Miscellaneous
The following sections briefly introduce various useful functions and features of the program in arbitrary order.
Saving the session state
You can save the current program session, including the data pipeline, viewports, render settings, etc., to a .ovito state file
(main menu: ). This allows you
to preserve the current visualization setup and data pipeline for future use. For instance, you can use a state file as a template to
visualize several simulations using the same data analysis pipeline and camera setup.
Spinner controls
A spinner widget is a user interface element used throughout the program for editing numeric parameters (see video on the left). Here is how to use the spinner widget to vary the parameter value: (1) Click the spinner’s up arrow once to increment the value; click the down arrow to decrease the value in a stepwise manner. (2) Alternatively, click and hold down the mouse button to change the value continuously. Drag the mouse up or down to increase/decrease the parameter value. When you drag the cursor to the edge of the screen, OVITO will wrap around the cursor position to allow infinite scrolling.
Attention
On macOS, the application must be given the Accessibility permission to programmatically reposition the cursor. You will be prompted for the accessibility permission the first time it is needed. You can change this permission for the app at any time in the macOS system preferences by going to .
Data inspector
The Data Inspector is a panel that is located right below the viewport area in OVITO’s main window. It can be opened as shown in the screenshot on the right by clicking on the tab bar. The data inspector consists of several tabs that show different fragments of the current dataset, e.g. the property values of all particles. The tool also lets you measure distances between pairs of particles.
Viewport layers
Viewport layers are a way to superimpose additional information and graphics such as text labels, color legends, and coordinate tripods on top of the three-dimensional scene. OVITO offers several different layer types, which may be added to a viewport from the Viewport Layers tab of the command panel.
Modifier & viewport layer templates
When working with OVITO on a regular basis, you may find yourself using the same modifiers over and over again. Certain modifiers are often used in the same combination to perform specific analysis, filtering, or visualization tasks. To make your life easier and save you from repetitive work, OVITO allows you to define so-called modifier templates. These are preconfigured modifiers, or combinations of several modifiers, that can be inserted into the data pipeline with just a single click. In the same way, you can define templates for preconfigured viewport layers that you use frequently. See Modifier templates to learn more about this program feature.
Python scripting pro
OVITO Pro provides a scripting interface that allows you to automate analysis and visualization tasks. This can be useful, for example, when a large number of input files need to be batch processed. The scripting interface provides programmatic access to most program features such as simulation data input and output, modifiers, and rendering of images and movies.
Scripts for OVITO Pro are written in the Python programming language. The OVITO Python API is described in the scripting reference manual, which is also available from the help menu of OVITO.
In addition to workflow automation, the scripting interface allows you to extend the OVITO Pro desktop application. For example, the Python script modifier provides a mechanism for writing custom data manipulation functions and integrating them into OVITO’s modification pipeline system. Furthermore, the Python script viewport layer allows you to write a Python function that overlays arbitrary 2D graphics on top of rendered images and enrich the visualization with additional information such as a scale bar.