Exporting the view as an image or PDF
Export the current 3D view with legend as PNG, JPEG or PDF: set resolution (PPI), background color, transparency and legend size
Overview
The screenshot export produces a high-resolution raster graphic (PNG or JPEG) or a PDF document from the current 3D view – optionally with a transparent background and with the displayed color legend. This lets you output the network plan or any camera view for reports and presentations. The function always captures the entire 3D scene as the camera currently shows it, and is perspective-independent (Buildings as well as Districts).
Opening
Menu Export > Export screenshot…. The Export screenshot dialog opens; no keyboard shortcut is assigned. It retains the most recently chosen settings for the current session.
Preview
The left-hand side shows a preview of the result at the set resolution. A checkerboard pattern behind the image makes transparent areas of the background visible – it is a pure display aid and is not exported. The Update preview button re-renders the preview with the current settings. After changing a setting, the preview button and the dependent displays receive a * to indicate that the preview is out of date.
Export settings
| Element | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Background color: | White, opaque | Color of the image background (color picker). The set transparency is retained when the color is changed |
| Alpha value: | 100 % | Opacity of the background from 0 % (fully transparent) to 100 % (opaque). Transparency is only stored in PNG and PDF; JPEG discards it |
| Legend dimensions: | 100 % | Scales the legend displayed in the image (50 – 300 %). Affects only the overlaid (discrete) legend, not the 3D scene |
| Resolution (PPI): | 300 | Image resolution in pixels per inch, range 72 – 900, step size 10. Higher values produce a larger image and a larger file |
Below, two displays provide information about the result:
- File size: – estimated file size. The value is derived from a temporary PNG encoding of the current preview and may be out of date until the next update; for JPEG/PDF the actual size differs.
- Resolution: W x H pixels – the actual output dimensions. They result from the current size of the 3D view on the screen multiplied by the ratio of the set PPI to the screen resolution. A larger program window therefore delivers a larger image; there is no explicit pixel width/height.
Exporting
The Export… button opens the save dialog. The project name is pre-filled as the file name; the format is determined by the chosen file extension:
| Format | Extension | Special feature |
|---|---|---|
| PNG image | .png | lossless, with transparency; the physical resolution (PPI) is written into the file |
| JPEG image | .jpg / .jpeg | compressed, without transparency |
| PDF document | .pdf | the page size corresponds to the image at the chosen PPI (e.g. 3000 px at 300 PPI = 10 inches), without page margins |
After a successful export, a message confirms the storage location. There is no function to copy to the clipboard in this dialog.
What is exported
- The entire 3D scene in the current camera setting – not just the network, but everything visible (buildings, network nodes and pipes, drawings, current false colors, selection).
- The set background color including transparency replaces the view background for the export.
- Surface normals and the small coordinate system symbol are hidden in the export, even if they are visible on the screen.
- The active color legend is taken over into the image (e.g. with the color modes of the steady-state network analysis, the building demand or the result display). A continuous legend is appended to the right of the scene (the image thereby becomes wider), a discrete legend is overlaid at the top right and scaled via Legend dimensions.