Model View Properties
Properties controlling the 3D model view display, lighting, navigation, post-processing effects, and VR settings. These properties affect the main 3D viewport and are accessed through the Properties panel when no specific object is selected.
Navigation & Interaction
Mouse Profile
Type: Dropdown (String) Options: VRGS Current, VRGS Expert, Pix4D, Blender, CloudCompare, Metashape Default: VRGS Current
Mouse button mapping profile for 3D navigation. Different profiles match the navigation conventions of popular geoscience and 3D software packages. Profiles of your own, made with Customise Profiles... on the Home tab's Navigation button, are listed as well.
Valid options:
- VRGS Current - Standard VRGS mouse controls
- VRGS Expert - Advanced VRGS navigation
- Pix4D - Matches Pix4D photogrammetry software
- Blender - Matches Blender 3D navigation
- CloudCompare - Matches CloudCompare point cloud software
- Metashape - Matches Agisoft Metashape controls
Interpretation Line
Properties controlling the active interpretation line appearance and behavior.
Auto Translate
Type: Boolean Default: False
Pan camera along the last interpretation segment automatically as you digitize. Useful for following long contacts or traces.
Auto Scale
Type: Boolean Default: False
Automatically match interpretation line width to point spacing for consistent appearance at different scales.
Interp Line Color
Type: Colour Default: System colour
Colour of the active interpretation line during digitizing.
Line Width
Type: Float Default: Varies
Base width for the interpretation line cylinder in scene units.
Auto Spin
Type: Boolean Default: False
Enable momentum-based rotation - the view continues spinning after mouse drag, then gradually decays to a stop.
Auto Spin Decay
Type: Float Default: Varies
Exponential decay rate for spin momentum. Higher values stop rotation faster.
Auto Spin Threshold
Type: Float Default: Varies
Minimum angular velocity before spin stops completely. Prevents endless slow rotation.
Auto Spin Scale
Type: Float Default: Varies
Multiplier from mouse flick speed to spin velocity. Controls how responsive auto-spin is to mouse gestures.
Lighting & Sky
Show Light
Type: Boolean Default: True
Display the main light direction indicator in the 3D scene as a visual reference.
Show Lighting & Pointer Viz
Type: Boolean Default: False
Visualize lighting direction and laser pointer (VR) as overlay graphics.
Light Azimuth
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-360 degrees Default: Varies
Horizontal angle of the main directional light in degrees. 0° = North, 90° = East, 180° = South, 270° = West.
Light Elevation
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-90 degrees Default: Varies
Vertical angle of the main directional light. 0° = horizon, 90° = directly overhead (zenith).
Use Headlight
Type: Boolean Default: True
Attach a headlight to the camera that moves with the viewpoint. Ensures geometry is always illuminated regardless of main light position.
Headlight Brightness
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-100 Default: 50
Intensity of the camera-attached headlight as a percentage.
Enable Shadows
Type: Boolean Default: False
Show shadows cast by objects in the 3D view.
Enabling shadows has a significant performance penalty. Use on high-end graphics hardware or when rendering final visualizations.
Show Debug Depthmap
Type: Boolean (Debug builds only) Default: False
Display the shadow depth map in the performance HUD for debugging shadow rendering issues.
Environment & Overlays
Show Performance HUD
Type: Boolean Default: False
Display on-screen performance metrics including FPS (frames per second), CPU usage, and GPU statistics.
Notes:
- Useful for performance profiling
- Shows real-time rendering statistics
- Available in all build configurations
Background Colour
Type: Colour Default: Black (0xFF0000)
Background colour of the 3D viewport.
Point Antialias
Type: Boolean Default: True
Apply antialiasing to point rendering for smoother appearance.
Line Antialias
Type: Boolean Default: True
Apply antialiasing to line rendering for smoother appearance.
Bounding Box
Type: Boolean Default: False
Display the full-scene axis-aligned bounding box showing the extents of all loaded data.
Grid Display
Properties controlling the reference grid overlay.
X Contour Interval
Type: Float Default: Varies
Spacing between grid lines along the X axis in project units.
Y Contour Interval
Type: Float Default: Varies
Spacing between grid lines along the Y axis in project units.
X Grid Color
Type: Colour Default: System colour
Colour of grid lines running parallel to the X axis.
Y Grid Color
Type: Colour Default: System colour
Colour of grid lines running parallel to the Y axis.
North Arrow Style
Type: Dropdown (Integer) Options: North Arrow, ArtificialHorizon, Shuttle Default: North Arrow
Display style for the orientation indicator.
Options:
- North Arrow - Traditional compass rose showing North
- ArtificialHorizon - Aircraft-style attitude indicator
- Shuttle - Space shuttle orientation reference
Rotation Glyph Scale
Type: Float Default: Varies
Scale factor for the rotation centre widget (gizmo) displayed during rotation operations.
Post-Processing Effects
Grid Overlay
Properties for the adaptive orthographic grid overlay.
Enable Grid Overlay
Type: Boolean Default: False
Show adaptive grid overlay in orthographic view mode. Grid automatically adjusts scale based on zoom level.
Grid Opacity
Type: Float Range: 0.0-1.0 Default: 0.5
Opacity of the grid overlay lines. 0.0 = fully transparent, 1.0 = fully opaque.
Grid Detail Levels
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 3-6 Default: 4
Number of adaptive grid subdivision levels. Higher values show finer detail at close zoom.
Line Width
Type: Float Range: 0.5-5.0 pixels Default: 1.0
Grid line thickness in screen pixels.
Screen Space Effects
Enable Screen Space Effects
Type: Boolean Default: False
Enable bloom post-processing effect for bright highlights and glowing elements.
Bloom Intensity
Type: Float Default: Varies
Controls how strongly the blurred bloom effect is added to the final image.
Bloom Threshold
Type: Float Range: 0.0-1.0 Default: 0.8
Luminance threshold for bloom extraction. Only pixels brighter than this value contribute to bloom.
Geometry & LOD
Tile Interpret Resolution
Type: Boolean Default: False
Force highest level-of-detail (LOD) while interpreting tiled models. Ensures maximum geometric detail during digitizing at the cost of performance.
Geobody & Unit Infill
Type: Boolean Default: True
Show geobodies and stratigraphic units as solid filled 3D volumes. Called Geobody & Zone Infill in earlier versions.
Vertical Scale
Type: Float Default: 1.0
Vertical exaggeration factor applied to the entire scene. Values > 1.0 stretch the Z-axis, useful for emphasizing subtle topography or stratigraphy.
Common values:
- 1.0 = No exaggeration (true scale)
- 2.0 = 2× vertical exaggeration
- 5.0 = 5× vertical exaggeration (common for seismic)
- 10.0 = 10× vertical exaggeration (extreme)
Camera Zoom %
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-200% Default: 100
Camera zoom / field-of-view percentage. Lower values = wider FOV (zoom out), higher values = narrower FOV (zoom in).
Projection / MPCDI
Properties for multi-projector display calibration using MPCDI (Multiple Projector Common Data Interchange) standard.
MPCDI Frustum Def
Type: Boolean Default: False
Enable MPCDI frustum calibration for multi-projector immersive displays.
MPCDI is used for projection mapping and multi-projector systems (CAVEs, powerwalls, domes). Only enable if you have a calibrated MPCDI configuration file.
Direction
Projector orientation parameters.
Pitch
Type: Float Range: -90 to 90 degrees Default: 0.0
Projector pitch angle in degrees. Positive = tilted up, negative = tilted down.
Roll
Type: Float Range: -180 to 180 degrees Default: 0.0
Projector roll angle in degrees (rotation around viewing axis).
Yaw
Type: Float Range: -180 to 180 degrees Default: 0.0
Projector yaw angle in degrees. Horizontal rotation.
Frustum
Projector frustum parameters defining the field of view.
Left Frustum
Type: Float Default: Varies
Left frustum angle in degrees from centre axis.
Right Frustum
Type: Float Default: Varies
Right frustum angle in degrees from centre axis.
Upper Frustum
Type: Float Default: Varies
Top frustum angle in degrees from centre axis.
Lower Frustum
Type: Float Default: Varies
Bottom frustum angle in degrees from centre axis.
Skybox Properties
Show Procedural Sky
Type: Boolean Default: True
Enable the procedural sky dome with physically-based atmosphere simulation.
Procedural Intensity
Type: Float Default: Varies
Simulates day/night cycle. Controls sun and sky brightness. Lower values = dusk/night, higher values = midday sun.
Procedural Turbidity
Type: Float Default: Varies
Amount of atmospheric scattering and haze. Higher values create hazier, more diffuse sky conditions.
Typical values:
- 2.0 = Clear sky
- 4.0 = Average conditions
- 10.0 = Hazy/polluted atmosphere
Procedural Clouds
Volumetric cloud simulation parameters.
Enable Clouds
Type: Boolean Default: False
Show animated procedural volumetric clouds in the sky.
Volumetric clouds are computationally expensive. May reduce frame rate significantly on older hardware.
Cloud Coverage
Type: Float Range: 0.0-1.0 Default: 0.5
Sky coverage by clouds. 0.0 = completely clear sky, 1.0 = fully overcast.
Cloud Density
Type: Float Range: 0.0-1.0 Default: 0.5
Cloud opacity. 0.0 = transparent wisps, 1.0 = solid opaque clouds.
Cloud Scale
Type: Float Range: 1000-10000 metres Default: 5000
Cloud pattern scale in metres. Larger values create bigger cloud formations.
Wind Speed
Type: Float Range: 0-20 m/s Default: 5.0
Cloud drift velocity in metres per second.
Wind Direction
Type: Float Range: 0-360 degrees Default: 0.0
Wind azimuth in degrees. 0° = North, 90° = East, 180° = South, 270° = West.
Cloud Altitude
Type: Float Range: 0.0-1.0 Default: 0.3
Relative cloud layer height. 0.0 = at horizon, 1.0 = directly overhead (zenith).
VR / XR
Virtual Reality and Extended Reality settings.
Mirror VR to Screen
Type: Boolean Default: True
Mirror the VR headset view to the desktop window. Useful for demonstrations and screen capture.
VR Hand Controller
Type: Dropdown (Integer) Options: Oculus Touch, HTC Vive Default: Oculus Touch
Controller model used in VR mode. Affects controller visualization and button mapping.
VR Menu Color Scheme
Type: Dropdown (Integer) Options: Default, Earthy Warm, Mineral Cool, Terra Cotta Default: Default
Colour scheme for VR menus and dialogue boxes.
Options:
- Default - Standard grey interface
- Earthy Warm - Brown/orange earth tones
- Mineral Cool - Blue/grey mineral colours
- Terra Cotta - Red/orange clay tones
VR Movement Speed
Type: Float Range: 0.001-0.1 Default: 0.01
Base locomotion speed multiplier for VR movement. Adjust to match your project scale and comfort preferences.
VR Rotation Speed
Type: Float Range: 0.1-5.0 Default: 1.0
Yaw/turn speed multiplier for snap or smooth turning in VR.
VR Speed Boost
Type: Float Range: 1.0-10.0 Default: 3.0
Speed multiplier applied while holding the speed-boost grip button. Allows quick traversal of large scenes.
Laser Pointer Exponent
Type: Float Default: Varies
Laser pointer beam falloff exponent. Controls how quickly the laser beam fades with distance.
Laser Pointer Cutoff
Type: Float Default: Varies
Distance threshold where laser pointer rendering cuts off completely.
Billboards & Camera Viz
Fixed Size
Type: Boolean Default: False
Keep billboards at fixed screen size (pixels) regardless of zoom level. When disabled, billboards scale with scene.
Text Size
Type: Float Default: Varies
Size of billboard text. Units depend on Fixed Size setting:
- Fixed Size enabled: Pixels
- Fixed Size disabled: Metres (scene units)
Solid
Type: Boolean Default: True
Show billboards with solid backgrounds. When disabled, only text is shown.
Background Colour
Type: Colour Default: Red (0xFF0000)
Background colour for billboard panels (when Solid is enabled).
Text Colour
Type: Colour Default: White
Colour of billboard text.
Show Viewpoints
Type: Boolean Default: False
Display camera/viewpoint objects in multiview or split-screen mode.
UAV Size
Type: Float Default: Varies
Display size of camera/viewpoint visualization objects in multiview mode.
Material Properties
Material rendering parameters for imported 3D assets and models.
Diffuse %
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-100% Default: 80
Diffuse material reflectance percentage. Controls how much light is scattered in all directions.
Ambient %
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-100% Default: 20
Ambient material component percentage. Global illumination contribution independent of light direction.
Specular %
Type: Slider (Integer) Range: 0-100% Default: 50
Specular highlight intensity percentage. Controls shininess and mirror-like reflections.
Notes:
- Higher values create shinier, more reflective surfaces
- Lower values create matte, diffuse surfaces
- Adjust based on material type (rock = low, metal/water = high)
Related Documentation
- Properties Index - All property categories
- Properties: Point Clouds - Point cloud display properties
- Properties: Meshes - Mesh display properties
- Context Menus Index - All context menus
Notes
Source File: ModelViewProperties.cpp
Property Groups: Navigation, Lighting, Environment, Post-Processing, Geometry, Projection, Skybox, VR, Billboards, Materials
Performance Considerations:
- Shadows: Significant performance impact
- Volumetric clouds: High GPU load
- Bloom effects: Moderate GPU load
- Grid overlay: Minimal performance impact
- Highest LOD: High memory and GPU usage for tiled models
Common Workflows:
- Presentation Mode: Enable shadows, bloom, procedural sky, disable HUD
- Interpretation Mode: Enable grid overlay, highest LOD for tiles, disable effects
- VR Mode: Configure controllers, adjust movement speeds, enable mirror to screen
- Performance Troubleshooting: Enable Performance HUD, disable shadows and effects