A Tour of GeoZui3D Menus

The menu is the only place where files can be loaded and options can be changed. The following figure gives an overview of what is available on the menu bar.

File Menu

The File Menu allows you to load files, clear the scene, and exit GeoZui3D.

Open Object Opens a popup file browser that allows you to choose an object file to open. The file browser allows you to filter files based on object type. Once an object is chosen, it is loaded into the scene and added to the Object Panel. Open Texture Opens a popup file browser that allows you to choose a texture or color lookup table (clut). The file browser allows you to filter files based on texture type. Once a texture (or clut) is chosen, it is loaded into the list of textures on the Object Panel. Clear Scene Removes all objects from GeoZui3D and resets the main view. The object list in the Object Panel is emptied, but all textures remain intact. Exit Exits GeoZui3D without asking any questions.

View Menu

The View Menu allows you to change global view settings such as stereo and background color, and provides access to the Object Panel.

Stereo Toggles stereo mode. When the Stereo menu item is checked, GeoZui3D renders each 3D image for two eyes (see Stereo Viewing for more details). When the Stereo menu item is not checked, each 3D image is rendered for a single viewpoint. Side by side stereo See Stereo Viewing for details about this item. Objects Brings up the Object Panel, if it is not already open. See A Tour of the Object Panel for details about the Object Panel. Background Opens a popup color editor that allows for selection of a new background color. Once a color is selected, all 3D windows are updated with the new background color.

Options Menu

The Options Menu allows you to control global interaction settings. These settings apply to interactors such as the widgets, the one-eyed cursor, and the middle-button zoom.

One Eyed Cursor Toggles whether or not the cursor is rendered by GeoZui3D a single eye, or is left to the operating system to render normally. When viewing in stereo, it easier to understand where the mouse is pointing when it is only rendered for one eye. When left to the operating system, the cursor appears to be in different places, depending on the eye. When this item is checked, the one-eyed cursor is active. When this item is unchecked, the system cursor is restored. Right Eye Dominant Determines which eye the one-eyed cursor is rendered in. When checked, the one-eyed cursor is rendered in for the right eye. When unchecked, the one-eyed cursor is rendered for the left eye. Subwindow Perspective Tracking Determines the center of projection for all 3D windows. When checked, the center of projection is assumed to be shared by all 3D windows, at a point along the line perpendicular to the center of the main 3D window. When unchecked, each 3D window has its own center of projection at a point along the line perpendicular to its own window center. Zooming Interface This submenu determines how the middle button navigation interface behaves. See Zooming Interface Submenu below. Widget Options This submenu determines which center-of-workspace widgets appear in each 3D window. See Widget Options Submenu below.

Zooming Interface Submenu

The Zooming Interface Submenu determines how the middle button navigation inteface behaves. Each item in this menu is mutually exclusive with the others (like radio buttons).

Use "Shift" Key to Zoom Out When this menu item is checked, pressing the middle mouse button by itself always begins a zoom-in. Zooming out occurs when both the middle mouse button and the "Shift" key are depressed. Throttle Zoom (Default setting) When this menu item is checked, pressing the middle mouse button without moving the mouse only begins a translation of the selected surface to the center of the workspace. No zooming occurs until the mouse is pushed forward or backward (with the middle button depressed). While the middle button is down, moving the mouse forward causes the scene to zoom in; moving the mouse backward causes the scene to zoom out. Once a direction is picked, the horizontal line about the center of the screen becomes the switch-over point between zooming in and zooming out. The metaphor here is one of a throttle control on an airplane or submarine, although the zoom rate does not increase or decrease according to how much the mouse moves forward or backward. Reverse Throttle Zoom This item works like the throttle zoom, but in reverse; the metaphor is more one of "pulling" the scene toward you to zoom in and "pushing" it away from you to zoom out. When this menu is checked, pressing the middle mouse button without moving the mouse only begins a translation of the selected surface to the center of the workspace. No zooming occurs until the mouse is pushed forward or backward (with the middle button depressed). While the middle button is down, moving the mouse forward causes the scene to zoom out; moving the mouse backward causes the scene to zoom in. Once a direction is picked, the horizontal line about the center of the screen becomes the switch-over point between zooming in and zooming out.

Widget Options Submenu

The Widget Options Submenu determines which center-of-workspace widgets appear in each 3D window. Multiple items in the menu can be selected at once, and are independent of each other.

Compass When this menu item is checked, a North-pointing compass appears within the circle at the top of the center of workspace widgets. When this item is unchecked, the compass does not appear. This item is checked by default. Horizontal Scale When this menu item is checked, a dynamic scale appears along the horizontal axis of the widgets. The scale indicates distance from the center of workspace. Scale markings can be clicked and dragged to make fine-grained changes in scale. When this menu item is unchecked, the horizontal scale does not appear, nor can it be used to affect scale. Vertical Scale When this menu item is checked, a dynamic scale appears along the vertical axis of the widgets. The scale indicates distance from the center of workspace. Scale markings can be clicked and dragged to make fine-grained changes in height exaggeration. When this menu item is unchecked, the vertical scale does not appear, nor can it be used to affect height exaggeration. Lighting Control When this menu item is checked, the lighting control appears up and to the right of the widgets. This control is used to interactively specify the lighting direction. The lighter ball indicates the light source, while the darker ball indicates the effect this light source has on an object in the scene. Any part of the control can be clicked and dragged with the first mouse button, causing the lighter ball to follow in the direction of mouse motion. The motion of the lighter ball is confined to a hemisphere with its base parallel to the screen. Since the lighting control is effected by the rotation widgets, lighting can be made to come from any direction, including from underneath. If you cannot achieve the lighting angle you are looking for, rotate the scene using the rotation widgets. When this menu item is unchecked, the lighting control does not appear. Shallow Angle Compensation When this menu item is checked, the portion of the widgets attached to the circle on top avoid displaying directly from the side. This makes it easier to use the compass and azimuth/heading rotation widgets at shallow settings of elevation/pitch. One drawback to using this option is a skewed sense of what is parallel to the ground plane (or to the plane at sea level). When this item is unchecked, the widgets attached to the circle on top retain a constant orientation with respect to the scene.

Tools Menu

The Tools Menu changes the current interaction state, for purposes such as placing a ruler post, creating a new subwindow, or recording scripts and playing them back. Hotkeys are displayed to the right of each menu item, indicating what key can be used to invoke the same tool without use of the menu. All of the modes explained here can be exited by pressing the escape key at any time.

Ruler Puts your cursor into ruler-placement mode. The next time the left mouse button is clicked, a ruler post will be placed at the surface directly under the cursor. If no surface is present, no post is placed, and rule-placement mode is exited. Zoom Window Puts your cursor into zoomport-creation mode. The next time the left mouse button is clicked, a zoomport will be created with its center of workspace located at the point on the surface directly under the cursor. If no surface is present, no zoomport is created, and zoomport-creation mode is exited. Record Begins recording actions to a script for later playback. Many, but not all actions are recorded. Scripts recorded on one machine may not function the same way on another machine (due to differences between OpenGL implementations on the graphics cards). The script is recorded to the file "test.tcl". Playback Begins playback of actions earlier recorded by the Record menu item. Plays back only from a file named "demo.tcl" (so to playback a script you just recorded, rename it from "test.tcl" to "demo.tcl"). See the Record menu item above for caveats on recorded scripts.

Commands Menu

The Commands Menu provides access to some miscellaneous commands. Hotkeys are displayed to the right of each menu item, indicating what key can be used to invoke the same command without use of the menu.

Return to Home Position Returns the current 3D window to its "home" position. For the main window, this is the position it was in when GeoZui3D first started. For zoomports, this is the position it was in when it was created. Fuse Gridded Data Causes higher-resolution Gutm objects to cut holes in lower-resolution Gutm objects that overlap them. Currently, this operation cannot be undone, and the results of the operation are never saved to a file. Hide/Show Rotation Widgets If the center-of-workspace widgets are present, hide them in all windows. If they are hidden, restore them in all windows.

Help Menu

The Help Menu currently only provides access to the About box.

About Opens the About box, with version information, contact information, and copyright information.