Adobe Director Basics

ADOBE DIRECTOR BASICS
3D: Controlling appearance
-- Lingo and JavaScript syntax
vExtruder = member("Text to Extrude").extrude3D(member("3D"))
vModel = member("3D").newModel("Extrusion", vExtruder)
vExtruder.vertexList = member("VectorShape").vertexList
In Director 11.5, extruderResource.vertexList is a write-only property. You cannot retrieve the vertexList from an
extruder resource after it is set, as the following examples show:
-- Lingo syntax
put member("3D").model("Extruded").resource.vertexList
--
// JavaScript syntax
trace(member("3D").getPropRef("model", 1).resource.vertexList);
// null
To see an example of this in action, download and launch the movie Extruder.dir.
Note: The 2D co-ordinates of a vectorShape member are measured only rightwards and downwards, whereas the 3D coordinates
of a model resource are measured rightwards, upwards, and forwards. As a result, the shape of an #extruder
resource appears to be flipped vertically.
Texture mapping
An #extruder resource has only one mesh. The same shader is applied to both front and back, as a mirror image, and
it is smeared along the sides. If you want to create an modelResource that appears to be extruded, and which has
separate shaders on the front, back and tunnel, use a #mesh resource. See “Creating a mesh resource” on page 170 for
details.
Creating a mesh resource
The mesh generator is the most complex model resource. It allows you to create models with unique geometries at
runtime. Some examples of typical uses are:
Mathematically simple volumes
Lathed shapes
Walls for a building
Low-polygon models used for collision detection
Terrain meshes
Writing a script to create a custom mesh requires a good visualization of 3D space, a good grasp of a number of lowlevel
3D concepts, concentration, and plenty of patience. However, you can find scripts that generate a mesh for you,
from information that you provide in some of the demo movies that accompany this manual.
Do-it-yourself mesh movies
See “Mesh resources” on page 72 for a movie that allows you to create a 2D shape by setting points in a vectorShape
member, and then transforms this into a 3D model by rotating the 2D shape around a vertical axis. The movie can
generate scripts which recreate the models in your own movies.
See “Not walking through objects” on page 222 for a script that generates a low-polygon ribbon mesh for use with
collision detection. The script uses the vertexPoints of a VectorShape member to generate the shape of the ribbon.
See “Following a pre-defined path” on page 220 for scripts that generate a tube from a curve defined by a
vectorShape member.
Last updated 8/26/2011
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