TerraScan User Guide

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Navigation: Tool Reference > TerraScan Toolbox > View Laser toolbox

Travel Path

v_travel_path Travel Path tool lets you view an animation along an alignment element. The tool provides an excellent way for traversing along the survey path and checking the data visually. The tool can also save the frames as pictures on hard drive for project documentation.

The alignment element can be any linear element. In most cases you create the element manually or draw, for example, a trajectory line into the CAD file by using the Draw into design command. Alternatively, you can use TerraScan’s Draw from points command which draws an approximate flight path deduced from the order of loaded laser points.

You can define what kind of views you want to see while traveling along the alignment. Supported view types include top, cross section, longitudinal section, isometric and camera views.

To create an animation along an alignment:

1. Draw and select the alignment element.

2. Select the Travel Path tool.

This opens the Travel Path dialog:

travel_path

3. Define settings and click OK.

The application constructs internal tables for the animation and then opens the Travel Player dialog:

travel_player

SETTING	EFFECT
Step	Step along alignment between consecutive cross sections.
Depth	Full depth of each cross section. Each cross section covers a rectangular area defined by the Depth and Width values.
Width	Full width of each cross section. Each cross section covers a rectangular area defined by the Depth and Width values.
Speed	Speed for automatic animation display.
Start station	Defines the point on the alignment element from which the animation starts.
Views	CAD file views that are used for displaying the animation: •Top view - displays data from the top. •Second top view - displays data from the top. •Cross section 3D - displays data in a cross section. •Longitudinal section 3D - displays data in a longitudinal section. •Isometric view 3D - displays data in an isometric view. •Camera - display data in a camera view. Click on the >> button in order to open the Travel Path Camera Settings dialog and define settings for the camera view.
Elevations	Method of elevation range computation which defines how the animation follows elevation changes in the data: •Follow all points - all points determine the visible elevation range. •Follow selected classes - points from selected classes determine the visible elevation range. Select a single class from the Class list. Click on the >> button in order to open the list of active classes and select several classes. •Follow 3D alignment - the alignment element determines the center elevation and the visible elevation range is determined by the Minimum dz and Maximum dz values given relative to the alignment element. •Fixed - a fixed elevation range defined by Minimum z and Maximum z values is used for the whole animation.

The Travel Player dialog contains the following commands and tools for traveling along the alignment element:

MENU/TOOL	COMMAND/TOOL NAME	EFFECT
File	Save Frames	Store travel path frames as picture files.
Move	Using mouse	Update a cross section view dynamically as you move the mouse pointer along the alignment. If you place a data click, the tool updates all views.
Move	To start	Move to the start of the alignment and update all views.
Move	To end	Move to the end of the alignment and update all views.
	Play backward	Start automatic animation display backward along the alignment.
	Step backward	Move stepwise backward along the alignment.
	Stop	Stop automatic animation display.
	Step forward	Move stepwise forward along the alignment.
	Play forward	Start automatic animation display forward along the alignment.

Travel Path Camera Settings

The Travel Path Camera Settings dialog lets you define settings for a camera view.

travel_path_camera_settings

SETTING	EFFECT
Camera angle	Field-of-view angle of the camera.
Camera dz	Altitude of the camera position. Defined as elevation difference from the section center (= alignment element).
Target dz	Altitude of the target position. Defined as elevation difference from the section center (= alignment element).
Front clipping	Distance up to which the content of the view is clipped in the foreground. Data is displayed in the range between Front and Back clipping.
Back clipping	Distance after which the content of the view is clipped in the background. Data is displayed in the range between Front and Back clipping.

Save Travel Path Frames

The Save Travel Path Frames dialog lets you save travel path views as TIFF files. This functionality suitable for project reporting. Similar, but more advanced and specifically designed for flythru animation production available in TerraPhoto Flythru movies.

save_travel_path_frames

SETTING	EFFECT
View	CAD view to save. Use a view set to update in Travel path setup.
Folder	Directory on a hard disk where frames are saved.
Prefix	Text that is added in the beginning of the frame file names. The frame number is automatically added to the file name.
Frames	Frame range to save.
Projection	Projection system of the loaded data. Projection system is required to store the location tag correctly to the TIFF files.
Dz	Elevation shift to apply to the position tag of each frame. Useful for shifting frames to avoid overlap with other data when results are exported for visualization on an interactive map.

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TerraScan User Guide