Pillars

Parent element name: hill
Element name: pillar

Pillars are an essential part of DSJ4 hill buildings. It can be defined as a textured block that can have different shapes. It can be used under the inrun flat section as "tower", under inrun as hill support, etc.

TIP

This section of the documentation contains things, that can't be described using only words. The best way to test the parameters described below is to use elements from already existing hills and play with them.

Positioning pillars

Name	Type	Allowed values	Description	Optional
y[1, 2]	Float		The position relative to the Y-axis	True
breflz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the bottom left side, which pillar is based on	True
brefrz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the bottom right side, which pillar is based on	True
brefy	String	A built-in reference which applies for refy or your defined profile name	A reference to the Y-axis from the bottom side, which pillar is based on	True
brefz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the bottom side, which pillar is based on	True
reflz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the left side, which pillar is based on	True
refrz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the right side, which pillar is based on	True
refx[1, 2]?	String	A built-in reference which applies for refx or custom refx id	A reference to the X-axis, which pillar is based on	True
refy	String	A built-in reference which applies for refy or your defined profile name	A reference to the Y-axis, which pillar is based on	True
refz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis, which pillar is based on	True
treflz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the top left side, which pillar is based on	True
trefrz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the top right side, which pillar is based on	True
trefy	String	A built-in reference which applies for refy or your defined profile name	A reference to the Y-axis from the top side, which pillar is based on	True
trefz	String	A built-in reference which applies for refz or your defined profile name	A reference to the Z-axis from the top side, which pillar is based on	True

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If you are a beginner you don't have to use all these refs. The most basic are enough - refx or refx1 and refx2, refy and refz.

Sizing pillars

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Manipulating the length of pillars in DSJ4 is based on manipulating x1 and x2 attributes, width on lz and rz, height on ty, and by.

Name	Type	Description	Optional
x1	Float	The starting point in position relative to the X-axis
x2	Float	The ending point in position relative to the X-axis
lz[1, 2]?	Float	The starting point in position relative to the Z-axis
rz[1, 2]?	Float	The ending point in position relative to the Z-axis
bly[1, 2]?	Float	The bottom left side coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
blz[1, 2]?	Float	The bottom left side coordinate(s) relative to the Z-axis	True
bry[1, 2]?	Float	The bottom right side coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
brz[1, 2]?	Float	The bottom right side coordinate(s) relative to the Z-axis	True
by[1, 2]?	Float	The bottom coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
tly[1, 2]?	Float	The top left side coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
tlz[1, 2]?	Float	The top left side coordinate(s) relative to the Z-axis	True
try[1, 2]?	Float	The top right side coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
trz[1, 2]?	Float	The top right side coordinate(s) relative to the Z-axis	True
ty[1, 2]?	Float	The top coordinate(s) relative to the Y-axis	True
n[top, bottom]	Float	The top or bottom height in position perpendicular relative to [t, b]refy? profile	True

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If you are a beginner you don't have to use all these position attributes. The most basic is enough - x1 and x2, lz and rz, ty and by.

Multiple pillars

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If the steps between the next pillars are the same, you can use the step and count attributes to create multiple pillars using only one element.

Name	Type	Default value	Description	Optional
step	+Float	0.0	Step between pillars	True
count	+Integer	0	Count of pillars to be rendered	True

Controlling sides visibility

Name	Type	Description	Optional
bottom	Boolean	Toggles the bottom side visibility	True
front	Boolean	Toggles the front side visibility	True
left	Boolean	Toggles the left side visibility	True
rear	Boolean	Toggles the rear side visibility	True
right	Boolean	Toggles the right side visibility	True
top	Boolean	Toggles the top side visibility	True

Texturing pillars

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Use normal type attribute if you are using opaque texture. When using textures with alpha channels such as grid.png, use blend type. In the case of transparent textures, use glass type.

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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	Allowed values	Description	Optional
[t, m, c]	[Texture, Material, Color]		Texture, material and color
pt	Boolean		Toggles texture snapping to the pillar shape	True
scale	Float		Texture scaling factor	True
texture-refy	Float		A reference to the Y-axis, which texture is based on	True
type	String	normal, blend, glass	Texture type	True
zbias	+Integer		Z-index	True

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Texture-refy attribute works only when pt="false".

Code snippets

<hill version="DSJ4-1.10.0">
    <!-- Rest of code omitted for clearance -->
    <!-- This XML outputs in pillar placed directly under the flat section of the inrun. -->
    <pillar brefy="terrain" trefy="inrun-top" t="Textures\concrete1.png" m="Materials\material1.xml" c="0xf2e5c7" reflz="inrun-left" refrz="inrun-right" x1="0" x2="3" />
</hill>

Railings

Beams and beamgroups

# Pillars

# Positioning pillars

# Sizing pillars

# Multiple pillars

# Controlling sides visibility

# Texturing pillars