Terrain Appearance

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Terrain Appearance

The Terrain Appearance dialog box sets how views of the Terrain Model look in each graphics window. Below is a brief description of how this program approaches terrain visualization.

One Model - Many Views

The program works with one model of the terrain. This model is made up of:

•The Terrain Surface

•Many "Inner Surfaces", representing, for example, coal seams, spoil dump surfaces, grade profiles.

•Other objects, such as polygons for excavation, dump lines, compass.

The program allows many views of this one terrain model. These views may be shown simultaneously in different graphics windows (Terrain Graphics Windows).

Terrain Graphics Windows

Each graphics window contains one view. A view shows one surface. This may be the terrain surface, or an inner surface. The view in a window may show either:

•The Surface Model (grid, triangulation, etc), or

•The Raw Data from which the surface model is calculated.

Show Terrain Inner Surfaces

Terrain Inner Surfaces may also be shown in a Terrain Graphics Window. The Terrain Inner Surface is selected from the combo box located at the top of the Terrain Appearance dialog box. Pressing the New Window button will then create a new window showing this inner surface.

Appearance Settings Copied

The Terrain Appearance dialog box settings control what each view shows, and how it shows it.

Clicking on a Terrain Graphics Window will cause the view settings shown in that window to be copied to the Terrain Appearance dialog box.

How to Create a New Window

The settings currently shown in the Terrain Appearance dialog box may be used to create a new graphics window showing the terrain. To do this, simply click on the "New Window" button at the bottom of the Terrain Appearance dialog box.

How to Apply Appearance Settings

The settings currently shown in the Terrain Appearance dialog box may be applied to the current Terrain Window showing terrain graphics.

For this, click on the Terrain Window before opening the Terrain Appearance dialog box. Then change the appearance settings and click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the Terrain Appearance dialog box.

Additional Appearance Settings

Additional appearance settings may be created and kept independently of opened terrain windows. These are accessed through a list of appearance names. The list is found in the Appearance combo box at the bottom of the Terrain Appearance dialog box.

New appearance settings may be created through the Create button at the bottom of the Terrain Appearance dialog box. The new appearance has the same settings as currently in the Terrain Appearance dialog box.

Terrain appearances may be saved under different names. This is done using the combo box and buttons at the bottom of the Terrain Appearance dialog box. A new window with the saved appearance settings can then be created using the New Window button the Terrain Appearance dialog box.