Space Index

0-9 ... 1	A ... 25	B ... 1	C ... 47	D ... 11	E ... 14
F ... 4	G ... 28	H ... 25	I ... 17	J ... 0	K ... 1
L ... 6	M ... 33	N ... 6	O ... 4	P ... 13	Q ... 0
R ... 15	S ... 30	T ... 35	U ... 17	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 - Legacy Documentation

Advanced Graphics in Vortex Studio is considered legacy technology. We encourage users to look at game engines, like Unity or Unreal, integration to benefit from advanced rendering capabilities. See Integrating Vortex Studio with Unity and Integrating Vor

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. It is built and used by mechanical engineers and contains all that is necessary to implement the mechanical design of a component. I

Page: Assembly Link

assembly_link.pngAssembly Links are used to connect two Linking Interfaces together which creates the binding between two Assemblies. The result will establish two levels of connection between the Linking Interfaces: a data connection as well as a dynamic

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

Page: Automated Vortex Content Testing with Python

Purpose of this tutorial This tutorial demonstrates how to script an automated test while loading a scene containing a fully working environment and mechanism. The Excavator Scene from the Demo Scenes is used as input content to the script. The purpose of

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: Co-Simulation with Vortex and ROS2

Introduction Vortex is integrated to ROS2 by mean of C++ extensions and python scripts. Such extensions and scripts are subscribing or publishing topics. The C++ extensions implement specific existing ROS2 message types (see below for a list). Python3 emb

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 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 provides an example to create content with code. In this tutorial, a rover is built, is connected to a joystick, and rolls on a plane. It showcas

Page: Content Creation Tutorial (Python 3)

Name Location Content Creation <Vortex Studio Installation Folder>\tutorials\Python\Vortex\PycontentCreation\ContentCreation.py This tutorial provides an example to create content with code. It is the python 3 equivalent of the C++ Content Creation Tutori

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 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

D

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 Beta

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:

E

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: Equipment and Exercises Documents

image2021-8-27_9-10-36.pngVortex Equipment and Exercises are concepts that are used in the Vortex Console. An equipment is a representation of a real-life hardware that the operator will train for and an exercise is a representation of a training scenario

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

G

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 Dynamics Script. This adds a Pytho

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 5.15.2 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 debug and profile a Unity-Vortex distributed simulator

Vortex distributed simulators using Unity as a renderer use VortexUnityApp.exe as a standard application to run the simulator. We provide a development version, VortexUnityAppDev.exe, that can be used to debug and profile a Unity node in a distributed sim

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. HUD extensions There are two types of HUD Extension

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 the Material Table to manage Contact Materials

In Vortex Studio, the Material table allows users to define properties of interactions between different Contact Materials assigned to different dynamic objects during simulation. This page is a short guide that explains the most common uses of the Materi

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 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 Unity as Graphics Renderer in a Vortex distributed simulator

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

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 in a standalone Unity project

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 using Python 2 - Deprecated

Vortex Studio SDK in python Python 2 is still supported in Vortex Studio, on Windows only, 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 Studi

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

Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using the SDK - Making a Vortex Application

This section targets developers who want to use the Vortex Application as a part of a bigger application. This section explains what is the VxApplication, how to configure it, load content into it, and get it running from an external application. Then how

Page: Integrating Vortex Studio using the VortexIntegration 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 Vortex Studio and Unity can be integrated, either in a standalone Unity project, or as a distributed Vortex simulator using Unity as a graphic renderer. Vortex Studio offers 2 plugins for Unity integration: one for a standalone s

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

Page: Integrating with Simulink

Introduction As a beta feature, Vortex Studio now offers a new method of communication with Matworks' Simulink. In addition to the UDP Send and Receive extensions in Vortex, you can now add the Simulink Block module to your Vortex application's setup file

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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: Linking Interface

Working with Linking Interfaces Similar to the Vortex® High Level (VHL) Interface for mechanism, the Linking Interface exposes a defined subset of the assembly's internal fields as inputs, outputs and parameters. It also exposes some dynamics related fiel

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: Making a Co-Simulation Between Vortex and Simulink

Introduction The Simulink Plugin comes pre-installed with Vortex. If you have Simulink installed on your system, it allows you to transfer information between Vortex and Simulink while simulations are running, allowing co-simulation between the two pieces

Page: Making a Standalone Vortex-Simulink Executable With the Simulink Compiler

Introduction The Simulink Compiler allows you to make a standalone executable containing your Simulink simulation with the Vortex block. The executable file can be redistributed to systems who do not have a MATLAB installation. Requirements A Simulink Com

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 collision geometry, parts, assemblies and mechanisms, in the 3D View. Transform toolbar You must first select an object before you can use the buttons in the Transform toolbar as shown below. image

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 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

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

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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: Object Trace

Object Trace_medium_Grey.pngShowing the path taken by an object during training (for example, the bucket of an excavator) can be a valuable training tool. To help level designers with this task, Vortex® Studio offers a simple way to show the path taken by

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: Publishing Lidar Point Cloud2 data over ROS2 from a Mechanism

In this tutorial, you will learn how to publish a Point Cloud2 data over a ROS2 simulation using Vortex® Studio Editor. Prerequisites User should have satisfied the prerequisites that are given in the tutorial : Publishing TF2 over ROS2 from a mechanism.

Page: Publishing Lidar Point Cloud2 data over ROS2 from a Scene

This tutorial shows how to use multiple instances of a mechanism that publishes Point Cloud2 in a Vortex® Studio Scene. Prerequisites User should have satisfied the prerequisites that are given in the tutorial : Publishing TF2 over ROS2 from a mechanism,

Page: Publishing TF2 over ROS2 from a mechanism

In this tutorial, users will learn how to create a mechanism that will publish a TF2 data structure over a ROS2 simulation. Prerequisites You must have Vortex® Studio and the Vortex® Studio's Samples installed to be able to complete this tutorial. In addi

Page: Publishing TF2 over ROS2 from a Scene

This tutorial shows how to use multiple instances of a mechanism that publish TF2 in a Vortex® Studio Scene. Prerequisites User should have satisfied the prerequisites that are given in the tutorial : Publishing TF2 over ROS2 from a mechanism . It is reco

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. Python 3.8 should be used. Python 2 support has been removed from Linux. It is no longer possible to create

Page: Python 3 API: Upgrading Vortex Files

The following functions are available in the Vortex Python API. They are helper functions that perform the upgrade of existing Vortex files to the current version of Vortex. For example, the part document has been removed in 2020b, any parts will be saved

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 both Windows and Linux. The Vortex python module (Vortex.py) is compatible with Python 3.8. Tutorials Using the tutorials The python tuto

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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: ROS2 Integration

Page: ROS2 Tutorial 1: Running the Turtlebot3/Nav2 demo

Vortex_Nav2.gif This tutorial shows how to install an implementation of the ROS2 Navigation2 tutorial by Microsoft with Vortex Studio as the simulation software, replacing Gazebo. The original tutorial from Microsoft can be found here : https://ms-iot.git

Page: ROS2 Tutorial 2: Publishing TF2 transform message

Page: ROS2 Tutorial 3: Publishing Lidar data with PointCloud2

In this Tutorial, you will learn how to publish Lidar data over ROS2 using the Vortex Extension that published PointCloud2 message. Since this can be done either from a Mechanism or a Scene, you have these two options :

Page: ROS2 Tutorial 4: Importing URDF files

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: ROS2 Tutorial 5: Using Python3 Embedded Scripts

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: ROS2 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 Python 3 script when an Exercise is loaded

Exercises can be customized by executing custom Python 3 scripts. This type of script is executed when an exercise is loaded by the Console. As a prerequisite, the Exercise must have a valid Scene associated to it for the script to be ran. Adding an Exerc

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: Simulating with Vortex on Windows Subsystem for Linux - WSL2

This document details how to use the same machine when running a Vortex simulation on Linux while Creating Content and Debugging Simulation on Windows. Installing WSL2 See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wind

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 337_installation.pngA setup document (VXC extension) allows you to set up or configure a Vortex application without doing it all manually in code. It can be passed to an application that will parse it (like the SimApp) and automatically co

Page: Simulink Integration Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn how to exchange information with a Simulink model program using the Vortex Simulink Block extension. Communication between multiple simulation software can be very useful in order to integrate models coming from different

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: Transferring Strings Between Vortex and Simulink

We want to support transferring strings between Vortex and Simulink. While there is a "string" type in Simulink, it is not available in the public API and so cannot be incorporated directly into the Vortex Simulink block. To circumvent this limitation, we

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 This document provides the workflow for adding a new language for the multi-

Page: Translating Content with Vortex Editor

Creating translation of content This document provides the workflow for creating a translation of content in order to support the multi-language Vortex Console application. Support for creating and updating translations for clients purchasing Vortex Studi

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

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

V

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 the Vortex® Automated Tests Platform (vxatp3). Developing a mechanism such as a wheeled vehicle requires constant modification of numerous components. Be it the engine, transmission, suspension, or tires, th

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 the new and more powerful Modular Vehicles approach or the legacy Vehicle Presets. image2021-1-4_13-19-39.png M

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

Page: Vortex Studio 2022.8 Change Log

What's new? CAD Plugin The CAD plugin feature has been removed in 2022.8. Academic License Support Academic License is not offered anymore. The previously provided Academic licenses will still be functional until expiration. Vortex Studio Create is now ab

Home page: Vortex Studio 2022.8 Documentation

Search this documentation Change Log in 2022.8 Browse by Topic Getting StartedVortex Studio 2022.8 Documentation User GuidesVortex Studio 2022.8 Documentation TroubleshootingVortex Studio 2022.8 Documentation Getting Started What you need to get started w

Page: Vortex Studio 2022.8 Documentation Home

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 on Linux

linux.pngVortex Studio is available on the Linux platform, albeit in a more limited capacity. Features and Capabilities For Linux operating systems, Vortex Studio applications support the simulation of dynamics models and a basic visualization rendering

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. Summary The Vortex SDK exposes the following features. C++ SDK File-based configurable a

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

The VR System Extension has been deprecated since Vortex Studio 2022.3. It will no longer be maintained and will be removed in a future version. VR can be used with Unity, please see our Unity integration package. icon_vr_63x63.pngThe VR System extension

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Page: What is Vortex Studio?

Vortex® Studio is a real-time simulation software platform that allows you to simulate realistic off highway equipments with minimal or no coding. image2020-10-5_17-0-35.png Vortex Studio can help you meet challenges such as these: Prototyping potential s

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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