Formatting Object Overlays

Your application uses a hierarchy of screen objects to display 3D data.

At the bottom of the hierarchy are the actual items that determine how 3D data is presented: overlays. Each overlay contains the instructions your application needs to render a loaded data object the right way, and there are a lot of options to choose from.

In 3D windows and 3D projections of plot sheets, an overlay is configured using a different set of controls to those found in 2D plot projections. The former use a set of screens, collectively referred to as "3D Properties screens" whereas the latter use a framework known as the "Format Display screen".

Actually, these different methods represent a snapshot of Studio applications at different times; 3D Properties screens were introduced with the advent of 3D windows (originally named the "VR" window), whilst the Format Display screen is an older invention, originally used to support the legacy Design window and now reserved for the formation of 2D plot projection overlays.

See 3D Design for a more detailed history of Studio visualization.

In any case, a loaded 3D data object can be represented by one or more overlays. The information stored in each overlay can also be transferred to a template for sharing with other data, projects and applications. 3D Properties templates are created separately to Format Display templates.