3D View
The Scene widget provides the three-dimensional visualisation of the loaded molecules.
All activated Representations are shown here.
The 3D View has several distinct modes:
- Rotate Mode (Hotkey CTRL-R)
- Picking Mode (Hotkey CTRL-P)
- Move Mode
The user can switch between the different modes, either by selecting the according menu entries in the "Display" menu,
or use of the hotkeys.
Rotate Mode
In the Rotate Mode, the user can zoom, rotate or translate the view by pressing the mouse buttons and moving the mouse:
Mouse Button |
Effect |
Left |
Rotate left/right and up/down |
Middle |
Zoom in and out |
Right |
Translate up/down and left/right |
Left + Right (first keep pressed one button, than additionaly the other) |
Rotate (counter) clockwise |
Special key combinations are recognized to allow all the operations described above on systems with one- or two-button mice. Just hold the respective keys on the keyboard and press the (left) mouse button:
Mouse button + key pressed |
Effect |
Left |
Rotate left/right and up/down |
Left + Shift |
Zoom in and out |
Left + Control |
Translate up/down and left/right |
Left + Shift + Control |
Rotate (counter) clockwise |
Picking Mode (Identifying parts of molecules)
The Picking mode is designed to identify parts of molecules or to select them for special tasks.
Once you entered the picking mode the cursor will change to a cross. Now you are able to select single items.
Multiple items are selected using a selection rectangle (hold left-mouse-button while moving the mouse over the area you want to select).
Any selected objects become instantly colored
(normally yellow, see image above). In the structure window,
the checkboxes for the entries of these items become checked. The user can also deselect picked objects
by using the right button (or for users with only one mouse button, by using the left mouse button and the Shift-modifier).
Mouse button + key pressed |
Effect |
Left |
Select geometric objects, e.g. for atoms |
Right (or Left + Shift) |
Deselect geometric objects |
Move Mode
In the Move mode, selected atoms can be moved by using the mouse just the same way as the view is manipulated in the Rotate mode. It can also be used to position Clipping Planes (select Move in the context menu of the Clipping Plane in the Representations list).
Selection Color
Background Color
The background color can be changed in the preferences dialog under the point "Display"->"Stage".
BALLView supports multiple light sources, which can also be freely configured, this can be done in the entry "Lighting" in the preferences dialog. Lights can either be set to a static position or they can move along with the camera, when zooming, rotating etc.
- For static lights the position is set in means of absolute cartesian coordinates.
- Relative light sources obtain their position relative to the position of the camera, the right-, up- and view vector.
The example below means, that the light source is positioned 20 Å behind the observer and 4 Å units over him.
The direction of the light source is set to the view vector.
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