What are TorqueFolders used for?

#1 'Folders' are at least in part designed for object management purposes. For example, when you load a scene a new Folder is created and the scene's objects are loaded into it. When you unload the scene TX can simply unload everything in the Folder associated with that scene.

Also any dynamically create objects that you create after loading the scene will, by default, be added to the scene's folder - so when you unload the scene it also unloads any dynamically created objects as well.

This is pretty useful default behaviour, although it's also possible to explicitly load stuff into particular folders and create your own folders, etc, which can be very useful sometimes.

For example, it is the case that by default TX nests Folders so that if you load scene A and then load scene B, scene B's objects are now in a Folder that is nested inside scene A's folder. If you then unload scene A it will also unload all of scene B's objects. This isn't always what is wanted so it's very handy to be able to get scene B loaded nested inside a different Folder such as the Root Folder so that it is not unloaded when scene A is unloaded.

#2 Ah ok. That clears up a lot of stuff for me. Any chance there are code samples floating around that shows how to create and use your own folders? I imagine it's something along the lines of :

1. create new folder
2. set the CurrentFolder as root in the object database
3. register new folder
4. set object database's CurrentFolder as the new folder
5. create/load stuff

Does that sound about right?

#3 Yep - that's right:

TorqueFolder folder = new TorqueFolder();
TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.CurrentFolder = TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.RootFolder;
TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.Register(folder);
TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.CurrentFolder = folder;

#4 Thanks!

#5 Isn't it:

2. TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.RootFolder = TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.CurrentFolder;

...instead of:

2. TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.CurrentFolder = TorqueObjectDatabase.Instance.RootFolder;

?

#6 Nope. CurrentFolder is the active folder that TX will automatically put things in. When you Reigister your new Folder it will get nested in whatever folder CurrentFolder is referencing.

Also, RootFolder has no 'setter', because you shouldn't ever be changing the root folder.