Using GlobeControl

In this topic

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About Using the GlobeControl

The GlobeControl corresponds to the 3D view of the ArcGlobe Desktop application and provides a 3D view of data on a globe surface in true geodetic location. The GlobeControl handles large datasets by using an efficient caching scheme. The GlobeControl requires the 3D Analyst extension.

Globe objects

The GlobeControl encapsulates an object implementing IGlobeViewer. This is the same IGlobeViewer ArcObject found inside the ArcGlobe application. The IGlobeViewer ArcObject contains a GlobeDisplay, and the GlobeDisplay contains a Globe . The GlobeControl provides shortcuts to frequently used attributes and methods on the object it encapsulates. For example, the GlobeControl has setGlobeCamerByRef(), getGlobe(), setGlobeDisplayByRef(), and getGlobeViewer() methods. For more information about these objects, see the GlobeCore library.

Loading globe documents

The globe document can be set at design time through the GlobeControl property editor (in development environments that support property page capability). The GlobeControl attempts to load this document when it is created. Alternatively, a globe document can be loaded into the GlobeControl programmatically using the check3dFile() method to determine whether the document is valid and the load3dFile() method to load in the globe document. See the following code snippet

String ArcGISInstallDir = System.getenv("ARCGISHOME");
String filePath = ArcGIsInstallDir + 
    "java/samples/data/globe_data/Default_Document.3dd";
if (globeControl.check3dFile(filePath))
    globeControl.load3dFile(filePath);

Navigation functionality

The GlobeControl has built-in navigation functionality that can be turned on at design time through the GlobeControl property editor or programmatically with the setNavigate() method. The functionality enables the end user to use the left mouse button to navigate backward, forward, and to the left and right of the display and the right mouse button to zoom in and out on the display.