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Navigating in surface mode

Available with 3D Analyst license.

In ArcGlobe, surface mode is best used when navigating near the globe surface or when you want a perspective view of your data. In ArcScene, it is the only navigation mode.

  1. Click the Navigate button Navigate on the Tools toolbar.
  2. Hold down the CTRL key and click the location on the globe surface where you want to set your target and center the view.
  3. The point you clicked is centered in the view and, if necessary, ArcGlobe switches to surface mode. In this mode, the Navigate tool allows you to rotate the view around the surface target, zoom in and out, and pan. The surface is always toward the bottom of the viewer to simulate the effect of gravity.

  4. Click the 3D view and drag it to the right. This rotates the data counterclockwise around a vertical axis through the target location.
  5. Right-click the 3D view and drag down. This zooms in toward the target location. This is the same functionality as the 3D Zoom In/Out tool.
    • If your mouse has one, the 3D Zoom In/Out tool is also exposed with the mouse wheel.
    • You can change the mouse wheel direction of the zoom on the General tab of the ArcGlobe Options dialog box, accessed from the Customize menu.
  6. Other options in surface mode include those in this table:

    Look to a new target

    To do this, you can do one of the following:

    • Press CTRL and click.
    • Double-click the location.
    • Use the Center On Target tool.

    Zoom to a new target

    To do this, you can do either one of these:

    • Press CTRL and right-click.
    • Use the Zoom To Target tool.

    Pan across the 3D view

    To do this, you can do one of the following:

    • Click the middle mouse button and drag.
    • Use the 3D Pan tool.

    Enable North Arrow

    Enable a north arrow graphic on the display by clicking View > View Settings.

  7. For a full list of surface mode mouse navigation actions, see the lookup table in Using the 3D Navigate tool in ArcGlobe.
Tip:
To switch between global and surface modes in ArcGlobe, click the Navigation Mode button Navigation Mode on the Tools toolbar. When the button appears highlighted, ArcGlobe is in global mode.

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