June 30, 2021
0

Buildbox World – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Buildbox World

Buildbox World is a mobile app that works with Buildbox 3 and allows you to export your projects directly from Buildbox to your phone or tablet within seconds. Below is some information to help you get started with Buildbox World. If you’d prefer to watch the tutorial video, click here.

Table of Contents
1 Downloading the App
2 User Authentication
3 Storage
4 Exporting from Buildbox 3
5 Navigating Buildbox World App Interface

Downloading the App

Buildbox World is now available for iOS. Click here to view the App Store page. Or scan the QR code below to download it on your mobile device:

Android will be coming later, so stay tuned for that.

User Authentication

In order for Buildbox World to work properly, you’ll need a Buildbox account. If you already have an account, log into Buildbox World how you normally would log into the Buildbox desktop application. 

If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for a new account straight from the Buildbox World app by tapping “Sign Up” at the bottom of the login screen. After you create your account, a welcome email will be waiting in your inbox with a link to download Buildbox 3 to your computer. Please check the spam folder if you don’t see it. 

To learn more about Buildbox 3, or to directly download it to your computer, you can also click here.

Storage

Users on any plan have access to Buildbox World. However, your plan will dictate the amount of storage you have for Buildbox World exports. Upgrade to the PRO plan to have unlimited storage!

Storage tiers:
FREE – 2GB
PLUS – 20GB
PRO – Unlimited!

Exporting from Buildbox 3

Prepping Your Export

ADD A GAME ICON
When your project gets exported to Buildbox World, it is populated with a thumbnail image. To customize this image, go to File > Project Settings. From there, drag your image into the Game Icon image uploader. The ideal ratio for your Game Icon is 1:1 so that it fits perfectly within the given space. We recommend a 1080×1080 @72dpi image. If you do not add your own image, it will load into Buildbox World with a default image.

RENAME EXPORT
Your Buildbox World export takes its name from the BBDOC file name, so to change the name of your export, you’ll have to edit the BBDOC file name. Go to File > Save As and save your BBDOC as your desired name before exporting. We highly recommend to name your exports in a way that will help keep your Buildbox World library organized. Future you will thank you!

Exporting

Once you are ready to export your project to Buildbox World, click on the Export to Buildbox World button on the top right of the navigation bar in the Buildbox editor next to the Preview buttons. You can also export by choosing File > Export > Buildbox World.

You will see the progress of your export and be notified when it is successful. Now, all you need to do is open Buildbox World on your mobile device and your export should be waiting for you on the Your Exports screen. If you do not see it, try pulling down on the middle of the screen to refresh.

Navigating Buildbox World App Interface

You will see 3 navigation tabs at the top of your screen. These will take you to the different sections of Buildbox World.

“Your Exports” Tab

Upon export from Buildbox, your games will automatically populate onto this screen. If for some reason you don’t see it, you can always pull down on the middle of the screen to refresh. Each export is populated with a Game Icon thumbnail image, the export name, date, and size.

  • PLAY
    To play your export, simply tap on it once. You will see the progress bar as it loads and then it will open automatically when it’s finished loading. During gameplay, tap on the BB World icon at the top left to go back to your homescreen.
  • DELETE
    Swipe left or right on your export to reveal an action menu. This is where you can delete your export. Upon deletion, you will not be able to undo or retrieve this export again. You’ll have to re-export from Buildbox to get it back.
  • FAVORITES
    Use the star “Favorites” icon to filter your exports to only see your Favorites for quick access to the ones you use most. To favorite an export, double tap on it’s thumbnail. You can also swipe left or right to reveal the actions menu and tap “Favorite.” To unfavorite, double tap again, or swipe for action menu and tap “Undo Favorite.”
  • SEARCH
    Use this search bar to look up any exports you are looking for. It will automatically start searching as you type. Tap on the “X” icon to clear your search. Tap “Return” to clear your keyboard offscreen.
  • SORTING
    You can sort by date, name, and size of your export, depending on what is more useful for you at the time.

“Shared” Tab

Here you will see some games that the Buildbox team has shared with you. Make sure to check back to see what new games are waiting for you.

“Account” Tab

Here is your account info. You can come here to see how long you’ve been a Buildbox member, what plan you’re on, how many exports you have, and how much storage you’ve used. You can also navigate here anytime you want to sign out of your account.

December 11, 2019
0

Scene – API Reference

By |

Scene

The Scene API handles aspects of game at the 2D/3D world level.

Function Description
addChild(entity)

Adds the given Entity as a child of the Scene.
addLevel(name)

Adds a level to the queue of levels to be displayed. The engine will look for a Level Section (aka Scene) with the given name and schedule it for adding. As soon as the engine needs a new level section to display, it will look for scheduled ones first.

addScoreCoin(value)

Increases the user’s coins by the amount given in value. You can also pass a negative value to decrease the user’s coins. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.
addScorePoint(value)

Increases the user’s score by the amount given in value. You can also pass a negative value to decrease the user’s points. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.
bestCoins()

Returns the highest value of coins in the current 2D/3D World.
bestGlobalCoins()

Returns the highest amount of coins in the entire game.
bestGlobalPoints()

Returns the highest amount of points in the entire game.
bestPoints()

Returns the highest amount of points in the current 2D/3D World.
camera()

Returns the Camera of the Scene.
characters()

Returns an array of Characters that are currently in the Scene. Remember, there are two kinds of assets that can be placed in a Scene: characters and objects.
clone(originalEntity)

Clones originalEntity and returns a copy of it. Note that the cloned entity’s start() function will be ran when it is cloned.
create(name, parent)

Creates a new Entity using the Asset with the specified name, Asset, or id.

createLinker(name)

Creates and returns a new Linker with the given name (optional).
currentCoins()

Returns the current amount of coins in the 2D/3D World.
currentGlobalCoins()

Returns the current amount of coins in the overall game.
currentGlobalPoints()

Returns the current amount of points in the overall game.
currentLevelName()

Returns the name of the current level.
currentPoints()

Returns the current amount of points in the 2D/3D World.
decreaseCoins(value)

Decreases the user’s coins by the amount given in value.
decreaseCurrentPoints(value)

Decreases the user’s points by the amount given in value.
decreaseTotalPoints(value)

Decreases the given value from the total points in the current 2D/3D World.
entities()

Returns an array of all Entities in the Scene.
find(name)

Returns the array of Entities with the specified name.
findFirst(name)

Returns the first Entity found in the scene with the given name. Useful if you’re sure you only have one Object in the Scene with that name. Returns null if the Entity is not found.
path()

Returns Path object of the Scene.
physicsWorld()

Returns the Scene’s PhysicsWorld object. For more information, look at the PhysicsWorld API reference page.
purgeLevel()

Removes the current first level section.
pushNavigation(name)

Activates a Navigation button with the given name on the current UI, as if the user touched it.
rayTest(from, to)

Returns objects (AABBs) that collide with a ray between the two given Vec3 coordinates. The object returned has the properties bodies and sensors.
restart()

Restarts the scene.
setBackgroundColor(r, g, b)

Sets the background color of the Scene.
setGravity(x, y, z)

Sets the gravity of the Scene.
setScorePoint(value)

Sets the current points to the given value. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.
setShadowsEnabled(enabled)

Use this function to turn shadows on or off globally. This can make your game run better on certain devices. Defaults to true (shadows on).
setSpeed(value)

Sets the path speed.
shadowsEnabled()

Returns whether shadows are enabled in the Scene.
speed()

Returns the path speed.
totalCoins()

Returns the total amount of coins in the current 2D/3D World. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.
totalGlobalCoins()

Returns the total amount of coins in the overall game.
totalGlobalPoints()

Returns the total amount of points in the overall game.
totalPoints()

Returns the total amount of points in the current 2D/3D World. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

addChild(entity)

Adds the given Entity as a child of the Scene.

Parameters

Entity entity – the Entity to add to the Scene.

↑ Back to top

addLevel(name)

Adds a level to the queue of levels to be displayed. The engine will look for a Level Section (aka Scene) with the given name and schedule it for adding. As soon as the engine needs a new level section to display, it will look for scheduled ones first.

Parameters

string name – the name of the level to be added

// scheduling levels sections ahead of time. Keep in mind that all level sections will not be placed all at once, but based on current distance.
function init(){
  this.scene().addLevel('LevelM1');
  this.scene().addLevel('LevelM2');
  this.scene().addLevel('LevelM3');
  this.scene().addLevel('LevelM2');
  this.scene().addLevel('LevelM1');
}

↑ Back to top

addScoreCoin(value)

Increases the user’s coins by the amount given in value. You can also pass a negative value to decrease the user’s coins. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

Parameters

number value – the number to increase the coins by.

log(this.scene().totalCoins()); // output: 5
this.scene().addScoreCoin(2);
log(this.scene().totalCoins()); // output: 7

↑ Back to top

addScorePoint(value)

Increases the user’s score by the amount given in value. You can also pass a negative value to decrease the user’s points. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

Parameters

number value – the number to increase the score by.

  this.scene().addScorePoint(45);

↑ Back to top

bestCoins()

Returns the highest value of coins in the current 2D/3D World.

Returns

number the highest value of coins in the current 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

bestGlobalCoins()

Returns the highest amount of coins in the entire game.

Returns

number the highest amount of coins in the entire game

↑ Back to top

bestGlobalPoints()

Returns the highest amount of points in the entire game.

Returns

number the highest amount of points in the entire game

↑ Back to top

bestPoints()

Returns the highest amount of points in the current 2D/3D World.

Returns

number the highest amount of points in the current 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

camera()

Returns the Camera of the Scene.

Returns

Camera the Camera object of the Scene

↑ Back to top

characters()

Returns an array of Characters that are currently in the Scene. Remember, there are two kinds of assets that can be placed in a Scene: characters and objects.

Returns

array an array of Entities with the Character label in the Scene.

this.scene().characters()[0].setPosition(0, 0, 0); //set the position of the first character returned by characters()

↑ Back to top

clone(originalEntity)

Clones originalEntity and returns a copy of it. Note that the cloned entity’s start() function will be ran when it is cloned.

Parameters

Entity originalEntity – the Entity you’d like to copy

Returns

Entity the new entity

// clone the current entity
let entity = this.scene().findFirst("Cone");
let copiedEntity = this.scene().clone(entity);
this.scene.addChild(copiedEntity);

↑ Back to top

create(name, parent)

Creates a new Entity using the Asset with the specified name, Asset, or id. For using an id, see attribute().

Parameters

string/Asset/number name – The asset the new Entity should use.
Scene/LevelSector parent – (Optional) the parent Entity or LevelSector

Returns

Entity The entity that was just created.

let ent = this.scene().create('Obstacle1');
ent.setPosition(0, 20, 0);

↑ Back to top

createLinker()

Creates and returns a new Linker with the given name (optional). After creation, use methods like setEntities(a, b) and setPosition(vec3) to set up your linker.

Parameters

string the name of the linker (optional)

Returns

Linker the new linker

↑ Back to top

currentCoins()

Returns the current amount of coins in the 2D/3D World.

Returns

number the current amount of coins in the 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

currentGlobalCoins()

Returns the current amount of coins in the overall game.

Returns

number the current amount of coins in the overall game

↑ Back to top

currentGlobalPoints()

Returns the current amount of points in the overall game.

Returns

number the current amount of points in the overall game

↑ Back to top

currentLevelName()

Returns the name of the current level.

Returns

string the name of the current level

↑ Back to top

currentPoints()

Returns the current amount of points in the 2D/3D World.

Returns

number the current amount of points in the 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

decreaseCoins(value)

Decreases the user’s coins by the amount given in value.

Parameters

number value – the amount to decrease the coins by

↑ Back to top

decreaseCurrentPoints(value)

Decreases the user’s points by the amount given in value.

Parameters

number value – the amount to decrease the points by

↑ Back to top

decreaseTotalPoints(value)

Decreases the given value from the total points in the current 2D/3D World.

Parameters

number value – the amount to decrease the total points by

↑ Back to top

entities()

Returns an array of all Entities in the Scene.

Returns

array – the entities in the Scene

↑ Back to top

find(name)

Returns the array of Entities with the specified name.

Parameters

string name – The name of the Entity to be searched for.

Returns

array The array of Entities which match that name.

let ents = this.scene().find('myObstacle');
for(let i = 0; i < ents.length; i++){
  // increase the y position of each entity
  let ent = ents[i];
  let pos = ent.position();
  ent.setPosition(pos.x, pos.y + 1, pos.z);
}

let player = this.scene().find('Character')[0]; // use this shorthand if you're confident in only getting one result from the search

↑ Back to top

findFirst(name)

Returns the first Entity found in the scene with the given name. Useful if you’re sure you only have one Object in the Scene with that name. Returns null if the Entity is not found.

Parameters

string name – The name of the Entity to be searched for.

Returns

Entity – the entity found with the given name

↑ Back to top

path()

Returns Path object of the Scene.

Returns

ScenePath the Scene’s path object

↑ Back to top

physicsWorld()

Returns the Scene’s PhysicsWorld object. For more information, look at the PhysicsWorld API reference page.

Returns

PhysicsWorld the Scene’s physics world object

↑ Back to top

purgeLevel()

Removes the current first level section.

↑ Back to top

pushNavigation(name)

Activates a Navigation button with the given name on the current UI, as if the user touched it.

Parameters

string name – the name of the button to push

↑ Back to top

rayTest(from, to)

Returns objects (AABBs) that collide with a ray between the two given Vec3 coordinates. Optionally takes a filter as the third parameter, such as: “kAll”, “kSensor”, “kEnemy”, “kPlatform”, “kCoin”, “kCharacter”.

The object returned by this function has the properties {bodies, sensors} which are each arrays. The bodies and sensors objects have the properties {object, hitPoint}.

Parameters

Vec3 from – the starting coordinate
Vec3 to – the ending coordinate
string filter – optional

Returns

Object with properties {bodies, sensors}. 

// choose an object as the Selected Character with ray testing. pt is where the user tapped.

let ray = cam.screenRay(pt);
let rtst = this.scene().rayTest(
        ray.origin,
        ray.origin.add(ray.direction.scale(100))
    );
    
    for (let i = 0; i < rtst.bodies.length; ++i) {
        let hit = rtst.bodies[i];
        Settings.selectedCharacter = hit.object.parentEntity().name();
        return;
    }

↑ Back to top

restart()

Restarts the scene.

↑ Back to top

setBackgroundColor(r, g, b)

Sets the background color of the Scene.

Parameters

number r – the red component of the color
number g – the green component of the color
number b – the blue component of the color

↑ Back to top

setGravity(x, y, z)

Sets the gravity of the Scene.

Parameters

number x – the x-axis component of the new gravity
number y – the y-axis component of the new gravity
number z – the z-axis component of the new gravity

↑ Back to top

setScorePoint(value)

Sets the current points to the given value. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

Parameters

number value – the new score value

↑ Back to top

setShadowsEnabled(enabled)

Use this function to turn shadows on or off globally. This can make your game run better on certain devices. Defaults to true (shadows on).

Parameters

boolean enabled – turn on/off shadows globally.

↑ Back to top

setSpeed(value)

Sets the path speed.

Parameters

number value – the new path speed

↑ Back to top

shadowsEnabled()

Returns whether shadows are enabled in the Scene.

Returns

boolean – true if shadows are enabled, false if not.

↑ Back to top

speed()

Returns the path speed.

Returns

number the current path speed

↑ Back to top

totalCoins()

Returns the total amount of coins in the current 2D/3D World. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

Returns

number the total amount of coins in the current 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

totalGlobalCoins()

Returns the total amount of coins in the overall game.

Returns

number the total amount of coins in the overall game

↑ Back to top

totalGlobalPoints()

Returns the total amount of points in the overall game.

Returns

number the total amount of points in the overall game

↑ Back to top

totalPoints()

Returns the total amount of points in the current 2D/3D World. Note: A coin is typically something the user can spend, while a point is not.

Returns

number the total amount of points in the current 2D/3D World

↑ Back to top

Did you find this page useful?

Please give it a rating:

Please provide some feedback!

This is very helpful to us.

Tell us how we can improve this post?

December 12, 2019
0

System – API Reference

By |

System

System functions are used to retrieve or update data on the device that your game is running on.

Static Function Description
device()

Returns the name of the device that the game is running on.
fps()

Returns the Frames Per Second that the game is running currently.
frameSize()

Returns the size of the game window on the device.
isMuteBackgroundSound()

Returns true if the background sound is muted on this device, false if not.
isMuteEffectsSound()

Returns true if effects are muted on this device, false if not.
save()

Saves all that game data custom for the specific game. This also includes the Settings object.
screenSize()

(Deprecated) Returns the designer size of the device. This refers to the frame in the UI editor, and the frame when you enter the game camera mode.
sendHapticFeedback(intensity)

Triggers haptic feedback (device vibration).
setMuteBackgroundSound(value)

Mutes or unmutes the background sound.
setMuteEffectsSound(value)

Mutes or unmutes effects.

device()

Returns the name of the device that the game is running on.

Returns

string the identification name of the device that the game is running on. Will return “preview” in the preview window.

↑ Back to top

fps()

Returns the Frames Per Second that the game is currently running at.

Returns

number the current game FPS

↑ Back to top

frameSize()

Returns the size of the game window on the device.

Returns

Vec2 the size of the game window

let width = System.frameSize().x;
let height = System.frameSize().y;

↑ Back to top

isMuteBackgroundSound()

Returns true if the background sound is muted on this device, false if not.

Returns

boolean true if background sound is muted, false if not.

↑ Back to top

isMuteEffectsSound()

Returns true if effects are muted on this device, false if not.

Returns

boolean true if effects are muted, false if not.

↑ Back to top

save()

Saves all that game data custom for the specific game. This also includes the Settings object.

↑ Back to top

screenSize()

(Deprecated) Returns the designer size of the device. This refers to the frame in the UI editor, and the frame when you enter the game camera mode. It returns a constant value: 1136×64for landscape and640×113 for portrait.

Returns

Vec2 The designer size of the device

↑ Back to top

sendHapticFeedback(intensity)

Triggers haptic feedback (device vibration). The intensity variable will adjust the strength of the vibration on iPhone, but Android doesn’t have a concept of vibration strength, so a higher intensity variable will make the vibration last slightly longer.

Parameters

number intensity – the intensity of the haptic feedback. Accepted values: 1, 2

↑ Back to top

setMuteBackgroundSound(value)

Mutes or unmutes the background sound.

Parameters

boolean value – true to mute background sound, false to unmute

↑ Back to top

setMuteEffectsSound(value)

Mutes or unmutes effects.

Parameters

boolean value – true to mute effects, false to unmute

↑ Back to top

Did you find this page useful?

Please give it a rating:

Please provide some feedback!

This is very helpful to us.

Tell us how we can improve this post?

September 18, 2019
0

Monetization Nodes – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Monetization Nodes

This page has been updated for the 3.4.1 beta.


These nodes specify when ad videos or banners are displayed, and allow the user to make purchases with the game.

For details on how to add a monetization node to a character or object in a game, see Adding, Editing, and Deleting Nodes.

Node Icon Description
Rewarded Video Ad Plays a video ad that will activate any nodes once the video is finished playing.
Purchase Processes a purchase using a bundle ID. Once the purchase is successful, any nodes connected to the “End” output will be activated.

Rewarded Video

A rewarded video is an optional full-screen, skippable video that players can watch in exchange for a non-liquid, in-app reward after viewing the entire ad. Examples of rewards are: access to new levels, an extra life, continued play, points, coins, or something else without monetary value, depending on the asset nodes you connect to the Reward output.

By default, this node will utilize Buildbox’s easy ad monetization solution to play a rewarded video ad. For details on adding ads to your game, see Ad Monetization.

Option Description
Name Type a custom name for this node, if needed, for example, the name of the video.

For example, when the player runs out of health, they can watch a rewarded video to gain more health and continue playing.

To accomplish this, connect the UI Button node to the Rewarded Video node and connect its outputs as follows:

  1. Connect the Reward output to any nodes that you want to reward the player with once the video is finished playing.
    For example, connect this output to a Heal node to reward the players with more health after they watch the video.
  2. Connect the No Reward output to any nodes that will activate when the player decides to skip the video.
    If left unconnected, the game will continue as normal.
    For example, connect this output to the Game Over input of an Event Observer node to bring them to the Game Over screen if they decide to skip the video.
  3. Connect the No Ads output to any nodes that will activate when the video stops playing due to technical issues (Wi-Fi stops working, phone shuts off).
    If left unconnected, the game will continue as normal.
    For example, connect this output to another Heal node that rewards less health for not finishing the entire video.

Note: You can add banner and interstitial ads to the UI nodes in the respective Options panels and the game Start node.

Purchase

Processes a purchase using a bundle ID. Once the purchase is successful, any nodes connected to the “End” output will be activated.

Important: The Purchase Node is only available for Buildbox Plus and Pro users.

Option Description
Name Type a custom name for this node, if needed.
Store Identifier Type the bundle ID for the purchase.

Back to Top

September 18, 2019
0

Google Play Store Settings – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Google Play Store Settings

The settings below are part of the General Project Settings that you need to define when exporting your game.

Setting Description
Bundle ID Enter a unique identifier to be embedded into the app, typically using the following format:

com.short-company-name.short-game-name.
Name on Device Enter a short name to be displayed on the device after the game is installed on it.

This name will appear under the game icon.

If it’s too long to display, the device abbreviate it by adding a trailing ellipsis (…).
Leaderboard ID Enter the code-name of the leaderboard, which you set up in Play Developer Console so the game can use it.
Review Link Enter a link in the App Store that the player can use to provide a review of your game.
Share Message Enter a message to prompt the player to share the game.

Make sure to include a link to your game in the App Store or Play Store.

If you are publishing your game on multiple platforms, consider making this link open web pages instead of an App Store. This will ensure that people with whom the player is sharing the game can access your game from different kinds of devices.

If you want to show the player’s score in this message you can insert the [[SCORE]] tag into your text.
License Key Enter the license key for your game provided by the Google Play Store.
Game Services ID Enter your Project ID to connect to Google Play Games Services such as leaderboards and achievements. Here is how to find your Project ID, and there’s a guide on setting up Google Play Games Services here.
Version Code Required: Enter a positive number for use as an internal version for your game. Increment this number when exporting a new version of your game. More info here.
September 18, 2019
0

Apple iOS App Store Settings – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Apple iOS App Store Settings

The settings below are part of the General Project Settings that you need to define when exporting your game.

Setting Description
Bundle ID Enter a unique identifier to be embedded into the app, typically using the following format:

com.short-company-name.short-game-name.
Name on Device Enter a short name to be displayed on the device after the game is installed on it.

This name will appear under the game icon.

If it’s too long to display, the device abbreviate it by adding a trailing ellipsis (…).
Leaderboard ID Enter the code name of the leaderboard, which you set up in Apple’s iTunes Connect so the game can use it.
Review Link Enter a link in the App Store that the player can use to provide a review of your game.
Share Message Enter a message to prompt the player to share the game.

Make sure to include a link to your game in the App Store or Play Store.

If you are publishing your game on multiple platforms, consider making this link open web pages instead of an App Store. This will ensure that people with whom the player is sharing the game can access your game from different kinds of devices.

If you want to show the player’s score in this message you can insert the [[SCORE]] tag into your text.
June 23, 2020
0

8 Sided Animation Node – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

8 Sided Animation Node

This content node changes an asset’s 2D animation based on the asset’s direction of movement or the direction it faces in a 3D World.

To apply animations to an asset that change based on the asset’s movement, do the following:

  1. Select the Mode attribute to determine when you want the animation to change.
    • Position Change—the asset’s movement in the X and Z direction.
    • Rotation Change—the asset’s rotation along the Y axis.
  2. Drag a PNG image sequence to each animation field. The animation will change when the asset moves or rotates in the following directions:
    Attribute Direction Axis Direction
    Up Forward Negative Z
    Up Right Forward Right Negative Z and Negative X
    Down Backward Positive Z
    Down Left Backward Left Positive Z and Positive X
    Left Left Positive X
    Up Left Forward Left Negative Z and Positive X
If the asset moves in a direction that does not contain an animation in its field, the current animation will continue to play.
October 22, 2019
0

Random 5 Node – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Random 5 Node

This action node activates one of its 5 outputs at random.

Option Description
Name Type a custom name for this node, if needed.
Seed A seed is a category of possible outcomes. Enter a numeric value to make the same combination happen every time the game is loaded.

If needed, you can also customize this node. For details, see Customizing Nodes.

October 14, 2019
0

Event Node – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

Event Observer Node

This action node creates an event within a World that can take the player to a different UI screen or World (game level).

This node has two inputs:

  • Game Over—creates a game over event that the UI Event Observer can use to end of the game.
  • Menu Jump—creates an output for a World node that can be used to move to another World or a UI screen.

Option Description
Name Type a custom name for this event.
Pause Current World Select to pause the game when this event occurs.

Make sure to provide a button or another option in the UI to let the user resume the game.

See also Add an Event Observer in the UI.

April 2, 2020
0

3.3 What’s New? – Buildbox 3 Manual

By |

What’s new in Buildbox 3.3

3.3.10

Fixed Issues

  • Mac: crash no longer occurs during preview after removing a parent and child asset at the same time.
  • Crash no longer occurs during preview if an asset contains a blank Scene attribute in a Sub Scene node or null in the ComponentAnimation3d function.
  • Fixed a Node Map copy and paste issue that created more copies than the amount of nodes selected.
  • In the Scene Editor Outliner, if the camera is a child of an asset, duplicating that asset no longer creates a duplicate of the camera.
  • Assets that are attached to joints in an FBX asset now appear at the proper joint location.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Scale tool icon on the tool bar to be selected after selecting the Multitool.
  • Fixed an issue that caused Buildbox to close without a save prompt.
  • After creating a new 2D World, the camera is now at the default view.
  • Selected Scene Editor mode buttons on the toolbar no longer appear selected after moving to another world.
  • Snap mode now works in 2D Worlds
  • Fixed an issue that cause View > Scene View> Reset View to flip the view of the current Scene.
  • Crash no longer occurs during preview if an asset contains a Purchase node connected to a Logger node.
  • Crash no longer occurs if a Delay node contains an array.
  • Mac: users no longer have to force quit Buildbox after closing it with the Preview window open.
  • The Jump Brainbox now displays Jump attributes in the Options panel.
  • Assets that contain a blank Scene attribute in a Sub Scene node will no longer have blank icons in the Asset panel.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Scene View menu on the Buildbox menu bar to appear on the Welcome Screen.
  • Fixed an issue with loading linkers at checkpoints.
  • Crash no longer occurs after using custom JS code. Instead, a JS error message appears.
  • Mac: In the Node Map and in the Script Editor, Pressing Cmd + Backspace no longer deletes the node.
  • Crash no longer occurs after importing a large amount of BBASSETS.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented State Machine Input names from being changed.
  • Fixed an issue with the right-click menu in the asset Node Map that caused attributes to overlap in the Options panel.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented Undo from affecting axis fields.
  • Fixed an issue in the UI Outliner that caused assets to appear as parented or grouped.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Start node Name attribute to appear in the Options panel after duplicating an asset in the Asset panel.
  • Selecting an Enabled Node input now allows that node to function as if it were connected to the Start node.
  • In a 2D World, the camera icon appears in the Scene Editor after selecting the Camera in the Outliner.
  • Fixed an issue in the Asset Node Map that cause the Script Editor to shrink every time it’s opened.
  • Added Signal Limiting to the UI Joystick Move node to allow FBX animations to update properly.
  • In exported games, review requests no longer appear on top of advertisements.
  • Fixed an issue during Camera mode in the Scene editor that caused objects that are parented to the camera to be invisible.
  • Fixed an issue in exported games that stopped the game sound after returning from an interstitial ad.
  • The Logger node now prints in the following format: Log Label – Sender Node Name / Source Attribute Name : Value.
  • The Logger node Log Name attribute has been changed to Label.
3.3.9

Fixed Issues

The following fixes have been applied to Buildbox 3.3.9:

  • Fixed an issue that causes an error to occur after creating a 2D game.
  • Fixed an issue in the UI Editor Outliner that changes the asset order.
  • Dragging an asset to a group folder now correctly places the asset in that folder.
  • Transparent objects during preview no longer appear darker as they move further from the camera.
  • Selecting an asset that contains multiple images in the Asset panel will no longer display a different image in the scene editor and asset panel.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented certain assets from being selected.
  • Crash no longer occurs after passing strings as arguments to the sub scene functions.
  • Crash no longer occurs after giving a duplicate name to a custom node attribute in the Options, and the error pop-up window now appears at its proper size.
  • Crash no longer occurs after deleting an image in the left panel of the Sprite editor.
  • Crashes no longer occur during preview after a UI asset activates the Game Over input of an event node.
  • Fixed a back end issue that caused some projects to crash.
  • Rotating a single axis with the rotate tool in the Scene Editor now adjusts the proper axis value.
  • Exported games on a mobile device now pauses every time the app is hidden on a mobile device if the game has a pause menu.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Z axis to appear in 2D Worlds and disappear in 3D Worlds.
  • Changes in the Sub-scene manager are now only applied after clicking the Assign button.
  • Trail node now contains an Up Vector attribute that allows it to be adjusted to appear in 2D Worlds.
  • Default Worlds and Worlds that are added to the Mind map will now start with the same scene view and start/end point positions.
  • Artifacting no longer occurs in the Brainbox previews.
  • Admob integration updated for iOS.
  • Stick to Edge node now works properly.
  • Fixed an issue in the Path Move node that prevented scenes from endlessly looping.
  • Fixed an issue that cause out of memory leaks to occur in the preview window.
  • Preview window no longer dissapears after moving it to another external display.
  • Increased the size of the JS memory pool.
  • In the Asset Library, the Add to Library button is now Add to Project.
  • New JS API function: worldRotation(Quat) for entities.
  • Logging System.fps() no longer crashes Buildbox.
  • Removed multiple options that are disabled in the Buildbox menu bar.
  • Fixed an issue that was hiding group folders in the asset panel.
    TIP: If an asset or group folder does not appear in the Asset panel, add another asset from the Asset Library to refresh the folder list.
3.3.7

New Features

The following features have been added to Buildbox 3.3.7:

  • Offline Mode
  • Ability to create folders in the Asset panel
  • Buildbox Menu bar now contains a Tools menu for Worlds
  • Ability to select, drag, and add multiple assets from the Asset panel to a scene
  • Ability to drag a bounding box to select multiple nodes in a Node Map
  • Right-click the background area of a Brainbox to change its background color.
  • Right-click to convert selected nodes to a Brainbox
  • Teleport Smart Asset that contains a Teleport Entry and Exit.
  • New advanced node in World Mind Maps: Graphics Settings node that toggles image filtering.
  • All platforms now enable image filtering by default.
  • Animation and Label Node attribute: Billboard Mode
  • JavaScript API functions that do the following:
    • Return Script attributeNames()
    • Create a log entry every time the game enters and leaves a scene
    • Adjust the background music volume
  • Implemented Java callbacks for scene enter and exit in exported Android apps.

Changes

  • Opening a project that contains a single world will now open the Scene View instead of the Mind Map.
  • The following options have been moved to View > Zoom:
    • Zoom In
    • Zoom Out
    • Show All
    • Show Frame
    • Actual Size
  • Asset duplicates in the Asset panel now have the word “Copy” added to their name.
  • For Windows users, unavailable menu options on the Buildbox Menu bar are disabled instead of hidden.
  • Keyboard shortcut for taking a screenshot in the Preview window is now Alt + S.

Fixed Issues

  • Moving an asset in the Asset panel will no longer place it at the bottom of its category.
  • Moving an object in the outliner no longer expands all outliner groups.
  • In the Outliner, dragging objects below the last one in a group will now place the object at the bottom and within the group.
  • Step Roto Move Brainbox now works correctly
  • Assets in the Ball Flipper template are placed correctly and within the Start/End points.
  • Exported Windows games no longer contain incorrect near and far rendering distance.
  • Exported full screen Windows games are now displayed properly with no bottom or top cut off.
  • Alt + S now works as intended to take screenshots in the Preview window.
  • Asset attribute values now update properly after selecting a new asset.
  • Exporting an asset will now include all attached FBX animations instead of just one.
  • Windows: Dropdowns in the Select Color window now updates attributes correctly.
  • Selecting the Infinite checkbox on the Ground Object no longer resets the length and width attribute values to 1.
  • Cancelling a multiple asset import now cancels all of the current asset imports instead of just one.
  • Restore Purchases now restores Locked buttons.
  • In the Outliner, hiding the Ground now hides it during gameplay.
  • Undoing an action after a tab has been closed no longer hides the x button.
  • Duplicating and deleting scenes no longer requires you to select them a second time.
  • Mac: Crash no longer occurs after rapidly duplicating a node in succession.
  • The Cancel button on the Save/Load window now functions as intended.
  • Adding a new mesh to a 3D Model node now updates as intended.
  • Can now change the color of text in Animation
3.3.5

New Features

The following features have been added to Buildbox 3.3.5:

  • SHIFT+Click to select multiple objects in the Outliner
  • CTRL/CMD+Click to select multiple nodes on a Node Map
  • Right-click menu on the asset Node Map that contains Duplicate, Copy, Paste, and Delete.
  • New action node: Interval and Threshold
  • Important icon next to the Asset attribute in the Debris Explosion node to indicate that no asset  has been selected
  • The following options have been added to the Buildbox menu bar:
    • File > Project Settings
    • Run > Preview
    • Run > Preview Selected Scene
    • View > Animation Bar
    • View > Scene View
    • Tools > Font Editor
    • Help > Report a Feature Request
    • Help > Report an Issue
    • Account > Sign Out

Changes

  • The Project Settings and Font Editor buttons have been removed from the Navigation bar and placed in the Buildbox menu bar.
  • Keyboard shortcuts are now displayed next to each menu item in the Buildbox menu bar.
  • Help > Keyboard Shortcuts now links to the keyboard shortcuts documentation.
  • The Event Observer node’s name has been changed to Event.
  • Ad network integration now requires Xcode 12 to export a game for iOS14.
  • A permission window for app tracking appears when the player first opens a game that is published for iOS14.

Fixed Issues

  • Crashes no longer occur  in the following situations:
    • When an asset has a Delay node connected to a Spawn node.
    • After Closing 3D/2D Worlds after editing them in Scene Editor.
    • After opening a file, previewing the game, and closing the preview window.
    • During preview when there are any camera animation nodes present in the World’s component Node Map.
    • After creating a new game while the current project has two active Worlds.
  • Clean Pyramid and Rock 1 assets no longer appear stretched during gameplay.
  • Playing UI sounds no longer cancels World sounds in iOS.
  • Linkers now work after loading from the checkpoint.
  • Switching between Portrait and Landscape orientation now changes the orientation of the Start screen.
  • FBX animations can now be accessed across all 3D Worlds.
  • Errors no longer occur in the Dagger Toss template after the knife hits the target during preview.
  • Creating a project with the Isometric Platformer or 3D Demo templates requires a single click instead of a double click.
  • The Camera object in a 3D World no longer appears in front of the Scene Editor view when using the mouse wheel.
  • The list of assets in the Asset Library no longer appears shifted to the left after opening and closing the Asset Library.
  • Entering a value in the Play Cooldown scene attribute and enabling Align Scenes will now display all scenes during gameplay.
3.3.4
  • Fixed the names and descriptions for 2D and 3D assets in the asset library.
  • Added searchable tags to assets in the asset library.
3.3.1
  • New attribute for the Camera Shake node.
    • Duration—Enter how long (in seconds) you want the camera to shake.
  • Range axis values have been added to the following nodes:
  • New Action node:
    • Haptic Feedback—activates a low or high vibration level on a mobile device.