Problem

In matlab, you can right-click on a 3D plot and a context menu pops up that gives you the option to 'Go to X-Y view', 'Go to X-Z view', and 'Go to Y-Z view'. The view then snaps to viewing that plane face-on. Something similar would be very useful in matplotlib.

Proposed solution

Either a right-click menu or a toolbar dropdown with similar snapping options. That would then set the appropriate ax.view_init(elev, azim, roll) elevation and azimuth view angles.