Skip to content

User Interface

SCADview is a desktop UI for viewing meshes generated by your Python scripts. This guide is organized around common tasks and the controls that help you complete them.

User Interface

Load, Reload, Export

  • If you want to load a mesh script, use File > Load .py... or the Load .py... button to pick a Python file that defines create_mesh.
  • If you want to re-run the last script after edits, use File > Reload or the Reload button.
  • If your script uses scadview.feature(...), the right sidebar shows a Features section with one checkbox per discovered feature. Toggle a feature to reload the script with that optional geometry enabled or disabled.
  • If you want to export the current mesh, use File > Export... or the Export button. Export is enabled only after a load completes.
  • If an export format reports a missing dependency, install the package named in the error, or choose a different format.

Features

The features capability enable defining component meshes as named "features", and you can turn them on or off through the UI. Turning them off acts as if that mesh was not created and combined (union, subtract or intersection) with the final mesh.

The "Features" section only appears if you name some features in your code. See the feature(...) API call for details on how to define features.

Feature Example

View and Inspect

  • If you want to refit the camera to the mesh, use View > Frame or the Frame button.
  • If you want fixed viewpoints, use XYZ, X, Y, or Z (also in the View menu). XYZ moves to a canonical view; X, Y, and Z show the mesh from the positive axes.
  • If you want perspective or orthographic projection, use the radio buttons labeled Perspective and Orthogonal (also in the View menu).
  • If you want visual helpers, toggle Grid, Axes, Edges, or Gnomon from the right-side panel or the View menu. The grid is a size reference with minor lines at 0.1 and larger lines at 1 and 10.

Grid

Grid Example

Edges

Edges Example

  • If you want to orbit, left-click and drag in the viewport.
  • If you want to zoom/dolly, use the mouse wheel.
  • If you want keyboard navigation, use W/S or Up Arrow/Down Arrow for forward/back, A/D or Left Arrow/Right Arrow for left/right, and Q/E for up/down.

Fonts Helper

  • If you want to browse system fonts for text-based meshes, use Help > Fonts. You can filter by name and copy a Font Name:style=Style string to the clipboard for your scripts.

Fonts Helper

Status Feedback

  • If you want to see loading progress, watch the right-side progress bar. It pulses while loading and fills when complete.
  • If your script defines many features, the Features section scrolls independently so the lower sidebar controls remain visible.
  • The viewport background color also provides status:
    • Blue: currently loading
    • Green: loaded successfully
    • Yellow: loaded successfully in debug mode (create_mesh returned or yielded an array of meshes).
    • Red: the script has an error.

Reference Appendix

View Directions

  • XYZ moves to a canonical view: +X points right and toward the screen, +Y points right and away, +Z points up.
  • X shows the mesh from the +X side, Y from +Y, and Z from +Z.

Export Dependencies

  • Some export formats require extra packages. Errors tell you what to install, such as pycollada for dae or networkx for 3mf.