glyph tutorial #1

Creating a labeled model viewer in glyph

Part One: Models

  • Find an .OBJ file of any model you'd like to investigate for this demo (if you'd like here's a link to a download of a ****** model) . While Glyph should be able to accommodate most models in the scope of it's own editing, keep in mind, more simple models are much more likely to run smoothly in the YURT/CAVE.

  • Launch Glyph.exe, and select your Unity launch options to start the program.

  • Add a new 'Model Object' in the Object Hierarchy

  • Select your new object in the hierarchy to edit it, the inspector panel on the right hand side is how we will edit our object properties.

  • Change it's name in the topmost 'Name' panel to something sensible for the object,

  • Browse for your file to upload by clicking the load symbol next to 'Filename' in the 'Model' panel

  • Scale your Object to a manageable size (The editing box is the CAVE to scale, an 8' cube. Every unit of motion is a foot) in the 'Transform' panel, try to make it about 3x3ft large.

Part Two: Labeling

  • Add a label by adding a new 'Text Object' in the Object Hierarchy, editing the text value, and then positioning the text in 3D space alongside the region you'd like it to label

  • Navigate the scene in 3D space using Unity controls (Scroll - Zoom, Middle Mouse+Drag- Pan, Alt+Drag- Rotate )

Part Three: Grouping

  • Navigate to the 'Groups' Tab in the Hierarchy Inspector

  • Add a new Group and name it 'Labels'

  • In the Inspector Panel add your Text Labels to the Group

Part Four: Actions

  • Add two more Text Objects in the Object Hierarchy

  • Give them the Text context "Zoom" and "Minimize" and name them similarly

  • Place them on top of one another near the base of your model, I would suggest scaling them to be larger than your labels as well, these Text Objects will function as buttons.

  • To the "Zoom" Object

    • Enable 'On Click'

    • Add Action: [YourObj] Set Scale to [3-5x] over Duration 0s

    • Add Action: [Label Group] Set Visibility to False over Duration 0s

    • Add Action: [Minimize] Set Visibility to True over Dutation 0s

    • Add Action: [Zoom] Set Visibility to False over Duration 0s

  • To the "Minimize Object"

    • Uncheck 'Visible'

    • Add Action: [YourObj Set Scale to [Original] over Duration 0s

    • Add Action: [Label Group] Set Visibility to True over Dutation 0s

    • Add Action: [Zoom] Set Visibility to True over Duration 0s

    • Add Action: [Minimize] Set Visibility to False over Dutation 0s

Part Five: Finishing Up

  • Press the Play button in the upper right to test your file in the external renderer

  • When played, you should be able to walk around your labeled model- and be able to press 'Zoom' to enlarge your model around you (dissapearing the labels). Minimize' should appear, which undoes this effect

  • Fix any errors if your file isn't operating correctly in the renderr

  • If it is, simply hit File>Save As to save your .XML file

  • Upload your .XML file to the CAVE or YURT to see it in VR!