Beams and beamgroups

Beams

Parent element name: hill
Element name: beam

The beam is a bollard. It's ideal to create for example simple handrail. Many beams can be defined as one element named beamgroup.

Positioning beams

Name	Type	Allowed values	Description	Optional
x[1, 2]?	Float		The starting and/or ending point in position relative to the X-axis
y[1, 2]?	Float		The starting and/or ending point in position relative to the Y-axis	True
z[1, 2]?	Float		The starting and/or ending point in position relative to the Z-axis	True
refx[1, 2]?	String	A built-in reference which applies for refx or custom refx id	A reference to the X-axis, which beam is based on
refy[1, 2]?	String	A built-in reference which applies for refy or your defined profile name	A reference to the Y-axis, which beam is based on	True
refz[1, 2]?	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis, which beam is based on	True

WARNING

Beams are always created along the shortest possible path between [x, y, z]1 to [x, y, z]2. It isn't possible to create curved beams.

Advanced beams positioning and rotating

TIP

In many cases, you don't need to use attributes from this table. However, they can be helpful, if you want to make a realistic-looking hill.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
ny[1, 2]?	Float	The starting and/or ending point in position perpendicular (using normal vectors) relative to refy[1, 2]? profile	True
nz[1, 2]?	Float	The starting and/or ending point in position perpendicular (using normal vectors) relative to refz[1, 2]? profile	True
n_[x, y, z]	Float	The [X, Y, Z]-coordinate of a normal vector to one of the side edges of the beam	True

TIP

By changing n_[x, y, z] attributes, you can control the rotation of the beam sides.

Sizing beams

Name	Type	Description	Optional
r[1, 2]?	+Float	Beam radius
rb[1, 2]?	+Float	Second beam radius value	True

TIP

Specify the rb attribute to create the ellipse beam.

TIP

r[1, 2] (rb[1, 2]) are usually used if the beam is to have a different radius at both ends.

Controlling sides

Name	Type	Default value	Description	Optional
edges	+Integer		Edges count
smooth	Boolean	False	Toggles smooth sides	True
rect	Boolean	False	Toggles a cuboid shape	True
side	Boolean	True	Toggles rendering sides of the beam	True
end[1, 2]	Boolean	False	Toggles rendering full shapes of beams	True
invert	Boolean	False	Toggles the inversion of all sides of the beam	True

Texturing beams

TIP

If you have two surfaces that are overlapping each other, specify the zbias attribute, so this surface will appear "above" the second surface

Name	Type	Description	Optional
[t, m, c]	[Texture, Material, Color]	Texture, material and color
zbias	+Integer	Z-index	True

Beamgroups

Parent element name: hill
Element name: beamgroup

Beamgroup is a group of beams defined using one element named beamgroup. So instead of declaring beams multiple times, you can have one beamgroup.

TIP

All beams' attributes are working also with beamgroups. However, some extra attributes apply for beamgroup only.

TIP

The stepper attribute can't be described using only words, as it includes advanced math and deep knowledge of DSJ4 code. In most cases setting its value to 0 should be enough, however, the difference between values can be noticed.

Managing steps

Name	Type	Default value	Description	Optional
step	+Float		Step between beams
fitstep	Boolean		Toggles equal beams arrangement	True
stepper	+integer	<0; 5>	Step management way

Rendering beamgroups

Name	Type	Default value	Description	Optional
first	Boolean	True	Toggles rendering the first beam in beamgroup	True
last	Boolean	True	Toggles rendering the last beam in beamgroup	True
end[1, 2]	Boolean	False	Toggles rendering full shapes of beams	True
side	Boolean	True	Toggles rendering sides of the beam	True

Positioning beamgroups

TIP

Beamgroups render multiple beams in a range of positions from [x, y, z]1 to [x, y, z]2.

The intermediate points for beams are calculated with the following formula (for stepper="0"):

P(n) = P1 + [(P2 - P1) / Distance(P2 - P1)] * n * step,

where P1 is [x, y, z]1 point in the global coordinate system and P2 is [x, y, z]2 point in the global coordinate system.

TIP

These attributes manage the ending points of each beam relative to P(n) points from the previous tip.

Name	Type	Description
dx[1, 2]?	Float	The ending points of beams in position relative to X-axis
dy[1, 2]?	Float	The ending points of beams in position relative to Y-axis
dz[1, 2]?	Float	The ending points of beams in position relative to Z-axis
ny[1, 2]?	Float	The ending points of beams in position perpendicular relative to refy[1, 2]? profile
nz[1, 2]?	Float	The ending points of beams in position perpendicular relative to refz[1, 2]? profile
n_[x, y, z]	Float	The [X, Y, Z]-coordinate of a normal vector to one of the side edges of the beams

Code snippets

<hill version="DSJ4-1.10.0">
    <!-- Rest of code omitted for clearance -->
    <!-- This XML outputs in simple barrier placed on left side of the inrun. -->
    <beam x1="5" x2="25" y="1.5" z="1.5" r="0.025" edges="8" end1="true" end2="true" smooth="true" t="Textures\metal.png" m="Materials\metal.xml" c="0x505050" refx="inrun" refy="inrun-top"/>
    <beamgroup x1="5" x2="25" y="0" z="1.5" r="0.025" edges="8" dy1="0" dy2="1.5" end1="false" end2="true" smooth="true" stepper="1" step="1" t="Textures\metal.png" m="Materials\metal.xml" c="0x505050" refx="inrun" refy="inrun-top"/>
</hill>

Pillars

Distance markers

# Beams and beamgroups

# Beams

# Positioning beams

# Advanced beams positioning and rotating

# Sizing beams

# Controlling sides

# Texturing beams

# Beamgroups

# Managing steps

# Rendering beamgroups

# Positioning beamgroups

# Code snippets