Reference for the Ground Plane Command

Control the color, grid spacing, and reflection of the ground plane.

Access

Ribbon: View tab Appearance panel Ground Plane command

Position & Size

Manual Adjustment

While the dialog displays, manually resize the ground plane (default). This interaction is similar to resizing a work plane. Only boundary lines are accessible, and not grid lines.

While the ground plane settings dialog box displays, you can reposition the origin using the 3D manipulator.

Note: Rotational transforms are not supported for the ground plane.
Automatic adjustment to model

The ground plane displays at 0,0,0 point of the model. Use the height offset to adjust the plane position.

Height Offset

Specifies the distance from the origin point to the ground plane. Positive and negative real numbers are accepted as input. Negative raises the ground plane above the 0,0,0 plane. Useful when the ground is not in contact with the model.

The ground plane is always parallel to the ViewCube Bottom. You redefine the ground plane orientation by redefining the ViewCube orientation.

Pausing the cursor over the image displays a message about reorientation.

Appearance

Plane Color

When selected, specifies the ground plane color is user-defined. The color displays within the ground plane boundaries.

Click the color button to display the color picker, specify the color, and click OK.

Grid lines display over the ground plane color as long as the two colors are not the same.

Opaque

Specifies the color opacity percent value that you enter or specify by dragging the slider. The range is 0-100 percent. Values over 100 are set to 100 percent.

Grid Display

Grid lines provide a sense of model size or scale.
  • Check the box to display grid lines on the ground plane.
  • Grid line color comes from the active Application Color Scheme.
  • Boundary lines display only during the edit operation.
  • Grid line weight is fixed.
Minor

A model unit value specifying the distance between minor grid lines. Valid input is a positive real number.

Major every

Valid inputs are positive integer values ranging from 1 to 512.

Dynamically reduce line count

When checked, the grid lines reduce count as you zoom out. The grid count is restored as you zoom in.

Reflection

Reflection

Percent of reflection seen in the ground plane expressed as a whole number.

Range: 0 - 100%.

Reflections display when ground reflections are turned on, and do not require the ground plane to be visible.

Blur

Percent of blur applied to the reflection when visible in the ground plane. The value is expressed as whole numbers.

Range: 0 - 100%

Used with Blur fall-off to create a more realistic viewing experience.

Blur fall-off

Limits the amount of reflection fading that occurs as the view angle of incidence becomes more perpendicular to the ground plane.

Simulates an angle at which the reflection lessens and falls off completely.