VastPark Creator Interface¶

Return to the Creator page

• VastPark Creator Interface
• Learning the Interface
• Toolbar
• *Home*
• *Collaboration*
• *Insert*
• *View*
• *Help*
• Library
• Property Inspector
• *Appearance Tab*
• *Behavior Tab*
• *Transform Tab*
• *Triggers Tab*
• Scene Explorer
• IMML Console
• Design Viewport
• Comments

Learning the Interface¶

If you have not yet opened the VastPark Creator, you can find it inside or Start > Programs > VastPark > VastPark Creator.
Take your time to look over the VastPark Creator interface and familiarize yourself with it.

Now we'll look at each area in detail.

Toolbar¶

Home¶

Located in the Home Menu are seven different buttons, five of which are grouped under Document and two under Options.

Document

• New - Creates a new blank IMML document.
• Open - Opens an IMML document from a local path.
• Save - Saves the current scene as an IMML file to a specified local path.
• Publish - Not Currently Available.
• Share - Share you IMML file with a friend by sending it to their email address.

Options

• Interactive Preview - Gives a preview of how the IMML file would work in the VastPark Player
• Configure - Opens the Options Menu for Configuring VastPark Creator Settings.

Collaboration¶

Collaboration allows multiple users to connect to a collaboration server and work on the same IMML file simultaneously.
The Collaboration Menu contains two buttons.

• Join - Allows you to enter in the address of the collaboration server. Once entered the IMML will load and you will be able to start editing.
• Leave- Leaves the current collaboration session.

Insert¶

The Insert Menu allows you to insert key elements into the Design Viewport, adding it to the IMML.
There are two groups in the Insert Menu that both have five buttons each.

Scene Content

• Camera - Inserts a Camera Element to the current position and rotation.
• Light - Inserts a Light Element to the current position and rotation.
• Portal - Inserts a Portal Element to the current position and rotation.
• Inline Script - Inserts an Inline Script to the IMML that allows for scripted events.
• Background - Creates a Background Element of a desired color and adds it to the IMML.

Primitives

• Box - Inserts a Box Primitive to the scene.
• Plane - Inserts a Plane Primitive to the scene.
• Cone - Inserts a Cone Primitive to the scene.
• Cylinder - Inserts a Cylinder Primitive to the scene.
• Sphere - Inserts a Sphere Primitive to the scene.

View¶

The View Menu contains four different groups of buttons that relate to VastPark Creator Interface.

Render Options

• Enable Shadows - Will enable shadows in the scene if an item is able to cast shadows.
• Enable Wireframe - When enabled will render the Design Viewport in a wireframe mode.
• Enable Grid - If highlighted will enable the grid in the design viewport.
• Enable UI Helpers - UI Helpers are lights, cameras, portals and spatial sounds. When enabled the UI Helpers will be made visible.
• Enable FPS Output - Enables the FPS Output in the top right corner of the Design Viewport.

Camera View

• Top - Moves the user camera to a predefined top position.
• Left - Moves the user camera to a predefined left position.
• Front - Moves the user camera to a predefined front position.

IMML Editor

• Word Wrap - When enabled in the IMML Editor IMML will be wrapped in the IMML window.
• Auto Format - Not Currently Available

Layout

• Restore - Restores your VastPark Creator User Interface to its default layout.

Help¶

The Help toolbar contains an icon that when clicked will open up an online VastPark Help file in your default web browser.

Library¶

The Library lists all elements available to you to add into the scene.

Search
The Library allows you to do a search by name for particular items. Simply type what you are looking for into the "Find" field.
You can also Filter your results by selecting an element type under the "Type" drop down.

There are two tabs located in the Library:

• Online - Lists all elements available to you from the Metaforik Database
• Local - When you specify a local path for the Asset Directory in the Options Menu it will list all the available items from that directory.

When you found an item that you would like to add to the scene you can do this by double clicking on its name or pressing the "Add to Scene" button located at the bottom of the Library.

Property Inspector¶

Appearance Tab	Behaviour Tab	Transform Tab	Triggers Tab

Appearance Tab¶

As its name suggests fields under this tab affect the appearance of the selected object.

• Shader: If a Shader has been added to the scene you can apply it to an object by selecting the Shader from this dropdown menu.
• Video: If a Video has been added to the scene you can apply it to an object by selecting the Video from this dropdown menu.
• Ambient: Changes the Ambient material properties of the selected object.
• Diffuse: Changes the Diffuse material properties of the selected object.
• Emissive: Changes the Emissive material properties of the selected object.
• Specular: Changes the Specular material properties of the selected object.
• Power: Adjusts the size of the specular highlight.
• Opacity: This slider changes the level of opacity of the selected object.
• Alpha Threshold: Any part of an object with an Alpha Threshold lower than the one set by this slider wont render.
• Cast Shadows: Toggles an objects ability to Cast Shadows.
• Visible: Toggles an objects visibility.

Behavior Tab¶

The fields under this tab affect the Physics Behaviors of the selected object.

• Enabled: Toggles physics on and off on the selected object.
• Moveable: If physics is enabled you can make it moveable with this check box.
• Weight: If moveable is set to true you can enter a weight in Kg for the object.
• Network: The network enabled property sends the objects state to other clients.

Transform Tab¶

When you want to get an exact value for an objects Position, Rotation or Size you can set it under this tab.
You will also notice a padlock button underneath size, when enabled the size of an object will scale uniformly.

Triggers Tab¶

Triggers are used to execute a script on certain events. You can add triggers to a selected object here.

There are two drop down menus:

• The first is used to select the type of event you want the script to occur on.
• The second is used to select which script you want the trigger to execute

Once you've selected both the event and script you can add the trigger to the selected object by pressing the + button to the right of the drop down menus.
If done correctly you will see the trigger in the field below the drop down menus.

Scene Explorer¶

The Scene Explorer lists in order every element that is in the IMML file. If elements are nested inside others the Scene Explorer will show them in a hierarchal tree.

IMML Console¶

The IMML Console is used as a debug for your IMML file. It consists of three tabs:

• VastScript - used for dynamically adding in scripts while in interactive preview.
• Output - displays any writeline messages performed in scripts.
• IMML Console - if any errors occur when opening an IMML file or viewing it in interactive preview they will be displayed here.

Design Viewport¶

The design viewport is used for visual representation of your IMML file. It allows for you to select, position, rotate and scale elements in the scene.
There are three tool icons located to the top left of the design viewport:

• The top tool when selected will position selected elements in the scene.
• The middle top when selected will rotate a selected element in the scene.
• The bottom top when selected will scale a selected element in the scene.