Visual style definition

The style definition comes from the "style" files. It defines the appearance of the OpenGL display. VisParams properties are created according to the "prop:" sections in the file.

Framsticks calls user defined functions to create and update the object's visual elements during the simulation.

Each function name is built as follows: "[<element_Vstyle>_]<model_Vstyle>_<element>_<action>"

- action="build" when the visual model is first created (load or create geometry and set initial attributes)
- action="update" each time the visual model is displayed (modify geometry to reflect current position or attributes)

"<element>" refers to the kind of the element being processed (part, joint, neuron, model).
The script can access different objects depending on the kind:
1. part
can access:
- "MechPart" after calling Element.useMechPart()
- "Creature" after calling Element.useCreature()

2. joint
can access:
- "MechJoint" after calling Element.useMechJoint()
- "MechPart" after calling Element.useMechPart1() or Element.useMechPart2()
- "Creature" after calling Element.useCreature()

3. neuro
can access:
- "n" after calling Element.useNeuro()
- "Creature" after calling Element.useCreature()

4. model
can access:
- "Creature" after calling Element.useCreature()

"<element_Vstyle>" and "<model_Vstyle>" are element's and model's Vstyle fields. <element_Vstyle> is omitted when the field is empty. Empty model's Vstyle is replaced with "default". Both <element_Vstyle> and <model_Vstyle> can contain several words separated by "_". This is interpreted as a kind of subclassing, i.e. Framsticks will automatically look for the general version of the function when the specific one is not found. Example:
Assuming a part with Vstyle="green" in a model with Vstyle="food" the following functions will be tried until a match is found:
- green_food_part_...
- food_part_...
- default_part_...
So if the experiment requests visualizing some element as "green food" but the visual style only defines generic form of "food", Framsticks will automatically choose the best available visualization.

Creature
The object inside the simulated world, including its physical structure, neural network and performance data.
Element
Information about current visual element: Part, Joint or Neuro.
GeomBuilder
Scene graph access (build and manipulate the 3d object tree)
GL
OpenGL constants used in GeomBuilder and Material functions.
j
Loader
Loads 3d objects files.
m
Material
Manipulate 3d objects surface properties (Material objects can be associated with geometry nodes).
MechJoint
Current joint properties during the simulation
MechPart
Current part properties during the simulation
n
p
Scene
Additional properties to be used in the current view, currently only the background settings
VertexBuilder
VisParams
VisualModel
Visual representation of the Creature object.
VisualStyle
World
Environment properties.
WorldMap
Environment details for "Blocks" and "Heightfield" world type.

Global context

Experiment definition

Visual style definition