Opening a dataset
The main menu offers four routes: open a dataset, import source data, change settings, or view app information. Layout follows the available width, adapting to iPhone, iPad, and foldable devices such as iPhone Duo. Wide layouts show settings categories and content side by side.
- Choose a local BorgVR file or open the catalog of a configured server.
- Remote datasets can load progressively and may optionally be retained as a local copy.
- If a stored source cannot be reached, BorgVR searches other known origins for the same dataset ID.
Touch interaction
The interaction selector determines what gestures in the rendering area modify.
- Model
- Drag rotates the volume with an arcball interaction. Pinch zooms. Two-finger gestures translate the volume.
- Clipping
- Gestures move or rotate the clipping plane instead of the volume.
- Transfer
- Direct dragging shapes the active transfer-function curve; the complete editor remains available through Editor.
- Drawing
- Dragging creates a spatial stroke. With Project onto Volume, BorgVR uses depth from the previous raycasting frame and smooths depth along the stroke.
- Placement
- A tap places the active sphere or imported polygon object, while dragging moves a selection. Placement can project onto the visible volume surface.
- Measurement
- A tap places or selects points for length, area, and volume measurements. Measurement points can also optionally project onto the volume surface.
Rendering controls
The top controls select rendering and interaction modes. On narrow layouts, recognizable symbols replace labels that would not fit. Transfer-function, isovalue, and lighting editors appear as bottom sheets; pressing the same button closes an open sheet.
- Multi-channel datasets have up to four separate transfer functions. Select the data channel in the editor and edit its RGBA curves.
- The lighting editor changes light direction and ambient, diffuse, and specular colors and previews the result on a sphere.
- Separate buttons open Objects and Measurements. Highlighting indicates which tool window or sheet is already open.
- The close button returns to dataset selection.
- Info shows metadata, dataset ID, and up to three alternate origins, including password and private-sharing indicators.
- Log and brick visualization are diagnostic features and appear only after being enabled in Settings.
- If the local HTTPS web server is active and contains the dataset, the link button copies a directly shareable WebGPU URL.
Managing objects and measurements
The Objects window contains the active object asset plus every sphere, stroke, and placed mesh instance. Imported .mesh files automatically appear beside the built-in sphere. The list supports multiple selection, applying shared edits to all selected entries.
The Measurements window creates paths with any number of segments, planar convex areas, and convex volumes. Measurement points can be moved or removed, and BorgVR displays results in an automatically selected physical unit.
Load and Save use .marker and .measurement files respectively. Local files and server catalogs appear in the selectors; multiple files without their own UUID remain separate entries. Saving refreshes the list immediately.
Dataset state
The two state buttons save or load transfer functions, objects, measurements, transform, rendering mode, isovalue, lighting, clipping, and visibility under the current dataset name. Existing files are overwritten only after confirmation.
SharePlay
The SharePlay button starts or detects a shared session. On joining, the device receives the current dataset and state. If the dataset cannot yet be found, BorgVR displays a waiting state and automatically tries new participant origins.
With Synchronize View enabled, the local camera follows the common view shared by iPhone, iPad, and Mac participants. Disable it to work independently; rendering mode, transfer functions, isovalue, lighting, clipping, objects, and measurements remain shared. Enabling it again immediately adopts the common view.
Participants exchange known origins that are allowed to be shared. A device with a complete local copy can offer the host dataset through a temporary ad-hoc server. While no origin is reachable, the waiting view displays the server currently being tried and restarts loading after new catalog or origin announcements.
When a client closes the dataset, BorgVR asks for confirmation and can leave SharePlay. When the host closes it, clients enter a locked waiting state with an option to leave SharePlay.
Import and settings
Import converts supported DICOM, NRRD/NHDR, PVM, and QVIS data. Brick size, overlap, border handling, and compression only affect newly created BorgVR files.
- Background plus automatic loading and saving of transfer functions, objects, measurements, and dataset state
- Static or dynamic oversampling
- Remote servers with connection test and sharing rule
- Loading timeout, progressive loading, and local copy
- Local dataset, ad-hoc, and WebGPU servers plus the independent MCP server
- LOD, atlas, and hash-table parameters
- SharePlay display name and update checks
- Clear dataset-origin cache