Unwrap graphics

The Unwrap option in graphic views projects the displayed structure onto the surface of a cylinder or cone and then unwraps the surface to produce a planar representation of the structure. The unwrapped image can be adorned with labels, diagrams, contours, annotation, and can be generally manipulated in the same way as the normal (wrapped) image.

How the structure is unwrapped is determined by the unwrap settings.

Unwrap settings

There are four unwrap modes:

• Don’t unwrap – unwrap mode is switched off.
• Unwrap auto – unwrap onto a cylindrical surface. The cylinder is centred on the unwrap axes z and the radius of the cylinder is the automatically assessed max. unwrap axes r of the displayed nodes, factored by the unwrap radius factor.
• Unwrap explicit cylinder – unwrap onto a cylindrical surface. The cylinder is centred on the unwrap axes z and the radius of the cylinder is specified by the unwrap radius.
• Unwrap explicit cone – unwrap onto a conical surface. The cone is centred on the unwrap axes z and the surface of the cone is defined by two cone surface points.

The surface is unwrapped onto the global ZX plane. The cylindrical unwrap modes unwrap splitting at unwrap axes θ = 0. The conical unwrap mode unwraps splitting at unwrap axes θ = 180 to result in the apex of the cone at 0,0,0 and unwrap axes θ = 0 being aligned with global Z.

The Grab coordinates option may be used in the unwrap explicit cylinder and unwrap explicit cone options to populate the unwrap radius or cone surface points, respectively, with data derived from the currently selected nodes. The coordinates of the selected nodes are transformed into unwrap axes, as specified at the time the Grab coordinates command is given.

Accessing the unwrap settings

Unwrap settings can be edited in the Unwrap settings dialog box. Open the Unwrap settings dialog box either by giving the Graphics > Orientation > Unwrap settings menu command or from the Graphic settings dialog box.

Note: The unwrap option is intended as a tool for clarifying the display of data on a structure. The process of unwrapping contorts 3D global space so some graphical operations that rely on 3D space being 3D may behave unexpectedly; sculpting on an unwrapped image may have bizarre consequences.