Object Parameter

Activity

Appearance

Name

Type the description or name of the label.

This text appears in the Project Tree as the name of the object.

Activation Action

Select the action to perform when selecting the object from the Project Tree.

Line to Ground

Adds a line from the label’s pivot point either to the ground or to a custom length toward the ground.

Note:    A line to ground is displayed while the label is being edited (i.e., as long as its property sheet is open), regardless of this property value. This property only determines whether a line to ground will continue to display even after the label’s property sheet is closed.

Line Length

Determines the length of the line to the ground.

This property is available only when the Line to Ground parameter is set to “Custom Length.”

Line Color

Sets the color of the label’s line to ground.

Click the Edit button to open the Color dialog, or type the color code in hexadecimal BBGGRR format (B = Blue channel 00-ff, G = Green channel 00-ff, R = Red channel 00-ff).

This property is available only when the Line to Ground option is set to To Ground or Custom Length.

Image Options

Image Color

Sets the color of the image.

Click the Edit button to open the Color dialog, or type the color code in hexadecimal BBGGRR format (B = Blue channel 00-ff, G = Green channel 00-ff, R = Red channel 00-ff).

Image Opacity

Enter the opacity value for the image.

The opacity is defined as a percentage, where 100% is opaque and 0% is transparent.

Image Max Size

Enter a maximum size in pixels for the image.

Note:    A negative value for this property is defined as no scaling of the image, so the actual image size is used. 

Blend Mode

Determines how the label's image blends with the background terrain or model layer:

§  On - Adds the image color to the background, e.g., if the terrain is green (RGB: 0, 255, 0), and a red label is drawn on it (RGB: 255, 0, 0), its RGB value is added to the background, to produce a yellow blend (RGB: 255, 255, 0).

§  Off – Uses normal blending based on the opacity set for the image.   .

Image File

Type or browse a path to a BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG or ICO file to load as the image.

Frame File

Add a graphic frame to the label.

Type the name of the frame file or click the Edit button to open the Browse dialog.

See “Label’s Frame File Format” section in this chapter for further information on how to create frame files.

Frame Index

Select the index of the frame in the Frame File.

This field is only available if a Frame File is selected.

See “Label’s Frame File Format” for further information on how to create frame files.

Lock Mode

Set which image label position parameters are adjusted automatically to face the camera and which are locked to the Position group fields values (See Position group below).

§  Decal: The image label position and reading direction are adjusted automatically to face the camera.

§  Axis: All image label position parameters are locked to the Position group field values.

§  Axis Text Up: The image label reading direction is adjusted automatically to face the camera whereas the image label position is set to the Position group field values (see below).

§  Axis (Auto Pitch): The image label Pitch angle is adjusted automatically to face the camera whereas the other position parameters are set to the Position group field values.

§  Axis (Auto Pitch Text Up): The image label reading direction and Pitch angle are adjusted automatically to face the camera. The other position parameters are set to the Position group field values.

Geometry

Scale

Determines the dimensions, in meters per pixel, of the label.

The maximum label size is the image size in pixels times the Scale value.

Limit Growth

If this property is set to Yes the label keeps its size in pixels and does not grow as you fly closer.

Min Viewing Height

Determines the minimum viewing height for which the label is visible.

The label disappears when flying lower than the “Min Viewing Height”.

Smallest Visible Size

Determines the minimum image size, as a percentage of its original size, at which the label disappears as you fly away from it.

The label can grow to a maximum of the image size times the Scale parameters. After that, the label starts to scale down until it reaches the smallest visible size. At this point, it disappears.

Position

Altitude Method

Sets the altitude method to be used by the image label:

§  Select Relative to Terrain to place the image label’s pivot point at a specified altitude above the ground.

§  Select Absolute to place the image label’s pivot point at a specified altitude above the terrain database vertical datum base ellipsoid.

§  Select Relative to 3DML to place the image label's pivot point at a specified altitude above the 3DML layer.

Altitude

Enter the altitude, as defined in Altitude Method, for the image label’s pivot point.

X

Enter the X coordinate for the image label’s pivot point.

Y

Enter the Y coordinate for the image label’s pivot point.

Yaw

Determines the direction angle of the image label along the vertical axis relative to north.

Pitch

Determines the tilt angle of the image label along its lateral axis relative to the horizon.

Roll

Determines the roll angle of the image label along its longitudinal (front-to-back) axis.

Pivot Alignment

Determines the alignment of the label relative to its pivot point.

Select Top, Left; Top, Center; Top, Right; Center, Left; Center, Center; Center, Right; Bottom, Left; Bottom, Center; Bottom, Right.

Timespan

Start Time

Click Edit and select the date and time when the label should first become visible.

End Time

Click Edit and select the date and time when the label should stop being visible. 

Visibility

Min. Viewing Height

Determines the minimum viewing height at which the label is visible.

The label disappears when flying lower than the “Min Viewing Height”.

Smallest Visible Size

Determines the minimum size in pixels, below which the label disappears as you fly away from it.

Max. Show-Through Dist.

Sets the maximum distance of label's pivot from camera, in meters, beyond which it will not show through terrain, mesh layers, or objects that are hiding it. Set to -1 to enable show-through at any distance when editing the label.

When an object is showing through terrain, mesh or objects, it can be selected, edited, and snapped to other objects.

Default Viewing Distance

Determines the viewing distance of the camera from the label.

This distance is used as a stop mark for any “Fly-to” or “View Object” operation. It is also used when selecting to edit the object from the Project Tree.

When this value is set to the default of -1, TerraExplorer calculates and sets the ideal viewing distance for the label based on its size.

Visibility

This property is only displayed for point features in a feature layer. Sets the visibility of features based on their attribute values. Type a search expression comprised of one or more conditions, or click the Field by Attribute button  to create the search expression using the Attribute Table. See “Searching and Performing Operations by Attribute (Attribute Table Tool)” in the “Feature Layers” chapter for more information.

General

Show in Viewer

Determines if the image label appears in the 3D Window when the file is viewed with the TerraExplorer Basic viewer.

Message

The message associated with the image label. The number displayed is the number of the message.

To create a new message, or update an existing message, open the Create Message dialog by clicking in this field and selecting Edit. See “Using the Create Message Dialog” in the “Working with Objects” chapter for more information.

Tooltip

Type a tooltip text to appear when the mouse cursor is placed over the image label in the 3D Window.