--- title: "Explore Mode" slug: "exploring-a-site2" description: "Explore mode offers intuitive navigation with location markers, allowing seamless movement through your site’s panorama and point cloud views." tags: ["Explore Mode", "Location Markers", "Secondary View"] updated: 2026-08-18T15:33:42Z published: 2026-08-18T15:33:42Z canonical: "knowledge.navvis.com/exploring-a-site2" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.navvis.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Explore Mode Explore mode is the standard view you see when you open a published site. From here you can move around the site, change what you see, and open the site tools. The controls are grouped into a **topbar** across the top of the screen and a **toolbar** down the left side. ![NavVis office interface showing 3D and 2D view options with navigation tools.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 15.51.37 copy.png) ## The topbar The topbar runs across the top of the screen and holds the site's navigation and settings. Depending on your access rights, you may not see every icon: ![Interior view of NavVis office showcasing entrance and stairway with modern design.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 13.31.28(1).png) - **Search**: search for rooms and POIs. - **Site Structure**: view the structure of buildings and scanned environments. - **Edit site**: administrators prepare changes to the site in the background before publishing. - **Model management**: import and view BIM (IFC) models alongside the point cloud. - **Data processing**: work with datasets in NavVis cloud processing. - **Share**: share and collaborate with colleagues and customers. - **Settings**: hide images and edit the site location. - **Account**: view your account details and sign out. The view controls sit at the top centre of the screen: the **3D / 2D toggle**, **Data layers**, and **Scene settings**. For full details on these, see [Setting Views in a Site](https://navvis.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TCCC/pages/3389784265). ## The toolbar The toolbar runs down the left side of the screen and holds the site tools. Depending on your access rights, you may not see every tool. Click a tool to open its panel on the right of the screen. ### Mark and Measure Click **Mark & measure** to open the measurement panel, then choose a measurement type and click in the site to take a measurement. The types are grouped as: - **Free**: Distance, Polygon, Orthogonal, Point, and Polyline. - **Horizontal**: Distance, Polygon, Rectangle, and Circle. - **Vertical**: Distance, Polygon, Rectangle, and Circle. Measurements you take are listed at the bottom of the panel, where you can show or hide, edit, group, share, download, or delete them. For more settings, click on the **Scene Settings** on the Topbar, as shown in the image below. ![User interface for NavVis Office showing measurement tools and options for coordinates.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.37.52.png) ### POIs settings Click **POIs** to open the POI panel, where you show or hide points of interest by group and category. POIs are organised into groups, for example **Access** (Elevator, Entrance/Exit, Stairs), **Field Notes** (Defect, Detail Image, Observation, Punch List, RFI), and **Miscellaneous**. Use the checkboxes to control which POIs are shown, select **Add group** or **Add category** to create new ones, and use **Import/Export POIs** at the bottom to move POIs in and out of the site. ![NavVis office layout showing elevators, stairs, and points of interest for navigation.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.39.03.png) ### Crop View Settings Click **Crop view** to crop the 3D view to a box so you can focus on part of the site. Drag the handles on the crop box to resize it, use the coloured gizmo to move and rotate it, and use the **Back**, **Left**, **Top**, **Right**, and **Front** buttons to snap the box to a standard orientation. To turn the box outline and the cropped model on or off, open the **Scene settings** panel and use **Cropping box controls** and **Crop model** under **Cropping box**. ![NavVis Office interface showing cropping box and projection options for 3D and 2D views.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.42.37.png) ### Crop & Download Settings Click **Crop & download** to crop an area and download it. After positioning the crop box, set the options in the panel: - **Data type**: Point cloud, Orthophoto, or Mesh. - **Coordinate system**: Site coordinate system, Spatial reference system, or Dataset. - **Name and format**: enter a file name and choose a format (for example, .e57). Select **Download** to export the cropped data, or **Create BIM with BIMIT** to generate a BIM model. The data types you can download depends on the site and a note in the panel shows what is available. ![User interface for cropping and downloading data in NavVis Office application.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.43.05.png) ### Verification tool Use the Verification tool in NavVis IVION to compare a point cloud (captured reality) against a 3D IFC model (design intent) directly in your browser. The tool highlights geometric deviations between the two, so you can see where real-world conditions differ from the design without exporting data to third-party software. See more [Verification tool](https://knowledge.navvis.com/docs/model-management#verification-tool). ![3D visualization of a water treatment facility with verification settings displayed.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Unknown-2.jpg) ## Location Markers Explore mode uses **location markers** to move you through the site. ![A hallway with a location marker indicating direction in a modern office space.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.44.04.png) - Hover over a location marker (white circle) and a black direction arrow appears. Click the marker to move to the panorama captured at that spot. - Use the up and down arrow keys to move to the next location marker, and the left and right arrow keys to rotate. - Double-click anywhere on the panorama or point cloud to move to the closest location to the point you clicked. - You can also move around by hovering over the location markers (white dots) shown in the secondary view. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/explore mode.gif) ## Secondary view The **secondary view** in the bottom-right corner shows your position (a blue dot) and the area around you, giving context as you move. You can turn it on or off in the Scene settings panel (see below). For more information, see [Secondary view](https://knowledge.navvis.com/docs/viewing-the-secondary-view). ![Aerial view of a plaza with a fountain and surrounding greenery near a building.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.46.37.png) ## Scene settings Click the **Scene settings** icon (the sliders icon at the top of the view) to adjust how the site is displayed: - **Cursor coordinates**: show the exact position of the cursor in the site, which is useful for collaborating with colleagues, customers, and third-party software. When this is on, choose the system to use under **Coordinates**: **Site coordinate system** or **Spatial reference system**. ![A hallway with coordinates displayed, indicating position and distance measurements.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-07-27 at 11.29.59.png) - **Secondary view**: show or hide the secondary view in the bottom-right corner. - **Orthographic projection**: switch the 3D view to a non-perspective projection, where available. - **Cropping box**: while the Crop view tool is open, turn **Cropping box controls** and **Crop model** on or off. ## Go back to all sites If you have access to more than one site, open the **site name dropdown** at the top of the screen and select **Back to all sites** to return to the All sites page. ![Navigation menu for Bayerische Staatskanzlei with options for different sites displayed.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/Screenshot 2026-08-13 at 20.47.28.png)