TX 3D Builder open Beta *Feedback Only* thread

#1 Regarding license keys, I am not sure if this is a bug or not, but the offline key doesnt seem to let me past. Are we supposed to use the offline key or our torquex 2.0 key?

nm, I figured it out :P

#2 No ignition keys have been created for the Beta. Unfortunately, that means you will need to click through the prompt screen each time you start the 3D Builder. Other Torque X or Builder or Creators Club Keys you have been assigned are not intended (and shouldn't work) for this release.

John K.

#3 So here is a short feedback after testing the TorqueX 3D Builder for a few days.
As I already tried editing the .txscene files by hand I couldn't await the 3D builder.
Using it is a lot easier and more comfortable to me. But I also have a few suggestions
to improve it. I hope I'm not sounding to arrogant to you and I always used the
right vocabulary to make things clear. So lets go:

Unfortunately in this beta version it is not possible to adjust the position of the
different views. Switching between Scene Explorer, Properties and Asset Browser as they
are positioned in the default layout feels not very comfortable after a while.
It would be better if I could select an object in the Scene Explorer and directly
see its properties without switching to another view.

Two main features I missed working with the builder are keyboard shortcuts and an undo button.
I guess it is not easy to implement the latter but it would be a great help. Maybe an undo for
a few steps is also possible?!?

So now to the different sections of the editor. As I also own the TGE 1.4.2 some
ideas suggestions may sound familiar to you:

3D Scene View
- the gizmo feels a bit uncomfortable. I guess this has something to do with the sensitivity
of the camera which I already mentioned in another bug thread. Furthermore it sometimes feels
a little slow to me: after getting with the mouse pointer over an axis of the gizmo there is a
small delay until it is highlighted.

- the appearence of the boundig box is a bit to "bright" for me. Especially when there are big
objects with big bounding boxes everytime my mouse pointer gets into their "range" the bounding
box appears and disappears in the next moment when my mouse leaves their range. I guess if there
are a lot of objects in a scene this can become very confusing.

- one solution for the last point maybe that it is possible for the user to adjust the range
in which objects respectively there bound boxes are highlighted. I remember there was such a
feature in the TGE world creator.

- how about the possibility to lock objects? So in a large scene editing may become easier

- multiple selection may also be usefull

- what I liked in the TGE editors was the possibity to switch the camera between a free camera
and a camera attached to a player object so that during editing the level the user can jump
to a "player" camera and immediately test how the level "feels"

Properties View
- are all properties of the components displayed here? I guess there are a view more

- can the properties be grouped by some categorie?

- when editing the properties by hand/keyboard it would be helpful if pressing the TAB-Key
switchs the cursor to the next editable property

Components
- how can I add my own components to the 3D Builder?

- is there an easier way to remove components? Why not offer a button for this?

- it is very diffucult to keep a clear view over all components of a torque object when
they are all listed in this list box. How about listing all components among each other?
And isn't it possible that components can hold other components or am I wrong in this point?
If not wouldn't a tree structure be reasonable?

- what about such things as animations? I'm thinking of something like the following xml
I copied from a .txscene file of the fps demo:

<AnimationComponent type="GarageGames.Torque.T3D.T3DAnimationComponent">
  <SceneGroupName>PlayerMesh</SceneGroupName>
  <Animations>
     <Animation type="GarageGames.Torque.T3D.TSTrackAnimation">
     <SequenceName>look</SequenceName>
     <ThreadName>LookThread</ThreadName>
     <TrackInterfaceName>lookHeight</TrackInterfaceName>
  </Animation>
</AnimationComponent>

Can this part also be edited in the 3D Builder?

Asset Browser
- what is the relationship of the part "My Project Assets" to the content of the Visual Studio project?
I didn't get this. Are they the same? What am I doing if I Import Assets to my project? Are they added
to me visual studio project too?

- is the list of Torque X Objects fix or can I add some of my own objects to them and when how?

- the list of textures in the material editor is uncomfortable. I would prefer a tree structure here

Scene Explorer
- when deleting an object in the Scene Explorer why do I have to press the Refresh button?
Can the refresh event not be triggered automaticly when I deleted an object?

- when having many objects this linear view can become confusing. Can I add virtual folders here
to group differen objects like simgroups or can I use folders?

Scene Level Data
- does a kind of syntax check make sense for the .txscene file when I edit this by hand?

- it would be nice if the xml-editor would behave like the editor in visual studio. First of
all the collapse and expand of the sections

At the end some questions about the possibilty to generate plugins:
What kind of plugins can I expect here? Would it be possible for the
user to write plugins for lets say a particle editor or a kind of water block?

Don't get this list of suggestions or criticism personal. I couldn't have it done better.
3D Builder is going to be a very useful tool and if I as a possible customer have the
opportunity to help you to improve it I should take this change ;-)
Hope this helped.

Thorsten

#4 I have 0 days left In TXB 3D Beta and It doesn't let me In until I enter Reg Key.