From the Startup Dialog, to launch with Terrain:
- Use the drop-down control to choose from the known terrains.
- Use "Edit Properties" to view or edit the properties of the currently chosen terrain (the Terrain Parameters dialog)
Press "OK". The terrain will now load, which may take up to a minute. Messages in the status bar will inform you of the loading progress.
How to Navigate:
- Here's a handy guide for using the mouse to navigate in Terrain View.
Menu Commands for Terrain View
File Menu
- Layers - Shows the Layers dialog.
Tools Menu
- Select - This mode lets use the mouse point to move the 3D cursor on the terrain, selecting objects. You can also right-click for a pop-up menu of actions for the selected objects. See Working with Culture Objects for more information.
- Select features - This mode lets use the mouse point to move the 3D cursor on the terrain, selecting point features of abstract layers. See abstract layers for more information.
- Select/Move - This mode lets use the mouse point to move the 3D cursor on the terrain, selecting objects and moving them by dragging. Turn an object by pressing "SHIFT" while dragging the mouse with the left button.
You can also right-click for a pop-up menu of actions for the selected objects. See Working with Culture Objects for more information.- Move - This mode lets use the mouse point to move the 3D cursor on the terrain, moving selected objects by dragging. You can also press "SHIFT" to change the height of an object.
- Fences - Opens the Linear Structures dialog for creating features like fences, walls and hedges. Click to add points on the terrain, right-click to close the feature.
- Buildings - Click on the terrain to create buildings. Each click defines a corner of the building footprints, right-click finishes definition.
- Routes - Opens the Routes dialog for creating utility routes, specifically electrical distribution lines. (this feature is not fully implemented yet)
- Plants - Opens the Plants dialog for creating plants by clicking on the terrain. See Working with Culture Objects for more information.
- Points - Use the mouse to click on the terrain to create labeled points. The first time you select this mode, it will ask you for the style you want (Color, Size, etc.). The points are generated in a new Abstract Layer, which you can view and save from the Layers Dialog.
- Instances - Opens the Instances dialog for creating 3D model instances by clicking on the terrain.
- Vehicles - Opens the Vehicles dialog for creating vehicle models by clicking on the terrain. Vehicles can be selected, moved and rotated just like instances.
- Navigate - Use the mouse to fly over the terrain. See using the mouse to navigate.
- Measure Distances - Opens the Distance dialog. Drag a line on the terrain to get information about the distance measured several ways.
Navigate Menu
- Fly Slower - Decrease flight speed
- Fly Faster - Increase flight speed
- Maintain height above ground (toggle) - Keeps the camera at a fixed height above the terrain.
- Navigation Style - Choose from several styles of navigation to find one you like. There is also a keyboard shortcut 'D' to toggle the Grab-Pivot navigation.
Terrain Menu
- LOD Terrain Surface (toggle) - Show the terrain surface.
- Cull every frame (toggle) - Continuously calculates the level of detail needed as the camera moves. You can turn this off to see how the CLOD algorithm is working.
- Cull once - When Cull Every Frame is turned off, this tells the CLOD to calculate (cull).
Show Sky (toggle) - The sky (Skydome) is a hemisphere which surround the camera, showing either a static texture, or correct lighting for the time of day (sun, moon, stars, sunrise, sunset).
- Show Horizon (toggle) - The horizon is the flat geometry between the edge of the terrain and the far clipping plane.
- Show Ocean (toggle) - The ocean plane is an additional flat geometry which intersects the entire terrain, with a watery translucent texture.
- Show Plants (toggle) - You can turn all plants (the Vegetation Layer) on and off.
- Show Structures (toggle).
- Show Roads (toggle).
- Show Fog (toggle).
Increase Detail - Increases the detail (triangles or vertices used) of the CLOD terrain surface by 1000. If your terrain is over-simplified, you should increase detail until it looks good.
- Decrease Detail - Decreases the detail (triangles or vertices used) of the CLOD terrain surface by 1000.
- Level of Detail Info - Shows the Terrain LOD Info dialog with technical information about the CLOD algorithm and (if you are using Tilesets) the texture paging.
Toggle Artificial Foundations - For the current structure layer, each building which lies on a slope has a cement "foundation" level added to elevate it such that no point of the base footprint lies beneath ground level. (only for parametric buildings)
- Recalculate Shading - If your terrain has shading that was computed at the time the terrain was constructed, then that shading is recalculated. The current time of day is used. This is useful for seeing what a terrain looks like at different times of day.
- Change Texture - Opens the Change Texture dialog to let you change the texture on the terrain. (not for tiled terrains)
Tridicon Menu
- Select buildings by IDSearch and select objects by attributes within structure layers.(take care the visibility distance is not too small.
- Import CityGML Import CityGML into CityDiscoverer. A new layer is created from the CityGML file. The layer can only be automatically added to the current project if it is placed into the standard folders for the project.
- Pick polygonal faceTool to check the orientation of faces.