3D Settings Dialog
Select 3D> 3D Settings or double-click the Vector View Tools 
button to display the 3D Settings dialog.
Settings in the 3D Settings dialog are not global: they are saved with each plan file. Some settings affect render views, some affect vector views, and some affect both view types.
Options Tab
The General Options affect both render and vector views.
- Start in Low Detail 3D Mode - Check this box to create any camera in Low Detail mode by default. See "Low Detail Display".
- Restrict Camera to Room only affects subsequently generated floor camera views. See "Vector View Tools". Check this box to suppress the generation of objects beyond the room containing the floor camera. If checked, the view through a doorway into another room shows only blank space or the selected 3D backdrop. Use this option to maximize computer resources or to minimize file size when creating a single room 3D Walkthrough.
- Camera Bumps Off Walls - Uncheck this box to allow the camera to move freely through walls.
- Auto Rebuild Walls/Floors/Ceilings - Check this box to automatically rebuild floors and ceilings before a 3D view or elevation is displayed.
- Auto Rebuild Terrain - Check this option to automatically rebuild terrain to reflect recent changes before generating a 3D view. If this option is unchecked, you are asked if the terrain should be rebuilt.
- Auto Remove 3D - Uncheck this box to retain the 3D model in memory when you are making changes to the model. This can speed up the generation of additional 3D views of the model, but may slow down the speed of working in 2D.
- Version 10 Compatible Texture Mapping - Check this box to use global texture mapping settings rather than texture mapping fixed to individual objects.
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Version 10 Compatible Texture Mapping should remain unchecked except for legacy plans with custom rotated textures.
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The Render View Options affect render views only. Click and drag the slide bar or type in a percent value to adjust these options. For more information, see "Ambient Lights".
The Vector View Options affect vector views only.
- Check Opaque Glass From Outside to make the glass in windows and doors opaque when seen from outside the house.
- View Panel Factors adjust the performance of vector views. Normally, these values should not need changing, but you may be able to get modest performance improvements by trying other values.
- When a vector view is generated, the view is first divided into panels. View panel factors represent target numbers of surfaces to use in defining each panel. A value of 10000 for Factor 1 means that a total of 10,000 or more surfaces are collected to define each panel vertically. A value of 2000 for Factor 2 means that 2,000 or more surfaces are collected to define panels horizontally.
- Making these numbers larger results in fewer panels; making them smaller results in more panels. Adjusting these numbers either too low or too high causes the time required to draw to increase.
- When changing these values, turn on "Show Screen Redraw Time" in the Preferences> Appearance panel to see if a change improves drawing speed. See "Appearance Panel".
- Framing Back Clip defines the back clip for framing members in cross section/elevation view. Framing must be set to display to see the effects of this value. A zero value does not back clip at all.
Default Color Display has check boxes for each type of vector view. Select a check box to generate that view type in color or clear the box to generate that view type as a line drawing. A colored view can always be changed to a line drawing and vice versa by choosing Tools> Color Off/Color On 
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The Scroll Bars check boxes control the display of scroll bars along the right side and bottom of each type of vector view. Clear the check box to suppress the scroll bar and yield more viewing area when using smaller windows.
When the scroll bars are suppressed, use the keyboard arrow keys to scroll. To pan the display, hold the key and drag the pointer across the window. See "Panning the Display".
Specify how the Surface Edge Lines display for all objects in 3D views.
- Check Use Layer Settings to display surface edge lines for objects using the display settings specified by layer in the Layer Display Options dialog
If this option is not checked, all edge lines are drawn black and solid with a line weight of 0.
- If Use Layer Settings is checked you can also check Use Object Settings. All objects that have special settings specified on the Line Style tab of their specification dialog display using those settings, overriding the layer settings in the Layer Display Options dialog.
Backdrop Tab
A preview of the selected backdrop displays.
Click Select Backdrop to open the Select Library Object dialog. Browse the Backdrops library, select a backdrop, and click OK.
Click Remove Backdrop to change the backdrop to a solid color. The color used is defined in the Background Color section of this dialog.
Select the check boxes to specify what views the backdrop displays in.
Render View Options can be used to create spherical panoramic backdrops. A spherical backdrop is created by placing the selected backdrop onto a sphere that surrounds your scene. The horizontal and vertical angles control how far around the sphere the backdrop is stretched.
Click the color bar to change the Background Color that displays when a backdrop is not being used.
Creating Backdrops
New backdrops can be created using a variety of graphic file formats. Backdrops are automatically adjusted to fit the window size, so they look best when they are created with the same height to width proportions as the window you are working in.
Scanned images from photographs or digital photos can be used to create backdrops of a specific building site. See "Images & Backdrops" and "Adding Materials and Images to the Library".
