Vector Overlays on Mobile Mapping Views

This pages describes how to overlay / display vector datasets in Orbit desktop mobile mapping views.

Any 2D or 3D supported vector resource can be overlayed on images or displayed in the mobile mapping 3D point cloud view. Images resources cannot be overlayed. To overlay a dataset special attention is required to the dataset coordinate reference system, structure definition and legend.

Dataset List > Dataset Context Menu > Display in Mobile Mapping
Dataset List > Dataset Indicators > Extension Indicator

The dataset doesn't need to be visible on the map to be overlayed in the mobile mapping views.

Tabs > Mobile Mapping > Opened View > 1st View Side Toolbar > Measure icon

• Transparency : slider to set the transparency of overlayed objects.
• View Depth : slider to set the maximum distance from the current image or 3D view point to overlay objects.
• Vertical Offset : slider to adjust the calculated height of 2D objects.

View Depth

The vector overlay view depth defines the maximum allowed distance between mobile mapping view point and dataset objects.
Once a single object vertex is within the view depth range, the entire object will be overlayed.

The calculation of view depth is slightly different for image and 3D point cloud mobile mapping view :

• Image view : distance from the overlayed objects to the view position, the image position.
• 3D point cloud view : distance from the overlayed objects to ground level position of the current 3D view.

Vertical Offset

To display a 2D dataset in a 3D environment, a reference ground Z value is calculated for each 2D object vertex.
The vector overlay vertical offset is only applied on 2D objects. The height (Z coordinate) of 3D objects will be respected as is.

The calculation of reference Z is slightly different for image and 3D point cloud mobile mapping view :

• Image view : Z coordinate of the photo position view point minus the height offset of the camera above ground as set by the Orbit run configuration.
• 3D point cloud view : Z coordinate of the 3D view point's downwards intersection with the point cloud (only if no images are available).

To combine and overlay GIS and mobile mapping resources the CRS of each individual resource must be well defined. Only if this condition is met Oribt can re-project all resources and display together.

• Vector overlays on mobile mapping views can only be displayed if the dataset coordinate reference system is defined.
• The CRS of the mobile mapping resources should be well set on importing your data, see Data Preparation and Import Templates.

To display 2D objects in a 3D environment, a reference ground Z value is calculated. The Z coordinate of 3D objects will be respected as is.
If a 2D datset is set incorrectly as a 3D structure, the Z value (=0) will be respected as is. Most probably these objects will not be visible because of displayed far below reference ground level of the 3D mobile mapping resources.

Check the the object Z values via the Object Inspector and set the dataset structure accordingly via the Dataset Properties Window > Structure tab

Overlays and mobile mapping resources may not match as expected. The accuracy of both needs to be taken into account which may result in an error larger than expected.