5 November 1998

Manifold 3d View for Access - portola_valley.mdb demo

0. Install 3d View: unzip the package and click on setup.exe - no need to install the add-in from within Access.  The setup does this for you automatically.

1. Use Access to open the portola_valley.mdb database.  This has one table called Terrain.  Each record in Terrain has an X, Y, and Elevation field.

2. Launch 3d View from within the Tools - Add-ins menu.

3. In the opening 3d View dialog, choose Table: Terrain, X: X, Y: Y, and Z: Elevation.  Click on the 3D View button.

4. In the 3D View display window, click on View - 3D Controls to open the 3D Controls window.

5. In 3D Controls, click on Solid Surface.  Use the spin button to move Scale Z down to about 0.20.  Use the spin button to move Quality up to about 25.

6. Fool with the Rotate Z spin buttons up and down to rotate the surface.

7. Click Colors and set the background to black by clicking on its color well.  Click OK.

8. Click Options.  Push in the Base button, click on single color and set it to dark grey or some other not too harsh color.  Push in the Z Plane button and make the Z Plane color a darkish slate blue.  Click OK.

9. Fool with the Z Plane spin buttons up and down to watch the "waterline" effect of Portola Valley being drowned.

NOTE: This is a tiny section of the Terrain Elevation database for the San Francisco peninsula in the general vicinty of Portola Valley.  The striking, linear valley feature seen diagonally crossing the sample is the San Andreas fault.

