BorgVR for macOS

Workflow

1. Open a local BorgVR file, a recent dataset, or a remote-server catalog from the main menu.
2. Select rendering and interaction modes in the render window. Dragging rotates the model with an arcball; trackpad or mouse gestures translate and scale it.
3. Open only the tools you need and dock them to the render window or detach them into separate windows.

A recent dataset that is no longer reachable is checked only when opened. BorgVR then reports the error without delaying the start screen with speculative network checks.

Render window and dockable tools

The top control bar contains close, SharePlay, Synchronize View, participants, WebGPU link, dataset information, state load and save, and optional log, performance graph, and docking. Rendering and interaction modes plus color-matched tool buttons appear below.

Rendering controls

May overlay the image, dock to the window, or live in a separate window.

TF/isovalue editor

Follows the rendering mode, provides data-channel selection for multi-channel volumes, and can dock beside the rendering area.

Lighting

Arcball for light direction and color controls for ambient, diffuse, and specular light with a live preview sphere.

Objects window

Active object asset, spheres, strokes, and mesh instances with multiple selection plus loading and saving of .marker files.

Measurements window

Edit length, area, and volume measurements and load or save .measurement files.

Performance

Shows frame rate, timing history, and periods using a reduced sampling rate for diagnostics.

Interaction modes

• Model: Arcball rotation, translation, and scaling of the volume.
• Clipping: Manipulation of the clipping plane.
• Transfer: Direct manipulation of the transfer-function curve in the rendering area.
• Drawing: Draw spatial strokes; points may optionally project onto the visible surface using depth from the previous raycasting frame.
• Placement: Place, select, and drag the active sphere or imported polygon object.
• Measurement: Place and edit points for paths, areas, or volumes.

Objects support multiple selection, shared color, size, and direction changes, and independent visibility. Measurements use physical voxel spacing and automatically choose an appropriate unit for length, area, or volume.

Keyboard shortcuts

Single-key shortcuts control the renderer while the rendering view has keyboard focus, so typing in a text field never triggers a rendering action. App commands using ⌘ do not require focus on the rendering view. Button tooltips also show their shortcuts.

Import, local files, and servers

The integrated converter creates BorgVR files from DICOM, NRRD/NHDR, PVM, and QVIS. Export mode reconstructs any stored level of detail as a flat, uncompressed NRRD volume. Object import reads OBJ, STL, PLY, and USD, adds a description and UUID, and writes the compact .mesh format; object export creates OBJ/MTL and, when needed, a texture file.

Single- and multi-channel data can be imported and exported. BorgVR renders up to four channels with 8 or 16 bits per channel; scalar datasets additionally support 32 bits.

Remote servers are configured with hostname, port, and optional password. The connection test reports available datasets and transfer functions. Timeout, progressive loading, and retaining a local copy apply to all remote sources.

The Mac can run its own native dataset server and HTTPS WebGPU server. A button in the rendering window copies a dataset-specific browser link once the active dataset is available through that server.

SharePlay

Mac, iPhone, and iPad use a common view state by default. Synchronize View detaches or reattaches the Mac while rendering mode, transfer functions for every channel, isovalue, lighting, clipping, objects, and measurements remain synchronized. Reattaching adopts the current shared view.

The host announces the dataset ID, its ad-hoc address, and known shareable origins. Every participant merges these into its origin cache and may advertise a local copy in turn. This allows a reachable client to provide data when the host is behind a firewall.

Scripting

The macOS app supports GSC scripts for reproducible interaction, rendering parameters, objects, measurements, import, export, and screenshots. Start Recording captures user actions; Stop and Save coalesces consecutive transforms and transfer-function or clipping changes and writes an executable .gsc script. The GSC reference documents the language, examples, and every command.

Dataset state and MCP

Save Dataset State stores transfer functions, objects, measurements, transform, rendering mode, isovalue, lighting, clipping, and visibility under the dataset name. Restore Dataset State reloads these parts together.

The independent MCP server exposes the same application controls to trusted AI agents. Agents can inspect metadata, open and close datasets, change rendering parameters and annotations, wait for completed frames, and retrieve screenshots. Local access uses HTTP without a token; network access uses HTTPS and an access token.

Settings

The sidebar separates data sources, rendering, import, LOD, local server, SharePlay, and miscellaneous options. Common settings appear first; atlas sizes, hash tables, oversampling strategy, and other expert parameters are kept in the advanced area.

• Automatic loading and saving of transfer functions, objects, measurements, and visualization state
• Solid or gradient background
• Static and dynamic oversampling
• Randomized sample phase
• Brick visualization and log button
• Remote loading and local copies
• Local, ad-hoc, and WebGPU servers plus independent MCP server
• App Store update checks