2D GIS map windows are useful for horizontal navigation and to overview survey areas and horizontal data coverage.

Maps may show almost all the datasets and objects that are visualized in 3D as well as some external data types and Web Map/Feature services (WMS/WFS). Maps in GeoScene3D show data in layers as in full featured GIS applications like ArcMap or MapInfo. Map windows are used to overview data, view and move camera and light source positions, and to move the current 3D scene extent. A map containing a few layers of nation wide data makes a good overview map. Bitmaps from map windows may be exported automatically to 3D surfaces.

To create a new map right-click the “Maps” node in the Object Manager and select “New Map”. Add data to the map using the Add Map Layer Wizard.

The current scene extent is shown as a red rectangle. See the relevant actions below for a description of how to move it.

Each map shows an icon for each camera and light source in the scene. When clicking an inactive camera, that camera is activated. Right-click a camera or light source icon to access properties for that camera or light source. Drag the camera or light source icon with the mouse to move the camera or light source.

Surfaces and XYZ points can be edited within the map. See Grid Editor Tool and XYZ Points Editor Tool.

A shape file in the map can be modified using the tools in the lower toolbar. Shapes may be inserted, modified and deleted. See the description of the relevant actions below. A new empty shape file may be crated and added with the Add Map Layer Wizard. Select the shape file in the drop down list. Only files that are not read only are shown in the list. Attributes for each shape may be edited with the Map Layer Attributes Editor or Feature Attributes Editor.

From the context menu a set of actions for the map is available. Most of these actions are also available from the toolbar. However, each action is described below in the order they appear in the context menu.

Object Properties…
Opens the properties window of selected object.

Object Info
Opens the information window of selected object.

Default Select Tool
Activates the default pointer and box select tool

Circle Select Tool
Activates the circle select tool.

Measure Tool
Activates the Measure tool.

Digitizer Tool
Activates the digitizer tool. Use the digitizer tool to digitize XY-coordinates and save them in a csv file. While active click the map with the mouse to add points. See actions related to the digitizer tool below.

Create Object From Digitized Points…
Shows the Create Object From Digitized Points dialog.

Save Digitized Points…
Saves the digitized points to a csv file.

Delete Last Digitized Point
Deletes the last digitized point

Clear Digitized Points From Screen…
Clear all digitized points

Pan Tool
Activates the pan tool

Rectangle Zoom Tool
Activates the rectangle zoom tool. Drag from top-left to lower-right to zoom in. Drag from lower-right to upper-left to zoom out.

Dynamic Zoom Tool
Activates the dynamic zoom tool. Move the mouse down and up to zoom in and out respectively while pressing the left mouse button.

Full Extent
Zoom the map to full data extent

Go back in map extent history
Zoom backwards in profile zoom history

Go forward in map extent history
Zoom forward in profile zoom history

Update surfaces using this map
Adds the current map to a surface if the Surface Bitmap Mode type is selected From Map under Material tab in the Surface Object properties.

Map Layers…
Show the Layer Manager with the layers tab shown

Map General Settings…
Show the Map Editor with the general tab shown

Add Layer…
Shows the Add Map Layer Wizard

Refresh From Data
Refresh all layers in the map from source data

Show Scene Extent
When activated the scene extent is shown with a red rectangle in the map

Zoom to Scene Center
Centers the map on the current scene extent

Move Scene Extent
When activated the scene extent can be moved with the mouse in the map window. The scene extent rectangle changes from transparent red to solid red and drag handles are shown in the corners and on each side of the rectangle. Next to the rectangle “Edit”, “OK”, and “Cancel” buttons are shown as well as various status information of the extent.
Drag the handles to change the size and shape of the extent. Drag the red part of the rectangle to move to another position. Press “Edit” to enter specific size and position parameters for the extent using the Scene Extent Editor. Press “Cancel” to cancel the extent move. Press “OK” to apply the modified scene extent: Note: Pressing “OK” starts a complete refresh of all data in the projects. See Scene Extent for extent size considerations.

Draw New Scene Extent Outline
When activated the scene extent can be moved to any position in the map window.
Draw a rectangle with the mouse in the map window. Press “edit” to enter specific size and position parameters for the extent using the Scene Extent Editor. Press “Cancel” to cancel the extent move. Press “OK” to apply the modified scene extent: Note: Pressing “OK” starts a complete refresh of all data in the projects. See Scene Extent for extent size considerations.

Select And Edit Shape
First select the layer to edit in the drop down list. Then click a shape to start an edit session for that shape. When the shape is clicked the shape vertices show as green dots. Drag the dots to move vertices. Double click dots to delete vertices. Click connector lines to add new vertices.

Stop Editing
Terminates the edit session for a shape

Add New Shape
Inserts the first vertic for a new shape. If the new shape is not a point then click multiple times to define the outline of the new poly line or polygon. Click “Stop Editing” to finish the shape.

New Shape From Coordinates…
If a shape is selected in the map that shapes vertices can be edited using the Create Shape Editor. A new shape (point, polyline or pologon) can be created from known coordinates using the Create Shape Editor

Undo
Undo the last shape edit

Redo
Redo the last shape edit

Cancel Edits in Shape
Revert the shape to its original state

Delete Selected Shape
Deletes the selected shape

Revert Winding
Reverts the vertic numbering in the shape

Layer Attributes…
Shows the map layer attribute editor

Selected Feature Attributes
Shows the feature attributes editor

Export Map to File
Shows the Export Map To File dialog.

Print
Shows the Print Map dialog

Show Toolbars
Select show toolbars and the toolbar is visible in the Map window. When unselected, the toolbar is hidden in the Map window.

Map Coordinate System
Shows the Coordinate System editor.

Default Pointer Tool
Activates the default pointer and box select tool

Insert Points Tool
Selects the insert point tool. Available when XYZ edit session is active (Editor Version).

Move Points Tool
Selects the move points tool. Available when XYZ edit session is active (Editor Version).

Move Grid Edit Tool
Moves the current grid edit tool to a new location. Available when grid edit session is active (Editor Version).

Move and Apply Grid Edit Tool
Moves and applies the current grid edit tool. Available when grid edit session is active (Editor Version).

Move and Apply Grid Editor Tool
Applies the Grid Editor tool at its current position. Available when grid edit session is active (Editor Version).

Vertical Polygon Tool (profile)
Digitizes a polygon when editing a 3D grid. The 3D grid nodes within the polygon and within the profile buffer is assigned the value defined in the Grid Editor Tool when pressing Apply Grid Editor Tool

Pick Grid Nodes Tool (profile)
Pick grid nodes using eye dropper function.

Pick Value Tool (profile)
Pick value or symbol using eye dropper function.

Clear Digitized Points…
Clear all digitized points

Apply Edit
Apply edit to the chosen location.

Undo Edit
Undoes the last edit. Available when edit session is active (Editor Version).

Redo Edit
Redoes the last edit. Available when edit session is active (Editor Version).

Grid Operations
From the grid operations dialog a series of operations can be performed on the grid, see Grid Operations