The general functionality of point layers largely mirrors that of polygons and lines, detailed on the previous two pages. For points, the primary rendering options are ‘2D Marker’ or ‘3D Object’. Details of these options are included below.
This mode displays each point as a 2D ‘billboard’ object. That is, the point representations will always rotate to face the user.
To select a shape, users can choose from a small selection of ‘Basic Shapes’ or a much larger selection of ‘Icon’ images. There’s also an option where a custom image can be uploaded. In addition, further styling options are available. If using such icons over a detailed mesh, care needs to be taken to ensure that they remain sufficiently visible.
Rather than use a 2D billboard, ‘3D Object’ mode allows a full 3D model to be used to represent each point. Many candidate objects are available, which have been classified across several different screens. A selection of these is shown below:
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an option to upload your own custom 3D models for use with this feature.
When using this option alongside a mesh, it’s very easy for the models to either get lost, or to dominate the scene out of all proportion. As such, a degree of caution is advised!
