Index

Space Index

0-9 ... 1 A ... 23 B ... 1 C ... 49 D ... 11 E ... 13
F ... 4 G ... 28 H ... 23 I ... 15 J ... 0 K ... 1
L ... 5 M ... 33 N ... 6 O ... 3 P ... 8 Q ... 0
R ... 9 S ... 28 T ... 34 U ... 18 V ... 51 W ... 4
X ... 0 Y ... 0 Z ... 0 !@#$ ... 0    

0-9

Page: 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator Mouse Mappings
Vortex® Studio Editor provides support for the SpaceNavigator mouse by 3Dconnexion. Support in the Editor is built-in as long as the application configuration contains the SpaceNavigator module. See also USB Devices User Guide The following is the mapping

A

Page: Adaptive Cables
Cables in Vortex® are represented as a sequence of parts and constraints (or joints). The joints are configured such that, in sequence, they behave like a compliant cable with certain user-provided material properties. For more information on how to choos
Page: Adaptive Feature Controller
The Adaptive Feature Controller allows you to precisely adjust the shadow production, as well as the quality of mirrors, monitors and ocean reflections in a simulation. This lets you balance performance and realism in the scene. In the Properties panel, c
Page: Adding a Buoy
image2020-10-13_10-27-32.pngIn marine scenarios, you might want to add invisible buoy markers used to retrieve water height displacement. For example, this information can be useful when simulating features like bow waves or other similar effects. The oce
Page: Adding a Decal Controller
image2020-10-13_10-29-8.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add a texture that is rendered on top of the ocean mesh. This texture, called a decal, follows the ocean waves. To add a decal: Select Marine in the Toolbox. Double-click Decal to add it, or drag it
Page: Adding a Hull Wake
image2020-10-13_10-25-34.pngThe Wake Effect extension is used to create a hull wake wave on the ocean. The hull wake effect is simulated by moving the extension and generating particles. To render a proper hull wake, its parameters require some adjustment
Page: Adding a Propeller Effect
image2020-10-13_10-32-36.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add a propeller backwash effect. To add a propeller effect: Select Marine in the Toolbox. Click Propeller Effect and drag it into the 3D View. In the Properties panel, configure the following fields
Page: Adding a Splash Controller
image2020-10-13_10-34-5.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add a controller that drives multiple decals to simulate a splash effect. Through a connection, you can associate the splash controller's outputs to the decals' inputs. Thus, every time a splash is t
Page: Adding a Thruster
image2020-10-13_10-34-54.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add a thruster to drive marine vehicles, converting propeller rotation motion into thrust force in newtons (N). The Thruster extension provides the ability to use an RPM-to-force table that defines
Page: Adding an Imposter
image2020-10-13_10-40-44.pngLearn how to clip the water plane, to prevent it from filling the inside of a ship with water. The Ocean feature in Vortex® generates an infinite plane. This plane is usually at zero meters of altitude and cuts through any geom
Page: Adding an Ocean Object
image2020-10-13_10-23-44.pngIn Vortex® Studio Editor, you can add an ocean to your scene which contains the dynamics and graphical extensions. To add an ocean: If you are not already in the Scene editor, either open an existing scene or create a new one.
Page: Adding an Ocean Wake
image2020-10-13_10-27-8.pngLearn how to add a disturbed water pattern behind ships. (Mechanism only) Follow these steps to add an ocean wake extension to your mechanism: If you are not already in the Mechanism editor, either open an existing mechanism or
Page: Adding Extensions
572_extensions.pngThis section describes how to extend and add additional functionality by using the built in extensions. There are a number of extensions that are available by default in Vortex® , such as the default joystick extension, a custom shader,
Page: Adding Ocean Propeller Wash
image2020-10-13_10-29-43.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add an ocean disruption as caused by the craft's ocean propeller. To add ocean propeller wash: Select Marine in the Toolbox. Double-click Ocean Propeller to add it, or drag it into the desired locat
Page: Adding Rotor Wash
image2020-10-13_10-33-2.pngIn marine scenarios, you can add a rotor wash effect, e.g., to simulate the effect a helicopter propeller would have on the surface of the ocean. To add rotor wash: Select Marine in the Toolbox. Double-click Rotor Wash to add it
Page: Adding UI Pages
To support UI pages with graphical controls, displays, and dialogs, Vortex Studio relies on Qt Designer https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtdesigner-manual.html. To show these pages in the console, the system relies on the Qt module. When you set up the Console exte
Page: Animating Using Waypoints
148_animating_custom.pngAnimating an object along a pre-defined path is a common task in many simulation scenarios. To help level designers with this task, Vortex® Studio offers a waypoint-based animation extension that outputs a smooth path along those w
Page: Art Best Practices
124_art_best.pngThe following guidelines are meant to help you conform your models to work within the limits of Vortex® Studio. A simulated scene is composed of many elements: the main vehicle or mechanism being simulated, the environment around it, and a
Page: Artist Guide
658_palette.pngGraphical artists can create complex graphical assets that help in the simulation of real world object. The Artist Guide provides a comprehensive resource for artists to design exceptional assets that can be exported into Vortex® Studio. Gr
Page: Artist Guide Overview
105_getting_started.pngThis topic provides an overview of the graphics pipeline and creation guidelines, as well as the preparation and optimization of graphic assets. Graphics are an important part of the simulation. However, care must be taken to optimi
Page: Artist Quick Start
The following list shows the typical workflow for a 3D artist working with Vortex® Studio to create, import, and work with graphical assets. A step-by-step, hands-on tutorial is available for the Graphics Gallery. You can also dive straight into the gener
Page: Assemblies
AssemblyIconBigInverted.pngAn assembly contains the basic objects for dynamic simulation: parts, constraints and graphics. Assemblies can also contain nested assemblies, which are then referred to as sub-assemblies for clarity. Assemblies simplify the cre
Page: Asset Browser
The Asset Browser is a file navigation feature that makes it easier to find Vortex compatible content and insert them in your simulation. The Asset Browser is shown in Vortex Editor Home page where it is used to open any Vortex document for edition. It ca
Page: Attachments
900_attachments.pngYou can attach assemblies in mechanisms or mechanisms together in the scene by using attachments. Attachment points define the location on the part where it will be joined to another body. You can define multiple attachment points in a

B

Page: Backward Compatibility Tutorial
Name Location ExBackwardCompatibility <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExBackwardCompatibility This project is a plugin. It shows how to use the VxSim::IExtension callbacks related to serialization and backward compatibility Serialization is

C

Page: C++ Tutorial 1: Plugins
This module explains how users can write their own plugins for Vortex Studio to add custom objects that can be used to build mechanisms or scenes. Requirements Participants must have some basic C/C++ training before taking this training module. To be able
Page: C++ Tutorial 2: Integrating in a Third-Party Application
Vortex Studio applications can be integrated with third-party applications using various methods. This module covers how the entire Vortex Studio Dynamics engine can be integrated into a C++ application. Requirements Participants must have some basic C/C+
Page: C++ Tutorial 3: Additional Examples
Tutorials Backward Compatibility Tutorial Collision Detector Tutorial Constraint Tutorials Content Creation Tutorial Content Parsing Tutorial Content Update Tutorial Devices Tutorial Dynamics Extension Tutorial Graphics Model Connections Tutorial Keyboard
Page: C++ Tutorials
560202087.gif This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum shows how Vortex Studio applications can be integrated with third-party applications using two methods: by adding plugins or by integrating within a third-party application.
Page: Cable Systems
732_cable.pngThe Cable Systems extensions allow you to use the Vortex Studio Editor to create a cable system definition in which a series of point definitions you specify and attach to existing parts make up its segment definitions. Cable systems hoist, l
Page: Cables Tutorial 1 : Creating a Cable System
This tutorial includes video content: In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Cable Systems add-on by adding a cable to an existing mechanism and altering the physical parameters of the cable system. Cable systems can be part of mechanisms and sc
Page: Cables Tutorial 2 : Creating Hooks and Loops
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use hook and loop groups to attach and detach objects during runtime. We will define attachment points, create hook and loop groups, and define the logic required to connect and disconnect them following user input.
Page: Cables Tutorial 3 : Spline Cables
In this training module, you will learn how to add a spline to a Flexible Generic Cable. The cable we will use is the tether of the ROV system of the Offshore Demo Scene. You'll notice that the cable dynamics and graphics have already been defined. To lea
Page: Cables Tutorials
image2020-10-6_11-53-15.png This section of the Vortex® Studio training curriculum is about Cable Systems.
Page: Cameras
Cameras are the devices that renders the scene to the display. There are the following types of cameras in Vortex® Studio: To attach a camera in a mechanism Using the Connection Container feature, connect the parent transform of the camera (as an input) a
Page: CANopen Controls User Guide
146-CANbus_63x63.pngThis section offers information about deploying and validating an application that uses the 3rd party library ESACANopenPRO.dll. System Setup Vortex® Studio relies on the PCAN-USB hardware dongle, manufactured by PEAK-System, to interf
Page: CANopen Device Specifications
The system supports the following CANopen devices: HCMS8 Specification This plug-in is developed for a joystick based on the HCMS8 controller. Specification Name HCMS8 Default Node ID 0x49 Communication Baudrate 250 kbps Data Byte Ordering Little Endian P
Page: Catenary Cables
A catenary cable are cable where segments of the cable shape follow a curve, or catenary shape, because of a force field such as gravity, buoyancy field, or current flow. The shape and number of segment of the catenary cables can be defined in the editor
Page: Changing the Number of Wheels on Flexible Tracks
To add or remove a new wheel definition to the wheel list of a flexible track, follow these instructions: From the Explorer panel, click on the vehicle Flexible track extension. In the Properties panel, under the Parameters header, expand Left Track. Expa
Page: Collision Detection Technical Notes
In Vortex®, objects themselves do not actually collide, but rather a collision is detected when their associated collision geometries overlap. For performance, smoothness and stability, these geometries are typically simpler in shape and complexity than a
Page: Collision Detector Tutorial
Name Location ExCollisionDetector <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExCollisionDetector This tutorial shows how to create extensions that can be used later in a scene or a mechanism to monitor contacts between an intersection sensor (the objec
Page: Collision Geometries
A part on its own does not have volume. Therefore, it cannot collide with other elements in a scene. For this reason, collision geometries must be added to allow rigid body interactions. When creating parts, you can add primitive geometric shapes, such as
Page: Collision Geometry Holes
Basic Concepts Holes are special collision geometries that can be combined with regular collision geometries in order to create a hole inside the latter. Three shapes of holes are available: Spherical, Cylindrical and Box holes. Here is an example of a b
Page: Collision Rules
930_collision.pngBy default, everything with collision geometry collides, but you can specify which pairs should not collide with each other by setting collision detection rules. These rules can be established for mechanisms, assemblies, parts or collisio
Page: Configuration Object
337_installation.pngThis section describes how to configure objects that stores a set of desired, non-default values for other objects in a mechanism or scene. A configuration is an object that stores a set of desired, non-default values for other objects
Page: Configuring Hardware Displays
Configuring a Simple Image Generator The following steps describe how to set up a simple desktop simulator with a single physical monitor. Creating a Setup File Create a new Setup file. Select Modules from the Toolbox. Add a Graphics Module OSG module by
Page: Configuring Pages for Selecting Simulation Content to Run
Prerequisites: Before you can set up Console pages, you must know the .vxscene files you want users to be able to run. Console pages are designed to let you launch scenes for multiple types of equipment. To organize content so that users can select the sc
Page: Configuring the Vehicle's Dynamics
000_vehicle_dynamics.pngThis procedure describes how to connect the power-train to the chassis, which is a crucial step in setting up your vehicle properly. Open the mechanism where you have defined the vehicle and added a vehicle preset for it if it is n
Page: Configuring Viewports
In the 3D View, you can configure viewports to modify an object in perspective or orthographic views. You can view objects through one, two, three, or four viewports. For example, this is one viewport configuration that displays four views in equal propor
Page: Connecting Track Idlers and Sprockets
These steps describe how to associate the graphics representation of a track idler and sprocket to the Vehicle Systems power-train. In the Explorer panel, under the Vehicle preset container, click Dynamic Component. In the Properties panel, under the Left
Page: Connecting Wheels to a Graphical Node for a Flexible Track
These steps describe how to associate the graphics representation of an individual wheel in a flexible track to the Vehicle Systems powertrain. In the Explorer panel, click the Connection Editor folder to open the Connection Editor. If there is no Connect
Page: Connection Editor
96_connections.pngConnections are mappings between parameters that are internal to Vortex® and parameters that are piped into Vortex through an extension. Only inputs can be connected as Inputs and only outputs an be connected as Outputs in the Connection
Page: Console Extension, Module, and Page Reference
Depending on the pages and features you want to include in the user interface, you must and add different modules, extensions, and pages to your setup file. Some modules and extensions are required for the interface to function properly. You can add the f
Page: Constraint Tutorials
Name Location Constraint <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExConstraint Generic Constraint <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExGenericConstraint The main focus of the ExConstraint tutorial is to demonstrate how to use some constrai
Page: Constraint Types
This section lists the types of constraints that are available in Vortex®. Angular 1 Position 3 The "Angular 1 Position 3" is a general purpose two-part constraint, which is similar in nature to a Hinge or a Cylindrical but with additional positional cont
Page: Constraints
Constraints operate on one or more parts to restrict their relative range of motion. Depending on the type of constraint, there may only be one coordinate that can be controlled (for example, the Hinge joint); or there are multiple controllable coordinate
Page: Contact Materials
159_materials.pngIn Vortex®, the contact material defines the behavior when two materials collide. A mechanism has various materials; for example, in a vehicle mechanism, the wheels are made of rubber, the chassis of steel, and the bumpers of plastic. ima
Page: Content Creation Tutorial
Name Location Content Creation <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExContentCreation This tutorial provide an example to create content with code. Is this tutorial, a rover is built, is connected to a joystick and rolls on a plane. It showcases
Page: Content Creation Tutorial (Python 2)
Name Location Content Creation <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\VortexPython2\PyContentCreation\PyContentCreation.py This tutorial provide an example to create content with code. It is the python 2 equivalent of the C++ Content Creatio
Page: Content Creation Tutorial (Python 3)
Name Location Content Creation <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PycontentCreation\ContentCreation.py This tutorial provide an example to create content with code. It is the python 3 equivalent of the C++ Content Creation Tutoria
Page: Content Parsing Tutorial
Name Location ExContentParsing <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExContentParsing This tutorial provide an example to read and parse content with code. Is will open a Vortex Content file such as a Scene, a Mechanism or an Assembly and will rec
Page: Content Parsing Tutorial (Python 2)
Name Location PyContentParsing <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\VortexPython2\PyContentParsing\PyContentParsing.py This tutorial provide an example to read and parse content with code. Is will open a Vortex Content file such as a Scene
Page: Content Parsing Tutorial (Python 3)
Name Location PyContentParsing <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PyContentParsing\ContentParsing.py This tutorial provide an example to read and parse content with code. Is will open a Vortex Content file such as a Scene, a Mecha
Page: Content Update Tutorial
Name Location ExContentUpdate <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExContentUpdate This tutorial demonstrates how to read, update and copy content from code. It is meant to update and modify the Rover created during Tutorials ExContentCreation. S
Page: Control Interface
308-steering-wheel.pngThis section describes how to enhance your simulation with predefined device systems. At the Mechanism or Scene level, Control Interfaces facilitate communication between content in the Editor and hardware inputs. The Control Interfa
Page: Creating a Mirror
In this tutorial, you will learn how to add a mirror to a mechanism in Vortex® Studio Editor. This tutorial is based on a 3ds Max model seen in the first step, below. Task Action References Detach mirror In 3ds Max, detach the mirror surface from the rest
Page: Creating a Setup File for the Console Interface
Application setup files (.vxc extension) let you define your simulator application in the Vortex Studio interface. An external application for running the simulator (such as SimApp) parses the file and automatically uses it to configure the application. T
Page: Creating a Vehicle from a Vehicle Preset
622_vehicle_preset.pngVortex® Studio provides a library of Vehicle Preset that are representative of different class of vehicles such as wheeled vehicle, rigid or flexible tracked vehicle along with a set of combination of different drivetrains Note Befor
Page: Creating Mechanical Content
849_definingsim.pngThis section shows the typical workflow for a mechanical engineer working with Vortex® Studio to import 3D models, create parts and constraints, and work with simulated mechanisms and scenes. Vortex Studio Dynamics Capabilities Vortex S
Page: Creating User Interfaces (UI)
sim_icon_console.pngThis topic describes how to create custom user interfaces (UI). Vortex Studio is installed with several pre-configured pages that you can add to the existing UI of Vortex Editor, Vortex Player or Vortex Console. You can also add pages
Page: Custom Licensing
93_advanced_64x63.pngThis topic covers some licensing situations that apply to custom use cases. Setting a Custom License Path During a typical installation, the license file is stored at the default path of C:/CM Labs/Licenses (for Windows) or /opt/cmlab
Page: Customizing the Cable's Appearance
This procedure explains how to customize the appearance of a cable system. From the Explorer, click the Graphics property icon under Cable Systems folder. The properties now appear in the Properties Panel. image2020-10-9_16-12-7.png Configure the followin
Page: Customizing Your Workspace
You can customize the layout of your workspace by changing the viewport configuration, closing panels you do not need or displaying additional panels. You can also pin and unpin panels. The following shows the icons used for performing these actions. Refe
Page: Cutting Cables
In some situations, it might be necessary to have cables sever when they make contact with another object. You can achieve this result by using the Dynamics Cutting Tool extension. Note Only flexible segments can be cut. A grabbed cable will be released i

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Page: Defining the Appearance of a Track
Unlike rigid tracks which use a graphic asset to represent the track itself, flexible tracks need to move and bend like a flat cable running over a variable number of road wheels. For this reason, flexible tracks have a special set of Graphics parameters
Page: Deformable Terrain
image2020-10-9_16-42-42.png Learn about a terrain similar to the Earthwork Zone, but that is built to achieve better performance on large deformable areas. Deformable Terrains are used to define a terrain that can be deformed or piled with soil. They are
Page: Deployment User Guide
883_installing.pngUnderstand how to install Vortex Studio and its addons. Vortex Studio Deployment Vortex® Studio and its add-ons must be installed on all machines. The binaries can be installed under the same path on all machines but this is not a requir
Page: Devices Tutorial
Name Location Devices <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\MyDevicePlugin Sample module and extension that can be used as a base for an extension implementing an IDevice It shows the basic of having a module creating it own devices and adding the
Page: Director Command Line Arguments
Introduction The users can either launch the director in a full user interface mode or execute the director with command line arguments depending on the needs. Running in a full user interface mode allows to create, configure, launch and monitor simulator
Page: DirectX Support in Vortex Editor Tech Preview
dx12_help.png For users with non NVIDIA graphics hardware, DirectX technology has been introduced into Vortex Studio. Mechanical design workflows are the only supported use cases at this time. Please note that Direct X12 support is in development and has
Page: Display Extensions
The Display category of extensions allows you to describe the placement and configuration of the physical monitors. Note This category of extensions is not available in all editing modes. To add an extension from the Display category Select Display in the
Page: Displays and Viewpoints
000_displays.pngThis section provides use case examples of displays and viewpoints in order to familiarize the user with how to set up these elements in their own configurations. Displays: 3D Display extensions represent the physical layout of the monitor
Page: Dynamics Extension Tutorial
Name Location ExDynamicsExtension <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExDynamicsExtensionPlugin This tutorial showcases the following: Implementation of an VxSim::IExtension implementing the following interfaces VxDynamics::ICollidable VxSim::ID
Page: Dynamics Performance Analysis
This document contains information regarding the tools provided by Vortex® Studio to help find dynamics performance issues. Please refer to the Performance Analysis guide for an overview. Finding Bottlenecks in the Physics Engine If The Profiler tab in th
Page: Dynamics Utilities
These extensions provide various utilities related to dynamics simulation and can be found under the Dynamics category. The available extensions are:

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Page: Earthwork Components
image2020-10-9_16-37-0.png Learn about the Earthworks Systems' sub-components and their uses. The Earthworks Systems' sub-components can be broken down into three general categories of use: Earthwork Systems provides objects that can receive and contain s
Page: Earthwork Systems
761_ews.pngEarthwork Systems is a Vortex developer module that is used to simulate earthmoving operations such as digging, trenching, filling, etc. Terrain is usually a static, non-deformable object in Vortex. The Earthwork Systems allows you to make othe
Page: Earthwork Systems Tutorial 1: Bucket & Blade Extensions
Earthworks Module 1: Bucket & Blade Extensions In this tutorial, users will learn the various characteristics of soil that can be simulated with Vortex® Studio's earthworks physics. Prerequisites You must have Vortex Studio and the Vortex Studio Samples a
Page: Earthwork Systems Tutorial 2: Creating an Earthwork Zone
In this tutorial, users will learn how to use the earthworks tools in Vortex® Studio to create a zone with interactable earthwork physics. Prerequisites You must have Vortex Studio and the Vortex Studio Samples installed to be able to complete this tutori
Page: Earthwork Systems Tutorial 3 : Soil Parameters
In this tutorial, users will learn the various characteristics of soil that can be simulated with Vortex® Studio's earthworks physics. Prerequisites You must have Vortex Studio and the Vortex Studio Samples installed to be able to complete this tutorial.
Page: Earthwork Systems Tutorials
worddav4451dcef3165334c0da87f80dce12228.png This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum will walk you though the steps in creating a deformable terrain that can be interacted with the bucket and blade of an excavator.
Page: Earthwork Tools
image2020-10-9_16-38-17.png Learn about specialized tools to help simulate most types of earthmoving equipment and operations. A number of specialized tools are available to help simulate most types of earthmoving equipment and operations. The Earthwork T
Page: Earthwork Utilities
image2020-10-9_16-42-4.png Learn about specialized soil utilities to help manipulate and monitor soil. A number of specialized soil utilities are available to help manipulate and monitor soil. The Earthwork Utilities defines a container (truck bed, ship h
Page: Earthwork Zone
image2020-10-9_16-37-37.png Learn how to define where the terrain can be deformed or piled with soil. Earthwork Zones are used to define where the terrain can be deformed or piled with soil. They are defined using a bounding box that intersects with the s
Page: Editor Setup
282_editor.pngLearn how to configure modules to fit with the system hardware and the overall application. A Simulation Application runs on various modules, such as Graphics, Dynamics, SlaveDynamics, Joystick, etc. These modules need to be configured to fi
Page: Environment
802_environment.pngIn order to immerse the user in a scene, a number of environmental embellishments are available in Vortex® Studio Editor. This section presents some of the ways you can improve your scenes and mechanisms by adding audio and real-world e
Page: Exercise Report Generation - Advanced Topics
Introduction In the Console, an Instructor can generate reports for any sessions of any students in the Instructor page http://confluence:8090/display/VSD21A/Console+Extension%2C+Module%2C+and+Page+Reference#ConsoleExtension,Module,andPageReference-Consol
Page: Exercise Reports
Introduction After each training session is done, the Console can be used to generated a report containing all the metrics and the score of the training session. How to ... Setup the Console for using the database Creating a Setup File for the Console In

F

Page: Features and Capabilities Overview
Vortex Studio is a complete simulation platform. The features are delivered as a stack of independent modules and applications useful for building a complete simulator. Availability of individual applications and their functionalities will depend on the l
Page: Fluid Interaction Technical Notes
Vortex® supports the real-time simulation of dynamic rigid bodies immersed in fluid, and simulates different effects due to fluid interaction, such as buoyancy, drag, lift, and added mass. The fluid simulation capabilities offered by Vortex do not provide
Page: Fluid Surface
You can use the Fluid Surface extension to simulate objects in a fluid, be it water or even wind. To create a Fluid Surface: Select Dynamics in the Toolbox. Double-click Fluid Surface to add it to the scene or mechanism. Configure the following fields in
Page: Fog
The Fog extension allows you to add realistic fog effects to your scene or mechanism. To add a Fog extension: Select Environment in the Toolbox. Double-click Fog. In its Properties panell, edit the name of the fog. Specify the following inputs: Visible: S

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Page: Generating Floating License Files
image2021-3-24_11-19-23.pngWhen you purchase a Vortex Studio product with a floating license, CM Labs sends you activation keys that you can use to generate the floating license files on the license server. A license server must first be installed on your
Page: Generating Node-Locked License Files
image2021-3-24_11-0-47.pngWhen you purchase a Vortex Studio product with a node-locked license, CM Labs sends you activation keys that you can use to generate the node-locked license files on your computer. Generating a node-locked license file involves l
Page: Generic Cables
A cable definition is a container for a number of parameter, point, and segment definitions used to construct a cable system. The Generic Cable properties, in conjunction with the Dynamics Properties, can be customized to adjust for thickness and density
Page: Geometric Stiffness for Cables
Stable simulation of cables is a challenge since they often involve very small compliances and large mass ratios. Instability manifests as vibrations in the cable with motion perpendicular to the stiff axes of the cable constraints. For example, this typi
Page: Getting Cable Positions with Scripts
It is possible to use Python scripting in order to retrieve the position and orientation of generic cables in your simulation. To add a script to fetch cable position: In the Toolbox, select Simulation, then double-click Script. This adds a script extensi
Page: Getting Started
228_what.png 833_features.png 450_licensing.png What is Vortex Studio? Features and Capabilities Overview Licensing 316_sysreq.png 337_installation.png 262_user_guides.png http://confluence:8090/display/VSD21A/User+Guides System Requirements Installation
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 1 : The User Interface
In this tutorial, new users will learn the basics of interacting with Vortex® Studio Editor. You will start from an existing Vortex Studio scene found in the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes installation directory. The default location is C:\CM Labs\Vortex Studi
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 2 : Creating your First Scene
This module focuses on the basics of using Vortex Studio to create a scene and launch a first simulation, as well as inserting mechanisms and interacting with them. Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes installed
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 3 : Creating a Mechanism
In this tutorial, you will learn the basics of Vortex® Studio Editor by importing graphical assets that are created by 3D artists and turning them into a simulated vehicle. These graphical assets must be created using the Vortex 3D modeling guidelines to
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 4 : Configuring a Mechanism
In this tutorial, you will take the mechanism created in Getting Started Tutorial 3 : Creating a Mechanism and give it life by motorizing parts, giving the mechanism interactive controls, and more. You will further enhance the simulation by connecting an
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 5 : Mechanism and Scene Configurations
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Configuration feature in Vortex® Studio Editor. Configurations allow you to create multiple variations of a mechanism or scene within a single file. They provide a convenient way to develop and manage varian
Page: Getting Started Tutorial 6 : The Vortex® Studio Player
In this video series tutorial, users will learn the basics of interacting with Vortex® Studio Player. Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes installed to be able to follow all steps in this tutorial. Distributing a
Page: Getting Started Tutorials
image2020-11-12_15-58-19.png This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum is the first introduction to the software. Familiarize yourself with the interface, build your first scene and explore the building blocks of a Vortex simulation.
Page: Graphical Assets
797_assets.pngThis section provides guidelines for artists to create these resources in a way that will make them easy to use in Vortex® Studio. Though Vortex® Studio doesn't necessarily need graphics when used for engineering testing and development purp
Page: Graphical Mechanism Creation
When creating a model for a mechanism, such as a vehicle or a prop, it's important to have complete and accurate data to start with. While the mechanical engineer has complete controls over the physical dimensions of their dynamic parts, if the 3D model i
Page: Graphical Simulation Plotter
The Plotter is a graphical interface that can display the data from the simulation to be used for debugging purposes. The Plotter can be used to look for behaviors that cannot be detected by the visual simulation. The data can be exported to fine-tune the
Page: Graphical Terrain Creation
Terrain objects are used to create the environment in which the simulated objects (vehicles, props, etc.) will interact. The following describes some techniques and best practices to create terrain files that function with optimal performance. It is impor
Page: Graphics Extensions
572_extensions.pngThese are the following categories of effects that you can apply in Vortex®: Particle effects: Used to simulate a large number of very small objects, such as a cloud of dust. Image effects: Used to affect the look of the simulation, not
Page: Graphics Galleries
GraphicsIconBigInverted.pngA Graphics Gallery document saves imported 3D models from a variety of software and file formats and converts those models to a file that is independent from the source software, using a .vxgraphicgallery file extension The Grap
Page: Graphics Gallery Tutorial
In this tutorial, you will learn the basics of the Graphics Gallery file by importing graphical assets that were created by 3D artists. These graphical assets must be created in an external 3D modeling software using the Vortex® 3D modeling guidelines to
Page: Graphics Geometry
Selecting a graphics geometry from the Explorer opens a Properties panel for that geometry. In this window, the following information appears: Interactive 3D preview of the geometry, with the plane's origin as reference Name of the geometry Vertex count T
Page: Graphics Materials
A graphics material is an advanced type of texture mapping that allows visualizing objects as close to real life as possible. Materials can be used for rendering (textures and parameters used on each layer, such as normal, specular, etc.) and special effe
Page: Graphics Model Connections Tutorial
Name Location Graphics Model Connections <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExGraphicModelConnections This tutorial shows how to parse the content to get the information on the part-model association with c++ code This association, named skin i
Page: Graphics Node
After importing a 3D CAD model to the Graphics Gallery, a graphics node appears in the Explorer, representing the graphic. When you select a node, its properties are shown in the Properties panel. A node may have a reference to a graphics geometry and a g
Page: Graphics Performance Analysis
This page contains information regarding the tools provided by Vortex® to help find graphics performance issues. Vortex Performance Tools Different tools are provided in order to keep an eye out for graphics performance issues. More often than not though,
Page: GSPID Controller
The GSPID Controller extension is a standard PID (proportional, integral, derivative) controller with gain scheduling. It can be connected to fields in your simulation using a connection container. The effective proportional, integral, and differential ga
Page: Guided Machine Control Display
image2020-10-9_16-43-16.png Simulate machine control systems and GPS displays for earthmoving equipment, such as excavators, wheel loaders, and dozers. Many heavy equipment manufacturers offer Global Positioning (GPS) and Guided Machine Control (GMC) syst
Page: Guidelines and best practices in Vortex simulators for user scripts in Unity
User script are an essential tool for implementing custom behaviors in Unity. Following those guidelines will ensure that the simulation will run smoothly and will scale properly when additional screens are added. Synchronization and Random numbers When u

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Page: Head-mounted Display
138_hmd.pngVortex® Studio supports head-mounted display (HMD) devices in order to run simulations with virtual reality (VR) headsets. The following procedures can quickly turn any Vortex Studio-based simulation into a VR experience. HMD Installation Vorte
Page: Hook and Loop Groups
The Hook Group and Loop Group extensions allow two attachment points (designated as the hook and the loop) to be attracted to each other and then bound when they are within a specified distance from each other. Before creating a Hook group or a Loop group
Page: How to associate Vortex Objects with Unity prefabs
This page describes the workflow to create, maintain and use Unity assets in a distributed Vortex Studio simulation. Installing the Vortex Integration Package in a Unity Project First of all, the Vortex Integration Package needs to be installed in a Unit
Page: How to Automatically Convert many Vortex Graphics Galleries for use in Unity
When using Unity as a renderer with Vortex, each graphics node of a distributed simulator runs VortexUnityApp (or any Unity application with the Vortex Integration Package) which includes the Vortex Integration for Unity. VortexUnityApp acts the same mann
Page: How to build Qt 5.15.1 for Vortex Studio
Introduction Vortex Studio uses Qt's technologies for creating its multiple user interfaces. Several Qt pages show how to build Qt 5.15 with third parties (https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/build-sources.html https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/build-sources.html) In Vortex Stud
Page: How to Control Unity Lights from Vortex
The lights on a crane or an excavator is usually controlled by the operator. In order to have the lights in Unity controlled by the operator, a Vortex Light component can be created to receive the Vortex data and apply them to a Unity light. The Unity com
Page: How to Display a Vortex Graphics Gallery in Unity
This page describes a step-by-step guide on how to export a Graphics Gallery from Vortex Studio, import it into a Unity project properly, convert it into a prefab and generate an Asset Bundle with it. The process is shown using an excavator asset. Refer t
Page: How to Display Deformable Terrains in Unity
Deformable Terrains, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When a Deformable Terrain is loaded, a deformable terrain prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file
Page: How to Display Earthwork Zones in Unity
Earthwork Zones, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When a Earthwork Zone is loaded, a height field prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file that contains
Page: How to Display Grade Quality Sensor in Unity
Grade Quality Sensors, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When Grade Quality Sensors are loaded, a Grade Quality Sensors prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vorte
Page: How to display graphics of Hook group and Loop group in Unity
Vortex Hook Group and Loop Group extensions The Vortex Hook Group and Loop Group extensions can be used for creating training sequences when two objects are to be attached by attachment points. For more details of the Groups extensions, see Hook and Loop
Page: How to Display HUD Extensions in Unity
HUD extensions can be rendered in Unity. When a HUD extension is loaded, a HUD prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file that contains the HUD extension. Manually creating prefabs and Asset Bundles To manu
Page: How to Display Soil Bins in Unity
Soil Bins, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When a Soil Bin is loaded, a height field prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file that contains the Soil Bin
Page: How to Display Soil Dust in Unity
Soil Dust events, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be used to render dust particles in Unity during simulation. When the Soil Dust instance is loaded, a Soil Dust prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the V
Page: How to Display Soil Particles in Unity
Soil Particles, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When Soil Particles are loaded, a soil particles prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file that contains
Page: How to Display Vortex Cables in Unity
Cables, dynamically simulated in Vortex Studio, can be rendered in Unity during simulation. When a cable is loaded, a spline prefab is loaded from an asset bundle file located in the same directory as the Vortex file that contains the cables. Manually cre
Page: How to set Loading Images in Unity
Vortex allows showing an image on each display of a simulator when it is not running a simulation, using the Display Loading Image extension. A loading image is displayed until the simulation is started and reappears when the simulation stops. The Display
Page: How to set up a Vortex Distributed Simulator for Unity
This page will guide you to go through the process of modifying a Vortex simulator to take advantage of the Unity Graphics Rendering. Once your simulator setup will be ready to run with Unity, your simulator will behave as before. It can be launched from
Page: How to Use Tracks Animation in Unity
Tracks Animation for vehicles can be rendered in Unity. To do this, the Tracks Animation extension must first be added to your Vortex content and properly configured. The track template node must be defined in Vortex in the Tracks Animation extension (se
Page: How to use Unity Script with an Asset Bundles
When using Unity as a renderer in a distributed simulator, the integration is done by adding prefab in an asset bundle that is associated with Vortex documents. Those prefabs are instantiated when the Vortex document is loaded. Several features in Unity r
Page: How to Use VHL Interface Data in Custom Unity Scripts
This page describes how to use data from a Vortex VHL interface in a custom Unity script. This is a simply way to implement custom behavior or logic in Unity using data in a distributed Vortex simulation. Overview First of all, to manually create assets f
Page: HUD Extensions
A heads up display (HUD) allows you to superimpose additional information into a viewport. To add an overlay: Click HUD in the Toolbox. Select Image, Line, Text, or Textfile. Drag it into the 3D View, or into the desired location of the Explorer panel. Ed
Page: Hydraulics Systems
000_hydraulics.pngIn Vortex® Studio Editor, you can now simulate various hydraulics components, such as an actuator, a pump, a divider, a combiner and a transmission using the Hydraulics Systems extensions. By linking these components together, you can si

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Page: Importing Graphics
967_importing.pngVortex® Studio imports and stores the 3D model and all its components (materials, textures, etc.) into a single native file: the Graphics Gallery. This file is then sent to the mechanical engineers to build the simulation. Importing the 3
Page: Importing Models from 3ds Max
967_importing.pngThis section explains how to prepare your models for export in 3ds Max specifically, as it is the recommended DCC software for use with Vortex Studio. Importing models from digital content creation (DCC) software is the first step in usin
Page: Index
Page: Inertia Tensors
This section lists inertia tensor types as well as advanced topics on inertia tensors in the Vortex® world. Spherical Inertia Tensor An inertia tensor with three equal moments of inertia on the diagonal and zero off-diagonal values is known as spherical,
Page: Installation
Installation files for the Vortex® Studio family of products are available from the CM Labs Account Page (https://www.cm-labs.com/account/ https://www.cm-labs.com/account/). Vortex Studio can be installed either on Windows or Linux. On Windows the user on
Page: Installing the HD Render Pipeline Package in a Unity Project
The Vortex graphics integration in Unity uses Unity's HD Render Pipeline (HDRP). It is a package that must to be installed in a Unity project and it enables higher graphics capabilities. In the context of the Vortex graphics integration, the package comes
Page: Installing the Vortex Studio Package in a Unity Project
To use Vortex assets with Unity graphics on a distributed simulator, the Vortex Studio Package for Unity is required. It includes tools for packaging and testing Vortex graphics assets (such as Graphics Galleries and Graphics Splines) via the Unity Editor
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio
image2021-6-29_10-59-18.pngVortex Studio can be integrated into other softwares using different languages and frameworks. This integration allows users to benefit from Vortex's realistic simulation tools in their platform of choice. In particular, here ar
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using Python 2 - Deprecated
Vortex Studio SDK in python Python 2 is still supported in Vortex Studio but is being deprecated. While the Python 3 API is mostly the same, there are some differences to consider. See Python 3 Scripting for more information Vortex Studio SDK is partially
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using Python 3
Vortex Studio SDK in Python Vortex Studio SDK is partially available in Python scripting. Python scripting can be used As a dedicated Python application that loads, renders or interacts with Vortex assets during a simulation Within Vortex, as a dynamics s
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using the C++ SDK - Creating an Application
The ApplicationConfig An ApplicationConfig is a document (.vxc) which allows you to setup or configure a Vortex application without doing it all manually in code. It can be passed to an application which will parse it (like the SimApp) and automatically c
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using the C++ SDK - Integrating the Application
This section targets developers who wants to use the Vortex Application as a part of a bigger application. This sections explains what is the VxApplication, how to configure it, load content into it and get it running from an external application. Then ho
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using VortexIntegration C++ API
This section targets developers who wants to use the Vortex Application as a part of a bigger application. This section describes how to configure Vortex, load content into it and get it running from an external application using VortexIntegration C API.
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio with Unity
image2021-1-26_8-43-4.png This information is intended for users of Vortex Studio and Unity who want to integrate Vortex Studio to existing simulation content in Unity, within a single process Unity integration. This integration SDK is useful for single p
Page: Integrating Vortex Studio with Unreal Engine
unreal-engine-icon-6_64x59.pngThis information is intended for users of Vortex Studio and Unreal Engine who want to integrate Vortex Studio simulation capabilities with Unreal, within a single process. This integration SDK is useful for single process sim

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Page: Keyboard Extension Tutorial
Name Location Keyboard Extension <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExKeyboardExtension This tutorial shows how to make an extension that implements the VxSim::IKeyboard interface. This extension is meant to capture specific keys in a specific

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Page: Level Designer Guide
573_notes.png The Level Designer Guide provides level designers the information they need to set up scenes and environmental effects, as well as add-ons such as oceans and human characters.
Page: License Server Setup
558_license_server.pngThis information explains how to set up a license server, allowing any computer on your network to run Vortex Studio with floating licenses. Setting Up a License Server The process for setting up a license server is different for Win
Page: Licensing
Licensing Getting Started According to the terms of your CM Labs contract, you are entitled to one or more products. CM Labs will create one or more activation keys corresponding to the purchased products. An activation key is a 16-digit code and is used
Page: Lighting
Lighting effects are intended for you to add realism to scenes and models to more closely resemble their real world counterparts. There are multiple types of lighting available in Vortex®, described below: Note Vortex supports up to 63 lights that cast sh
Page: Logs and Dump Reports
There are several kinds of information logs available from the Editor. Scene and Shader Dumps If you are experiencing problems with your scene data or shaders, you can save everything to a special dump file and send it to CM Labs support (support@cm-labs.

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Page: Managing Accounts and Users
With the MongoDB module, the system supports several features for managing accounts and users. The following extensions let you set up the system to manage different types of users: Supported User Roles The first time you connect the simulator to the data
Page: Manipulating Objects in the 3D View
You can manipulate different shapes and elements, such as parts and mechanisms, in the 3D View. You must first select the object before you can use the buttons in the Transform toolbar as shown below. Depending on context, buttons to manipulate the mass p
Page: Manipulating the Camera in the 3D View
In the 3D View, all orthogonal viewports support zooming and panning the camera. In addition, you can also rotate and fly in perspective viewports. Zooming Scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in (up) or out (down) from the center of the object in the 3D V
Page: Maritime Tutorial 1 : Working With Water
In this training pack, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with nautical simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on the basics of using Vortex Studio to create an offshore simulation application. This module covers ho
Page: Maritime Tutorial 2 : Creating a Vessel Mechanism
In this training pack, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with nautical simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on using Vortex Studio to create a working vessel mechanism to be used in the offshore scene created in
Page: Maritime Tutorial 3 : Building an Offshore Crane
In this training pack, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with nautical simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on using Vortex Studio to create a working offshore crane, that can be attached to the vessel created in
Page: Maritime Tutorial 4 : Subsea Operations
In this training pack, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with nautical simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on using Vortex Studio to create an ocean floor environment, as well as adding tooling to an ROV. Prereq
Page: Maritime Tutorial 5 : Adding Heave Compensation
In this training pack, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with nautical simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on using Vortex Studio a Python script coupled with the GSPID Controller object to implement a heave com
Page: Maritime Tutorial 6 : Adding an Animated Buoy
In marine scenarios, you might want to add navigation buoys that follow the movements of the water's surface without using dynamics computations, in order to maintain an acceptable level of performance. To avoid these extra computations, make sure you do
Page: Maritime Tutorials
image2020-10-6_14-35-49.png This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum is about Vortex Marine extensions.
Page: Measuring Performance Using the Content Debugger and Profiler
Before reading this page, you should familiarize yourself with the use of the Vortex® Profiler and the Content Debugger. Using the Content Debugger along with the Profiler is a powerful combination allowing you to easily find what is slowing down your sim
Page: Mechanical Engineer Best Practices
590_opt.pngThis section offers some common techniques to increase the performance of your simulations. Using script, collision rules, and optimized variable settings, you can improve the stability and produce expected simulation outcomes. Optimization str
Page: Mechanical Engineer Guide
108_eng.pngThe Mechanical Engineer Guide provides mechanical engineers with advanced technical information, as well as methods to improve performance and tuning.
Page: Mechanical Engineer Quick Start
The following shows the typical workflow for a mechanical engineer working with Vortex® Studio to import 3D models, create parts and constraints, and work with simulated mechanisms and objects. A good way to start is to try out Creating a Mechanism tutori
Page: Mechanism Viewer Tutorial
Name Location Mechanism Viewer <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\MechanismViewer This tutorial provide an example of creating a custom Vortex, akin to simapp.exe. This application is meant to run as a standalone Vortex application. To use it a
Page: Mechanism Viewer Tutorial (Python 2)
Name Location Mechanism Viewer <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\VortexPython2\PyMechanismViewer\PyMechanismViewer.py This tutorial provide an example of creating a custom Vortex, akin to simapp.exe in python 2. This application is mean
Page: Mechanism Viewer Tutorial (Python 3)
Name Location Mechanism Viewer <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PyMechanismViewer\MechanismViewer.py This tutorial provide an example of creating a custom Vortex, akin to simapp.exe in python. This application is meant to run as
Page: Mechanisms
MechanismIconBigInverted.pngMechanisms play a very important role in Vortex® content, as they contain the link between the dynamics objects and the rest of the simulation. A mechanism contains assemblies, parts, constraints, and extensions for simulation.
Page: Mesh Creation for Procedural Cables
The mesh technique for Cable Systems is ideal when you require the appearance of a 3D chain or tank treads for your mechanism, for example. image2020-10-8_16-46-23.png A mesh chain made of links When creating a mesh's graphics geometry for procedural cabl
Page: Model Simplification Tools
566_toolbar.pngThere are a number of tools in the Graphics Gallery to manipulate imported models. These tools are found in the right-click contextual menu of a Graphics Gallery or graphics node in the Explorer panel. The following model simplification act
Page: Modeling a Complex Reeving System
Note: This is an advanced topic. This page is only applicable if you want to switch between reeving using mechanism configurations at the beginning of a simulation, not during runtime. It is possible to model a crane with a complex reeving system in Vort
Page: Modifying Segment Definitions
Each segment definition allows you to customize how that segment will behave in the simulation. image2020-10-9_16-9-27.png A segment is automatically created as soon as you define at least two points (winch, pulley, etc.) and appears in the Dynamics prope
Page: Modular Vehicle Systems
622_vehicle_modular.pngModular Vehicle Systems allows to create vehicles in Vortex® Studio in a modular way. It provides a library of components that are common to most of the vehicles such as wheel, motor, transmission, torque converter and others. All c
Page: Modular Vehicle Systems: Working with Components (Advanced Users)
Vehicles are defined by Modular Vehicle Systems using Topology files. These topology files are simply assembly that contain several Components, which model the behaviour of the vehicle subsystems, such as engine, wheels, transmission, etc. Each component
Page: Modular Vehicle Systems: Working with Topology Files (Advanced Users)
Vehicles are defined by Modular Vehicle Systems using Topology files. Each topology file is a standard Vortex® Studio Assembly file, and can be added, created, and edited using the Vortex® Studio Editor. So, working with topologies is identical to working
Page: Modular Vehicles (Advanced)
https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocumentation/Vortex_User_Documentation/Content/Editor/FWD.png Create a Vehicle Template from scratch using the Modular Vehicles approach, then use this template to create a fully drivable Light Armored Vehicle from gra
Page: Modular Vehicles Tutorial 1: Creating a Vehicle Topology
This tutorial includes video content: In this first module, we will setup the file structure as well as the topology of the drivetrain of an 8x8 land vehicle. The goal is to fully create a modular vehicle without using templates. This will give you a bet
Page: Modular Vehicles Tutorial 2: Creating a Vehicle from a Template
Now that our Vehicle Template is fully configured, we can use it to create a Vehicle Mechanism. In this section, we'll create a Chassis Assembly and add Graphics, as well as tuning the powertrain of the AWD8x8. Prerequisites Modular Vehicles Tutorial 1: C
Page: Modular Vehicles Tutorial 3: Adding Tire Models
In Vortex Studio, Tire Models are critical to the physical accuracy and drivability of vehicles. Without this extension, the material table is used to evaluate the friction between the tire and ground, which does not account for the complexities of the ti
Page: Modular Vehicles Tutorial 4: Adding Driving Logic
In this tutorial, we're going through the final steps needed so that our vehicle can be driven by a controller with a camera attached to the driver's point of view. Prerequisites Modular Vehicles Tutorial 3: Adding Tire Models Setting up the Vehicle Contr
Page: Modular Vehicles Tutorial 5: Tire Ruts
In this tutorial, we're going to learn how to simulate tire ruts with our tire models. Prerequisites Modular Vehicles Tutorial 4: Adding Driving Logic Enabling the Soil Hardening Feature Open the LAV mechanism you worked on in the previous modules. Click
Page: Multiprocessing Dynamics Script Tutorial (Python 3)
Name Location Multi processing <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PyMultiprocessing\GenerateMechanismWithPy3Multiprocessing.py This example shows some basic usage of the Python 3 "multiprocessing" module in a Vortex Dynamics scrip
Page: Multiprocessing Simulation Script Tutorial (Python 2)
Name Location Multi processing <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\VortexPython2\PyMultiprocessing\GenerateMultiprocessingMechanism.py This example shows some basic usage of the Python 2 "multiprocessing" module in a Vortex Simulation scr

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Page: Network Communication Interface
Sometimes, it is necessary to interface with external applications or devices for information or extra computational purposes. In order to allow communication with external applications or devices, you must add User Datagram Protocol (UDP) extensions to y
Page: Network Communication Tutorials
worddav1448349966a3debdaf16dfa61379ac00.png In this section of the Vortex® Studio Training, you will learn how to exchange data with a third party software using the UDP network protocol extensions.
Page: Network Tutorial 1 : UDP Communication with Python
In this tutorial, you will learn how to exchange information with an external Python program using the Vortex UDP extensions. Communication between multiple simulation software can be very useful in order to integrate models coming from different platform
Page: Network Tutorial 2 : UDP Communication with Matlab Simulink
In this tutorial, you will learn how to exchange information with a Simulink model program using the Vortex UDP extensions. Communication between multiple simulation software can be very useful in order to integrate models coming from different platforms.
Page: Network Tutorial 3 : UDP Communication with Altair Activate®
In this tutorial, you will learn how to exchange information with an Altair Activate® model using the Vortex UDP extensions. Communication between multiple simulation software can be very useful in order to integrate models coming from different platforms
Page: Neutrally Buoyant Flexible Cables
In some subsea situations, you may want to have neutrally buoyant cables. A neutrally buoyant cable is one whose density is equal to the fluid around it (e.g., water) so that it remains in a specific position. This procedure assumes that fluid exists in t

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Page: Object Manipulation
Objects can be selected and transformed in the Explorer panel or the 3D View. Both approaches allow multi-select.
Page: Optimization Guide
236_optimizing.png The Optimization Guide provides information for how users can identify and optimize performance in their simulations.
Page: Options Dialog Boxes
The Options dialog boxes provide access to user preferences for troubleshooting the simulation. Import and Export Options Import Previous Settings: If you have a previous version of Vortex Studio Editor installed on your computer, click this button to qui

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Page: Paged Terrain Tutorial
Name Location Paged Terrain <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExPagedTerrain This tutorial how to create a paged terrain extension. A paged terrain extension allows a user to feed the simulation with terrain information. A classic example woul
Page: Part Animator
The Part Animator extension allows you to select a part in your scene or mechanism, and move it to a new position. The velocity of the part will be calculated by the displacement from the current position to the new position given by the part animator in
Page: Parts
PartIconBigInverted.pngParts represent rigid bodies in a simulation and can be added to an Assembly. Parts represent rigid bodies that can be connected together with joints and can collide with each other and the environment. For information on modeling
Page: Performance Analysis
The Performance Analysis guide provides step-by-step procedures for finding and resolving performance bottlenecks. Evaluating Performance in Simulation In the best case scenario, a virtual training simulator should produce a high level of psychological fi
Page: Pipeline Cables
Pipelines are used to direct the flow of material to and from different components. The pipelines are static which can be collided with but are themselves not affected by the collision. The radius and spline control points can be configured in the simulat
Page: Python 2 Dynamics Scripting - Deprecated
841_scripting.pngThis section describes how to extend and add additional functionality by using the python 2 (deprecated) built in scripting tool. How Script Extensions Work Script extensions in the Vortex® Studio Editor are associated with either a mecha
Page: Python 3 Scripting
841_scripting.pngThis section describes how to extend and add additional functionality by using the built in scripting tool. Supported Use Case The Dynamics Script Extension (Python 3) allows you to use the Python 3 programming language to modify the beha
Page: Python Tutorials
Vortex Studio comes with some python tutorials that demonstrate several use cases. Vortex Studio supports Python 3 on Windows and Python 2 on both Windows and Linux. The Vortex python module (Vortex.py) is compatible with Python 3.8 while the Python 2 mod

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Page: Ray cast sensor Extension Tutorial
Name Location Ray cast sensor Extension <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\ExRayCastSensorExtension Sample extension using a VxRayCastSensor to model a ray cast sensor that can be added to your content (Mechanisms or Scenes). Raycasting results
Page: Reading the monitor texture from Python
This guide shows how to read the texture generated by a monitor from Python using Pillow. Monitor Setup Create a Camera (e.g. Perspective Camera). Change its name. The default name "Perspective" is also used by the Editor camera. Make sure that something
Page: Reinforcement Learning Environment Tutorial (Python 3)
In this tutorial, we will create a Reinforcement Learning environment similar to OpenAI Gym Pendulum-v0 https://gym.openai.com/envs/Pendulum-v0/. We will use a Vortex Studio model of the inverted pendulum, which is a part connected to a reference frame (s
Page: Remote Debugger User Guide
The Remote Debugger application lets you monitor and visualize a simulation from outside of the simulator's systems so that you can troubleshoot and diagnose problems in your content remotely. image2020-10-8_20-47-31.png This is especially useful if: You
Page: Remote debugging with Python
Name Script location PyRemoteDebugging <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\PyRemoteDebugging\PyRemoteDebugging.py This tutorial demonstrates how to remotely connect to Vortex instance using python. It creates a small graphical remote debu
Page: Resolving Problems in the Editor
For many problems due to missing files or badly configured data, the Vortex® Studio Editor displays a warning and gives you the opportunity to fix the issue. For example, if you are setting up a constraint on an assembly and you make an error, such as try
Page: ROS Tutorial: Vortex and ROS2 co-simulation using Python
Introduction Doing co-simulation between a Vortex application and a ROS2 ecosystem can be done easily from embedded python scripts. For example, one can write scripts that publish and/or subscribe some topics over a ROS2 set of nodes. This tutorial will w
Page: ROS Tutorials
image2021-2-22_17-28-33.png This page contains tutorials demonstrating how to create co-simulations between Vortex Studio and ROS.
Page: Running a Test Simulation
981_player.pngYou can use the test simulator in the Scene, Mechanism, or Assembly editor to play your scene, mechanism or assembly right inside the Editor. Warning Running a simulation in an external application is not supported for assemblies. https://ww

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Page: Scene Development Tutorials
image2020-10-6_21-10-44.png This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum is about Scene development.
Page: Scene Tutorial 1: Adding Human Characters to Scenes
In this tutorial, we will go over key concepts and guidelines to get you started with simulations in Vortex® Studio. This module focuses on using Vortex Studio to add controllable and animated human characters to existing scenes. Vortex Studio has built-i
Page: Scene Tutorial 2: Adding Vegetation to a Scene
This module focuses on using Vortex® Studio to add plants and vegetation to existing scenes. Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio, the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes and the Vortex Studio Vegetation Library installed to be able to follow all steps in
Page: Scene Tutorial 3: Creating a Head-Up Display (HUD)
This module focuses on using Vortex® Studio to add a Heads-Up Display (HUD) to an existing scene, to keep track of given metrics in the viewport. Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes installed to be able to follo
Page: Scene Tutorial 4: Adding Lighting
This module focuses on adding and modifying lighting in a scene to improve visibility and overall scene aesthetics. Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes installed to be able to follow all steps in this tutorial.
Page: Scenes
157_scene_custom.pngA Scene is the highest-level element in the Vortex® hierarchy and allows you to position and connect the elements of the scene (mechanisms, terrain, etc.) together. In addition, you can add extensions in the scene (for example, custom
Page: Selecting Objects
To Select a Single Component Do one of the following: From the Explorer panel, click the name of the component you want to select. In the 3D View, click the component you want to select. A bounding box indicates that the object is selected. image2020-10-7
Page: Sensors
Vortex provides several sensors for measuring distances between geometries, detecting overlaps and more. In order to add a sensor to your content in the editor: Select Sensors in the Toolbox. Double-click the desired sensor to add it to the 3D View. Edit
Page: Setting Up a Database for User Accounts and Session Data
If you need to control access to your simulator or store measurements for metrics during sessions, you must set up a database to house session and user data. Vortex Studio only supports the MongoDB database. Mongo DB is not part of Vortex Studio. You mus
Page: Shadows
image2020-10-13_11-11-45.pngAdd shadows to your simulation for a more graphically immersive world. Shadows are an important part of being graphically immersed into the training world. They often provide important training value, such as judging the height
Page: Simulation Application tutorial (Python 3)
Name Location Simulation Application <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PySimApp\SimApp.py This tutorial provide an example of creating a custom Vortex, very similiar to simapp.exe in python. This application is meant to be run ei
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorial 1 : Setup File
The Setup File contains configuration information for the Vortex® Studio Editor and for the Player to determine which modules should be loaded and how graphics should be displayed. This first module doesn't contain step-by-step instructions. Instead, it c
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorial 2 : Multi-Display Simulation
While the Player application only contains a single display, many simulators use multiple displays to create more immersive environments. This type of setup can be created using multiple nodes that each have displays configured based on their physical siz
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorial 3 : Multi-Machine Simulation
Vortex® Studio allows the deployment of a simulation on multiple computers. This is useful when deploying a simulation on more than two screens, to spread the computing over multiple machines. image2020-10-7_9-19-32.png Prerequisites The simulation we wil
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorial 4 : Multiple Viewports on a Single Screen
This step-by-step tutorial explains how to deploy a simulation with multiple cameras displayed on a single screen, as depicted in the image below: image2020-10-22_12-5-1.png Prerequisites You need to have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes i
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorial 5: Creating a Custom HMI
This module introduces the steps involved in creating a custom vehicle HMI in Vortex® Studio, by using QtDesigner. This HMI can be used within the Editor, or be deployed to a simulator and used on a touchscreen for human-in-the-loop testing. Prerequisites
Page: Simulator Deployment Tutorials
image2020-10-7_9-19-32.png This section of the Vortex® Studio Training, you will learn how to deploy a simulation on multiple screens and computers connected in a network.
Page: Simulator Setup User Guide
Setup document http://confluence:8090/download/thumbnails/576949252/337_installation.png?version=1&modificationDate=1609959684179&api=v2A setup document (VXC extension) allows you to set up or configure a Vortex application without doing it all manually i
Page: Sky
image2020-10-13_11-7-2.pngCustomize the look of the sky in your simulation. Vortex® Studio Editor allows you to customize the look of the sky and distant environmental backgrounds in the following ways: SkyBox The SkyBox plug-in creates a box around the s
Page: Soil Dust
This extension defines how dust generated by the earthmoving operations behave, and is used to configure dust emission and appearance. The Earthwork Systems module models the generation of dust when tools dig through or drop soil. The events which lead to
Page: Soil Materials
The Soil Materials Extension lets you define which soil presets the simulation uses as the soil material in the scene. It also has settings to limit the number of soil particles during a simulation, or remove particles if they stop moving for a specified
Page: Soil Particles
This extension's purpose is to visualize simulated soil particles. To add a Soil Particles extension: In your scene or mechanism, select Earthwork Systems in the Toolbox. Double-click Soil Particles to add one, or drag it into the 3D View. Dynamics Proper
Page: Solver Group (Automatic and Manual)
The Solver Group and Automatic Solver Groups extensions are inextricably linked to the concept of multicore processing and are thus leveraged by the Vortex® Parallel Solver. These concepts and their relationship to each other are explained in this topic.
Page: Sound
image2020-10-12_20-24-30.pngYou can add sounds to a scene or mechanism to provide audio realism to the simulation. For example, you could add the sound of a motor being accelerated to a vehicle mechanism. Sound in Vortex® uses the following components: Yo
Page: Specialized Widgets for UI pages
You can use graphical controls on a UI page to change objects in a scene or control mechanism functions. For example, you can use a bullet slider on a UI page to change sea state, or add a button that turns on equipment lights. You can also add widgets to
Page: Spline
Splines render geometry along a curve. They are typically used to render cable systems. They can be customized to render different types of geometry such as cylindrical cables or mesh chains. splineTechniques.PNG Fields Field Description Visible Toggles s
Page: Stiffness and Damping
During simulation, it is important that dynamic rigid bodies accurately behave and interact with the environment as they would in the real-world. For interactions that are not completely rigid, Vortex® allows modeling soft interactions as spring-damper sy
Page: System Integrator Guide
000_sim_icon.png Vortex Studio provides tools to set up and configure simulators on a local machine or on a distributed system. A Vortex simulator is composed of applications (SimApp) running on different computers and communicating together through a com

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Page: Tandem Simulators
000_tandem.pngA tandem is a simulator set up to support multiple trainees in the same exercise. Each trainee can operate equipment using similar hardware, such as CANopen devices. In these cases, the devices could have the same DeviceID since each is on t
Page: Technical Notes for Mechanical Engineers
315_tech_notes_63x63.pngThis section collects more in-depth information about a variety of topics for the advanced user. The following topics have advanced information:
Page: Terrain
image2020-10-13_11-7-38.pngA terrain is available only at the scene level and represents the land relief (physical geography) on which rigid bodies can interact. A terrain consists of a set of tiles generated from a Graphics Gallery file, which you import
Page: Texture Creation
Textures are usually created in Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, though it's possible to use many other image DCCs. Textures need to be square and at a resolution set to a power of 2 (2x2 all the way to 4096x4096 pixels). Similar to the polygonal budget, a textur
Page: Textures
When you select a texture, a 2D preview of the texture and its properties are shown in the Properties panel. To add a texture to a Graphics Gallery Double-click Graphics > Texture in the Toolbox. In the resulting window, browse to the image you want to us
Page: The Browser Tab
The Browser tab is where you can add and load assets to the Player and play them. image2020-10-8_10-23-35.png The buttons on the screen perform the following actions: Add Assets...: Adds assets one at a time. In the resulting dialog box, navigate to the d
Page: The Configurations Tab
The Configurations tab allows you activate and deactivate configurations that you may have set up for a scene or mechanism loaded in the Player. See the Configuration section for more information about configurations. If an asset you loaded in the browser
Page: The Content Debugger Tab
The Content Debugger is a graphical representation of runtime objects available in the Vortex® Studio Player application. image2020-10-8_10-27-14.png Hierarchical view of objects in the application. On the Master, the universe(s) are also displayed. Edita
Page: The Control Presets Tab
The Control Presets tab allows you to create and edit device mapping presets. A preset contains a reference to a control interface and a list of device mappings. A device mapping contains a list of field mappings between control interface fields and devic
Page: The Dynamics Visualizer Tab
The Dynamics Visualizer tab on the Player interface shows options for that you can use to show information about dynamics entities in your simulation, such as CGs, constraints, and more. image2020-10-8_10-36-6.png (1) For convenience, some of the visualiz
Page: The Explorer Panel
The Explorer panel contains tree structures corresponding to the component currently loaded in the Vortex® Studio Editor. image2020-10-8_9-0-55.png The Explorer panel displays the elements of the scene, mechanism, assembly, part, or graphics material, and
Page: The Inspector Panel
Inspector Overview The Inspector panel included in the Vortex® Studio Editor provides information about the complexity of a selected Vortex object. Using the information in the Inspector, you can rapidly identify possible issues in models and evaluate the
Page: The Key Frames Tab
The Key Frames tab allows you to capture all application content data that is needed to allow the application to resume the simulation from that point. To save a key frame, press the Save Key Frame button while the simulation is running. Key Frames and th
Page: The Network Data Tab
The Network Data tab in Vortex® Studio Player monitors the data and the events sent or received from a given node in the simulation. Used in conjunction with the Profiler timings, this page helps troubleshooting performance issues in a distributed simulat
Page: The Network Processes Tab
The Network Processes tab in Vortex® Studio Player displays information about the processes running inside the simulation locally or on remote computers. Overview image2020-10-8_10-49-15.png The Master node represents the node where the dynamics engine is
Page: The Profiler Panel
Profiler Overview The Profiler included in the Vortex® Studio Editor provides the ability to measure the simulation's performance using a graphical interface. The Profiler allows the user to visualize the performance of simulation resources such as module
Page: The Profiler Tab
The Profiler tab allows you to view information about the resources that the simulation is using in real-time. A simulation should be monitored regularly when adding or integrating new content, and changing values, in order to minimize regression testing
Page: The Record and Playback Tab
You can record and play back any Vortex®-based simulation by using the controls available on the Record and Playback tab. Record and Playback is useful both to the instructor and to the student. The instructor can play back a student session, thereby prov
Page: The Roles and Seats Tab
The Roles and Seats tab of the Vortex® Studio Player allows you to assign available seats and roles to the simulation. image2020-10-8_10-52-45.png Click the role column next to the seat to assign a role to the seat. The change will be distributed across t
Page: The USB Tab
The USB tab allows you to assign USB controllers to their associated extensions. In a setup file, Application Joystick extensions are associated with an index. However, in Windows, this index is not always persisted or the same on a different computer. To
Page: The User Interface
821_UI.pngThis section describes how you interact with Vortex Studio Editor. If you are new to Vortex® Studio Editor, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the user interface. For a guided example of how to use the interface, see Getting Star
Page: The Warning and Errors Tab
The Warning and Errors tab displays any error or warnings that have occurred in the Player simulation. image2020-10-8_10-53-20.png In a distributed simulator, there is an error tab for every node. Each node is represented by its host name and process ID.
Page: Tire Models
731_tire_models.pngVortex® Studio includes the Tire Model feature in Vehicle Systems to accurately capture the interaction between the wheels of a vehicle and the ground surface material. Different Types of Tire Models Tire models can be divided in two ma
Page: Tire Models Technical Notes
Tire Models Technical Notes The tire models provided in the Vortex® toolkit are based on real scientific research. This page is meant to provide more technical background information than is found in the Adding Tire Models section. Tire Normal Force When
Page: Toolbox
The Toolbox is a panel that contains all the extension you can add in order to construct your simulation. What appears in the Toolbox is contextual depending on what kind of component you are editing. image2020-10-8_9-3-30.png image2020-10-8_9-3-38.png In
Page: Tracks Animation
Tracks Animations render contiguous chains of track plates and animates them in a loop motion. tracksAnimationDemo.gif Fields Field Description Loop Position Interpolation position within the animation loop. The track plates are interpolated towards their
Page: Transforming Objects
There are two ways to modify the position, orientation, and size of any object, via the 3D View and the Properties panel. There are three types of transforms that describe an object's location in space, described below: World transform: The world transfor
Page: Transforms and Euler Angles
According to Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics, and Control, Second Edition by John J Craig, orientation can be described by a set of three angles with a total of 24 different angle set conventions. Vortex® uses a static angle set and a rotating angle s
Page: Translating a Simulator into a New Language
Localization.pngYou can translate your simulator into a new language by adding a language for the multi-language Vortex Console application. Adding a new Language for a Simulator http://confluence:8090/display/VPD/Translating+a+Simulator+into+a+New+Langua
Page: Translating Content with Vortex Editor
Creating translation of content http://confluence:8090/display/VPD/Translating+Content+with+VortexEditor+-+workflow#TranslatingContentwithVortexEditor-workflow-Creatingtranslationofcontent Why is translation required? http://confluence:8090/display/VPD/Tr
Page: Troubleshooting
Logs When an issue is encountered using Vortex Studio, the first place to look at is in the log files. All Vortex Applications produce log files. Recovering Log files The log files can be retrieved from the standard temporary file folder of the OS. Go to
Page: Troubleshooting Licenses
590_opt.pngThis section describes how to troubleshoot issues with licensing. You can find any license files that the Vortex License Manager generates in the C:/CM Labs/Licenses folder on Windows or /opt/cmlabs/licenses/ on Linux. You may need special user
Page: Tutorial: Creating a Vehicle with Modular Vehicle Systems
In this tutorial, you will learn the basics of the Modular Vehicle Systems by modelling a simple front wheel drive (FWD) vehicle. Before looking at this tutorial, you should be familiar with Modular Vehicle Systems. This tutorial will guide you through th
Page: Tutorials
This page contains step-by-step learning guides for basic Vortex® Studio features, as well as documentation for the samples provided with the software. These tutorials are intended to help you start the Vortex Studio Editor and quickly make something usef

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Page: Unity Integration Tutorial
In this tutorial, users of Vortex Studio can learn to simulate their mechanisms in the Unity game engine.
Page: URDF Import Tutorial
This step-by-step tutorial will demonstrate how to create a new Vortex Assembly file from a URDF file stored on your machine. The documentation of the basic usage and limitations of the URDF import script can be found on the URDF Import page. The example
Page: URDF Importer
Background Resources: Resource Description Python 3.8 Download page https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-380/ Detailed information on installing and using Python 3.8 Robotic Operating System 2 - Documentation https://docs.ros.org/en/foxy/index.
Page: USB Devices User Guide
000_Joystick_Icon.pngVortex® Studio supports multiples types of devices, as long as the proper modules are in the application setup. Note Plugging in a USB device (such as a mouse or gamepad) to the computer does not require you to restart the Editor or P
Page: User Guides
Page: Using Camera Page
What is the Camera Page? The Camera Page extension makes it possible to display a number of 3D views inside a Vortex user interface page. This extension has many similarities with the standard QtDesigner Page. How to set it up Open a scene or mechanism do
Page: Using Metrics to Monitor Activity
The Metrics feature allows you to create a way to collect data that can be monitored in the scene while the simulation runs. The metrics can be created at the Mechanism https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocumentation/Vortex_User_Documentation/Content/Ed
Page: Using QtDesigner Page
What is the QtDesigner Page? QtDesigner Page provides the base for creating a user interface page that connects to the simulation. Such user interfaces are necessary to allow user interaction with the simulation; for a particular device or machine, like c
Page: Using the 3D View
The 3D View shows the dynamic and graphical representation of any Vortex Studio objects you create. From the 3D view, you can manipulate and inspect objects and camera views, and position objects in the viewport. https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocume
Page: Using the Console Instructor Page
The Instructor page lists the sessions in which the logged-in user participated as the instructor. The page is only visible if the logged-in user is an Administrator or an Instructor. Each row of the table displays information for one session. The infor
Page: Using the Debug Display Tools
The Vortex® Studio Editor provides some visual guides which allow you to see certain important details about the simulated objects. There are two levels of control provided over the visual controls: On an object per object basis Across a scene, mechanism,
Page: Using the Grabbing Tool
The Grabbing Tool extension allows you to grab a collidable, flexible segment of a cable system. To have a collidable flexible segment, the Collision Geometry Type of the segment or the Param Definition must be set to something other than None. Note Only
Page: Using the Keyboard in a Simulator
keyboard_icon.pngThe Keyboard extension can be used when a more typical control device, such as a game pad, is unavailable. Introduction The Keyboard extension can be used when a more typical control device, such as a game pad, is unavailable. The Keyboar
Page: Using the License Manager Application
276_generating.pngTo generate each license file, you must use the Vortex License Manager application, installed by default with Vortex Studio. The Vortex Studio License Manager application can generate different licenses to meet your needs : Each license
Page: Using the Properties Panel
The Properties panel contains the properties of the object that you have selected in the Explorer or the 3D View. It is in this panel where you can modify properties. Properties are collections of related parameters that control or define the behavior of
Page: Using the VortexRuntime API in Unity Scripts
To use Vortex in a Unity application, an API is provided with the Vortex Integration Package for Unity. To install it in a Unity project, read this guide: Installing the Vortex Studio Package in a Unity Project. When the package is properly installed, the
Page: Using the Windows Keyboard Module in a Simulator
keyboard_icon.pngThe Windows Keyboard Module together with the Windows Keyboard extension can be used when a more typical control device, such as a gamepad, is unavailable. The module use the standard Windows API, so it doen't need the application to have
Page: Using Unity as Graphics Renderer
image2021-1-26_8-43-4.png The main goal of the Vortex integration with Unity as Graphics Renderer is to benefit from the Unity Graphics Rendering capabilities, while still allowing to run Vortex simulations on a distributed simulator.. Here's a short over

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Page: Vegetation Field
image2020-10-13_11-8-38.pngA vegetation field allows you to add elements like rocks, foliage, trees and grass to your scene. Instead of placing these objects one by one, the vegetation field can randomize and distribute a customizable density of vegetatio
Page: Vegetation Library
image2020-10-13_11-8-52.pngThe Vegetation Library feature allows you to add realistic trees, plants and wind to your scene or mechanism. The Vegetation Library feature is based on licensed SpeedTree technology. Vortex® Studio supports the following SpeedT
Page: Vehicle Presets
image2021-1-4_13-58-59.png Using Preset Vehicle Topologies from the Toolbox, create a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) from graphic assets. This is the easiest approach to creating a fully drivable vehicle, but the designs of the powertrain and suspension are
Page: Vehicle Presets Tutorial 1 : Creating a Wheeled Vehicle System
In this tutorial, you will learn the basics of the Vehicle Systems by modeling a simple eight-wheeled light armored vehicle (LAV). The Vehicle Systems simplify creating a vehicle by automatically adding constraints and internal logic. Let's look at the ba
Page: Vehicle Presets Tutorial 2 : Tuning the Wheeled Vehicle
In this tutorial, you will learn the basics of tuning the vehicle system of a light armored vehicle (LAV). We will go through all of the powertrain components to get to a fully functional automatic vehicle. Read the Vehicle Tuning Guide for more in-depth
Page: Vehicle Presets Tutorial 3 : Adding Tire Models to a Wheeled Vehicle
In Vortex Studio, Tire Models are critical to the physical accuracy and drivability of vehicles. Without this extension, the material table is used to evaluate the friction between the tire and ground, which does not account for the complexities of the ti
Page: Vehicle Presets Tutorial 4 : Adding Driving Logic
In this tutorial, we're going through the final steps needed so that our vehicle can be driven by a controller with a camera attached to the driver's point of view. Prerequisites Vehicle Presets Tutorial 3 : Adding Tire Models to a Wheeled Vehicle Setting
Page: Vehicle Presets Tutorial 5 : Adding Tire Ruts
In this tutorial, we're going to learn how to simulate tire ruts with our tire models. Prerequisites This module assumes that Vehicle Presets Tutorial 3 : Adding Tire Models to a Wheeled Vehicle is completed. Enabling the Soil Hardening Feature Open the L
Page: Vehicle Systems
759_vehicle_systems.pngVehicle Systems provides an easy way to define a complete and functional vehicle by using the Vortex Studio Editor. There are two ways to create vehicles in Vortex Studio. The first approach, referred to as Modular Vehicle Systems,
Page: Vehicle Tuning Guide
The information presented here is a high level discussion meant only as a possible example of vehicle tuning. It does not necessarily represent the best way to tune a vehicle in every situation. 000_tuning.pngThis guide aims to help you with the technique
Page: Vehicle Verification with Scripts
Verification tests can easily be automated with Vortex® Automated Tests Platform (VxATP). Developing a mechanism such as a wheeled vehicle requires constant modification of numerous components. Be it the engine, transmission, suspension, or tires, the par
Page: Vehicles Tutorials
This section of the Vortex® Studio Training Curriculum covers the steps needed to create wheeled vehicles. This can be achieved either by using Vehicle Presets or the Modular Vehicles approach. image2021-1-4_13-19-39.png Vehicle Presets Using Preset Vehi
Page: Verification and Validation Document
837_performance_analysis.pngThe performance and accuracy of Vortex Studio have been carefully tested by carrying out analyses of problems with known analytical solutions. To provide confidence in the accuracy of simulations using Vortex Studio, this docum
Page: Vessel Simulation with MARIN XRI
image2020-10-13_10-41-36.pngIf you need to simulate vessels and offshore conditions in a valid and verifiable way, you can use ship files created with MARIN© XMF Runtime Interface (XRI). MARIN XRI is a specialized software for realistically simulating nat
Page: Viewing Objects
Centering an Object in the Viewport(s) You can center an object in all viewports at once or just the active viewport in the 3D View. For example, here the Active View is the Top viewport (bottom right): image2020-10-8_9-10-1.png Center In Active View Here
Page: Vortex Console
sim_icon_console.pngThis topic describes the Vortex Console user interface that lets your users run simulation content and visualize metrics. Organizations develop simulation content and build simulators for different reasons: A training simulator can hel
Page: Vortex Human
467_human.pngVortex Human allows you to add human characters in Vortex Studio scenes. The human character can be controlled through a control extension or through a custom extension or script. Vortex Human is based on a subset of the DI-Guy SDK, which pro
Page: Vortex Marine
762_marine.pngThe Vortex Marine extension provides a hydrodynamic solution for surface ocean simulation that integrates both dynamics and visual (graphics). You can use this extension to simulate many marine scenarios, such as: An ROV connected to a TMS (
Page: Vortex Student Database
image2020-11-4_16-22-37.pngThe Vortex Student Database is a Mongo database that is used to store student information and their training sessions. Introduction The Vortex Student database is a Mongo database that contains all users, students and instructor
Page: Vortex Student Database Schema
Introduction The Mongo database contains all users, students and instructors, and their organization in classes. Each training session is recorded, results and metrics, in addition to scoring rules and the results. Some additional tables might be present
Home page: Vortex Studio 2021a Documentation
Search this documentation What's new in 2021a Browse by Topic Getting StartedVortex Studio 2021a Documentation User GuidesVortex Studio 2021a Documentation TroubleshootingVortex Studio 2021a Documentation Getting Started What you need to get started with
Page: Vortex Studio 2021a Documentation Home
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Page: Vortex Studio 2021a Release Notes
These are the release notes for the 2021a release of Vortex Studio. This document walks you through the novelties and changes in this release and provides a detailed description of system requirements, compatible hardware and more. worddav8676f70af6f12670
Page: Vortex Studio Application Extensions and Modules
Depending on the pages and features you want to include in the user interface, you must and add different modules, extensions, and pages to your setup file. Some modules and extensions are required for the interface to function properly. You can add the f
Page: Vortex Studio Content Starting Guide
How to Install and Use Vortex Studio Content The Demo Scenes and Samples are part of the Vortex Studio package, available from the Downloads page of your CM Labs account. To install Vortex Studio: Go to your account on the CM Labs website On the login pag
Page: Vortex Studio Director
569_director.pngThe Vortex Studio Director is a desktop-based application that provides system integrators with an interface for creating, configuring, launching and monitoring a simulator. image2020-9-11_14-31-10.png Vortex Studio Director User Interfac
Page: Vortex Studio Director Capabilities
The Vortex Studio Director is a desktop-based application that provides system integrators with an interface for creating, configuring, launching and monitoring a simulator. Specify simulator name Configure a new or existing simulator topology (nodes, ne
Page: Vortex Studio Dynamics Capabilities
The Multi Body Dynamics module includes the following physics, collision detection, and solver features. For more information regarding the theory that underlies the Vortex Studio MBD module, please refer to the Vortex Theory Guide Document. Core Dynamic
Page: Vortex Studio Editor
282_editor.png Vortex® Studio Editor is a desktop-based editing tool built around Vortex, and provides a means for the rapid creation and modification of mechanisms and scenes. The Vortex Editor provides access to all major Vortex dynamics capabilities th
Page: Vortex Studio Editor Capabilities
The Vortex Editor is a desktop-based editing tool built around Vortex Studio, and provides a means for the rapid creation, modification and testing of simulated mechanisms and scenes. The Vortex Editor provides access to all major Vortex dynamics capabil
Page: Vortex Studio Editor Documents
741_buildingblocks_63x64.pngThis section describes basic elements of Vortex Studio Editor, allowing you to define the basis for your simulation. Scenes Scenes Mechanisms Mechanisms Assemblies Assemblies Control Interface Control Interface Simulator Setup
Page: Vortex Studio Graphics Capabilities
The image generator module lets you visualize your simulation environment with realistic scenes for man-in-the-loop engineering and training. Hierarchical scene graph allowing nodes to be attached to each other and follow each other’s movements for kinem
Page: Vortex Studio Player
981_player.png Vortex® Studio Player is a simulator application that allows you to load assets (either the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes that you installed or another Vortex Studio scene created with Vortex Studio Editor) and simulate them. The simulation app
Page: Vortex Studio Player Capabilities
Vortex® Studio Player is a simulator application that allows you to load assets (either the Vortex Studio Demo Scenes that you installed or another Vortex Studio scene created with Vortex Studio Editor) and simulate them. The simulation applications runs
Page: Vortex Studio SDK
829_sdk.pngVortex Studio SDK provides information for C++ and python developers on how to extend Vortex® Studio applications and content. The audience for the information presented here is anyone who needs to use Vortex SDK to fit a particular need, be th
Page: Vortex Studio SDK - Adding User Controls
Introduction A common task among developers that use the Vortex Studio SDK is the development of a user interface to control their application and thus the simulation. An example of such an interface can be seen in the Vortex Studio Player application. So
Page: Vortex Studio SDK - Creating Content
Content Creation The main tool for content creation is of course the Vortex Studio Editor. The Editor manages for you all the dependencies between the documents, for example, it ensures that a change in a mechanism document is reflected in the scene where
Page: Vortex Studio SDK - Customizing Vortex
This chapter aims at developers who want to extend Vortex with more functionality or communicate from Vortex to and from an external system. About Plugins Vortex plugins allow developers to add more functionality to Vortex. Functionality is added by Exten
Page: Vortex Studio SDK - Device Mapping
Introduction Devices A device is usually a piece of hardware that is typically used to control an equipment. It can be a gamepad, a flightstick, a wheel, pedals or another custom hardware. Like everything in Vortex, such hardware communicates with the sof
Page: Vortex Studio SDK - Paged Terrain Producer
A paged terrain producer incrementally creates a terrain https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocumentation/Vortex_User_Documentation/Content/Editor/editor_terrain.html from smaller elements. The elements are created on an as-needed basis to form a paged t
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Advanced - Events
Introduction Events Usage In Vortex, data is passed via connections from one content extension to the other. Communication between modules across a distributed simulation cannot be accomplished with connections, but by using events. Events are packets of
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Advanced - Extension Categories and Filtering Options
Vortex® objects (e.g., parts, assemblies, constraints, collision geometries) are represented as dynamics extensions (VxSim::IDynamics https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocumentation/Vortex_Technical_Documentation/class_vx_sim_1_1_i_dynamics.html#ac84328
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Advanced - Fields And Extensions
Advance Field Types Listed below are a list of special fields. The all derived from VxData::FieldBase. Field of Enumeration Type - Field<eType> Fields of enumeration type are easier to use than a generic Field<VxEnum>. It provides access to the enum type
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Advanced - Key Frames
Basic Concepts What Is a Key Frame? A key frame is a capture of all application content data at a certain point in time that allows the application to resume the simulation from that point. It contains all content extensions' input, output, parameter valu
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Advanced - Threading And Synchronisation
Introduction This document will give practical guidelines for thread safety when using Vortex SDK. Care must be taken when developing plugin extensions, objects and modules. This document is targeted to developers who make their own extensions and modules
Page: Vortex Studio SDK Introduction
Vortex® Studio SDK is designed to simulate content created inside the Vortex Studio Editor. It can either run stand-alone or integrate within your existing framework. Topics Vortex Architecture https://www.cm-labs.com/vortexstudiodocumentation/Vortex_User
Page: Vortex Theory Guide Document
101_theory_guide.pngThis document introduces the theory underlying Vortex Software’s multibody dynamics engine.
Page: Vortex Unit Conventions
Vortex® supports the SI system (International System of Units) also known as the MKS (metre, kilogram, second) system. Some physical quantities typically used for rigid-body dynamics are shown in the table below: Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Length Meter
Page: Vortex.py Tutorials (Python 3)
These tutorials use the Python 3 package of Vortex. They are only available on Windows. Vortex provides a python 3.8 distribution in <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\resources\Python3DefaultInterpreter
Page: VR System Extension
icon_vr_63x63.pngThe VR System extension in Vortex Studio lets mechanical engineers and level designers create interactive VR experiences in Vortex Studio that run on HTC Vive components. From the Vortex Studio Editor, you can connect HTC Vive https://www
Page: VxSim.py Tutorials (Python 2)
These tutorials use the Python 2 package of Vortex. They are available on Windows and Linux.

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Page: What is Vortex Studio?
Vortex® Studio is a real-time simulation software platform that allows you to create realistic scenes of land and sea equipment, and environments, with minimal or no coding. image2020-10-5_17-0-35.png Vortex Studio can help you meet challenges such as the
Page: Working with Documents
This section covers various file operations, most of which follow standard conventions (creating and saving files, opening existing files, etc.). Apart from these standard file operations, you can insert documents into a document parent. These documents m
Page: Working with Tire Models in Modular Vehicle Systems
Although there is no difference in the behavior of the Tire Models being used in a vehicle that has been created from Modular Vehicles Systems or from a Vehicle from Preset, there is slight differences in the way to work with it. Using the Tire Models Fro
Page: Working with Tire Models in Vehicle from Preset
Having at end a vehicle that has been created from a Vehicle Preset or from a Modular Vehicle Systems, there are few differences in working with it. Using the Tire Models When creating a new vehicle system, the Tire Model component is also created. The se

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