Prepares the drawing scene for visualization. This tool allows you to select geometric objects in your drawing, assign the layers/levels containing those objects to selected surface types for visual enhancement, and save the converted geometry into a scenery file.

Visualization Engine - Prepare Scene Dialog Box

Introduction

This step introduces the process of preparing the scenery file.

Click the Next button to advance to the next step.

Geometry Selection

Select the geometry in your drawing that will output to the scenery file. By default, all the objects in the drawing are selected.

Click the Select from CAD button to manually select objects in your drawing. After selecting the objects, right-click to return to the Visualization Engine - Prepare Scene dialog box.

Click the Next button to advance to the next step or click the Previous button to return to the previous step.

Note: If any 3D animations were generated in a drawing before initiating the Prepare Scene tool, these will also be included, by default, in the objects selected for conversion. To ensure these animations are not inadvertently selected, use the Select from CAD button to ensure that only the desired objects will be converted.

Select Layer/Level Template File

Note: Layer/Level template files created and modified in this step are saved in the user folder: %appdata%\Transoft Solutions\Visualization Engine\Export Templates.

Use the dropdown menu to select the layer/level template to be used. Click the Edit button to modify the template settings.

Click the Manage Template button to modify or export the existing template file, import another template file, or create a new template file.

Click the Preview button to open the Visualization Engine window and view the selected geometry with the selected layer/level template.

Click the Finish button to complete the prepare scene process or click the Previous button to return to the previous step.

Note: If you make changes to your drawing after the Prepare Scene process is completed, you will need to initiate the Prepare Scene process again to update the scenery file before your changes are reflected in the Visualization Engine window.

Edit Layer/Level Template

For each layer/level you wish to convert, use the corresponding dropdown menu to assign a surface type to it.

Click the Preview button to open the Visualization Engine window and view the selected geometry with the selected layer/level template.

Click the Finish button to return to the Select Layer/Level Template File screen.

Manage Template Files

Click the New button to create a new template file.

Click the Copy button to copy the current template file.

Click the Rename button to rename the current template file.

Click the Delete button to delete the current template file.

Click the Save As button to export the current template file.

Click the Import button to import another template file.

Click the Finish button to return to the Select Layer/Level Template File screen.

Visualization Engine Window

The visualization engine window shows the 3D virtual environment created by the layer/level elements assigned to the objects in your drawing.

Tool Panel

Button	Option	Click to...
	Record	Record and export the current scenery and simulation to an MP4 file.
	Cameras	Select the viewing angle of the scene or the vehicles in your simulation. The scene camera option allows you to manually select between the top orthogonal view or four three-quarter views of the scene.
	Settings	Adjust visualization settings.
	Keys	Displays the keyboard and mouse commands for camera, timeline, recording and scene options.

Settings

Displays visualization settings options.

Option	Click to...
Quality	Select the image quality of the animation.
Ground Plane	Toggle the ground plane on/off.
Vehicle Path	Toggle the vehicle path on/off.
Wind	Toggle the wind effect animation on tree elements on/off.
Launch Tutorial	Launch the visualization tutorial.

View Panel

Button	Option	Click to...
	Cursor	Prevent the current view from shifting or rotating when performing other actions. By default, this tool is selected when launching the Visualization Engine.
	Pan	Shift the view without changing the viewing direction or magnification.
	Orbit	Rotate the view around the center pivot point.
	Look	Move the camera manually around the scene.