If you’re artist who is not that into coding (just yet!), but you still want to create Archimatix Pro (AX) runtime behaviors, well, you can in version 1.0.6 and later!

While Archimatix parameters can be exposed to the interface of your model, allowing easy access to them via custom game scripts, you may also use  Unity’s built-in UI system or assets like PlayMaker to control the values of AX parameters with the help of an easy to create runtime controller.

Let’s jump right into a short example to show rather than tell! While you can control any manner of complex and sublime models you have created in AX using runtime parameters, in this example, we will keep it simple and just adjust the height of a Box at runtime using a UI Slider. For this example, we won’t eve use the Node Graph Editor.

Step 1. From the Unity menus, create an Archimatix Box.

Step 2. Select the Box in the Scene.

Step 3. In the Inspector choose to expose the Height parameter as a runtime parameter by clicking the checkbox to the left of the parameter name.

Step 4. Note that the Height parameter has appeared in the list of the model’s runtime parameters.

The exposed runtime variables are easy to use in any game script, but they can also be easily made  available for binding to Unity’s UI system, PlayMaker, or any other system that connects to dynamic variables. All we have to do is create an AXRuntimeController asset. Fortunately, this is done with the click of a button!

Step 5. Make sure the AXModel GameObject is selected.

Step 6. Click on the “Create Runtime Controller” button.

Step 7. Save the new controller file anywhere  in your Asset folder.

You’ve done it!

You now have an Asset that connects to Archimatix’s runtime parameters and serves as a source for for Unity’s UI system, PlayMaker, etc. When choosing a connection, use the runtimeController asset you just created as your source of variables.

You may not have realized it, but by clicking that button, you 1. created a GameObject in the AXModel hierarchy and 2. added a new component to it, the runtimeController asset you created.

If you select other parameters in your AX model to become exposed as runtime parameters, just click the “Create Runtime Controller” button again. This time it will not ask you to locate the file, but just overwrite the one you have already created.

Now let’s take a look at how we can connect your new controller to Unity’s UI.

Step 8. Create a UI Slider. Adjust its Max Value to 10.

Step 9. Add an Action to the Slider.

Step 10. Unfold the Box model, click on the Slider in the Hierarchy and drag the runtimeController to the ObjectField in the Slider Inspector.

Step 11.  For the Function pulldown in the Slider Inspector, choose your controller and the Box_Height variable.

By Jove! You’ve done it again!

You have just empowered your game interface to do runtime modeling! Check it out!

Step 12. Check your UI to make sure the Slider is visible in the Game View. Click Play and manipulate the Slider. The Box height should be adjusting as you move the Slider.

Runtime Archimatix is available in version 1.0.5 -full documentation  coming soon!

With Runtime Archimatix available only in Archimatix Pro, you can create in-game interactive modelers of your own design. A good example is the Spaceship Shop demo scene included in Archimatix Pro. In this demo, you can use the in-game UI to deliver simple modeling functionality, such as changing the shape of the hull with runtime handles, choosing the engine type and size, as well as sizing and positioning the weapons. Such a shop could be part of a game or its own independent application.

Other examples might include in-game house construction, maze design and, well, anything you can dream up! By creating such runtime applications, you not only make environment and prop building simple, fun and thematic, but also generate opportunities for in-app purchases that go beyond the acquisition of modular inventory items.

In its first iteration, runtime Archimatix (AX) allows you to control AX parameters from your runtime scripts. This means that you can connect your  runtime UI to an AX model and control it in a way that works with your game design. For example, if your player can spend game dollars to build a house, then they can size the house interactively while watching the cost of the house vary with the floor area of the building.

To facilitate this, AX has an “Expose” checkbox under each parameter in the node palette. Once you check that, the parameter will be displayed in the Inspector for the AXModel. With the variable exposed at the model level, your script can easily access the variable to get and set its value.

In order to modify these parameters in runtime, you need a reference to the AXModel (a Component of a GameObject in your scene). In your MonoBehavior, add a public member of type AXModel:

using AX;

public class GrayShipDesigner : MonoBehaviour {

    public AXModel model;

}

After doing this, you can drag the AXModel aGameObject into the ObjectField in your runtime script. With this reference to the parametric model, you can get and set the parameters that you have promoted put to the model interface. When you set these parameters, they will ripple their value change throughout the graph based on the Relations you have established between parameters.

To make your code more readable, it may be good to set up references to the parameters so they are easier to get to:

using AX;

public class GrayShipDesigner : MonoBehaviour {

    public AXModel model;

    public AXParameter P_Radius;
    public AXParameter P_Channel;

}

In the Start function, you can establish these parameter references using the getParameter function. This function uses the name you have given the parameter in the graph to find the parameter:

 // Use this for initialization
 void Start () {

    // Establish refernces to AXModel parameters.

    if (model != null)
    {
        P_Channel = model.getParameter("Engine.Channel");
        P_Radius  = model.getParameter("Engine.radius");
    }
}

   

To modify the parameters you have a reference to, use AXParameter.intiateRipple_setFloatValueFromGUIChange(floats value) and then let the model know you are ready to have the changes regenerate the model while dragging with model.isAltered() or after UI edits are complete with model.autobuild().

 // Example of a UI callback function. This could be a delegate of a Slider that controls the radius. 

 public void radiusSliderUpdate(float val)
 {
    // Set the value of the parameter and let this change ripple through the network of Relations

    P_Radius.initiatePARAMETER_Ripple_setFloatValueFromGUIChange(val);


    // Let the model know that you are done making your changes,
    // but not necessarily to create new game objects.
    // isAltered() is often called during a repetitive change such as with a slider.

    model.isAltered();

     // Other relevant game state changes not necessarily related to Archimatix 
     
     radius = val;
     recalculate();
 }

   
 public void engineTypeDropdownUpdate()
 {
     // Set the value of the parameter and let this change ripple through the network of Relations

    P_Channel.initiatePARAMETER_Ripple_setFloatValueFromGUIChange(engineTypeDropdown.value);



    // Tell the model to rebuild its GameObjects. 
    // autobuild() is often called after a Dropdown or Checkbox UI is modified.
    
    model.autobuild();

    // Other relevant game state changes not necessarily related to Archimatix

    recalculate();
 }

That’s all that you need to get started with runtime Archimatix! There will be full API published eventually as well as some example scenes.