- Platforms: Desktop
- Plans: Schools, Business
- Team roles: Creators, Administrators
The default publishing settings for our 3D embeds work well in most educational contexts, making it easy to export your 3D model and embed it into virtually any website, application, or course.
But these settings can just as easily be customized to better complement your learning objectives, target device size(s), or page layout.
Our customizable publishing settings are grouped into the following categories. See below to learn more about the available settings available in each.
Viewer Size
Available settings:
Responsive vs. Fixed
Default: Responsive with Standard Aspect Ratio (4:3)
This setting controls whether the layout for your 3D embed is responsive or fixed when embedded into another webpage.
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Responsive (default). The width of the Viewer automatically adjusts based on the size of the screen or container; specifically, it fills the entire width of the container in which it is embedded. This ensures the user is able to view and interact with the 3D model in its entirety and access all of the available exploration tools regardless of the device they are using.
When your Viewer Size is responsive, a standard (4:3) aspect ratio is selected by default, but you can adjust the aspect ratio to your liking. Learn more about aspect ratios and the additional options available to you in Working with responsive 3D embeds.
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Fixed. The width and height of the Human Viewer powering your 3D model remain the same at all times, regardless of the size of the screen or the container in which it is embedded. Depending on how and where your embedded models will be accessed, this may result in important tools or parts of the 3D model going off-screen on mobile devices. We recommend using this option with caution.
When your Viewer Size is fixed, you will need to select a fixed width and height (in pixels) for your Viewer. The default width and height are 700 pixels and 550 pixels, respectively. The minimum sizes are 300 pixels and 400 pixels, respectively.
Loading Experience
Available settings:
Load 3D model automatically
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting automatically loads the 3D model as soon as the page in which the model is embedded or launched loads.
If this setting is disabled (i.e., the box is unchecked), a 2D image will appear in place of the 3D model when the page loads, and you will need to click or tap a button in order to load the 3D model. This option—loading "on demand"—improves overall page performance and is recommended if you plan to embed multiple models into a single page, or if the surrounding page contains a large quantity of other media that are competing for browser memory. Compare this option to the default setting below.
Enabled:
Disabled:
Rotate 3D model on load
Default: Disabled
Launch tutorial on load
Default: Disabled
When enabled, this setting launches a short 3D interaction tutorial the first time you load the 3D model. The tutorial teaches new users how to interact with the model in 3D, including how to rotate, zoom, pan, and explore the anatomy.
The tutorial guides you through the following:
- When the tutorial first launches, you are given the option to choose between a) mouse, trackpad, or keyboard and b) touchscreen in order to customize the tutorial content to your current device.
- At each step, the Viewer detects when the action has been completed successfully, alerts you accordingly with a green check mark, and (on desktop only) offers a "tip" on how to perform that action using keyboard shortcuts.
Whether or not you enable this setting when you publish, this tutorial is available at all times in More Options under Help (unless "Help" has been disabled in your Toolbar settings).
Note: When enabled, the tutorial will only appear once per device. Once you see the tutorial on one device, you will not see it again unless you clear their cookies and site data or switch to another device. To delete your cookies and site settings in Chrome, visit chrome://settings/siteData, search for "biodigital.com," and clear all associated data. If you are using another browser, follow these instructions.
3D interaction prompt
Default: Do not show hint
When enabled, this setting prompts the user to interact with your 3D model by displaying one of three available animated graphics over the model when it first loads. On click, the graphic disappears.
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Button. A translucent black button with the message "Interact in 3D" turns blue when you hover over the Viewer.
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Animated hand. An animated graphic of a hand with the message "Interact in 3D" pulses to indicate that you should tap the screen.
Tip: Recommended for mobile-only or mobile-first integrations.
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Play button. A black-and-white play button with the message "3D" turns white and blue when you hover over the Viewer. This option additionally displays the model's loading progress in place of the default loading progress indicator.
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Summary. The title of the model, tour, or quiz is displayed in the upper-left corner, and underneath the title is a button whose call to action depends on the type of content currently in view:
- In single-chapter models, the button says "Interact in 3D."
- In tours with multiple chapters, the button says "Begin Interactive Tour," and the number of chapters in the tour is additionally listed beneath the tour title.
- In quizzes that are either a) saved as Quiz only in Studio or b) saved as View & Quiz in Studio and published in Assessment mode, the button says "Take Quiz."
In all cases, the button turns blue when you hover over the Viewer.
Anatomy Labels
Available settings:
- Show label when anatomy is selected
- Show "info icon" for description
- Show "audio icon" for pronunciations
Show label when anatomy is selected
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting triggers a label to appear when you click or tap an anatomical structure in the model. This "anatomy label" identifies the structure by name—be it an anatomical structure, a component of a structure, a microscopic unit such as a cell, or an inanimate object such as a device.
When this setting is disabled, clicking on or tapping a structure only highlights it. No label appears.
Enabled:
Enabled (pictured alongside labels applied in Studio):
Disabled:
Show "info icon" for description
Default: Enabled
Note: Requires "Show label when anatomy is selected" to be enabled.
When enabled, this setting displays an info icon in the anatomical structure's anatomy label, which appears when the structure is selected. When this icon is clicked, a detailed description of the structure appears in either the label or a pop-up window depending on the current size of the 3D embed.
When this setting is disabled, no info icon appears in the anatomy label.
Note: Many anatomical structures in the BioDigital Human come with custom descriptions written by BioDigital's anatomy experts. However, if a BioDigital description is unavailable for a given structure, a fallback description from Wikipedia will be displayed instead.
If you are a member of a team, your administrator(s) can opt to change your team's fallback description source from Wikipedia to the NCI Thesaurus, or NCIT. This setting can be adjusted on the Team page under Manage > Settings.
Show "audio icon" for pronunciations
Default: Enabled
Note: Requires "Show label when anatomy is selected" to be enabled.
When enabled, this setting displays an audio icon in the anatomical structure's anatomy label, which appears when the structure is selected. When this icon is clicked, the name of the structure is read aloud.
When this setting is disabled, no audio icon appears in the anatomy label.
Information Panel
Available settings:
Show Information Panel
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting enables the information panel, which contains all the information and/or complementary media associated with each chapter of your 3D model or tour. The information panel may include any of the following elements when available:
- Chapter title
- Chapter description
- Chapter list
- Labels (if there are labels present and the associated publishing setting is enabled)
- 2D images
- Videos
- Animated GIFs
- Legend
Depending on the size and aspect ratio of the Viewer on a given device, the information panel may take one of two forms:
Column (≥960 pixels wide)
When the Viewer's width is greater than or equal to (≥) 960 pixels, the information panel appears in a column layout on the left side of the Viewer. This panel displays all available information and media for the current chapter, including the title, description, label list, and images.
In multi-chapter tours, a chapter list is displayed along the left margin of the information panel, serving as a table of contents. You can navigate through the tour using the Previous and Next arrows at the top of the list or by clicking directly on the chapter thumbnails.
The information panel is open by default but can be closed at any time using the Close Info Panel button.
Note: If a chapter lacks a description or any complementary media, the information panel will not appear at all.
In multi-chapter tours, however, you can still access the chapter list by clicking the floating chapter navigation menu in the upper-left corner of the Viewer.
Button/Drawer (<960 pixels wide)
When the Viewer's width is less than (<) 960 pixels, the information panel is closed by default but can be opened at any time by clicking or tapping the button at the top of the Viewer. The information panel will then appear in a drawer at the bottom of the Viewer, displaying the chapter description and any complementary media available for the current chapter.
Note: When a multi-chapter tour is opened in the button/drawer layout, the chapter list will never appear in the information panel. Instead, it can be can be accessed from the floating chapter navigation menu in the upper-left corner of the Viewer.
Show label list in Information Panel
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting enables a Labels section in the information panel, where you will find a list of all labels present in the current chapter.
Clicking a label in this list allows you to quickly navigate to key learning points on the 3D model. When clicked, each label in the list selects the matching label in the model, or triggers the actions that were assigned to that label in Studio.
Note: The label list only shows labels present in the current chapter, and it only includes labels that appear on the model at all times, such as the labels you can add and edit in Studio. The labels that appear when a structure is selected—"anatomy labels"—are listed in the Anatomy Tree, which is enabled in your toolbar settings.
Media Controls
Available settings:
Show audio controls when available
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting displays two audio buttons in the "Info" tab of the information panel when audio is available in a given chapter of your 3D model: Play from Beginning and Unmute or Mute.
Audio is muted:
Audio is unmuted:
Due to browser security restrictions, you must select the Unmute icon in order to hear the audio play. However, if you would like to bypass this step, simply enable one of our 3D interaction prompts. As soon as the user clicks or taps the interaction button, the audio will start playing, unmuted.
Warning: If this setting is disabled, there will be no way to play or pause audio in your model, even if audio is technically available.
Animation controls
Default: Show all (play/pause button & scrubber)
This setting controls the type of media controls that will appear in the lower-right corner of the Viewer when a given chapter of your 3D model contains animated elements (i.e., elements in motion)—play/pause button and scrubber, play/pause button only, or none.
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Show all (play/pause button & scrubber) (default). This is the default setting and is recommended for animations that illustrate a process so the user can use the scrubber and speed controls to explore the content at their own pace.
Minimized (default):
Expanded: -
Only show play/pause button. If deeper exploration is not necessary for a particular animation, this option will reduce the clutter in your Viewer.
- Do not show. This option should only be selected if you do not want the user to be able to control the animation. Not recommended in most situations.
Toolbars
Available settings:
3D navigation controls
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting displays the 3D navigation controls toolbar in the lower-right portion of the Viewer. This toolbar contains four buttons that enable you to adjust the position of the model in 3D space:
- Recenter 3D Model
- Change to Pan Mode / Rotate Mode
- Zoom In
- Zoom Out
By default, all but the "Recenter 3D Model" buttons are minimized. To expand the toolbar and access the rest of the controls, click or tap the arrow at the top.
Minimized (default):
Expanded:
Fullscreen
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting displays an "Enter Fullscreen" button in the lower-right corner of the Viewer. Clicking this option expands the Viewer so that it spans the entire screen, providing a widescreen, immersive experience.
Note: Fullscreen mode is supported on all devices and browsers—with the exception of iPhone browsers. To enable fullscreen mode for embedded models, make sure your published embed code includes allowFullScreen="true" or simply allowfullscreen. When fullscreen mode is not enabled, the Enter Fullscreen button will be replaced by an Open in New Tab option, which will open the model in a new browser tab.
Undo
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting displays the Undo/Redo/Reset toolbar, which allows you to undo and redo actions taken in the 3D model, as well as reset the model to its original view.
Though it is enabled by default, the Undo/Redo/Reset toolbar is hidden until the model has been modified in any way. At this point the toolbar appears at the top of the 3D scene so it is immediately obvious that the action can be undone.
Toolbar
Default: Enabled
Enabled by default, this setting displays a toolbar in the upper-left corner of the Viewer that can contain a variety of deeper exploration tools. All of these tools are enabled by default but can be individually disabled as desired.
The options available within this toolbar include the following:
Selection Tools
The Selection Tools button enables you to choose between three selection modes:
- Select (default). Highlights the selected structure so you can see it more clearly it, see its name, and when available, learn more about it.
- Hide. Hides the selected structure from view, allowing you see underlying structures.
- Fade. Makes the selected structure transparent but does not hide it, allowing you to see underlying structures and understand their relationship to the faded structure.
Anatomy Search
The Anatomy Search tool enables you to search for and browse a comprehensive list of anatomical structures that make up the current 3D model. The Anatomy Search panel is divided into two tabs:
- List (default): In this tab, search results are returned in a flat list, which is helpful for quickly finding specific anatomical structures in the model by name or keyword. Once you find the structure you are looking for, you can perform advanced actions, such as flying to it, isolating it, or applying a fade effect to everything else in the model to better understand its spatial relationship to other structures.
- Tree: In this tab, search results are organized into anatomical systems or thematic groupings. You can also use this tab to browse the entire collection of anatomical structures in the model, and click the arrows to expand and explore sub-groupings and individual structures. As in the List view, you can perform advanced actions on any anatomical structure to study it further. Learn more in What is the Anatomy Tree?
Draw
The Draw tool allows the user to draw on and add text to a 2D snapshot of the 3D model to pinpoint key anatomical structures or concepts. Learn more in Using the Draw tool.
Help
The Help menu is found in More Options at the bottom of the toolbar, provides access to the following educational resources to help you make the most of your experience in the Viewer:
- Getting Started Video
- 3D Navigation Tutorial
- Keyboard Shortcuts