Spatial data plots graphics menu

You can define the graphics settings that XPAC uses to display spatial data plots, for example, whether plots display using a single light source, defining the perspective type, or displaying block outlines. To access these settings, select Graphics, then select one of the following options:

Graphics menu

The table below describes the options available from the Graphics menu:

Menu option

Description

Options

Tools

Lets you access the most commonly used tools available on the 3D Graphics toolbar.

•	Select - select block/s in the 3D Scene. By default, this button is selected when you first open the Spatial Data Plot window.

•	Marquee Select - click-and-drag to select multiple blocks.

•	Polygon Select - mark out an area to select multiple blocks.

•	Edit Dependencies - displays the Dependency Rule View so that you can create and edit dependencies from the spatial data plot.

•	Zoom - zoom in or out on the spatial data plot.

•	Pan - move the whole spatial data plot in any direction, without changing the angle or zoom.

•	Rotate - rotate the spatial data plot to view it from other angles.

•	Measure Distance - measure the distance between two points in the 3D Scene (XPAC measures distance in 'units', for example, 1404.8102 units).

•	Clipping Section - hide sections of the plot. For example, you may want to 'slice' a plot in half so that you can view a cross-section.

•	Clear Clipping Sections - undo clipped sections of the spatial data plot (this button only displays when you have clipped sections of the plot).

Object Outlines

Determines whether the outlines of each block display.

•	None - no object outlines display (i.e. XPAC displays the plot without any edges), for example:

Spatial Data Plot - Object Outlines - None

•	Key Edges (default) - displays edges where there is a sudden change in the surface, such as the toe and crest of each bench, for example:

Spatial Data Plot - Object Outlines - Key Edges

Note: The lines that display depend on the whether you are displaying 2D or 3D data. For example, only the outline of the polygon displays for 2D data, while XPAC finds the edges where there is a significant change in the orientation of the triangles for 3D.

•	All Edges - displays the edges of every triangle in the plot, for example:

Spatial Data Plot - Object Outlines - All Edges

Lighting

Indicates the light source used to illuminate the plot, for example, North.

Cardinal directions, for example, North, East, South, West, etc.

Invert Selection

Inverts the current selection of blocks.

N/A

Perspective

Objects that are further away from the view point appear smaller in size.

N/A

Orthographic

Objects of a similar size appear the same size regardless of distance from the view point.

N/A

Centre Selection in View

Centres selected blocks in the 3D Scene.

N/A

Animation

Controls the animation of the plot in the 3D Scene.

See Animation Controls for more information.

Orientation

Controls the orientation of the plot in the 3D Scene.

•	Restore - restores the 3D Scene to the saved layout.

•	Save - saves the current layout so that you can restore it at a later stage (see Saving and restoring the 3D Scene layout for more information).

•	Top/Bottom/Front/Back/Right/Left - repositions the plot to a preset angle.

•	Isometric - repositions the plot so that each of the three axes are equally inclined to the viewing plane.

Zoom To

•	Zoom to Extents - fits the whole spatial data plot neatly inside the 3D Scene.

•	Zoom to Selected - zooms in on selected block/s.

•	Zoom to Visible - zooms in on only those block/s that are visible in the spatial data plot (i.e. hidden blocks will not be included).

•	Zoom to All - Zooms to the extents of the plot, including any feature layers.

Range

Select and edit ranges according to the blocks that you currently have selected.

•	Select Existing Range - opens the Select Range window to let you specify a range of blocks to highlight in the 3D Scene.

•	Create Range From Selection - creates a new range based on the blocks that you currently have selected.

•	Append Selection to a Range - adds the currently selected block/s to an existing range.

•	Remove Selection From a Range - removes the currently selected block/s from an existing range.

•	Overwrite Range With Selection - overwrites a range with the currently selected block/s.

Legend

Displays the Legend View options.

•	Show - displays the Legend View.

•	Edit - opens the Shading tab of the Properties window so that you can edit the legend.

•	Expanded - toggles between the standard and expanded view of the legend. The expanded view displays more detail, for example, the upper and lower limits of each increment. See Show Expanded Legend for more information.

Tree View

Displays the Record Tree View options.

•	Show - displays the Record Tree View.

•	Display Percentages of All Paths

•

Show All

•	Wireframe Un-highlighted

•	Hide Un-highlighted

•	Wireframe One Above

•	Wireframe Two Above.

Transfer View

Displays the Path Transfer View options.

•	Show - displays the Path Transfer View.

•	Read-only - toggles the Path Transfer View data sheet between read-only and edit mode.

Show Path View

Toggles to display or hide the Path View.

N/A

Show Dependencies View

Toggles to display or hide the Dependency Rule View.

N/A

Show Animation Path View

Toggles to display or hide the Animation Path View.

N/A

Restore Views

Lets you arrange the views that are currently displaying.

•	Tabbed - displays each view as a tab within one view.

•	Stacked - stacks views on top of each other.

Refresh

Refreshes the 3D Scene to update the plot that you are currently viewing (for example, if you have updated the settings for the plot).

N/A

View Scene Information

Displays XPAC graphics information, for example, information about the plot that you are viewing, or which graphics driver XPAC is currently using to generate the plot.

N/A

View Properties

Displays the plot's Properties window.

N/A