Terrain Appearance Window

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Terrain Appearance

The Terrain Appearance dialog box sets how a view of the Terrain Model looks in a Terrain Graphics Window. Many Views of one Terrain Model may be shown. These views appear simultaneously in different Terrain Graphics Windows.

Terrain Appearance settings are applied to and from Terrain Graphics Windows. Details of this are described in the Terrain Appearance topic.

The many Terrain Appearance settings are described below.

Dialog box Buttons and Selectors

Surface Name

This setting chooses which surface (the Terrain Surface or an Inner surface) is displayed in the current or next Terrain Graphics Window.

Appearance Name

Choose and appearance from the appearance list. The chosen appearance may be edited, saved, deleted or applied to current/new window. Details of this are described in the Terrain Appearance topic.

Create Button

Click this button to create a new appearance using current appearance settings. The new appearance is added to the appearance list.

Delete Button

Click this button to delete the current appearance from the appearance list.

Close Button

Click this button to close Terrain Appearance Window.

Apply Button

Click this button to apply the current appearance to the current Terrain Graphics Window. Details of this are described in the Terrain Appearance topic.

New Window Button

Click this button to create a new Terrain Graphics Window using the current appearance. Details of this are described in the Terrain Appearance topic.

Show Button

Click this button to see a preview of the terrain or inner surface according to current appearance settings. The preview will be shown in a dialog window. To switch off the preview mode just close the preview window by clicking the system close button in the preview window title.

General Page

Visualization Type

This setting determines the Terrain Surface Model shown in a Terrain Graphics Window.

Frame

This shows the surface as "wire frame". This may be a square grid, a triangulation, or contour lines. Detailed frame settings are on the Frame Page.

Rendering

This shows a real "sunlit" surface. The rendering may be applied to a frame based on a square grid, or on a triangulation. Rendering based on triangulation is generally faster. Grid-based rendering may appear more realistic. Detailed Rendering parameters are on the Rendering Page.

Data

This shows a view of the raw data for the current surface. Data windows differ from Frame and Rendering windows since they do not contain a surface model. Terrain Excavate and Dump operations cannot be performed in these windows. Detailed parameters setting the data appearance are on the Data Page.

Work Color

Click this button to choose the color used to mark different objects. Most drawing in interactive graphics uses complementary colors. So this color will usually appear in its pure form only on a black background.

Background Color

Click this button to choose the background color for a Terrain Graphics Window.

Background Image

This field shows the path to the image file to be shown as a background in a Terrain Graphics Window.

Click the Browse button to browse for an image file in jpg or png file format.

Click the Clear button to clear the Background Image field.

View Page

Settings on this page affect viewpoint parameters.

When Window Resized

These settings define how the image in a graphics window changes when the size of this window is changed.

Fit to Window

Choose this setting to zoom the image in/out according to increasing/decreasing window size.

Center View

Choose this setting to keep size of the image constant. The view will be centered in the window.

Fix View

Choose this setting to keep both size and position of the image in the window constant. Changing the window size then acts like a curtain, obscuring part of this image.

Window Size

These settings allow the user to define window size in pixels. They are applicable only to sizeable windows.

Window Pixel Width

This setting defines the width of the window in pixels.

Window Pixel Height

This setting defines the height of the window in pixels.

View Point Geometry

Horizontal Angle

This setting changes the horizontal angle from the viewer to the object in the window.

Vertical Angle

This setting changes the vertical angle from the viewer to the object in the window.

Frame Page

Frame Type

This setting allows choosing the type of wire frame. There are three types of frame: grid mesh, triangulation and contour lines.

Frame Coloring

This setting defines the type of frame coloring.

Mono Color

In this mode the frame will be painted in one color.

Height Colors

In this mode the frame will be painted in many colors according to different height levels.

Grid/Triangle/Contour Outline Color

This button is Grid Color, Outline Color or Contours Color depending on the selected Frame Type. Click the button to choose mono color for the appropriate frame.

Set Heights & Colors

Click this button to set height levels and corresponding colors for a multi color frame. This button is also used to set height levels for a mono contour frame.

Frame Width

This setting defines the thickness of the frame in pixels.

Remove Hidden Lines

Toggle on this check box for non-transparent frame with removed hidden lines (grid and triangulation only).

Frame Fill Color

Click this button to choose the frame fill color (grid and triangulation only).

Grid Settings

These settings define parameters of the grid mesh.

Grid Direction

This setting chooses the direction of grid lines: east only, north only or east and north. The grid with grid direction set to east only or north only may appear less cluttered. It is also faster to redraw.

Grid Frequency

This setting defines which grid lines will be shown. This gives the opportunity to rarefy the grid mesh for faster redraw.

Contour Parameters

These settings define parameters specific for contour frame.

Contour Base

This parameter chooses the base model for calculation of height contours. The contours can be based on a grid or on a triangulation.

Number of Minor Contours

This parameter defines the number of additional contours inserted between main contours to fill the frame. It is applicable only to multi color contours.

Show Height Scale

This setting shows the height scale in a floating window. It is applicable only to multi color contours.

Label Contours

This setting shows contour height as a label on a contour. Labels area shown only for main contours. Minor contours are not labeled.

Label Frequency

This setting determines the frequency of the contour labels.

Label in contour color

A color of the label is the same as a color of the contour if this setting is on, otherwise contour labels will be shown in one specific color.

Label Color

This setting allows the user to choose one specific color for contour labels. It is especially useful for mono color contours.

Label scale factor

This parameter allows the user to change the size of contour labels from the default value defined by contour calculation.

Rendering Page

Parameters of rendered surfaces are defined here.

BASED ON

This setting allows choosing the base model of the surface for rendering. There are two types of the base frame: grid mesh and triangulation. A rendered surface based on grid can look smoother than one based on triangulation. This depends on the grid step size. However the triangulation based rendered surface is usually faster to redraw.

Base Color

This setting selects the brightest tint on which rendering is based. The areas of the surface with maximum light on them will be colored in this tint.

Color Range

This setting defines the darkest render color for the areas of the surface with minimum illumination. The parameter is shown as a percent of the difference between the base color and black. Thus a value of 100 gives black as the darkest render color.

Color Step

This parameter defines the number of render colors. The finer the color step the more gradations of color will be in the rendering color scale. Choose between coarse, medium or fine color step. A medium color step gives twice as many colors as a coarse color step. Similarly a fine color step gives twice as many colors as a medium one.

Light Source Parameters

These settings define the parameters of the surface illumination. The light source is assumed to be infinitely distant so only direction parameters are present.

Vertical Angle

This parameter defines the angle of the light source direction from vertical.

Horizontal Angle

This parameter defines the horizontal angle of the light source direction (clockwise is positive).

Show Light Source Symbol

This option shows the light source direction symbol as a three-dimensional arrow above the surface.

Light Source Symbol Parameters

These settings define the parameters of the light source direction symbol.

Size

This parameter defines the size of the light source direction arrow.

Height above Terrain

This parameter changes the height of the light source direction arrow above the terrain.

Color

This sets the color of the light source direction symbol.

Show Frame

This option shows the base frame superimposed on the rendered surface.

Frame Settings

The appearance of the base frame is defined by frame settings.

Color

This sets the color of the base frame on the rendered surface.

Remove Hidden Lines

This setting toggles hidden lines removal on or off. A frame with removed hidden lines may look more realistic, depending on the view direction. However it can be slower to draw.

Grid Direction

This setting defines the direction of grid lines for the frame shown with rendering based on grid. The direction of the frame can be east only, north only or east and north.

Grid Frequency

This setting defines the density of frame grid lines to show on the rendered surface.

Data Page

Settings on this page define the appearance of raw data (data points and data features) in a Terrain Graphics Window.

Show Data Points

This setting shows data points as solid circles. Each data points can be thought of as a solid sphere.

Data Point Diameter

This parameter changes the diameter of the circles showing data points.

Data Point Color

This sets the color of the data point circles.

Show Features

This option shows data features as solid lines. There are three types of feature lines: crest, toe and other.

Crest Feature Color

This setting allows choosing a color of all "crest" type data feature lines.

Toe Feature Color

This setting allows choosing a color of all "toe" type data feature lines.

Other Feature Color

This setting allows choosing a color of all "other" type data feature lines.

Show Feature Points

This option shows points at the ends of feature segments as solid circles. The color and diameter in pixels for these circles can be chosen.

Feature Points Diameter

This parameter defines the diameter of the feature segment end points in pixels.

Feature Points Color

This sets the color of the feature points.

Feature Thickness

This parameter defines thickness of the data feature lines in pixels.

Directions page

This page contains appearance settings for a cross-hair surface cursor, compass symbol and mine grid.

The cross-hair cursor indicates a current 3D-position on the surface.

The compass shows the orientation of the surface coordinate system (East and North direction).

The mine grid is a series of North-South and East-West lines drawn on the terrain surface. The lines are drawn at whole-number values of terrain coordinates. Distance between mine grid lines (the grid step) is set to whole values.

Cursor size

This parameter defines the size of the cross-hair cursor on the surface.

Cursor Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the cross-hair cursor in pixels.

Cursor Color

This chooses the color of the cross-hair cursor.

Show Compass

This setting toggles display the compass symbol on or off.

Compass Size

This parameter defines the size of the compass shape.

Compass Height above Terrain

This parameter defines the height of the compass shape above the surface.

Compass Fill Color

This sets the color of the compass shape body.

Compass Outline Color

This sets the color of the compass outline.

Show Mine Grid

This check box toggles display of the mine grid On or Off.

Grid Spacing

This is the distance between lines of the mine grid.

Grid Color

This specifies the color of the mine grid frame.

Label Grid Lines

This check box toggles display of the mine coordinates i.e. "grid labels" On of Off.

One coordinate only (East or North) is placed on each grid line. So North-South grid lines are labeled with their east coordinate values, while East-West grid lines are labeled with their north coordinate values.

In general each grid line is labeled in two places, at its start and at its end.

Label Scale Factor

This parameter allows users to influence the font size of mine grid labels.

Labels sizes are determined automatically and change with window size and degree of zoom. The label scale factor allows users to change label sizes to be larger or smaller than the automatic-determined size.

Scale factors greater than 1.0 increase label sizes. Scale factors smaller than 1.0 decrease label sizes.

Sometimes changing the scale factor does not change the displayed font size. This can be due to discreteness i.e. there are "jumps" in font size from one size to the next. It can also be due to the maximum or minimum automatically determined font size already being displayed.

Grid Line Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the grid lines in millimeters.

Dashed Grid Lines

The mine grid frame may be based either on solid lines or on dashed lines. Checking this box turns on the dashed line style.

Dash length

This parameter defines the length of dashed lines segments.

Space length

This parameter defines the length of space between segments of dashed lines.

Surface Features Page

Surface features are lines draped on the surface. Each feature consists of connected straight-line segments. There are three types of surface features: crest, toe and other.

Show Features

This setting toggles display of surface features on or off.

Selectable

This setting determines whether surface features can be selected for moving or editing. If it is turned off, surface features can not be selected by "point and click" action with the mouse. This can be useful when there are features on the surface, which interfere with selection of other objects.

Show Feature Points

This setting allows showing the ends of the feature segments as solid circles.

Feature Points Diameter

This parameter defines the diameter of the feature segment end points in pixels.

Feature Points Color

This sets the color of the feature points.

Features Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the feature lines in pixels.

Crest Feature Color

This sets the color of all "crest" type features.

Toe Feature Color

This sets the color of all "toe" type features.

Other Feature Color

This sets the color of all "other" type features.

Section features

These features show locations of 2D cross-sections on the surface.

Show

This setting toggles display of section features on or off.

Selectable

This setting determines whether section features can be selected for moving or editing. If it is turned off, section features can not be selected by "point and click" action with the mouse.

Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of section feature lines in pixels.

Color

This sets the color of all section features.

Excavate Page

This page contains appearance settings for excavation polygons, master polygons and road features. Excavation polygons define limits of an individual excavation. Master polygons limit all excavations on the surface. There are two types of excavation polygons and master polygons: inner polygon and outer polygon. Road features are used to create roads.

Show Excavation polygons

This setting makes excavation polygons visible or invisible.

Show Master polygons

This setting makes master polygons visible or invisible.

Show Active

Draw only currently active excavation polygons on the surface.

Show all

Draw all excavation polygons on the surface.

Selectable

This setting determines whether excavation polygons can be selected for moving or editing. If it is turned off, excavation polygons cannot be selected by "point and click" action with the mouse. This can be useful when there are polygons on the surface, which interfere with selection of other objects.

Label Active

This setting turns on labeling of active excavation polygons. Active polygons are those which belong to the currently active Excavation. The active inner and outer polygons are labeled with the letter (A) drawn on the polygon.

Excavation Polygon Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the excavation polygons in pixels.

Master Polygon Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the master polygons in pixels. By default excavation polygons are thinner then master polygons.

Inner Polygon Color

This setting allows choosing the color of the inner (excavation and master) polygons.

Outer Polygon Color

This setting allows choosing the color of the outer (excavation and master) polygons.

Show Points

This setting allows the user to show the ends of the polygon segments as solid circles.

Points Diameter

This parameter defines the diameter of the polygon points in pixels.

Points Color

This sets the color of polygon points.

Show Road Features

This sets road features visible on the surface. Road features define the center of a road.

Selectable

This setting determines whether road features can be selected for moving or editing. If it is turned off, road features cannot be selected by "point and click" action with the mouse. This can be useful when there are road features on the surface, which interfere with selection of other objects.

Road Feature Thickness

This parameter defines road feature thickness in pixels.

Road Feature Color

This sets the color of road features.

Dump Page

This page contains appearance setting for surface objects used in the modeling the dump process: dump points, dump lines, dump areas, dump limit features.

Show Active

Draw only currently active dump point, line and area on the surface.

Show all

Draw all dump points, lines and areas on the surface.

Label Active

This setting turns on labeling of the active dump's Point, Line and Area (if they exist). These all belong to the currently active Dump. The active dump's Point, Line and Area are labeled with the letter (A). Further, the Dump construct which is currently active (i.e. will be used to dump the next parcel of material) is labeled differently to the others. For example, if the Dump Area is active, it will be labeled differently to the Dump's Point and Line (if these all exist).

Show Dump Point

This sets dump points visible.

Dump Point Diameter

This parameter defines the diameter of each dump point in pixels.

Dump Point Color

This sets the color of dump points.

Show Dump Line

This sets dump lines visible.

Dump Line Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of dump lines in pixels.

Dump Line Color

This sets the color of dump lines.

Show Dump Area Outline

This sets all dump area outlines visible.

Dump Area Outline Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of the dump area outlines in pixels.

Dump Area Outline Color

This sets the color of the dump area outlines.

Show Dump Limit Feature

This sets all dump limit features visible.

Dump Limit Feature Thickness

This parameter defines the thickness of dump limit features in pixels.

Dump Limit Feature Color

This sets the color of dump limit features.