3D Options: Initial States

To access this screen:

  • On the Options screen, expand the 3D tab and select Initial States.

Control how 3D windows appear initially after creation, including the primary 3D view on startup. These settings apply to all future projects created in your application.

Per-window settings can also be set, providing the 3D window was created as an independent type.

These options can also be changed after startup using either the 3D View ribbon or the Environment Settings screen. In this situation, settings are stored per project.

Option Description
Perspective mode

If checked, 3D window data is displayed to support vanishing point perspective.

If unchecked, 3D window data is displayed in an isometric manner, without perspective support.

See Perspective and Orthogonal Views.

View direction

Set the initial view direction for 3D windows using one of the preset view types listed.

  • Plan—view orthogonally to a flat, horizontal plane.

  • N-S—view orthogonally to a North-South plane.

  • S-N

  • E-W

  • W-E

  • 3D—view orthogonally to the current default section.

Lock view to section

If checked, the 3D window view direction is locked to a section plane (see above) after creation, by default. Windows can be unlocked using the 3D View ribbon or equivalent options.

If unchecked, 3D view directions are not locked and can be adjusted interactively.

See Section Locking and lock-view ("lvw").

Grid

Determine the type of default grid that displayed by 3D window by default. This can be:

  • <none>

  • A Section grid

  • A grid that snaps to the 3D Hull of all loaded data objects.

  • The current grid's Default Template.

Note: any grid can be set to be the system default.

Indicators

Decide which 3D indicators display when 3D windows are created, from the following non-exclusive options:

Background color Select either a Single or Gradient back-fill for new 3D windows.
Clipping  
Front, Back Adjust the global clipping planes for clipping, which determine the 'corridor' in which data is visible within a 3D window, as a distance from the 3D camera in an orthogonal direction.
Bias additional Clipping planes by Move the global clipping plane by a small amount to overcome visibility issues with data drawn on a section plane.
Use polygon offset

If checked, strings which have been digitized by snapping to a wireframe or section plane are slightly offset (default 'ticked'). This can prevent the digitized data from being partially 'hidden' by the wireframe or section plane surface.

If unchecked, digitized strings that are coincident with wireframe data are not adjusted, but may be unexpectedly obscured.

Related topics and activities: