A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides a first contact tool graphic that introduces a user to the types of navigation tools, their uses and the capabilities of their action tools. A graphical user interface is played on a display when a user initially starts navigation operations for navigating a three dimensional scene. The tool selection graphic includes a text graphic describing navigation tool behavior, a first graphic showing selectable navigation tools for new users, a second graphic showing selectable navigation tools for experienced users, tool description graphic selectable from the first and second graphics showing action tool details for a selected navigation tool comprising navigation tool shape, action tool location on the a circular tool position shape and tool functions, nd an associated tool graphic positioned adjacent the tool description graphic allowing selection of other tools of a set of task based tools associated with the tool description graphic.