3D Display Templates

To access this dialog:

In the Points Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Pictures Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Ellipsoids Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Strings Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Drillholes Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Block Model Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Wireframe Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.
In the Planes Properties dialog, click the Templates tab.

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3D window templates allow you to capture and restore an object's visual formatting settings in a convenient way. You can save one or more templates for each object type, and templates can be applied to any loaded data object of the same type. They can even be used to format information in the Plots window.

The settings described here apply to the currently active 3D window and all linked external windows. Independent windows will be unaffected.

Templates are stored alongside your project file, but can optionally be exported to an external file (.3dtpl) that can be transferred between projects and systems. Each of the respective properties dialog for points, strings, drillholes, block models, wireframes and planes contain the same functions but you are restricted to applying templates only to the object type from which the template was originally created.

You can also specify which template is to be the "default" for each object type; this will represent the formatting that will be applied each time a new object of that type is created/loaded.

Creating a Template

The basic procedure for creating a template is:

Load a data object of the required type.
Use the object properties dialog to apply the various formatting options (color, symbols, labels etc.) and visually check the results.
When you're happy with the visual formatting, open the object properties dialog and select the Templates tab.
Select New
Enter a name for the template and press <ENTER> - the new template will capture all of the current formatting of the overlay relevant to the displayed properties dialog.

Applying a Template

Create a template using the procedure above.
Open the object properties dialog and select the Templates tab.
Select a Template from the main list and click Copy Format from Template.
Click OK in the properties dialog and the template will be applied.

Updating a Template

Set up the properties of the data object as you want them.
Click the Templates tab.
If not already loaded, select Import to select an external .3dtpl file containing template information.
Select the template name you wish to update using the Templates list.
Click Copy Format to Template and confirm to update the selected template.
If you wish to commit your template changes back to the original .3dtpl file, click Export... and overwrite the template you selected previously.

Setting a Default Display Template

Create a template using the procedure above.
Open the object properties dialog and select the Templates tab.
Select the required default template from the Default template drop-down list.
Click OK.
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Field Details:

This panel contains the following fields:

Default template: your application applies a standard visual template to each loaded data object it encounters, however, if you wish to apply the same default template to every date object that is loaded (of the specified type), you can access all previously-created templates from this drop-down list. By default, this is set to <none>, meaning system default values will be applied.

If you are defining a 3D grid template, you can choose any defined template as a 3D window "Initial State" using the Tools | Options dialog

New: create a new template, based on the loaded overlay's properties. You will first need to create a new name for the template (tip: use a naming convention for all templates).

Rename: select a template, then this button to rename it. You can only rename one template at a time.

Delete: delete any selected template using this button. If the template was also set as the Default template, this property will revert to <none>. You can delete one or more selected templates.

Import...: import a previously saved .3dtpl file using the file browser provided. Once loaded, all available templates will be listed for selection. You can load templates that contain information relevant to your current data type only (e.g. wireframes, block model, strings etc.)

Export...: export your previously prepared template objects to an external .3dtpl file with this option. Displays the Export Templates dialog. You can select one or more templates in the list to export. More...

Copy Format from Template: assign the currently selected template to the properties dialog. Note that a single template must be selected (and no more) from the list above for this command to become available. Once the format has been copied from the template into the 3D properties dialog, you will need to subsequently Apply the formatting to the active overlay.

Copy Format to Template: use the currently active overlay formatting settings (i.e. the contents of the current properties dialog) to update the selected template - note that if you have already exported this template, it will need to be re-exported to capture the latest changes in the external file. Note that you can only select one template to update.

	Related Topics
	Templates 3D Export Templates 3D Import