Clipping
The Clip tool allows you to interactively clip volumetric image data, regions of interest, multi-ROIs, meshes and other unstructured grids along orthogonal planes in 3D views. You can also apply other visual effects to a Clip box, such as look-up table functions, edge contrast, opacity, and window leveling, to further adjust 3D visualizations (see Applying Visual Effects to Clips and Shapes). You should note that clipping effects can included in animated sequences (see Working with the Movie Maker).
Clip box in 3D view
The Clip panel, shown below, is available on the Data Properties and Settings panel.
Clip panel
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Icon |
Description |
|---|---|---|
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Show/Hide the Clip box |
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Shows or hides the Clip box of the selected object. Keep box when object is hidden… If checked, the Clip box of the selected object will remain visible when the object is hidden. |
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Reset |
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Resets the Clip box of the selected object. Note Multiple Clip boxes are be reset together by selecting multiple objects in the Data Properties and Settings panel and then pressing the configured action for resetting the Clip box (see Configured Actions for the Clip Tool). |
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Grid size |
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Indicates the grid size of the Clip box. You can change the default size, if required. Note The current grid size is also indicated by the scale, shown below, and the tick marks on the clip box.
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Grid lines* |
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If checked, grid lines will be shown on the Clip box. |
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Borders* |
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If checked, the borders of the Clip box will be shown. |
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Axis |
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If checked, the X, Y, and Z axes will be identified and marked on the Clip box. |
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Label* |
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Lets you choose what labels you want to appear on the Clip box. None… If selected, no labels will be shown. Ticks (2 axes)… If selected, measurements will be shown at intervals equal to the grid size along two axes of the Clip box. Ticks (3 axes)… If selected, measurements will be shown at intervals equal to the grid size along the X, Y, and Z axes of the Clip box. Length… If selected, the current length of each axis of the Clip box will be shown. Note The initial Clip box applied to an unstructured grid, such as a mesh or graph, will be padded by 1% for visualization purposes. If resized, the Clip box will report the actual dimensions of the unstructured grid. |
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Lock text |
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If selected, the label text will be locked. For example, when you rotate the 3D view. |
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Visual effects |
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Lets you apply clipping to other objects visible in the current 3D view, as well as other visual effects (see Applying Visual Effects to Clips and Shapes). Note Visual effects such as clipping can be applied either to the inside or outside of a Clip box. Check the Outside option to apply the effect to the data of selected visuals that is exterior to the Clip box. Leave the Outside option unchecked to apply the effect to the data of selected visuals inside the Clip box. |
* Default colors for the axis and tick marks are selectable in the Colors preferences (see Selecting the Colors Preferences) You can also customize the default appearance for Clip boxes in the 3D Settings preferences (see Selecting the 3D Settings Preferences).
How to Clip Data
- Rotate and position the 3D view so that the plane or planes along the object which you plan to clip are visible and easily accessed (see Using the Manipulate Tools).
- Select the object you plan to clip in the Data Properties and Settings panel.
- Click the Clip
tool on the Clip panel.
A Clip box appears in the 3D view around the selected object and in the MPR viewer segments of the dataset.
- Do any of the following:
- Click and drag on a face of the Clip box to move a plane up and down or in and out. Each plane of the 6 sides of the parallelogram can be moved independently.
- Adjust the position of the clip planes in the MPR views of the dataset, as shown below.
- If required, you can translate the Clip box by dragging the central control point.
Note An object will remain clipped until it is reset. Click the Reset
button to restore the Clip box to its initial state. - Click and drag on a face of the Clip box to move a plane up and down or in and out. Each plane of the 6 sides of the parallelogram can be moved independently.
- Modify the appearance of the Clip box, as required.
You change the grid size, show or hide the grid lines, borders, and axes, as well as modify the label elements.
- Check Locked to lock the Clip box, optional.
Locking a Clip box is usually done when you work with multiple objects.
- Lock the Clip box, apply the clip to the outside of the object, or apply the clip to other objects that are visible in the 3D view, optional.
- Expand the Visual effects box to view the additional options for applying the Clip box.
- Check Locked to lock the Clip box. Locking a Clip box is usually done when you work with multiple objects.
- Check Outside to apply clipping to the outside of the selected object(s).
- Check other object(s) in the Visuals list to apply the clip to those objects.
Note You can also apply other effects to clipped objects (see Applying Visual Effects to Clips and Shapes).
Configured Actions for the Clip Tool
A number of configured actions and keyboard shortcuts are available for using the Clip tool. The default settings for these actions are listed in the following table.
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Action |
Key |
Mouse |
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Lock/Unlock the Clip box |
Left Ctrl + B |
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Manipulate the Clip box |
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Left mouse |
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Reset the Clip box |
V |
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Show the Clip box |
B |
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