HUD Extensions

Owned by Jean-François Emond
Jan 04, 2024
3 min read
A heads up display (HUD) allows you to superimpose additional information into a viewport.

To add an overlay:

  1. Click HUD in the Toolbox.
  2. Select Image, Line, Text, or Textfile.
  3. Drag it into the 3D View, or into the desired location of the Explorer panel.
  4. Edit the name of the image or text.
  5. In the Viewport Name field, specify in which viewport you want the HUD to appear.
  6. Use the Anchor Type drop-down menu to select whether to place the HUD in the ViewSpace (the HUD locks to a specific position of the window, initially bottom-left) or WorldSpace (the HUD is inserted in the scene and remains relative to the user's perspective).
  7. You can change the positioning of the HUD on screen using the Anchor Position (see the note below).
  8. You can also move the positioning of the HUD relative to the screen using the Screen Offset field.

Image

For an image, there are the following additional settings to configure:

  • Image Color: Changes the color of the overlaid image. The four color fields represent red, green, blue and transparency.
  • Image Angle: Rotates the overlaid image around its bottom left corner by a specified angle.
  • Center of Rotation: Positions the point in the HUD where rotation will occur, in local coordinates.
  • Image Scale: Stretches the image by a specified amount.
  • Texture: Selects a texture to overlay.
  • Preserve Aspect Ratio: Select this box to maintain the ratio of the HUD while resizing.

Line

For a line, there are the following additional settings to configure:

  • Color: Changes the color of the overlaid line. The four color fields represent red, green, blue and transparency.
  • Start Point: Specifies the starting point of the line in screen space, relative to the anchor position (which may be in ViewSpace or WorldSpace).
  • End Point: Specifies the ending point of the line in screen space, relative to the anchor position (which may be in ViewSpace or WorldSpace).

Text and Textfile

For text or a textfile, there are the following additional settings to configure:

  • Text: Specifies the text you want overlaid. ("Text" option only.)
  • Text File: Specifies the file in which the text you want displayed is written. ("TextFile" option only.)
  • Text Color: Changes the color of the overlaid text. The four color fields represent red, green, blue and transparency.
  • Font Size: Changes the size of the text.
  • Font Name: Changes the type of font by specifying one from your Windows fonts folder. For example: Fonts/arial.ttf.
  • Text Alignment: Allows you to select how to align the text relative to the window.
  • Text Orientation: Allows you to select in which direction the text is written relative to the window.
  • Backdrop Type: Allows you to select the location of an offset double of your text, if any.
  • Backdrop Color: Changes the color of the backdrop text. The four color fields represent red, green, blue and transparency.
  • Backdrop Offset: Allows you to specify the horizontal and vertical offset of your backdrop text.

Note

The Anchor Position field changes where the overlay appears onscreen. The three Anchor Position fields correspond to the X, Y, and Z positions of the bottom left of the overlaid image or text.

The field's behavior changes depending on the anchor type.

Use the following information as guidelines when entering values for the Anchor Position.

  • ViewSpace Anchor Type
    •  X-axis
      • A value of -1 aligns the overlay with the left side of the viewport.
      • A value of 0 aligns the overlay with the center of the viewport.
      • A value of +1 aligns the overlay with the right side of the viewport.
        Since these coordinates coincide with the bottom left of the overlay, a value of +1 means the overlay is outside the viewable area of the viewport in the Editor.
    • Y-axis:
      • A value of -1 aligns the overlay with the bottom of the viewport.
      • A value of 0 aligns the overlay with the center of the viewport.
      • A value of +1 aligns the overlay with the top of the viewport.
        Since these coordinates coincide with the bottom left of the overlay, a value of +1 means the overlay is outside the viewable area of the viewport in the Editor.
    • Z-axis: 
      • This value specifies the Z-order of overlapping 2D objects. Objects with a smaller value in this field will appear in front of objects with greater values.
  • WorldSpace Anchor Type
    • X-axis:
      • A positive value places the overlay along the +X-axis.
      • A negative value places the overlay along the -X-axis.
      • A value of 0 fixes the overlay to zero on the X-axis.
    • Y-axis:
      • A positive value places the overlay along the +Y-axis.
      • A negative value places the overlay along the -Y-axis.
      • A value of 0 fixes the overlay to zero on the Y-axis.
    • Z-axis:
      • A positive value places the overlay along the +Z-axis.
      • A negative value places the overlay along the -Z-axis.
      • A value of 0 fixes the overlay to zero on the Z-axis.