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The Clipping Boundary

An important consideration in defining the project space is setting the clipping


boundary.
The default clipping boundary in a new project file encompasses everything in
the project and grows as more data is added to the project. It is not necessary
to set the clipping boundary. However, the clipping boundary defines the limits
of the X-Y coordinates for the region in which data will be imported and models
built and so defines the region in which calculations are made. Restricting the
size of the clipping boundary limits the area in which calculations are made and
is especially important if you are working with a large dataset.
The best way to set the clipping boundary is using an imported map or aerial
photo, as this provides a visual reference that is helpful in working with data
added to the project in the future. GIS data or drillhole data can also be used
to set the clipping boundary.
To set the clipping boundary, add to the scene the objects you wish to
reference in setting the boundary. Right-click on the Topographiesfolder or
on the GIS Data, Maps and Photos folder and select Set Clipping
Boundary. The Set Clipping Boundary window will be displayed, together
with controls in the scene you can use to resize the clipping boundary:

There are three ways to define the rectangular clipping boundary:


 Enter the coordinates.
 Select Enclose Object and choose from the list of objects in the project.
The clipping boundary will be updated using the selected object.
 Use the controls that appear in the scene. The orange handle adjusts the
corner of the clipping boundary and the red handles adjusts its size.
When you have finished adjusting the clipping boundary, click OK.
If you are going to import elevation data and use it to create a topography, it
is important to set the clipping boundary before creating the topography. For
example, here a map has been imported and a topography (yellow) created
from an elevation grid. The map is displayed draped on the topography:

The red arrows and orange handle show the clipping boundary, which has been
allowed to expand to encompass all data imported to the project. Because the
topography was created before the clipping boundary was set, all the data in
the imported elevation grid has been used and the resulting topography is
larger than might be practical. Clearly, if the intention is to model within the
area on the map, the clipping boundary should be limited to the region
indicated by the map.
If the map is the only object in the project, it can easily be used to set the
clipping boundary by selecting <Everything> from the Enclose Object list:

This results in a clipping boundary that is limited to the extents of the map:
Once the clipping boundary has been set, further data imported into the
project will be clipped to it. For example, importing the elevation grid and
using it to create a topography only after the clipping boundary has been set to
the map extents will result in a topography (with the map draped) that looks
like this:

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