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Mesh Group Context Menu

Commands available when right-clicking a Mesh Group (folder) in the Data Tree. Mesh Groups are organisational containers for managing collections of related mesh objects.

Group Management​

New Group​

Menu name: New Group Tooltip Create new mesh group container.

What it does Creates a new empty mesh group (folder) within the current group. The new group can be used to organise meshes hierarchically. Groups can be nested to create multi-level organisational structures.

When to use it

  • Organising meshes by source, type, or processing stage
  • Creating hierarchical structure for complex projects
  • Separating meshes before batch operations
  • Preparing project structure before importing multiple meshes

Notes Empty groups are preserved in the project. Groups can be renamed after creation using the "Rename" command.

Group​

Menu name: Group Tooltip Group selected items together.

What it does See Group in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Creates a new subgroup containing all selected mesh items.

When to use it

  • Organising related meshes together
  • Grouping meshes for batch operations
  • Simplifying project tree structure

Notes Selected items must be at the same tree level. See Shared Commands for detailed usage.

Ungroup​

Menu name: Ungroup Tooltip Ungroup selected items.

What it does See Ungroup in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Dissolves the selected group and moves child items up one level.

When to use it

  • Flattening project tree structure
  • Breaking up temporary groupings
  • Reorganising project hierarchy

Notes Only works on group containers. Meshes are preserved. See Shared Commands for detailed usage.

Import & Export​

Import - From File​

Menu name: From File... Tooltip Import mesh from file.

What it does Opens file dialogue to import mesh files into this group. Supported formats include OBJ, PLY, STL, COLLADA (DAE), LAS/LAZ (as mesh), and various other 3D model formats. Imported meshes are added to the project database and appear in this group.

When to use it

  • Importing meshes from photogrammetry software
  • Loading CAD models or reference data
  • Importing meshes from external 3D modelling applications
  • Bringing in GIS terrain models

Notes Import dialogue varies by format. Large meshes may take significant time to import. Coordinate system should be specified or detected during import. Some formats (OBJ, COLLADA) support textures which are imported automatically.

Import - Scan Folder (OBJ Files)​

Menu name: Scan Folder (OBJ Files) Tooltip Batch import all OBJ files from a folder.

What it does Opens folder browser to select a directory. Scans the directory for OBJ files and imports all found files as separate mesh objects. This batch import saves time when importing multiple mesh tiles or a large collection. Each OBJ file becomes a separate mesh in the group.

When to use it

  • Importing mesh tile collections from photogrammetry
  • Batch importing multiple models from a folder
  • Loading historical data with many separate mesh files
  • Importing pre-split terrain tiles

Notes

Batch Operation

Processes all .obj files in the selected folder. Large folders may take significant time. Materials (MTL files) and textures are imported if present. Coordinate system must be consistent across all files.

Download - Elevation Data​

Menu name: Elevation Data Tooltip Download elevation data from OpenTopography.

What it does Opens dialogue to specify geographic bounds and resolution. Connects to OpenTopography web service to download digital elevation model (DEM) data for the specified region. Downloaded data is converted to a mesh surface and added to this group. Requires internet connection.

When to use it

  • Obtaining regional context topography
  • Creating base terrain for project areas
  • Importing reference elevation data
  • Starting projects without existing terrain data

Notes

Internet Required

Requires active internet connection and OpenTopography account (free registration). Resolution and area limits apply based on data source. Downloaded data citation information is stored with the mesh.

Supported regions depend on OpenTopography coverage. Data typically available globally at 30m-90m resolution, higher resolution for some areas.

Export​

Menu name: Export Tooltip Export all meshes in group.

What it does Opens export dialogue to batch export all meshes in the group. Can export to a single combined file or separate files per mesh, depending on format. Supported formats include OBJ, PLY, STL, COLLADA, KML, and others. Options include coordinate conversion and data component selection.

When to use it

  • Exporting entire projects or major sections
  • Creating backups of processed meshes
  • Batch exporting for use in external applications
  • Generating deliverables for clients

Notes Export options vary by format. Large groups may take significant time to export. Consider disk space requirements - mesh exports can be very large. Combined export (single file) is only available for compatible formats.

Create Primitive​

Sphere​

Menu name: Sphere Tooltip Create spherical mesh primitive.

What it does Opens dialogue to specify radius and tessellation level. Creates a UV-sphere mesh (latitude-longitude tessellation) centred at the project origin. The sphere is a regular mesh object that can be transformed, edited, and used for testing or visualisation purposes.

When to use it

  • Creating reference objects for scale
  • Testing operations on simple geometry
  • Creating spherical markers or annotations
  • Generating synthetic test data

Notes Tessellation level determines triangle count - higher values create smoother spheres but more triangles. Typical range: 10-50 subdivisions. Sphere is centred at origin (0,0,0) - use Translate to reposition.

Hemisphere​

Menu name: Hemisphere Tooltip Create hemispherical mesh primitive.

What it does Opens dialogue to specify radius and tessellation level. Creates a hemisphere (half-sphere) mesh with flat base, centred at the project origin. The hemisphere is a regular mesh object suitable for testing or as a visualisation element.

When to use it

  • Creating dome structures for visualisation
  • Testing operations on partial spherical geometry
  • Creating reference geometry for equal-angle projections
  • Generating synthetic test surfaces

Notes Hemisphere extends in positive Z direction from Z=0 base plane. Tessellation level affects smoothness and triangle count. Base is open by default - triangles cover only the curved surface.

Cylinder​

Menu name: Cylinder Tooltip Create cylindrical mesh primitive.

What it does Opens dialogue to specify radius, height, and tessellation level. Creates a vertical cylinder mesh with circular cross-section, centred at the project origin. The cylinder is a regular mesh with optional end caps.

When to use it

  • Creating reference objects (borehole representations, pipes, etc.)
  • Testing operations on cylindrical geometry
  • Creating visualisation elements
  • Generating synthetic test geometry

Notes Cylinder extends vertically (Z-axis) centred on origin. Circumferential subdivisions control smoothness. End caps can be included or omitted. Typical tessellation: 12-36 circumferential subdivisions.

Utility​

Clear All Items​

Menu name: Clear All Items Tooltip Remove all meshes from this group.

What it does Removes all mesh objects from this group. The meshes are deleted from the project database and file system. This is a bulk delete operation affecting all group contents. The group container itself is preserved empty.

When to use it

  • Removing all test or temporary meshes
  • Clearing old data before reimporting
  • Resetting a group for new content
  • Bulk deletion when individual deletion would be tedious

Notes

Cannot be undone

This operation permanently deletes all meshes in the group. Cannot be undone. Ensure you have backups or have exported needed data before clearing. Subgroups within the group are also cleared.