Setting the Display of the 3D Window
You can control the view, layout, and overlay of the 3D Window. This includes the display of several controls and indicators to orient you, options for creating a more realistic 3D World environment, and options for displaying the 3D model:
§ Sun
§ Units
Navigation Controls
The navigation controls and virtual joystick enable you to zoom in or out or turn the plane to face north.
Navigation Controls
To navigate in the 3D Window using the navigation control:
§ Click the navigation controls to turn north or zoom in or out of the terrain.
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Navigation Control |
Description |
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Turn the plane to face north. |
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Zoom in. |
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Zoom out. |
Status Bar
The status bar displays:
§ The longitude, latitude, altitude, and direction of the plane/camera. Clicking on the status bar opens the Jump to Location dialog. See the "Navigating in the 3D World" chapter in the TerraExplorer manual for further information.
§ The current terrain buffering level in a graphical format. The display quality indicator represents the current terrain resolution for the area shown in the 3D Window, compared to the estimated maximum resolution available in the terrain database. The graphic bar indicates values from 0%-100% of quality.
Status Bar
Sun
You can turn the sunlight source on or off. When turned on, the sun is used as the project's light source and affects the lighting on the terrain and on building objects.
To toggle the sunlight source on/off:
§ On the View tab, in the Environment group, click Sun.
Date and Time Slider
The Date and Time Slider enables you to modify the current date and time so you can view each area of terrain in the date and time that you require. If the sun is used as the project’s light source, the displayed light on the terrain corresponds to the sunlight there is on the terrain at the hour and date indicated by the blue marker on the slider.
To use the Date and Time slider:
1. On the View tab, in the Environment group, click Time Slider. The Date and Time slider is displayed on the upper left corner of the 3D Window.
Date and Time Slider
2. Click the Date and Time Settings 
icon to the right of the slider to select a mode. The Date and Time Setting dialog is displayed.
Date and Time Setting Dialog
3. Select one of the following time zones. The time zone you select determines which time zone is used for the time you select in the Date and Time Setting section in the same dialog.
§ My computer –Your local time zone.
§ UTC (coordinated Universal Time) – UTC time (GMT + 0:00).
§ Specific – The time zone you select from the dropdown list.
4. Control the interval of time for which you can view objects and features with timespans by selecting a date and time range for the date/time slider:
§ Project time range
The slider’s time range corresponds to the project’s time range. Date and hour adjustments are both made on the same slider.
§ Always use <> at viewer position
The slider’s time range is 24 hours.
This option also requires you to select a specific time that will be the default current time (until the time is changed on the slider).
§ One year range (two sliders)
The time slider’s range is 24 hours and the date slider’s range is one year.
5. If you want the date and time sliders ranges to automatically readjust to correspond to the timespan of the selected group, select the Automatically adjust range to selected group check box.
Note: This option does not apply in PhotoMesh.
6. Set the project’s current time and date or time range.
Note: The current date and time can only be set when Project time range is selected above and there are objects or groups in the project for which timespans were set.
§ If you want to set a specific current time and date, set the same Start and End Date and Time. The blue marker and yellow arrow are displayed together on the slider 
.
§ If you want to set a current time range so that all objects and features whose timespans fall anywhere in the range display, set a Start Date and Time, and then set an End Date and Time. The blue marker on the slider indicates the Start Date/Time and the yellow arrow indicates the End Date/Time 
.
Note: Start and end date and time must be within the project range.
Underground Mode
The underground navigation mode allows you to explore the subsurface of the terrain. You can navigate under the terrain’s surface and through buildings. A subsurface grid navigation aid appears when you navigate below the terrain, allowing you to navigate the same way as above ground.
To fly in underground mode:
§ On the View tab, in the Environment group, click Underground Mode. You can freely go through the terrain surface in any direction.
Units
You can change the units used throughout PhotoMesh. Changing the unit settings substantially changes the display of your project: inputs and outputs and property sheets are all affected.
To change units:
§ On the View tab, in the Units group, select the coordinate units and altitude:
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Parameter |
Description |
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Lat-Long Coordinates |
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Decimal |
Presents coordinate values in a decimal degrees format. This option is only available when the terrain is defined in the Lat-Long coordinate system. |
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Degrees; Minutes; Seconds |
Presents coordinate values in a degrees, minutes and seconds format. This option is only available when the terrain is defined in the Lat-Long coordinate system. |
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Altitude Units |
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Above Ground Level (AGL) |
Displays altitude values as meters or feet above ground level. |
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Absolute Values |
Displays altitude values as meters or feet above the terrain database vertical datum base ellipsoid. |
Hide Terrain
You can hide the terrain texture (the terrain appears as a black image).
To toggle the display of the terrain on/off:
§ On the View tab, in the Environment group, click Hide Terrain.
Display Style
There are several options for displaying the mesh model once it is built. The mesh model can include a wireframe and be textured or solid color. to view the interior of buildings or expose obscured sections of the 3D View.
To select a display style:
§ On the View tab, in the Mesh Layer group, click Display Style, and select a style:
§ Texture
§ Texture + wireframe
§ Solid color
§ Solid color + wireframe
Depth Perception
You can highlight depth changes in the 3D model to make it easier to recognize the model’s contours and shape. This can be particularly useful for an untextured model or point cloud without colors.
To highlight depth changes:
§ On the View tab, toggle on Depth Perception.