---
name: "xcaverot"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "survex"
version: "1.0.39.1-2.1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xcaverot"
---

# xcaverot(1)

basic cave survey viewer for X

## NAME

xcaverot — basic cave survey viewer for X

## SYNOPSIS

**xcaverot** \[options\] .3d file ...

## Description

Xcaverot displays processed cave surveys in a window and allows you to  manipulate the view.  Aven is a more sophisticated cave survey viewer  which runs under X and also on Microsoft Windows.  We recommend you use  Aven in preference.

Note that there is no perspective in the view. This means that  it is impossible to tell which way round a cave is rotating, or  whether you are viewing something from behind, or in front. So  if you think the direction of rotation in wrong, or changes as  you watch, this is just your brain being confused, not a bug!

### Mouse control

The best way to move the cave is with the mouse. If you hold down the  right button then the cave is dragged when you move the mouse. If you  hold down the left button, then the cave is rotated if you move left  or right, and zoomed if you move up and down.  If your mouse has a middle button then you can use it to tilt the cave.

### Keyboard Control

**\<P\>** and **\<L\>** select Plan and eLevation  respectively.

Comma **\<,\>**, and Slash **\</\>** tilt up  and down respectively. Tilt goes 180 degrees from plan view to a view  from directly below (upside down plan).

Enter starts the cave spinning, and **\<Space\>** stops it. The  speed of rotation for this, and tilt, is controlled by **\<Z\>** and  **\<X\>**.

Crosses and/or labels can be displayed at survey stations.  **\<Ctrl-X\>** toggles crosses and **\<Ctrl-N\>** station names.  **\<Ctrl-L\>** toggles the display of survey legs.  **\<Ctrl-O\>** toggles whether all names are  displayed, or only non-overlapping ones.

**\<Delete\>** is useful if you get lost - it resets the scale,  position, and rotation speed, so that the cave returns to the centre  of the screen. There are also keyboard controls to use instead of the  mouse:

```
<Z>, <X> : Faster/Slower Rotation
<R>: Reverse direction of rotation
<Enter>, <Space>: Start and stop auto-rotation
<Ctrl-Cursor Left>, <Ctrl-Cursor Right>: Rotate cave one step clockwise/anti-clockwise
<Ctrl-Cursor Up> , <Ctrl-Cursor Down>: Higher/Lower Viewpoint
<]> , <[>: Zoom in/Out
<U>, <D>: Set view to Up/Down
<N>, <S>, <E>, <W>: Set view to North, South, East, West
<Delete>: Reset to default scale, rotation rate, etc
<P>, <L>: Plan, Elevation
<Cursor Left>, <Cursor Right>: Pan survey Left/Right (on screen)
<Cursor Up>, <Cursor Down>: Pan survey Up/Down (on screen)
<Ctrl-N>: Toggle display of station names
<Ctrl-X>: Toggle display of crosses at stations
<Ctrl-L>: Toggle display of survey legs
<Ctrl-F>: Toggle display of surface legs
<O>: Toggle display of non-overlapping/all names
<Q>: quit program
<Shift>: accelerates all movement keys
```

A little experimentation should give a better understanding of how  this works.

There is an auto-resizing scale bar on the left side of the screen.  This varies in length as you zoom in or out.  The current length is given  at the top.  In the top right is a compass pointer showing which way  is North, and a clino pointer showing the angle of tilt.

### Environmental Variables

There are two environmental variables which may be used to configure xcaverot,  XCAVEROT\_INDICATOR\_RADIUS which sets the radius of the compass and clino  indicators, and XCAVEROT\_FONTNAME which tells xcaverot what font to use.

## See Also

**3dtopos(1)**,  **[aven(1)](/aven/1.md)**,  **[cad3d(1)](/cad3d/1.md)**,  **[cavern(1)](/cavern/1.md)**,  **[diffpos(1)](/diffpos/1.md)**,  **[extend(1)](/extend/1.md)**,  **[printdm(1)](/printdm/1.md)**,  **[printhpgl(1)](/printhpgl/1.md)**,  **[printpcl(1)](/printpcl/1.md)**,  **[printps(1)](/printps/1.md)**,  **[sorterr(1)](/sorterr/1.md)**,  **[svxedit(1)](/svxedit/1.md)**