Switch Roto Move Brainbox

This movement Brainbox makes an asset move and change direction when the user taps or clicks the screen.

Brainbox Attributes

To specify the directions, use the Linear Velocity and Angular Velocity attributes.

There are two sections in the attributes: A and B.

• When the asset is created or spawned in the game, it moves in the direction and speed of A.
• When the player taps or clicks the screen, the asset changes its movement direction and speed to B.

Brainbox Node Group

After you add this Brainbox to an asset, a group of nodes is added to the Node Map of the asset containing a UI Button, Switch, and custom Advanced Move nodes.

Move Brainbox

This movement Brainbox makes an asset move in the direction and speed specified by the Speed attribute.

Brainbox Attributes

After you add this Brainbox to an asset, you need to specify the Speed and direction in which the asset should move.

• Speed
  • Enter a numeric value in any of the axis fields to represent the movement direction and speed.
  • The greater the number, the faster the asset will move.
• Direction
  • To make an asset move:
    • Forward, enter a (+) positive value in the Z axis field.
    • Backward, enter a (-) negative value in the Z axis field.
    • Right, enter a (+) positive value in the X axis field.
    • left, enter a (-) negative value in the X axis field.
    • Up, enter a (+) positive value in the Y axis field.
    • Down, enter a (-) negative value in the Y axis field.
  • Also depends on which direction the game camera is facing.
• If you put values in more than one axis, the asset will move in all specified directions.
  • For example, if the Z and X axis fields contain values, the asset will move in a diagonal direction.
• Range
  • To make the asset pick a random axis value, enter a value in any of the range fields to the right.
  • The range value is both added and subtracted to create a minimum and maximum of possible outcomes.
  • For example, if you enter a value of 100 in the Y axis, a value between 50 and 150 will be selected during gameplay.
    |50———-100———-150|
  If you don’t want the asset to rotate in a specific direction, delete the value in any of the axis fields.

The table below shows sample values in the X, Y, and Z axis with their speed and direction.

Nodes in Brainbox group

After you add this Brainbox to an asset, the Move node is added to the Node Map of the asset with the Speed values you’ve specified.

Integrating Custom Ads

If you would like to integrate a different ad network into your game, you must have the following requirements:

• Buildbox Pro subscription.
• Willing to edit Java text files.
• Access to the desired Ad Network’s instructions.

The following section will walk you through how to select the custom ad option before exporting your game.

1. Export your game with a custom SDK.
   1. On the Buildbox menu bar, select File > Project Settings
   2. In the Project Settings window click the Application Store drop-down and select the desired Application Store.
   3. In the Bundle ID field, enter a unique identifier.
   4. Click the SDKs tab.
   5. Select the desired Application Store tab.
   6. Click the Add button and select Custom.
   7. Click OK.
   8. Follow the steps in Export a Game Project to optimize and export your game.
2. Follow the instructions from your ad provider to edit the following files located in your exported game folder.
   
   Android

   In your Android project folder, locate the AdIntegratorInterface.java file.
   app > java > com > buildbox > adapter > custom.
   
   iOS

   In your iOS project folder, locate the CustomAdIntegrator.mm file.
   ios > BBPlayer
   

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.	Keyboard Button Keyboard Controller
Mobile Controls		Allows the player to move an animated platformer asset across a scene using a UI Joystick control.	Receive UI Button Mobile Controller (Custom)
Keyboard Camera Controls		Allows the player to rotate the camera around an animated platformer character with the assigned keyboard buttons.	Keyboard Button Platformer Rotate Camera (Custom)

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.	Ui Button Switch Advanced Move A (Custom) Advanced Move B (Custom)
Step Roto Move		Moves and rotates an asset in a specified direction when the player taps or clicks the screen.	Ui Button Rotation Animation Position Animation
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.	Keyboard Button Collision (If Collide) State Machine Run (Animation) Idle (Animation) Jump (Animation)
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.	Bounce Collision (If Collide) Jump
Jump		Allows players make an asset jump when they tap or click the screen.	Button (Keyboard Button) Jump

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.	Collision (If Collide) Damage (Custom) Defeat Defeat Animation Delay Event
Path Move		Makes an asset move along the path determined by the Start and End points.	Touch Path Move
Trail		Creates a trail that traces along the asset’s movement path in a scene.	Trail

Glue Node

This movement node allows a dynamic asset to stick to another asset when they collide, and can only connect to the If Collide node.

If needed, you can also customize this node. For details, see Customizing Nodes.

Slingshot Node

This action node launches a projectile in a given direction based on how far back the player pulls and aims the asset.

Option	Description
Name	Type a custom name for this node, if needed.
Projectile	Click the edit icon  and select an asset that will serve as the projectile launched from the slingshot. An asset, for example, a 2D image or 3D model of a circle or sphere, that is launched from the This is a required attribute.
Arrow	An asset, for example, an arrow, that will appear when the player pulls the sling. It will show the direction in which the projectile is being aimed. To select an asset, click the edit icon . When done, click Save in the Asset Manager.
Dotted Line Dot	An asset, for example, a dot, that will appear as a series, such as a dotted line, between the projectile and the handle, when the player pulls the sling aiming the projectile. The farther the player pulls the sling, the more dots appear in the line, spaced out as indicated by the Dotted Line Spacing attribute below. To select an asset, click the edit icon.
Handle	An asset that will represent the handle of the slingshot, typically a Y-shaped fork. To select an asset, click the edit icon.
Plane	Select the plane in which the objects appear and across which the projectile travels.
Launch Power	Enter a numeric value to specify the speed and intensity of the projectile when the player releases it. The greater the number, the farther the projectile launches, and the less force the player needs to pull.
Sensitivity	Enter a numeric value to specify the distance between the handle and the projectile. The greater the number, the less the player has to pull.
Flip Vertical	Select the checkbox to make the projectile flip vertically when flying toward the target.
Flip Horizontal	Reverses the horizontal direction that the asset is aiming towards, if checked.
Touch Radius	Enter a numeric value to specify the touch area on the screen around the projectile.
Dotted Line Spacing	Enter a numeric value to specify the space between the dots (the assets specified in the Dotted Line Dot field).
Arrow Distance	Enter a numeric value to specify the distance between the direction arrow and the projectile.

If needed, you can also customize this node. For details, see Customizing Nodes.

Ad Monetization

Introduction

What is Ad Monetization?

Ad Monetization is the use of in-game ads to make money. The more ads served the more money you make. Simple, right?

Why Ad Monetization?

Well, to put it simply, it’s the most popular way to make money off of a free game. While there are other ways to make money off of games (Premium game costs, In-App purchases, etc), ad monetization reigns supreme.

How?

One of the challenges of effective ad monetization is balancing the amount and types of ads in your game with the overall user experience players will have playing it (since you want to make money, but most people won’t like ads interrupting their gaming). Finding that sweet spot will maximize the Lifetime Value (LTV) of your users.

We will get into how to best accomplish this in a minute, but first let’s talk about the different ad placements.

Understanding Ad Placements

• Banner
  Static ads that display at the bottom of the UI screens. They allow players to continue interacting with your game without interruption. Players can click the ad to access an external link or close the ad as desired. 
• Interstitial
  Ads that appear across the entire screen and interrupt the game. Players can click the ad to access an external link or close the ad and continue playing your game. These are generally the most intrusive and have the highest potential to be annoying to users.
• Rewarded Video
  Optional full-screen, skippable videos that players can watch in exchange for a non-liquid, in-app reward after viewing the entire ad. Examples of rewards are: access to new levels, an extra life, continued play, points, coins, or something else without monetary value.

Best Practices

Now that you understand what each of these formats are, let’s talk a little more about how to most effectively use them. Keep in mind that you can either build the game and then place the ads as appropriate when you are done, or you can design your game specifically around the ads you want to monetize on.

• Banner
  • When it comes to banner ads, you can really include them anywhere in your game, just as long as it’s not blocking any User Interface elements or important parts of the screen. In theory, you may be able to accomplish this during gameplay, but generally it’s best to keep these to main menu screens so as not to detract from the overall polish and aesthetic of the game you’ve worked so hard to create. See an example of this in action both on-screen and in BB below. 
• Interstitial
  • These ads are by far the most intrusive and therefore need to be used sparingly, or at least used with a good amount of consideration of where they are placed since these are non-skippable and full screen takeovers. In order to not interrupt players mid-gameplay, these are best utilized on game screen changes (i.e. after a player loses and is transitioning back to the home screen.) See an example of this in action both on-screen and in BB below. 
• Rewarded Video
  • These are by far the most player-approved types of advertisement as they are an opt-in format and they offer a reward. Meaning a player chooses to watch this video in exchange for something. That “something” is entirely up to you, but the following are common usages for this format. Keep in mind that you can utilize these in multiple ways in a single game.
    • Doubling In-Game rewards (daily rewards or end of level rewards)
    • Upon game over, watch a video to continue your life
    • Watch for in-game currency
    • Watch for helpful hints (puzzle games)

Additional information around Best Practices can be found here.

How to Set Up Ad Monetization

So now that we understand the foundation of Ad Monetization, let’s take a look at how we add it to our game using Buildbox.

1. To add banner and interstitial ads, on the Mind Map, select the Start node and/or UI nodes where you want to display the ads.
2. In the Options panels on the right, Select the Banner Ad and/or Interstitial Ad checkboxes.
3. In the Ad Frequency fields, enter the number of times you want the ad to appear. For details, see UI Node Attributes.
4. To add rewarded videos, open the Node Map of the asset that you want to trigger the video and add the Rewarded Video monetization node to it. For details, see Adding Asset Nodes.
5. Create a HyperWallet account so that Buildbox can pay you out for the revenue you generate*
6. When ready, export your project.
7. When you run on device through Android Studio or XCode, you should now see test ads!

*See our Rev Share Details page for more information

That’s it! With Buildbox’s easy ad monetization, just insert ads into your game and Buildbox handles the rest.

• No need to create an account with any ad networks
• No need to add the SDK in the Project Settings page
  • Note: the SDK will not show up in the Project Settings > SDK page unless you choose to add it manually. It is added automatically upon export as long as you have ads in your game.

Note: Buildbox 3 no longer supports the inclusion of AdMob and ironSource via our previous Easy Ad Monetization Solution. Those on Free and Plus plans will have those networks replaced with AdBox for any games that previously included them. If you wish to continue to user AdMob and ironSource, you may do so via the Custom Ad Integration option available in the Pro plan.

If you would like to integrate custom ads into your game, see Custom Ads.

Claiming a Bundle ID

What’s a bundle ID?

A bundle ID is the unique identifier for your game. It is a requirement to put your game on Google Play or the App Store, and can be set in Project Settings. A common pattern for bundle IDs is: com.companyname.gamename

What does it mean to “claim” a bundle ID?

When you export your game, you will be prompted to claim a bundle ID. This is how Buildbox keeps track of the games you’ve exported to pay revenue to your Hyperwallet account.

• You may export as many times as you need on a bundle ID you’ve claimed.
• Bundle IDs are claimed per platform (Android or iOS).
• Bundle IDs must be unique on Google Play/App Store.
  • It is possible to claim a bundle id with Buildbox only to find that it’s already taken on the App Store. In that scenario, you’ll need to change your bundle ID in Project Settings and claim a different one instead.

Attract Node

This action node is typically connected to an If Collide node that triggers it. The Attract node makes the asset move toward the asset specified in an If Collide node.

If needed, you can also customize this node. For details, see Customizing Nodes.