Using vehicles

Introduction

Mindtech vehicles are more than scene dressing for streets. Some of our models allow a user to create in cabin scenarios. These models allow our actor to be placed inside a vehicle and use animations created for our actors to simulate behaviors in cars.

Features

Fig.1 Vehicle assets

Editor_ Scene Functions - Assets - Vehicles.png

Asset menu item

Vehicle assets

Fig.2 Vehicle asset settings

Editor_ Scene Functions - Vehicle - Details.png

Vehicle title
Vehicle details: Vehicle name; Asset pack vehicle was installed; Position of the vehicle in the scene; Rotation of the vehicle in the scene
Attached elements: Dropdown of cameras that can be attached to the vehicle; Add camera button - once a camera has be selected, use this button to add it to the vehicle; Attached camera list - this list can also be used to select the attached camera; Dropdown of attractors that can be attached to the vehicle; Add attractor button - once an attractor has be selected, use this button to add it to the vehicle; Attached attractor list - this list can also be used to select the attached attractor
Vehicle settings: Stationary switch - vehicle will be stationary even if a circuit is assigned to it; Circuit dropdown - shows a list of circuits that can be used by vehicles; Color dropdown - shows a list of colors available for the vehicle
Seating enabled vehicles: Seat selection buttons; List of actors available

Explanation

Vehicles can be used as stationary assets or moving ones. For a vehicle to move it needs to be associated with a circuit (Fig. 2.13). Vehicles will only run on the roads that are defined in the scene. If a specified circuit doesn't follow a road, the vehicle will stop at this point when the scene is captured. You can learn more about creating circuits here.

Vehicle Attachments

Cameras and attractors can be attach to any vehicle Once attached to a vehicle, they can be repositioned as required. The attached asset will then follow the vehicle, in it's set position, as it moves. You can find out about our cameras here and how to use our attractors here

Guides

Setting up a vehicle

To add a vehicle, first go to the asset section of the right hand sidebar (Fig. 1.1)
Find the vehicle section and open it (Fig. 1.2)
Select the vehicle you wish to use for your by left clicking on it, this will highlight vehicle.
Move your cursor over you scene and left click to place it in the scene. You can place multiples of the vehicle by repeatedly left clicking. To stop placing elements right clicking. The placement doesn't have to be perfect you will be able to position the vehicle once it is placed.
Once the vehicles have been placed, right click to stop placing anymore vehicles, then left click on the vehicle to highlight it.
The right sidebar will now show all the settings for this vehicle (Fig. 2), with the details panel being shown. The details panel can be used to refine a vehicles position (Fig. 2.4) and rotation (Fig. 2.5).

Attaching elements to vehicles

Use the elements dropdown (Fig. 2.6 cameras, Fig. 2.9 attractor) to select the element you would like to attach to the vehicle.
Once selected, use the add button (Fig. 2.7 cameras, Fig. 2.10 attractor) to attach the element to the vehicle.
Once an element is attached, it can be configured and adjusted by left clicking on it, in the elements list (Fig. 2.8 cameras, Fig. 2.11 attractors).
This will open up the elements configuration settings in the sidebar.
Find out how to configure cameras here and how to configure attractors here. Once the element is positioned and configured, the element will stay in it position, if the vehicle moves.
To get back to the vehicle settings, reselect the vehicle by left clicking it in the scene.

Seating actors in a vehicle

If a selected vehicle is seating enabled, the "seating settings" dropdown will be shown in the vehicles configuration. Open the dropdown.
To assign an actor or a digital human to a seating position, first select the actor to be seated from the list of actors by left clicking on it (Fig. 2.16).
Once an actor is selected scroll to the top of the "seating settings". The seats that are available are represented as buttons (Fig. 2.17). Left click on the seat that the actor is to sit and wait for the actor to load. The actor will stay selected and can be placed in multiple seats by click on another seating position button.
To access the setting of the actors that have been placed in the vehicle. Scroll to the bottom of the seating settings. Here is where all the actor seated in the vehicle are shown. To access the setting of the actor, left click on it.
The sidebar now shows the actor setting, to find out more about all actors settings here. A section in these settings deals with hand positioning. These setting can be used to actuarially position an actors hands on a steering wheel.
Once the seated actors are configured the easiest way to get back to the vehicle settings is to left click the vehicle in the scene.