Return to Tutorial or Table of Contents

Tutorial:
Views

Start

• Start with a 2D view (the default view), with a DTM already created, as in the previous tutorials.

• Select the Selection Tool (the topmost tool in the shape of an arrow).

Manipulate the 2D view

• Click in the window with the 2D view.

This brings the window to the front.

• Choose View > Zoom Out.

This will zoom out by a factor of two, making everything look smaller.

• Choose View > Zoom In.

This will zoom in (enlarge) by a factor of two. (Zooming in and out with these two commands also works in 3D views.)

• Select the Zoom Tool (the blue tool in the shape of a magnifying glass).

• Drag up and down.

This will zoom in and out.

• Select the Pan Tool (the blue tool in the shape of a hand).

• Drag around.

This will pan the view.

• Choose View > Fit to Window.

This will zoom in or out by whatever factor is necessary in order for all data to just fit inside the window.

Create a 3D view

You can obviously skip the creation of a 3D view if you already have one.

• Choose Window > New Window.

A new window will appear.

• Drag the new window to the right.

This is so that you can see the contents of both windows simultaneously.

• While the new window is frontmost, choose View > Display in 3D.

The contents will be displayed in 3D.

Manipulate the 3D view

• Click in the window with the 3D view.

This brings the window to the front.

• Select the Orbit Tool (the blue tool depicting arrows around a dot).

• Press the mouse button and drag around in the view.

This will move the viewpoint (where you are looking from). Your viewpoint is on the surface of an imaginary sphere, and you are looking towards the center of the sphere. Neither this nor any other view manipulation (blue (camera) tools) will change the data itself.

• Select the Zoom Tool (the blue tool in the shape of a magnifying glass).

• Drag up and down.

This will zoom in and out, analogous to changing the radius of the imaginary sphere.

• Select the Pan Tool (the blue tool in the shape of a hand).

• Drag around.

This will pan the view, analogous to moving sideways the center of the imaginary sphere on which your viewpoint is located. There are no scroll bars for panning the 3D view.

• Select the Walk Tool (the blue tool in the shape of person walking).

• Drag around.

This will move the camera as you move the mouse. The farther you hold the mouse from where you initially clicked, the faster the camera moves. If you hold down the Shift key, the camera changes elevation.

• Select the Turn Tool (the blue tool in the shape of an eye with a curved, double-headed arrow below it).

• Drag around.

This will turn the camera as you move the mouse. The farther you hold the mouse from where you initially clicked, the faster the camera turns.

Return to Tutorial or Table of Contents