Brainboxes™

Brainboxes allow you to add predefined gameplay features and functionalities such as data, motion, and outcomes to an asset with just a click or two, instead of adding and linking individual nodes and defining the logic.

There are three main categories of Brainboxes:

  • Advanced Platformer—allows the player to control a 3D animated character.
  • Movement—makes an asset move on its own or allow the player to control its movement.
  • Physics—makes an assets move naturally  as if affected by gravity.
  • Other—miscellaneous Brainboxes that, for example, define what happens to an asset when it collides with other objects.

To add a Brainbox to an asset:

  1. In a World workspace, in the Asset panel, select an asset.
  2. In the Options panel, click the Add Brainbox button on the bottom.
  3. Click a Brainbox you want to add.

After you add a Brainbox to an asset, its attributes appear in the Options panel where users can adjust their values as needed.

Each Brainbox also has its own set of nodes that make up its functionality.

  • On the Node Map of an asset, the added Brainbox appears as a group of nodes in a black box.
  • Some of the nodes may have custom scripts written specifically for these Brainboxes.
  • To move a group of nodes that make up a Brainbox, click the black box and drag it to the desired location.

For details on accessing the Node Map and adding nodes to it, see Node Map Workspace.

Click any of the sections below to see the Brainboxes in their respective categories. To preview them, hover your mouse over the image. It also lists the nodes that determine their functionality.

Advanced Platformer
Name Image Description Nodes Used
Animated Platformer Provides the asset with a set of 3D animations that play depending on player actions. Also provides a set of movement restrictions as well as determine how high the asset is able to jump.
  • Signal Invert
  • Keyframe Animation
  • Sub Scene
  • Animated 3D Movement (Custom)
  • Falling State Detector (Custom)
  • Advanced Jump (Custom)
  • Advanced Control System (Custom)
Keyboard Controls Allows the player to move an animated platformer asset with the W, A, S, D and arrow keys on their keyboard.
Mobile Controls Allows the player to move an animated platformer asset across a scene using a UI Joystick control.
Keyboard Camera Controls Allows the player to rotate the camera around an animated platformer character with the assigned keyboard buttons.
Movement
Name Image Description Nodes Used
Move Makes an asset move in the specified direction. Move
Advanced Move Makes a static asset move when the player taps or clicks the screen. Or makes a moving asset change direction when colliding with another asset or when the player taps or clicks the screen.
  • Collision (If Collide)
  • Signal Filter
  • Advanced Move (Custom)
Switch Roto Move Makes an asset move and change direction when the user taps or clicks the screen. To specify the directions, use the Linear Velocity and Angular Velocity attributes.
Step Roto Move Moves and rotates an asset in a specified direction when the player taps or clicks the screen.
Rotate Makes an asset rotate in a specified direction.

Rotate
Side Move Allows the player to change the position of the asset by dragging it across the screen with either a finger or mouse. Touch Move
Physics
Name Image Description Nodes Used
Platformer Allows the player to make the asset move and jump with their keyboard. Also provides the asset with animations that play when the asset moves and jumps.
Friction Applies friction or resistance to an asset when it is affected by gravity or moving across a surface. Friction (Custom)
Bounce Makes an asset bounce off a surface.
Jump Allows players make an asset jump when they tap or click the screen.
Other
Name Image Description Nodes Used
Damage Allows an asset to take damage when colliding with an enemy. Damage (Custom)
Health Gives the asset Hit Points, or a health amount that determines when an asset is defeated. Also determines what happens when an asset has been damaged and defeated.
Path Move Makes an asset move along the path determined by the Start and End points.
Trail Creates a trail that traces along the asset’s movement path in a scene. Trail