How to create a 3D view

To obtain a 3D view of your study area, you first of all need a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). For more information on creating DEMs, see How to calculate a DEM. Then you can to construct a 3D view by creating a georeference 3D with the georeference 3D editor. The process is shortly described below.

To start the Display 3D operation:

select Visualization, Display 3D from the Operations menu in the Main window, or
double-click the Display 3D item in the Operation-list.

The Display 3D dialog box appears.

In the Display 3D dialog box:

select an existing georef3D from the drop-down list, or
click the create button to create a new georeference 3D (a dialog box follows in which you have to specify the name of the DEM, then you return to this dialog box).

The Display Options - 3D Grid box appears.

(When you already have a georeference 3D, you can open it by double-clicking it in the Catalog, or in the Catalog, click the georeference 3D with the right mouse button, and choose Open from the context-sensitive menu. The Display Options - 3D Grid box appears.)

In the Display Options - 3D Grid dialog box, you can specify how the 3D view should be displayed:

using 3D grid lines in X and Y directions,
using a raster map (satellite image, thematic map, scanned photograph) draped over your height values,
using both a raster map draped over your height values, and 3D grid lines.

The DEM is displayed in three dimensions in a map window.

To modify the 3D view (i.e. the georeference 3D):

choose Georeference from the Edit menu in the map window.

The Georeference 3D editor is opened.

The Georeference 3D editor mainly consists of one large Georeference 3D dialog box in which you can specify parameters (altitude, rotation, distance, vertical exaggeration, etc.) to define the perspective of the observer in relation to the 3D model. Some examples of the effects of changing parameters in the dialog box are presented in Georeference 3D editor : functionality.

When finished editing the 3D view, you can exit the editor and return to the map window. If you like, you can add any other vector map or annotation to this map window. You can save the 3D view in the map window as a map view.

To permanently apply a georeference 3D to a raster map, use the Apply 3D operation.