With the new Virtools Scripting Language (VSL), Virtools™ Dev 2.5 is poised to make your interactive 3D production faster and smoother than ever. Dev 2.5 boasts many new features, improved documentation, and numerous optimizations and bug fixes.




New Features of Dev 2.5

Virtools Scripting Language

VSL (Virtools Scripting Language) is a powerful scripting language that complements the Virtools Dev Schematic editor and the Virtools SDK with an intelligent coloring system, context-sensitive completion and function arguments display. VSL scripts can be processed at run-time or in Author mode. VSL offers full debugging mode with breakpoint support, watchable variables with value editing, and step by step debugging (also step into/out support).

• For programmers, VSL is an interface to the SDK from within Dev. With no need to create a C++ project, you can easily and quickly test new ideas and implement custom code, without custom DLLs.
• For scripters, VSL is ideal for replacing complex parameter operations (math calculations, string operations) and creating advanced behavioral scripts.

VSL is also a very efficient way to finalize media, to perform batch operations in just a few lines of script, to achieve innovative visual effects, and more...

Interface

Virtools has added a number of new features to the Dev interface to improve workflow, leaving you free to concentrate on creating outstanding content with game-like interactivity. Some of the highlights:

• Variable Manager that save Virtools Dev default or user-defined settings in a Virtools Dev configuration file or in the composition itself, and Variable Manager values can be referenced in the schematic.
  
  
• Undo of actions in the Schematic and 3D
  transformations in the 3D Layout, with a user-
  definable number of undo steps.
  
  
• Replace: the "Duplicate names found" dialog box allows the replacement of media (Mesh, Material, Character, Character animations, Texture).
  
  And also:
  
• Position and size of the windows (3D layout, Managers, Schematic, Setups) are saved in the composition.
• Creation of multiple links from several Parameter In/Parameter Out from/to multiple local parameters.
• Building Block input/ParameterIn creation when dropping several output on building block/Behavior graph.
• Multiple behavioral link creation: links are created from the behavior inputs/outputs selection.
• Edit priority for multi selection behaviors.
• Scene filter in schematic allows you to see only the scripts that belong to the current scene.
• Attribute and attribute value can be copy/pasted from an object setup to another object setup.
• Fast building block insertion in schematic via a combox box using keyboard completion.
• Multiple shortcut creation from a single local parameter and automatic sharing of similar local parameters via conversion to shortcut.
• Keyboard shortcut (T) to add/remove target
  parameter on selected building blocks.
• Schematic breakpoints are saved with behaviors/script and are copied when copying behaviors/script.
• Schematic Comments size can be reduced to an icon.
• Texture and 2D Sprite system memory caching combo box added in the corresponding setups when using "external" save option.
• Direct script execution without being in Play mode via the contextual menu.

Building Blocks

The most important addition to Dev 2.5 is the VSL building block, but notable addition and modifications include:

• Create Blended Animation 2: a new building block to create blended dynamic or static animation at runtime.
• Multi Collision Detection: building block has been modified
• Unlimited Controller: detection offset setting added to process floor constraint.
• Texture Render: You have the option of copying the texture into system memory to allow saving screenshots for example.
• Floor Slider: Constrain an object to the floor boundaries with a given radius.
  

Documentation

• Each building block documentation has a link to a sample CMO file showing typical use, following its description.
• Better organization of information.
• Sections on Behavioral Objects completed.
• More full fledged demos added to the Virtools Minisite
• Whitepaper section added to the Online Reference covering interactive 3D media topics and technical issues.
  

Rendering Engine

Following up on Dev 2.1's DirectX 8.1 based Rasterizer for the Render Engine:

• Clear and Back To Front times added in the time profiler.
• Texture Stage States cache to avoid redundant calls (DX7, DX8, GL)
• Textures and sprites system memory caching method can be controlled.
• Hint to allow Dynamic Procedural Texture, where available.

SDK

As well as filling in some of the gaps in the SDK documentation, several new possibilities are available to programmers in Dev 2.5. A few examples:

CKTexture and CKSprite: 2 new methods to access the video memory surface pointer: LockVideoMemory / UnlockVideoMemory. CollisionManager::ObstacleBetween method added. CKContext::CreateObject now support "replace" mode. Changed CKAnimation::CreateMergedAnimation to be able to generate dynamic animations. VxFile class added to handle platform independent file access. VxBigFile class added to allow read/save of packed files. VxLog and VxLogListener classes added to ease debugging output. XNTree Class added for n-ary tree, with 2 templates types (internal nodes and leaves). CK_OBJECT_NOTTOBEDELETED flag added: the object will not be deleted at ClearAll. New dynamic cast operator in the CKObject and all derived classes (::Cast)