3D Viewport Properties

Allows you to further customize the display of elements within a viewport. The default interfaces apply varieties of these options to their custom workspaces, however, they have been fine-tuned to the degree that they rarely need adjusting.

If required, you can easily access the display menu options by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the viewport, or moving the pointer over the target viewport and pressing O to open the pop-up menu.

You can dismiss the window by clicking anywhere in the interface.

Note:  Edits are made per-viewport.

Drawing and Control

View and Shading

Note:  The Enable Silhouette, Topology Mode and Show Weightmaps options are all incompatible with each other and therefore cannot all be enabled at the same time. The Show Weightmaps option supersedes the Enable Silhouette option and the Topology Mode options supersedes both.

View Type

Choose from the various view types covered in the 3D (OpenGL) Viewport section: Top, Bottom, Back, Front, Left, Right, Perspective, Camera and Light.

Orientation

For the orthogonal views only, you can control upright rotation angle in 90° increments.

Overlay Drawing

For custom draw items, such as locators, cameras and lights (that have no inherent geometry) this option enables an X-Ray style of viewing, meaning you can see these elements through polygons when enabled.

Enable Silhouette

When this option is enabled (the default state), any Mesh Item designated in its display properties as Show as Silhouette displays as a flat solid shape with no interior details. This option should be thought of as a global enabler only, where the actual display of the silhouette itself is determined by the options of the item's Display properties.

Enable Onion Skinning

When this option is enabled, any Actor with Onion Skinning defined for it displays as designated in the 3D viewport (the default state).

Topology Mode

This option aids the process of retopologizing a mesh, sometimes also called simply topo. This is the process of converting a high resolution mesh to a low resolution mesh by creating new polygons against the high resolution mesh set as a background element. Generally, this process creates intersecting geometry that is difficult to see. Enabling the Topology Mode: This option forces the drawing of vertices and edges to always draw in front of background elements in the scene. Polygons are displayed as semi-transparent shapes with solid blue edges. Vertices are enlarged for easier visibility.

Show Viewport Controls and Information

This toggle controls the display of all the viewport element overlays, such as the axis widget, move, scale and Rotate tool's and the information overlays. When the controls are disabled, you can press O while hovering the mouse pointer over the target viewport to open the viewport options panel again.

Show Camera Framing Region

This option allows you to toggle the visibility of the camera framing regions in the 3D Viewport. Click the image below to view an animation.

Show Wireframe in Item Mode

Toggle to enable wireframe drawing in Item mode, giving a cleaner display to differentiate between Item and Component modes.

Note:  Setting this option overrides the settings in the Active Mesh and Inactive Mesh tabs. For more information, see Active Meshes and 3D Viewport Properties.

Selected Item Drawing

Selected items are drawn as a wireframe (the default) with a transparent fill color over the mesh.

The following options are available:

Wireframe - The selected items in the scene are displayed as a wireframe with a transparent fill color over the mesh.

Filled - The selected items in the scene are displayed with a transparent yellow mesh. Roll over an item in your scene to display the item in a transparent light blue mesh.

None - The selected item in the scene is displayed in a fill color and the unselected items in the scene are drawn in wireframes.

Replicators

This option allows you to control the shaded display of any Replicator in a scene. You can adjust this setting to never (None), or always (All) display shaded Replicators, or only when a Replicator Item is active (Selected). Otherwise, the Replicator clones are displayed as bounding boxes. For more information, see Replicators.

GL Background

You can choose from several viewport-specific GL background options for controlling what is seen in the background of the viewport.

None - Displays no background, only the defined viewport color is visible.

Gradient - Displays a gray gradient shading that is multiplied over the viewport color.

Environment - Displays the settings as determined by the Environment Item of the Shader Tree, simulating the rendered output.

Image - You can define a custom image for use as a viewport background. When this option is selected, a file requester opens where you can select or navigate to the appropriate image. For best results, image should be a spherical projection.

GL Reflection

You can choose from several viewport-specific GL reflection options for controlling the display of reflective surfaces.

None - Displays no reflection, ignoring surface material settings.

Gradient - Displays a gray gradient shading on reflective surfaces.

Environment - Displays the settings as determined by the Environment item of the Shader Tree, simulating the rendered output.

Image - You can define a custom image for use as reflections (only applies to custom reflective surfaces, or Reflection viewport display mode. When this option is selected, a file requester opens, where you can select or navigate to the appropriate image. For best results, the image should be a spherical projection.

Same as GL Environment - Reflection options are determined by the GL Background settings.

Camera Item

In the case of multiple cameras in a scene, where the viewport is set to Camera view type, this option determines which camera item controls the viewport. Selecting alternate cameras changes the viewport to that camera's point of view.

Note:  Navigating in the viewport while in this mode physically moves the camera in the scene.

Light Item

In the case of multiple lights in a scene, where the viewport is set to Light view type, this option determines which light item controls the viewport. Selecting an alternate light changes the viewport to that light's point of view.

Related Videos

Selected Item Drawing

Viewport Independence

Independent Center/Scale/Rotate

To make viewport navigation easy, it is sometimes desirable to link or unlink grouped 3D viewports, so when changing the position, size and angle of the viewport view, associated viewports move in sync with the active viewport. These three toggles allow you to control the syncing of the view properties center, scale, and rotate.

Master Viewport

Determines the linking of viewports, on a per viewport basis, using the Orthographic, which links all associated orthographic viewports, and Perspective, which links associated perspective views (does not include camera and light views).

Background Imagery

For scenes using Front type texture projection method in the environment item, either from a camera or light, the background imagery options control the display of the projected environment image in the viewport. To use it, apply an image to the Environment item in the Shader Tree, and in its associated Texture Locator, assign the Front projection type, and specify a camera or light if necessary. For more information on Texture Locators, see Texture Locator.

Invert

Inverts the RGB values of the projected image.

Overlay

When enabled, draws the projected image on top of the viewport, obscuring its contents. When set as such, changing the Transparency allows you to see the viewports contents.

Contrast

Adjusts the contrast of the projected viewport image, modifying the visual difference between light and dark values in the image. Positive values increase the contrast, while negative values decrease it.

Brightness

Adjusts the brightness of the projected viewport image. Positive values brighten or lighten the image, while negative values darken it.

Transparency

Changes the opacity of the viewport projected image. When set to Overlay, it affects the visibility of items in the scene through the image. When overlay is disabled, this value reveals the settings of the background options.

Mouse Controls

Oscillate

In the Perspective view type, you can enable the Oscillate option. Then, using Alt+right-click , drag the cursor, moving the view. When you let go of the mouse button, Modo continues to bounce back and forth, oscillating over the previous mouse movement. This is useful when you want to view a model in motion.

Trackball Rotation

You have several options for orbiting behavior when navigating the viewport. When trackball rotation is disabled, viewport rotations are limited to two axes. When enabled, the viewport can be rotated on multiple axes based on the mouse's viewport position, as if the viewport itself was a giant trackball. The options are:

No - Disables trackball style rotation in favor of standard upright orbiting.

Yes - Enables trackball rotation for the specific viewport.

Default - Uses the preference setting available on Windows and Linux in System > Preferences > Input > Remapping > Viewport Rotation and on Mac OS in Menu > Preferences > Input > Remapping > Viewport Rotation.

Note:  Trackball rotation is disabled by default in the Preferences.

Orbit Selected

When this option is enabled, Modo automatically orbits around the selected element, using the selection's bounding box center as the center of rotation.

Animation

Hot Scrubbing

When enabled, animated items in the scene update continuously when dragging the Timeline, producing a smooth motion. When disabled, items only update when the mouse pauses, or isn't moving, providing slightly faster performance.

Enable Deformers

This toggle allows viewports to display the results of animated morph and Vertex Map deformers in the viewport. By default, this option is enabled in all built-in 3D viewports.

Note:  When this option is disabled, mesh operations are not displayed in the viewport.

Morphed Mesh Drawing

Drawing Style

Specify how you would like to draw Morph Maps. The following options are available:

Default - Modo draws the traditional morphed mesh.

Cage - Modo draws the base mesh and the morphed mesh as a cage. When this option is selected, additional properties are revealed:

Shade - Draws a transparent morphed mesh as a cage.

Shade Color - Specifies the color of the morph cage. Note, only displayed when a Shader, Wireframe, or Vector is enabled.

Shade Opacity- Specifies the opacity value of the morph cage.

Wireframe - Draws the cage in wireframe mode.

Wireframe Color - Specifies the color of the wireframe.

Vector - Draws line segments from the vertices of the base mesh to the corresponding vertices of the morph mesh.

Note:  To display a morphed mesh, you need to select a morph map with Enable Deformers disabled.

Vector Color - Specifies the color of the vector lines.

Vector Opacity - Specifies the opacity value of the vector lines.

Visibility

Item Visibility

Show Lights

Toggles the visibility of the light item representations in the current viewport. Typically disabled for modeling views.

Show Cameras

Toggles the visibility of the camera item representations in the current viewport. Typically disabled for modeling views.

Show Locators Toggles the visibility of the locator item representations in the current viewport.
Show Texture Locators Toggles the visibility of the texture locator item representations in the current viewport.
Show Meshes Toggles the visibility of Mesh Items in the current viewport.
Show Instances Toggles the visibility of instance items in the current viewport.
Show Pivots/Centers

Visibility for pivot and center representations can be determined by these criteria:

None - Only shows the pivot/center when in Pivots/Centers selection mode.

Selected - Shows the pivot/center when any item layer is selected in the Item List.

All - Always shows the pivot/center for all items.

General Visibility

Show Work Plane

Toggles the visibility of the Work Plane in the current viewport. (keyboard shortcut is Num Pad *).

Always - Set to always display the Work Plane. This is the default option.

Active - Set to display the Work Plane when it has been active. For example, moved or rotated.

Never - Set to never display the Work Plane.

Show Grid

Toggles the visibility of the ground plane grid at the 0 position of the up axis.

Always - Set to always display the grid.

Inactive Work Plane - Set the main grid to be drawn when the work plane is not active. This has the effect of there being only one grid drawn at a time. This is the default option.

Never - Set to never display the grid.

Draw Faded Grid

Toggles the visibility of the main grid and Work Plane to be drawn faded.

Faded Grid Color Axes

Toggles the visibility of the main grid and Work Plane to be drawn with colored axes.

Show Backdrop

Toggles the visibility of any Backdrop Image items in the scene. For more information on Backdrop Images, see Modeling with Images.

Selection Visibility

Show Selections

Toggles the visibility of selection highlighting.

Show Selection Normals

When enabled, this option displays normals for any selected polygon(s), displayed as a small dashed line pointing outward from the center of the polygon. Normals represent the facing direction for polygons.

Show Selected Filling

Toggles the visibility of the selection highlight overlay.

Show Selected Outline Toggles the visibility of the selection highlighting outline.
Show Selection Rollovers Toggles the visibility of selection rollover pre-highlighting.

Performance

By disabling some of these options, the performance is improved in the 3D viewport when you are working with complex models.

Fur

Toggles the visibility of fur material applied to your mesh.

Displacements

Toggles the visibility of Displacement maps.

Mesh Smoothing Toggles the settings applied to smooth geometry. When enabled, polygons shade according to the material Smoothing setting.
User Shader Tree Toggles the materials and textures created in the Shader Tree.

HUD

Show Viewport HUD

Toggles the visibility of the Tool HUD. Press Ctrl + Tab to toggle the HUD off and on.

HUD Property Form

Specifies what property form the Tool HUD uses. You can customize the property form in the Form Editor, available from the menu bar. Click System > Form Editor. In the editor, the available property forms are listed under Form HUD.

HUD Style

Specifies how the Tool HUD is displayed. The following options are available:

fixed - Sets the Tool HUD to a fixed position.

floating - Allows the Tool HUD to be moved around.

Close - Transforms the Tool HUD into a moveable palette with a Close button.

Allow HUD Customization

When enabled, you can add new tools to the Tool HUD and remove existing ones. When disabled, the set of tools in the Tool HUD can't be edited.

Advanced Options

The Advanced Viewport options control the settings applied only to the Advanced viewport display style.

Effects

Ambient Intensity

Adds an even illumination globally to all diffuse surfaces in a scene. This is especially useful for simulating additional bounces of light.

Ambient Color

Allows you to specify a color value for the global light added by the Ambient Intensity setting.

Note:  Ambient Intensity and Ambient Color are also available in the Render Items's Global Illumination settings. The Global Illumination settings are applied at render time, and override the viewport settings.

Show Shadows

Toggles the visibility of Direct Light shadows in the viewport. Note that Point, Directional, and Spot Lights generate more accurate shadows than Area and Cylinder lights.

Shadows CSM

Increases or decreases the shadow quality displayed in the viewport. You can set the number of shadow buffer projections the Cascade Shadow Map system uses for the light source to view casting curved shadows on curved surfaces. The following options are available: off, x2, x3, and x4. The higher the value specified, the smoother the shadow edges are. By default, this option is set to x2.

Note:  The higher the level specified, the more memory and processing time are required. (Lower values render faster but produce less shadow detail.)

Shadows Resolution

Sets the texture resolution used when depth projecting the shadows. The following options are available: Low, Mid, and High. By default, this option is set to High.

Shadows Filter

Sets whether the shadows are filtered. By default, this option is On. When working in a complex scene, turn this option off to improve performance in the 3D viewport.

Use Normal Maps

Toggles all normal map visibility.

Use Bump Maps

Toggles all bump map visibility.

Materials

Overrides the Shader Tree materials being used in the scene. This setting provides faster rendering performance results in the Advanced viewport when rendering a number of different types of materials. These options are also useful when working with a Unity Material or Unreal Material.

Simple - Produces a fast, simple rendering in the Advanced Viewport. Note, this option does not support Image Based Lighting or shadows.

Basic - Produces a rendering in the Advanced Viewport using simple traditional Shader model materials. Most basic Shader Tree materials are supported. For example, Diffuse and Specular materials. Unity Material, Unreal Material, Image Based Lighting, and shadows are also supported. In most cases, selecting this option produces faster results than selecting the Full option.

Full - Produces a full rendering, using all of your specified materials, that is similar to the output of the Preview Viewport and Render Display. This option takes more time to render.

Groups

Controls how Shader Tree groups are handled in the 3D viewport:

Flat - Ignores groups and produces a flattened Shader Tree.

Full - All Shader Tree groups are rendered.

Lighting

Sets the light sources that are used to illuminate the geometry.

Default Viewport - Uses normal viewport lighting. This includes scene lights, Image Based Lighting, and the default Viewport Light.

Scene - Uses only lights in the scene. This excludes the Viewport Light and Image Based Lighting.

Environment - Uses only the Environment image for lighting.

Scene + Environment - Combines both Scene and Environment lighting.

Background

Selects the viewport background type:

Default Viewport - Uses the default background.

Environment - Draws the background as defined by the Environments settings in the Shader Tree. This allows you to show Environment detail that was previously only available in the Render Display.

Display Override

Sets the option to remove wireframe lines or widgets from the viewport:

(none) - Draw all lines and widgets.

Render without wireframe - Removes wireframes but draw widgets, and overlay information.

Render without wireframe and widgets - Removes wireframes, widgets and overlay information.

Visibility

Controls the visibility of items in the viewport when set to Advanced. When set as the Render option, the Render visibility setting on each item determines viewport visibility, and when set to the Viewport option, an item's visibility is determined by its Items list visibility (as controlled by the eye column of the Items list).

Ambient Occlusion Mode

Sets the mode of rendering screen-space Ambient Occlusion, an effect that darkens recessed areas of a surface, producing a look similar to global illumination light scattering. You have the following options:

Off - The default option. Disables Ambient Occlusion in the Advanced viewport.

Original - The original Ambient Occlusion.

Hybrid - An improved, more robust version of the original Ambient Occlusion effect. It works better on large scale scenes than Original.

Note:  Click a thumbnail below to see the full-size image.

Original Hybrid

Note:  This effect is completely independent of the Ambient Occlusion Shader Tree layer and not representative of how it renders, but adds an additional visualization possibility to enhance the look of the GL viewport models.

In Original and Hybrid modes, additional options become available to fine-tune the look of the Ambient Occlusion effect.

Radius - Determines the size of the effect. A large radius can affect performance.

Bias - Adjusts the shading falloff curve. Lower values darken the Ambient Occlusion, while higher values lighten the effect. This option is not used by Hybrid mode.

Intensity - Controls the overall strength (darkness) of the Ambient Occlusion effect. The higher the Intensity value, the darker the result.

Blur Radius - Applies a blur to soften the resulting Ambient Occlusion effect, producing a smoother overall result, but higher values, result in greater performance cost.

Antialiasing

Determines the amount of subsampling of viewport drawing that smooths the jagged display of the Advanced viewport. The default is set to Off.

Multisampling

With Antialiasing enabled, as you increase the Multisampling value, the amount of jaggedness reduces. The default is 1.

Progressive

Another way of producing anti-aliased images. It specifies the maximum number of frames used to produce the final image in the Advanced viewport. Specifying higher values results in anti-aliased images. When interacting with the viewport, it runs at full non-aliased frame rates, then improves the quality and aliasing over time when there's no interaction with the viewport. The default value is 1, which means the option is off.

Line Antialiasing

Renders an anti-aliased model wireframe displayed in the 3D viewport. The following options are available:

Off - No attempt is made to anti-alias the model wireframe rendering. This is always the fastest option.

System - If the present drivers support it, the 3D (OpenGL) viewport smooth line drawing is used. This is fast but has limited support. For more information on supported hardware, see the Release Notes.

Full - The 3D Viewport uses a special shader to render anti-aliased model wireframes. This is the slowest option but it provides the best visual quality.

Note:  The Line Antialiasing option is independent of the general Antialisaing option.

Anisotropic Filtering

Filters all material textures using the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) value. The Max level is different for all GPUs. When enabled, the GPUs hardware texture filters units to apply the best Anisotropic filtering the GPU can do. The default value is set to Off.

Transparency

Defines the display of transparent surfaces. The following options are available:

Off - Disables transparency drawing.

Fast - Does simple depth sorted transparency.

Correct - Does depth sorted transparency with refraction, producing a more accurate result.

Screen Space Reflections

Shows surface reflections as you would in the Render Display. The reflection can be adjusted by adjusting the material properties, namely Reflection Amount, Reflection Type, Blurry Reflection and Roughness. See Material for more details.

Off - Disables reflections.

Fast - Enables fast (non-blurry) reflections.

Blurry - Enables full reflections with blur.

Note:  The frame rate will get worse with an increase in the number of reflected objects, especially if they are blurred.

Dither Mode

When set to Ordered, introduces simple ordered dither to try and reduce banding caused by IBL and shading. This option is enabled by default.

Active Meshes

The following options allow you to control the display of elements that are in the foreground, meaning they are selected in the Items list. Background layers are those that are visible, but not selected.

Shading

Shading Style

You can choose from the available view styles covered above: Wireframe, Solid, Shaded, Vertex Map, Texture, Shaded Texture, Default, Advanced, Gooch, Cel and Reflection Shading

Wireframe Overlay

Determines the style of geometry wireframe display. You can adjust the colors of the wireframe using the preference setting in Windows in System > Preferences > Display > Colors and on Mac OS in Menu > Preferences > Display > Colors. Once a color scheme is created in the Preferences and saved as a named preset, it must be applied to the active viewport with the menu bar command View > Viewport Color Scheme.

None - No wireframe displayed. (/)

Uniform - By default this is a white wireframe outline. (Shift+/)

Colored - By default this is a black wireframe outline. (Ctrl+/)

Wireframe Opacity

Controls the opacity of the wireframe overlay display.

Wireframe Color

Specifies the color of the wireframe in the 3D viewport.

Vertex Map

Defines which type of Vertex Map is displayed when in the Vertex Map viewport.

Selection - Displays the most recent Vertex Map selection.

Weight - Favors Weight Maps for display.

Vertex Color - Favors vertex color maps for display.

Smooth Shade

This toggle overrides the material Smoothing setting, only changing how smoothing is displayed in the viewport, not the rendered output. When disabled, individual polygons shade flat, appearing faceted. When enabled, polygons shade according to the material Smoothing setting.

Show Weightmaps

When enabled, selected Weight Maps are visible as overlays to the shaded elements in the 3D viewport in Default viewport display style. This includes the automatic weights associated with bones and deformers.

Show PSUB Masks

Toggles the visibility of the sculpting masks in the viewport when working with multi-resolution sculpting. When a masks visibility is disabled, the mask still affects the target unless the Enable Mask option is inactive. For more information, see Using Sculpting Masks.

Show UV Boundaries Toggles visibility of UV boundaries in the 3D viewport. These display as thin purple lines overlaid on the surface, representing the outline of each UV island. The default color can be changed in the System > Preferences > Color options.
Show Geometry Boundaries Toggles visibility of Geometry boundaries. These display as a thin green line on any open edges of a surface. Especially useful in highlighting hidden surface discontinuities.
Show UV Distortion

Toggles visibility of the colors displayed for the geometry with signifying distorted areas. Enabling this option displays a color overlay on the geometry, fading toward red when polygons are distorted and smaller (relative to other polygons in the map) and fading toward blue when they are distorted and larger (relative to other polygons). Polygons that are the closest relative size to others in the map with the least distortion display a middle gray/green color.

Show Locked Mesh Items Displays locked polygons, edges, and vertices in the 3D viewport in a specified color. This option is enabled by default. For more information, see Locking.

Display

Vertex Map Display

Sets which color component of the selected RGBA map is drawn in the Vertex map mode. The following options are available:

RGB

Alpha

Red

Green

Blue

Note:  The ShadingShading Style must be set to Vertex Map to set the Vertex Map display.

Independent Point Size

This is a per-viewport override for the display size of selected vertices. When enabled, you can specify the actual display size with the Point Size option.

Point Size

Determines the display size of selected vertices when the Independent Point Size option is enabled. Values are in screen pixels.

Show Vertices

Allows you to set visibility in the selected 3D viewport. The following options are available:

Always - Always show vertices.

In Component Modes - Only show vertices in Component mode.

In Vertex Mode - Only show vertices in Vertex Component mode.

Never - Never show vertices.

Show Cages

Toggles the visibility of the Subdivision Surface Cage representation. This can be considered the original polygons that were smoothed.

Show Guides

Toggles the visibility of guide lines that draw between the subdivision limit surface and the cage geometry.

Show Indices

Toggles the visibility of the component index values display. Each number represents the particular component index. Visibility can be especially helpful when working with Geometry Constraints, where Constraints require specific index values for input.

Show Weight Values

Toggles the visibility of Weight Map value display. A numeric value representing the current vertex weight amount displays next to each selected vertex in the 3D viewport. See Working with Vertex Maps for Weight Map usage information.

Enable Independent Drawing

The Display Viewport allows you to define custom display options for each item layer. By default, the Enable Independent Drawing option is enabled and these custom drawing options display in all viewports. When enabled, all custom drawing options are ignored for active meshes.

Transparency Overrides

Transparency Mode

Allows you to differentiate between background and foreground wireframes, so you can easily understand the topology you're working with. This option is especially useful for decluttering heavy wireframe models.

The following options are available:

Normal

The default setting. Transparency overrides are disabled.

Ghost

Front-facing polygons are drawn semi-opaque with a specular highlight. Back-facing polygons are drawn 100% opaque.

X-Ray

Front-facing polygons are transparent with a specular highlight. Back-facing polygons are drawn 100% opaque. This mode allows you to easily select the joints in a rigged character, for instance.

Model courtesy of William Vaughan

Note:  Transparency Overrides are not available in the Advanced viewport, or in Wireframe mode. If you want to use Transparency Overrides on inactive meshes, make sure that their shading style is NOT set to Wireframe or Advanced under 3D Viewport Properties > Inactive Meshes > Shading > Shading Style.

Polygon Opacity (front)

Specifies the opacity value of front-facing polygons in Ghost mode.

Wireframe Color (front)

Specifies the color of front-facing wireframes in Ghost or Xray mode.

Polygon Opacity (back)

Specifies the opacity value of back-facing polygons in Ghost or Xray mode.

Wireframe Color (back)

Specifies the color of back-facing wireframes in Ghost or Xray mode.

Wireframe Opacity (back)

Specifies the opacity value of the wireframe in Ghost or Xray mode.

Inactive Meshes

The following options allow you to control the display of item layers that are in the background, meaning that they are visible in the Items list, but unselected (not highlighted).

Overrides

Make Inactive Same as Active

When enabled, this option overrides all settings of the Inactive Meshes options panel and all background item layers display as foreground elements.

Make Inactive Invisible

When enabled, all item layers that are visible according to the visibility column of the Items list, but unselected don't show in the 3D viewport. This makes it easy to solo a single layer by simply selecting it without affecting the rendered image or requiring multiple layers' visibility to be toggled.

Shading

Shading Style

You can choose from the available view styles covered above: Wireframe, Solid, Shaded, Vertex Map, Texture, Shaded Texture, Default, Advanced, Gooch, Cel and Reflection Shading.

Wireframe Overlay

Determines the style of geometry wireframe display. You can adjust the colors of the wireframe using the preference setting on Windows and Linux in System >Preferences > Display > Colors and on Mac OS in Menu >Preferences > Display > Colors. Once a color scheme is created in the preferences and saved as a named preset, it must be applied to the active viewport with the menu bar command View > Viewport Color Scheme.

None - No wireframe displayed. (/)

Uniform - By default this is a white wireframe outline. (Shift+/)

Colored - By default this is a black wireframe outline. (Ctrl+/)

Wireframe Opacity

Controls the opacity of the wireframe overlay display.

Wireframe Color

Defines which color to display.

Vertex Map

Defines which type of Vertex Map is displayed when in the Vertex Map viewport.

Selection - Displays the most recent Vertex Map selection.

Weight - Favors Weight Maps for display.

Vertex Color - Favors vertex color maps for display.

Smooth Shade

This toggle overrides the material Smoothing setting, only changing how smoothing is displayed in the viewport, not the rendered output. When disabled, individual polygons shade flat, appearing faceted. When enabled, polygons shade according to the material Smoothing setting.

Show Weightmaps

When enabled, selected Weight Maps are visible as overlays to the shaded elements in the 3D viewport in Default viewport display style. This includes the automatic weights associated to bones and deformers.

Show PSUB Masks

Toggles the visibility of the sculpting masks in the viewport when working with multi-resolution sculpting. When a masks visibility is disabled, the mask still affects the target unless the Enable Mask option is inactive. For more information, see Using Sculpting Masks.

Show UV Boundaries

Toggles visibility of UV boundaries in the 3D viewport. These display as thin purple lines overlaid on the surface, representing the outline of each UV island. The default color can be changed in the Color Preferences section.

Show Geometry Boundaries

Toggles visibility of Geometry boundaries, These display as a thin green line on any open edges of a surface. Especially useful in highlighting hidden surface discontinuities.

Show UV Distortion

Toggles visibility of the colors displayed for the geometry with signifying distorted areas. Enabling this option displays a color overlay on the geometry, fading toward red when polygons are distorted and smaller (relative to other polygons in the map) and fading toward blue when they are distorted and larger (relative to other polygons). Polygons that are the closest relative size to others in the map with the least distortion display a middle gray/green color.

Apply Current Morph

When a Morph Map is selected, the Morph is applied to all visible meshes, in active layers and inactive layers. The Apply Current Morph option toggles the display of Morphs for background (inactive) layers.

Display

Independent Point Size

This is a per-viewport override for the display size of selected vertices. When enabled, you can specify the actual display size with the Point Size option.

Point Size

Determines the display size of selected vertices when the Independent Point Size option is enabled. Values are in screen pixels.

Show Vertices

Toggles the visibility of unselected vertices (selected vertices are always visible, unless Show Selection is disabled).

Show Cages

Toggles the visibility of the Subdivision Surface Cage representation. This can be considered the original polygons that were smoothed.

Show Guides

Toggles the visibility of guide lines that draw between the subdivision limit surface and the cage geometry.

Enable Independent Drawing

The Display viewport allows you to define custom display options per item layer. By default, these custom drawing options display in all viewports. However, when the Enable Independent Drawing option is enabled, all custom drawing options are ignored for active meshes.

Transparency Overrides

Transparency Mode

Allows you to differentiate between background and foreground wireframes, so you can easily understand the topology you're working with. This option is especially useful for decluttering heavy wireframe models.

The following options are available:

Normal

The default setting. Transparency overrides are disabled.

Ghost

Front-facing polygons are drawn semi-opaque with a specular highlight. Back-facing polygons are drawn 100% opaque.

X-Ray

Front-facing polygons are transparent with a specular highlight. Back-facing polygons are drawn 100% opaque. This mode allows you to easily select the joints in a rigged character, for instance.

Model courtesy of William Vaughan

Note:  Transparency Overrides are not available in the Advanced viewport, or in Wireframe mode. If you want to use Transparency Overrides on inactive meshes, make sure that their shading style is NOT set to Wireframe or Advanced under 3D Viewport Properties > Inactive Meshes > Shading > Shading Style.

Polygon Opacity (front)

Specifies the opacity value of front-facing polygons in Ghost or Xray mode.

Wireframe Color (front)

Specifies the color of front-facing wireframes in Ghost or Xray mode.

Polygon Opacity (back)

Specifies the opacity value of back-facing polygons in Ghost or Xray mode.

Wireframe Color (back)

Specifies the color of back-facing wireframes in Ghost or Xray mode.

Wireframe Opacity (back)

Specifies the opacity value of the wireframe in Ghost or Xray mode.