Bookmarking Camera Positions

You can apply bookmarked camera positions to a scene view whenever you need to maintain consistency between views of different datasets or within sequences of views.

Choose Utilities > Camera Position Bookmarks on the menu bar to the open the Camera Position Bookmarks dialog, shown below.

Camera Position Bookmarks dialog

Camera Position Bookmarker

The following options and information are available in the Camera Position Bookmarks dialog.

Options and information
Item Icon Description
Presets - Click any of the Preset buttons — -X, -Y, -Z, X, Y, or Z — to align the current view along the selected axis.
Bookmarks
Includes thumbnails and a list of all current bookmarks. The options available in Bookmarks are described below.
Thumbnail - Provides a visual reference for the bookmarked camera position.
  • Double-click a thumbnail to apply the bookmarked camera position.
Title - Provides a textual reference for the bookmarked camera position.
  • Double-click to rename the bookmark.
Add Click the Add to Bookmarks button to bookmark the camera position of the current view.
Remove Click the Remove Bookmark button to delete the selected bookmark.
Import Click the Import Bookmark button to open the Import Bookmark from File dialog.
  • Choose the Dragonfly Object file (*.ORSObject extension) that contains the exported bookmark to add it to the Bookmarks list.
Export Click the Export Bookmark button to export the selected bookmark in the Dragonfly Object file (*.ORSObject extension) format.
Apply - Applies the camera position of the selected bookmark to the current view.

Note You can also recall a camera position by double-clicking the associated thumbnail.
Update - Updates the selected bookmark with the camera position of the current view.
Bookmark/Current camera information
Provides the coordinates of the 3D vectors that point to the camera's current position and direction* or to that of the selected bookmark. You can select a view to see the current camera information or select a bookmark to view the bookmark information.
Direction - The coordinates of the 3D vector in world space and in meters that describes what direction the camera is point at.
Position - The coordinates of the 3D vector in world space and in meters that points to the camera's position.
Up - The coordinates of the 3D vector in world space and in meters that points in the direction of 'up' from the camera. The exact direction of 'up' for the camera is calculated from the X and Z vectors.
Pivot - The coordinates of the 3D vector in world space and in meters that points to the pivot point of the camera.
Export Click the Export Current as Bookmark button to export the information of the selected bookmark or of the current camera in the Dragonfly Object file (*.ORSObject extension) format.

Note You can import bookmark and current camera information. Imported information will appear in the Bookmarks list.
Copy Click the Copy to Clipboard button to copy the information of the selected bookmark or of the current camera to the clipboard.

Note You can paste the information into Notepad or any other text-editing program.
* The camera defines the position and orientation from which to view a scene. You should note that the camera coordinate system, in which three orthogonal axes form a right-handed coordinate system, each axis is defined as a vector in global coordinates. Refer to learnopengl.com/Getting-started/Camera for more information about camera positions, vertex coordinates, and the view matrix transforms all the world coordinates into view coordinates that are relative to the camera's position and direction.

Bookmarked camera positions can be applied whenever you need to maintain consistency between views of different datasets or within sequences of views.

How to Bookmark a Camera Position
  1. Choose Utilities > Camera Position Bookmarks on the menu bar.

    The Camera Position Bookmarks dialog appears.

  2. Adjust the angle, zoom, and pan position of the 2D or 3D view you want to bookmark (see Using the Manipulate Tools).
  3. Click the Add to Bookmarks button to add the current camera information to the Bookmarks list.

    Note Bookmarks are retained during the current session only. If want to recall a bookmark in a new session, you will need to export it (see Exporting and Importing Bookmarks).

  4. Bookmark additional camera positions, as required.

    If required, you can reset the camera to its default position by clicking the Reset button on the Manipulate panel.

You can quickly recall the camera position of any bookmark by doing one of the following:

  • Double-click the thumbnail of a bookmarked camera position.
  • Select the required bookmark and then click the Apply button.

Bookmarks are retained during the current session only. If you want to recall a bookmarked camera position in a new session, you will need to export the bookmark and then import it.

How to Export a Bookmark
  1. Select the required bookmark in the Bookmarks list.
  2. Click the Export Bookmark button in the Bookmarks box.
  3. Save the file in the Dragonfly Object file (*.ORSObject extension) format.
How to Import a Bookmark
  1. Click the Import Bookmark button in the Bookmarks box.
  2. Select the Dragonfly Object file (*.ORSObject extension) with the required bookmark in the Import Bookmark from File dialog.
  3. Click the Open button.

    The imported bookmark is added to the bookmark list.