| At
Last Building Blocks is ready for release
! Read on for the preview release review:
Building Blocks
is a fantastic new utility, based upon Frank
Dodd's previous version, Visual
RPL. This new version is essentially
the same application, that has been entirely
re-written to support the Javascript
language which Realsoft
3D v4.5+ has introduced.
Frank
has been working hard on the release of
this exceptional utility / plugin / standalone
application for a number of months - compiling
the more than 600 macros required to generate
all the necessary code.
Essentially what Building
Blocks does is give the user a simple
interface to Javascript.
By using these simple "blocks"
one puts together what is essentially a
macro in itself. These Macros can then be
"built" by Building
Blocks which spits out pure JavaScript
code. This code in turn can either be copy/pasted
straight into Realsoft 3D, or saved to a
.js file for inclusion under the SCRIPT
menu of Realsoft
3D.
Hence, it opens up all the power of the
Javascript
language support that Realsoft
Oy have put into v4.5, without the
need for any programming background at all
!
Screenshot - Basic Building
Blocks Interface:
The program is broken
into three main windows :
Using the Blocks in the bottom left window,
one simply "adds" these items
to the program, and changes the relevant
properties as required. Its literally a
drag and drop affair - and hides a great
deal of power behind this otherwise simple
interface.
The manual included with the program is
excellent - detailing almost all the features,
and uses 8 "learn by example"
tutorials to help get you started. Shown
below is an excerpt from the manual:
Its somewhat daunting, the amount of macros
available, but Frank has cleverly used a
"search" tool with which to find
the relevant macros you are looking for:
if you want to create an SDS cube for example,
one would search for that to find the macro.
Once you have created your program - one
"builds" the Javascript.
Building Blocks
then generates the necessary Javascript
code, which is generally saved to the //Realsoft3d/Scripting
folder as a Javascript file. These then
appear in Realsoft
3D under the Scripting drop
down menu. This allows you to repeatedly
re-use your macro. Worth mentioning however,
one must click on the Root Directory to
refresh the view before your macro becomes
apparent. eg. my macro created a door frame,
but until one clicks the Root Dir, the objects
are not visible. Once done, there it is.
:)
Its truly a marvel - and allows plebs,
such as myself that have no programming
idea whatsoever, to create Java applications
for Realsoft
3D.
Here is an example of Java as output from
Building Blocks:
| |
// Nudge the object
bb_vect.x += Var;
bb_vect.y += 0;
bb_vect.z += 0;
// Set the updated center
Cube.SetMatrixTranslate( bb_vect );
// Set the name of an object
Cube.SetName("Left Jamb");
// Set the name of an object
my_level.SetName("Door and Frame");
}
// JavaScript program --------------------------------------------------------
{
// Get the Root object
my_parent = GetJS("CurrentProject.Geometrics.Root");
// Call a user function
MakeDoor( .9, 2.1, .1, .04 ); |
After going through all the fantastic tutorials
that Frank has put together, you soon pickup
the power behind the program. Realsoft
is almost like an untapped resource ! Parametric
doors, creating time based explosions -
the list of possibilities that Building
Blocks opens up is phenominal. Its
a definate must have in any 3D users toolkit.
Considering this is a sole effort from
Frank, its a hugely impressive release.
Its taken a great deal of sweat to produce
this application, and the amazing part is,
Frank is releasing it as FREEWARE to all
RS users !
Building Blocks
is set for release on Wednesday, 19th
February, 2003.
Bernie
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