**What is a 2D Grid?**
A **2D grid** is a regular spatial discretization of an area into equally sized **cells**.\\
Each cell represents a spatial unit for which values (e.g. elevation, thickness, parameters) are defined.
A crucial aspect of a grid definition is **how the position of each cell is referenced**.
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**Grid Cells vs. Grid Points**
A common source of confusion is the distinction between:
* **Grid cells** (areas)
* **Grid points** (coordinates)
In GeoScene3D, grid-based data are internally defined using **grid points**, not full polygons.
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**Grid Origin in GeoScene3D**
GeoScene3D defines the **grid origin (null point)** at the **lower-left corner of the grid**.
This means:
* The grid coordinates start in the lower-left corner
* Cell spacing is applied in positive x- and y-directions from this point
This definition is consistent with many numerical and interpolation-based grid formats.
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**Cell Reference Point: Center of the Cell**
Although the grid origin is located at the lower-left corner, **GeoScene3D defines grid values at the center of each cell**.
In practice, this means:
* The first grid value is located **half a cell size** away from the lower-left corner
* Each grid point represents the center of a grid cell, not its corner
This is the key point that often causes confusion.
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**Effect on Visualization**
Because grid values are defined at cell centers, the visualization behaves as follows:
* The first cell is centered around its grid point
* At the grid boundary, only **half of the first cell lies inside the grid extent**
As a result:
* The first grid cell appears visually as a **quarter cell** in the lower-left corner
This is **not an error**, but a direct consequence of:
- the grid origin being defined at the corner, and
- the grid values being defined at cell centers.
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**Illustration**
The figure below illustrates this behavior:
{{:cetrum_vs_lower_left_corner1_1.png?600|}}
* Grid points are located at the **centers of the cells**
* The grid origin is at the **lower-left corner**
The first visible cell is therefore only partially shown
This visual effect helps explain why the grid may appear “cut” at the edges.