- Qt 6.8
- Qt Data Visualization
- C++ Classes
- Q3DSurface
- Qt Data Visualization | Commercial or GPLv3

# Q3DSurface Class

The Q3DSurface class provides methods for rendering 3D surface plots. More...

Header: | `#include <Q3DSurface>`
CMake: | `find_package(Qt6 REQUIRED COMPONENTS DataVisualization)` `target_link_libraries(mytarget PRIVATE Qt6::DataVisualization)`
qmake: | `QT += datavisualization`
Since: | QtDataVisualization 1.0
Inherits: | QAbstract3DGraph

- List of all members, including inherited members

## Properties

axisX : QValue3DAxis* axisY : QValue3DAxis* axisZ : QValue3DAxis* | `(since QtDataVisualization 1.2)` flipHorizontalGrid : bool selectedSeries : QSurface3DSeries* const

## Public Functions

| Q3DSurface(const QSurfaceFormat *format = nullptr, QWindow *parent = nullptr)
virtual | ~Q3DSurface()
void | addAxis(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | addSeries(QSurface3DSeries *series)
QList<QValue3DAxis *> | axes() const
QValue3DAxis * | axisX() const
QValue3DAxis * | axisY() const
QValue3DAxis * | axisZ() const
bool | flipHorizontalGrid() const
void | releaseAxis(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | removeSeries(QSurface3DSeries *series)
QSurface3DSeries * | selectedSeries() const
QList<QSurface3DSeries *> | seriesList() const
void | setAxisX(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | setAxisY(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | setAxisZ(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | setFlipHorizontalGrid(bool flip)

## Signals

void | axisXChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | axisYChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | axisZChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)
void | flipHorizontalGridChanged(bool flip)
void | selectedSeriesChanged(QSurface3DSeries *series)

## Detailed Description

This class enables developers to render 3D surface plots and to view them by rotating the scene freely. The visual properties of the surface such as draw mode and shading can be controlled via QSurface3DSeries.

The Q3DSurface supports selection by showing a highlighted ball on the data point where the user has clicked with left mouse button (when default input handler is in use) or selected via QSurface3DSeries. The selection pointer is accompanied with a label which in default case shows the value of the data point and the coordinates of the point.

The value range and the label format shown on the axis can be controlled through QValue3DAxis.

To rotate the graph, hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse. Zooming is done using mouse wheel. Both assume the default input handler is in use.

If no axes are set explicitly to Q3DSurface, temporary default axes with no labels are created. These default axes can be modified via axis accessors, but as soon any axis is set explicitly for the orientation, the default axis for that orientation is destroyed.

### How to construct a minimal Q3DSurface graph

First, construct Q3DSurface. Since we are running the graph as top level window in this example, we need to clear the `Qt::FramelessWindowHint` flag, which gets set by default:

     Q3DSurface surface;
     surface.setFlags(surface.flags() ^ Qt::FramelessWindowHint);

Now Q3DSurface is ready to receive data to be rendered. Create data elements to receive values:

     QSurfaceDataArray *data = new QSurfaceDataArray;
     QSurfaceDataRow *dataRow1 = new QSurfaceDataRow;
     QSurfaceDataRow *dataRow2 = new QSurfaceDataRow;

First feed the data to the row elements and then add their pointers to the data element:

     *dataRow1 << QVector3D(0.0f, 0.1f, 0.5f) << QVector3D(1.0f, 0.5f, 0.5f);
     *dataRow2 << QVector3D(0.0f, 1.8f, 1.0f) << QVector3D(1.0f, 1.2f, 1.0f);
     *data << dataRow1 << dataRow2;

Create a new series and set data to it:

     QSurface3DSeries *series = new QSurface3DSeries;
     series->dataProxy()->resetArray(data);
     surface.addSeries(series);

Finally you will need to set it visible:

     surface.show();

The complete code needed to create and display this graph is:

     #include <QtDataVisualization>

     int main(int argc, char **argv)
     {
         qputenv("QSG_RHI_BACKEND", "opengl");
         QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

         Q3DSurface surface;
         surface.setFlags(surface.flags() ^ Qt::FramelessWindowHint);
         QSurfaceDataArray *data = new QSurfaceDataArray;
         QSurfaceDataRow *dataRow1 = new QSurfaceDataRow;
         QSurfaceDataRow *dataRow2 = new QSurfaceDataRow;

         *dataRow1 << QVector3D(0.0f, 0.1f, 0.5f) << QVector3D(1.0f, 0.5f, 0.5f);
         *dataRow2 << QVector3D(0.0f, 1.8f, 1.0f) << QVector3D(1.0f, 1.2f, 1.0f);
         *data << dataRow1 << dataRow2;

         QSurface3DSeries *series = new QSurface3DSeries;
         series->dataProxy()->resetArray(data);
         surface.addSeries(series);
         surface.show();

         return app.exec();
     }

And this is what those few lines of code produce:

The scene can be rotated, zoomed into, and a surface point can be selected to view its position, but no other interaction is included in this minimal code example. You can learn more by familiarizing yourself with the examples provided, like the Surface Graph.

See also Q3DBars, Q3DScatter, and Qt Data Visualization C++ Classes.

## Property Documentation

### axisX : QValue3DAxis*

This property holds the active x-axis.

Access functions:

QValue3DAxis * | axisX() const
void | setAxisX(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Notifier signal:

void | axisXChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)

### axisY : QValue3DAxis*

This property holds the active y-axis.

Access functions:

QValue3DAxis * | axisY() const
void | setAxisY(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Notifier signal:

void | axisYChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)

### axisZ : QValue3DAxis*

This property holds the active z-axis.

Access functions:

QValue3DAxis * | axisZ() const
void | setAxisZ(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Notifier signal:

void | axisZChanged(QValue3DAxis *axis)

### `[since QtDataVisualization 1.2]` flipHorizontalGrid : bool

This property holds whether the horizontal axis grid is displayed on top of the graph rather than on the bottom.

In some use cases the horizontal axis grid is mostly covered by the surface, so it can be more useful to display the horizontal axis grid on top of the graph rather than on the bottom. A typical use case for this is showing 2D spectrograms using orthoGraphic projection with a top-down viewpoint.

If `false`, the horizontal axis grid and labels are drawn on the horizontal background of the graph. If `true`, the horizontal axis grid and labels are drawn on the opposite side of the graph from the horizontal background. Defaults to `false`.

This property was introduced in QtDataVisualization 1.2.

Access functions:

bool | flipHorizontalGrid() const
void | setFlipHorizontalGrid(bool flip)

Notifier signal:

void | flipHorizontalGridChanged(bool flip)

### `[read-only]` selectedSeries : QSurface3DSeries* const

This property holds the selected series or null.

If selectionMode has `SelectionMultiSeries` set, this property holds the series which owns the selected point.

Access functions:

QSurface3DSeries * | selectedSeries() const

Notifier signal:

void | selectedSeriesChanged(QSurface3DSeries *series)

## Member Function Documentation

### `[explicit]` Q3DSurface::Q3DSurface(const QSurfaceFormat *format = nullptr, QWindow *parent = nullptr)

Constructs a new 3D surface graph with optional parent window and surface format.

### `[virtual noexcept]` Q3DSurface::~Q3DSurface()

Destroys the 3D surface graph.

### void Q3DSurface::addAxis(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Adds axis to the graph. The axes added via addAxis are not yet taken to use, addAxis is simply used to give the ownership of the axis to the graph. The axis must not be null or added to another graph.

See also releaseAxis(), setAxisX(), setAxisY(), and setAxisZ().

### void Q3DSurface::addSeries(QSurface3DSeries *series)

Adds the series to the graph. A graph can contain multiple series, but has only one set of axes. If the newly added series has specified a selected item, it will be highlighted and any existing selection will be cleared. Only one added series can have an active selection.

See also QAbstract3DGraph::hasSeries().

### QList<QValue3DAxis *> Q3DSurface::axes() const

Returns the list of all added axes.

See also addAxis().

### void Q3DSurface::releaseAxis(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Releases the ownership of the axis back to the caller, if it is added to this graph. If the released axis is in use, a new default axis will be created and set active.

If the default axis is released and added back later, it behaves as any other axis would.

See also addAxis(), setAxisX(), setAxisY(), and setAxisZ().

### void Q3DSurface::removeSeries(QSurface3DSeries *series)

Removes the series from the graph.

See also QAbstract3DGraph::hasSeries().

### QList<QSurface3DSeries *> Q3DSurface::seriesList() const

Returns the list of series added to this graph.

See also QAbstract3DGraph::hasSeries().

### void Q3DSurface::setAxisX(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Sets axis as the active x-axis. Implicitly calls addAxis() to transfer the ownership of the axis to this graph.

If axis is null, a temporary default axis with no labels and an automatically adjusting range is created.

This temporary axis is destroyed if another axis is set explicitly to the same orientation.

Note: Setter function for property axisX.

See also axisX(), addAxis(), and releaseAxis().

### void Q3DSurface::setAxisY(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Sets axis as the active y-axis. Implicitly calls addAxis() to transfer the ownership of the axis to this graph.

If axis is null, a temporary default axis with no labels and an automatically adjusting range is created.

This temporary axis is destroyed if another axis is set explicitly to the same orientation.

Note: Setter function for property axisY.

See also axisY(), addAxis(), and releaseAxis().

### void Q3DSurface::setAxisZ(QValue3DAxis *axis)

Sets axis as the active z-axis. Implicitly calls addAxis() to transfer the ownership of the axis to this graph.

If axis is null, a temporary default axis with no labels and an automatically adjusting range is created.

This temporary axis is destroyed if another axis is set explicitly to the same orientation.

Note: Setter function for property axisZ.

See also axisZ(), addAxis(), and releaseAxis().