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2.2 Navigating In OptiSurface Designer

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Graeme Cox
Updated 6 months ago
Last Updated: 31 May 2022          For: OptiSurface Designer V3+

Tip – Follow a video tutorial on this subject here:  Navigating in OptiSurface Designer


In OptiSurface Designer, you see the terrain in the 3D scene. You can navigate through this 3D scene using a mouse or keyboard arrow keys.

2.2.1   Using a Mouse

By default, you are in pan mode as shown by the depressed 'Pan' button on the toolbar To get started navigating with your mouse, simply position the cursor in the middle of the 3D scene, click the left mouse button, move the mouse and you will ‘pan’ across the scene. By moving the mouse while pressing one of the buttons, you can also:

  • Zoom in and out: using the mouse scroll wheel

  • Rotate - In pan mode , you can hold the <Shift> key down, then left click and drag the mouse to rotate the scene about the Z axis.  Also press this toolbar button , then left click and drag the mouse to rotate the scene about the Z axis.

  • Orbit -  In pan mode , you can hold the <Ctrl> key down, then left click and drag the mouse to orbit the scene around it's centre.

2.2.2   Using Keyboard Arrow Keys

Pressing the up, down, left or right keys on your keyboard will pan the 3D scene in that direction. You may need to click inside the map window first for this feature to work.

2.2.3   Tilting and Viewing Terrain

When you first start OptiSurface Designer, the default view of the terrain is a plan view, which is straight down. You can view the terrain from different angles using the view toolbar. i.e:

  Plan View – View the terrain from top looking down.

  Side View – View the terrain from front looking horizontally.

  Isometric Screen – View the terrain in 3D perspective.

Tip – You can also tilt by clicking and dragging the North Arrow with your mouse. 

The following figures show a comparison view of a field with and without tilt applied.


2.2.4   Vertical Exaggeration Factor

Vertical Exaggeration shows the appearance of the terrain to be more pronounced than the actual.  It is set when the survey is imported based on the vertical variation of the points.  In OptiSurface Designer V2, this factor cannot be changed once the survey is imported.  To see the Vertical Exaggeration Factor, go to Tools > Project Properties.

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