Navigating the 3D view
With a model loaded, the next thing to learn is how to move around it. This page covers the mouse, the keyboard, and the handful of commands that put the camera exactly where you want it. Everything here is in the Vulkan 3D view, which is the default; the few places where the older OpenGL view differs are noted.
The mouse
VRGS orbits around a pivot point: a left drag rotates the model about it, and zooming moves towards whatever is under the cursor. With the default profile:
| Mouse | Action |
|---|---|
| Left drag | Rotate about the pivot |
| Middle drag | Pan in the plane of the screen (the model follows the cursor) |
| Right drag | Zoom: drag down to move closer, up to move away; sideways strafes |
| Wheel | Zoom towards the point under the cursor |
| Shift + middle or right drag | Dolly along the view direction, with a sideways strafe |
| Alt + left drag | Roll the camera |
| Left and right buttons together | Same as the middle button, for mice without one |
| Left click | Select the object under the cursor |
| Double-click | Open what you clicked: a photograph's camera, a multimedia object or a log panel |
When an interpretation tool is armed, the left button belongs to the tool. Hold Shift and left-drag to rotate anyway; the middle and right buttons always navigate.
If the wheel zooms the opposite way to what you expect, tick Reverse mouse wheel in the project properties.
Mouse profiles
If you come to VRGS from another package, choose a profile that matches it. Set Mouse Profile in the 3D view's display properties, under Navigation & Interaction:
| Profile | Left drag | Middle drag | Right drag | Wheel | With modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VRGS Vulkan (default in the Vulkan view) and VRGS Current (default in the OpenGL view) | Rotate | Pan (screen plane) | Zoom | Zoom | Shift + middle/right: dolly. Alt + left: roll |
| VRGS Expert | Rotate (free arcball, which can roll) | Pan (screen plane) | Zoom | Zoom | — |
| Pix4D | Dolly | — | Rotate | Zoom | Shift + left: pan. Shift + right: rotate |
| Blender | — | Rotate | — | Zoom | Shift + middle: dolly. Ctrl + middle: pan |
| CloudCompare | Rotate | Dolly | Pan (screen plane) | Zoom | — |
| Metashape | — | Rotate | Rotate | Zoom | Shift + middle/right: dolly |
VRGS Vulkan and VRGS Current are the same mapping; the OpenGL view lists only VRGS Current. To make your own, use Home → Navigation → Customise Profiles... — see Customise Profiles.
Flying with the keyboard
Click in the 3D view so it has keyboard focus, then:
| Key | Moves |
|---|---|
| W / S | Forward / back, along the way the camera faces |
| A / D | Left / right |
| E / Q | Up / down (always vertical) |
Each press moves a tenth of the distance to the pivot, so the step is small close in and large when you are zoomed out. The pivot moves with you, so the next drag still rotates about what is in front of you. The fly keys are Vulkan only; in the OpenGL view the arrow keys move the camera instead.
Putting the camera where you want it
View From (Home tab, Navigation panel) gives standard views. The big button resets to a plan view from above, north up, framing the whole scene. Its drop-down holds the others:
| View | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Above (reset view) | Alt+R |
| From the north, south, east, west | Alt+N, Alt+S, Alt+E, Alt+W |
| From below | Alt+B |
| Centre In Model, Reset to North, Reset Rotations, Forward View, Nadir View | — |
Target Zoom (Home tab, Navigation panel, or Alt+T) moves you in on one spot. Click it, then click a point on the model: the camera moves three-quarters of the way to that point, keeps looking the same way, and makes the point the new pivot. VRGS then returns to Move mode, ready to rotate about it. Use it to get close to an outcrop face without overshooting.
If you lose the model altogether, press Alt+R.
Keys that change the view
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| F6 | Cycle perspective → orthographic → orthographic with a grid |
| F8 | Procedural sky on or off |
| F9 | Satellite basemap on or off (the ribbon calls it Cesium Elevation) |
| Ctrl+H | Headlight on or off |
| F11 | Full screen |
| Esc | Stop what you are doing: end a tour, cancel a pick or a line, and return to Move mode |
Keyboard Shortcuts lists every shortcut in VRGS, including those for logging, digitising and the photo view.
Try it
- Load a model as in the previous step.
- Press Alt+R to see it from above, then Alt+S to look at it from the south.
- Left-drag to rotate, then use the wheel to zoom on a feature.
- Click Target Zoom, click on the outcrop face, and left-drag: the model now rotates about the point you picked.
- Press W a few times to fly towards the face, and Q to drop down.
- Press F6 twice to see the face in orthographic with a grid, then once more to return to perspective.