The Highlight tool applies a chosen colour and transparency to buildings, trees or terrain. Highlights do not change the underlying model or data and can be removed at any time. The tool is useful for identifying a site or allocation, or distinguishing groups of buildings by height or use.

Using the Highlight tool

1. Select the Highlight icon in the left-hand workflow bar.
2. Under Highlight scope, select the types of feature to highlight.
3. Under Colour choice, set the colour and transparency.
4. To highlight using a data layer, select a layer under Highlight using, then click a segment on the canvas. Click further segments to highlight them too.
5. To highlight using a drawn area, select Begin drawing areas, click on the canvas to place each point, then close the area. Select Exit drawing areas when finished.

Highlight options

When the Highlight tool is selected, a panel opens with the settings used to create a highlight. These include the selection method, feature scope, colour and transparency.

Data layer

The Highlight using dropdown sets the data layer used to select features. When a layer is selected, its segments are outlined on the canvas. Clicking a segment highlights the features within it.

The list contains the area-based data layers available in the current scene. If no data layers are available, the message “No data layers available” is displayed. Features can still be highlighted by drawing an area.

Drawn area

Drawing an area is an alternative to selecting features through a data layer. It allows any area to be defined on the canvas, highlighting everything within it that matches the selected scope. Where the area intersects a feature, only the part inside the area is highlighted.

While drawing, the distance and angle of the current line are shown. Press F2 to type an exact distance, Ctrl + Z to undo the last point, Shift to use Context Snap and Ctrl to use Global Snap.

Highlight scope

Highlight scope controls which types of feature a highlight can affect: Buildings, Trees and Terrain. Buildings is selected by default, and any combination can be selected.

Colour choice

Colour choice sets the highlight colour using a hex value and controls its transparency. The default colour is #FCC842 at 100% opacity.

Different highlights can use different colours. Changing the colour before creating a new highlight does not affect existing highlights.

Managing highlight edits

Each highlight is recorded as a separate canvas edit in the Scene Manager. Selecting a drawn highlight opens its properties panel, where its visibility, projection onto buildings, trees and terrain, outline, fill colour, border colour and annotation can be adjusted.

A drawn highlight can also be moved using the movement gizmo. For more information, see Properties panel and Select tool and movement gizmo.

Removing a highlight

Remove a highlight in one of three ways:

• Apply the highlight again with no colour selected.
• Clear the hex value.
• Revert the highlight in the Scene Manager.

Limitations

Highlight applies to buildings, trees and terrain only, and does not affect created massing, annotations or viewpoints. Edits cannot currently be grouped or restored all at once, so each highlight is reverted individually.