Viewing Options

The View menu

The view to a project in the viewing screen can be altered in many ways. The perspective from which objects are seen can be set to seven different standard directions or can be intuitively rotated by use of the mouse. To shift the view on the displayed project or to zoom in and out, you can also use the mouse very easily, or use one of several standard zoom options.

Furthermore, it is possible to hide objects, which makes it easier to keep a clear overview of the project.

To have an unhindered view on chosen parts without removing any others, you can also hold the 'h'-key to highlight selected objects, which will be displayed in the foreground, regardless of their position.

Further options for viewing the screen include the level of details, highlighting backfaces, displaying the triangle mesh of any chosen part, edges on parts and the platform.

Viewing options in detail:

Perspective and Zoom

Isometric Perspective

Perspective

Standard Perspectives

In the bottom left of the viewing screen is a coordinate system indicating the current viewing perspective. To change the perspective, there are two ways. First, by holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse in the direction you want to turn the project visually, the perspective can be intuitively rotated to any position.

Second, there are seven standard perspectives which can be selected with one mouse click on the toolbar, by selecting one of them in the View menu or by clicking on the coordinate system. The standard perspectives are the Isometric Perspective and the view from front, back, left, right, top or bottom.

Zooming Options

Standard Zoom Options

By holding the central mouse button and moving the mouse, the view on a project can be shifted to the right, left, up or down. This changes only the centre of the main screen without changing the perspective.

Additionally, the view can be centered and zoomed on the whole project, the platform, all parts, selected parts or a selected area. These options can be chosen in the toolbar or by moving the mouse cursor onto "Zoom to" in the View menu.

Displaying Options

Click on the little eye to hide and show the part in the screen

Hide and Show

Selected objects can be hidden or shown by choosing the respective option in the context menu or by clicking on the orange eye next to the objects name in the project tree. When an object is hidden, this orange eye turns grey. Hiding objects that do not need attention for the moment can be helpful to keep a clear overview on the project. In the tabsheet, there is a small info box specifying how many parts in the project are hidden.

To prevent an obstructed view to parts in the background, marked parts can also be highlighted and displayed in the foreground by holding the 'h'-key.

In the context menu of the viewing screen and of parts in the project tree or in the View menu, several additional options are available for showing and hiding parts:

If you right-click on empty space in the screen, you can either show all parts, hide all parts, invert the visibility of all parts or hide unselected parts (so only your selected parts are displayed). If you right-click on a part in the screen or in the project tree, you can either show or hide only your selected parts (or "hide unselected parts" as well). As the selection may change with the right-click, it can be necessary to access this function in the project tree or in the View menu. In the screen, it makes only sense, if at least one part of your selection is shown already and you click on that part.

Low and High Level of Detail

Level of Detail

The level of detail of the displayed project can be changed either in the View menu or in the toolbar. You can choose from several levels between 0.1% and 100%. These levels are implemented for all selected parts or, if no parts are selected, for all parts.

In the project tree, the current level of detail is specified in brackets after the part name.

The simplified presentation is especially recommended for projects containing very much or very complex parts. With a low level of detail the program will be much quicker whenever the view is changed in any way, because parts are no longer displayed in every detail.

Despite the simplified presentation, the actual attributes of the parts remain unchanged.

Highlighted Backfaces

Highlight Backfaces

The interior side of triangles is always marked red, even if the part is selected. It helps you to detect inverted triangles, holes and cuts in the standard module. You can activate and deactivate that option in the View menu.

Part without and with visualized sharp edges

Show Edges

This option in the View menu determines, if sharp edges on objects are emphasized with black lines.

Show Platform

If you hold P, a second platform is displayed with the origin coordinates of the selected part.

The platform is the printable area of the project (more information on the platform). It can be shown or hidden in the View menu.

If one or more parts are selected and you can hold the 'p'-key to display a virtual platform with the same origin coordinates as the selected part(s). That way you can estimate how much space your selected parts will occupy in the platform if you move them to the origin.

Hide or Show Triangle Mesh

Show Triangle Mesh

This option activates or deactivates the visualization of the triangle mesh of a part. It can be found in the context menu after right-clicking on the respective part in the main screen or in the project tree.

Tutorials

Netfabb Studio Tutorial - Group of Parts