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The 3D View

The 3D view displays three-dimensional renderings of your data, including volume images, surface meshes, and volume meshes.

3D View and 2D Views

Display Modes​

The 3D view can display different types of renderings:

ModeDescription
Volume RenderingSemi-transparent visualization of volume image data
Surface RenderingSolid display of surface mesh models
Volume Mesh RenderingDisplay of tetrahedral/hexahedral meshes
MixedCombination of volume and surface rendering

Mouse Controls​

ActionMouseDescription
RotateLeft-dragRotates the view around the focal point
PanMiddle-dragMoves the view horizontally/vertically
ZoomRight-dragZooms in (drag up) or out (drag down)
ZoomScroll wheelZooms in/out incrementally
PickLeft-clickSelects an object at the clicked location

Keyboard Shortcuts​

ShortcutAction
RReset view to default orientation
CSet center of rotation under mouse cursor
VToggle perspective/orthographic projection
SSolid representation mode
ESolid with edges representation mode
WWireframe representation mode
QPoint representation mode
XView from +X direction (Right)
Shift+XView from -X direction (Left)
YView from +Y direction (Front)
Shift+YView from -Y direction (Back)
ZView from +Z direction (Top)
Shift+ZView from -Z direction (Bottom)

View Options​

Access view options from the View ribbon tab:

Camera Settings​

SettingDescription
PerspectiveStandard 3D perspective projection
OrthographicParallel projection without perspective distortion
Field of ViewAdjusts the viewing angle (perspective mode)

Display Options​

OptionDescription
BackgroundSet background color or gradient
AxesShow/hide coordinate axes indicator
Orientation CubeShow/hide orientation reference cube
Bounding BoxShow/hide bounding box around data
Scale BarShow/hide physical scale reference

Lighting​

OptionDescription
Light DirectionDirection of the primary light source
AmbientOverall ambient lighting level
ShadowsEnable/disable shadow rendering

Clipping​

Clipping planes allow you to cut away portions of the 3D scene:

Clip TypeDescription
Box ClipClip to a rectangular region
Plane ClipClip with an infinite plane
ROI ClipClip using a primitive shape

Enable clipping from the View ribbon tab.

Volume Rendering Controls​

When displaying volume images:

ControlDescription
Transfer FunctionMaps intensity values to colors and opacity
PresetsPre-configured transfer functions for common use cases
Window/LevelAdjusts the displayed intensity range
QualityBalance between rendering speed and quality

Context Menu​

Right-click in the 3D view to access:

  • View reset options
  • Camera presets (Front, Back, Top, Bottom, Left, Right)
  • Display toggles
  • Screenshot capture
tip

Press C while hovering over a feature of interest to set the center of rotation at that point, making it easier to inspect specific regions during 3D exploration.