googled many different phrases trying to get some info and nothing.  Can anyone shed some light on this issue for me?  I'm pulling my hair out in disgust and confusion.  Thank you in advance for any help.jimizman2010-04-30 18:23:13

You need to have more than "view" set to a plane other than x-y, you need to set your ucs to a different plane (to move in the z direction while ortho is on). One way to do this is use the "ucs" "view" command.
 
You could also move in the z, regardless of view or ucs, by using relative coordinate input to the move command rather than dragging.

[QUOTE=jimizman]I am not a pro at 3D modelling with Autocad but have some time in it and felt pretty comfortable.  Just recently, I have been floored by my inability to move any objects, 2D or 3D, up or down along the Z-axis with ortho on.  It locks it to where I can only go x or y.  I like the ortho control to keep things lined up.  When I first started doing 3D in Autocad, I had the same problem until I realized that I needed to have the view set to one of the set (front, left, etc.) and then it would work.  It is not the case now. 

I can only move items up or down by turning the ortho off and having free movement or if I change my view from the preset front, side, or rear to a preset isometric view.  Weird because in the isometric views, I can move up and down locked to the z-axis and ortho restrained with no problems.  Why can't I do this looking straight at it?!?!?  Oh ya, I don't have it set to perspective either. 
I have run the repair on the Autocad Architecture 2010 install.  I have Googled many different phrases trying to get some info and nothing.  Can anyone shed some light on this issue for me?  I'm pulling my hair out in disgust and confusion.  Thank you in advance for any help.[/QUOTE] Try this : Vpoint-->1,-1,1 and try to move in Z Axis.

CarlB, 
I entered "UCS" then "VIEW" and it did work.  I can move up and down in ortho.  However, now the "front" view is now "top". 
This is funny because I have 2 other computers with Autocad Architecture 2010 and I can move along z-axis without chaning the view.  Is there a setting that might have been changed on this computer?  Can't figure out what happened.
Thanks CarlB.  I can work efficiently again.  jimizman2010-05-03 17:43:56

if anyone knows how to make the UCS automatically adjust to View please share...

I work in the same way and this autocad I am using does not automatically adjust the UCS when Front, Left, etc...

its not a feature I'd like to lose
I'd rather not type "ucs v" every time i zoom around..


my ArchDeskTop 3.3 automatically adjusts ucs to view...