Building Elements
Building Elements are the core components you use to craft your worlds. Every element in mtion—cameras, displays, objects, lights, shapes, and avatars—can be made interactive. For step-by-step setup of triggers, actions, and complex behaviors, see Setting Up Interactions. Common types include:
1. Cameras
Cameras frame your world and drive storytelling. You can place multiple cameras to capture different angles or build full cinematic sequences.
Key Use Cases:
Direct the Action: Position cameras to spotlight key moments or guide player focus.
Trigger Cutscenes: Switch views or pan between cameras when a player hits a trigger zone or interacts with an object.
Craft Narratives: Chain camera shots together for in-game movies, guided tours, or dramatic reveals.
Adding Cameras to Your World
Place: Drag & Drop a camera asset from the Hang Toolbar into the scene. Position & Rotate it to frame your desired view.
Configure: Tweak field of view, depth, and other settings in the Inspector Panel.
Set Interactions (optional): Use a Trigger Node to swap cameras or start a cinematic sequence.
2. Displays
Displays bring external content into your scene, blending real-world media with your 3D environment.
Common Display Types:
Desktop/Window Capture: Stream live app or desktop views.
Webcams: Embed real-time camera feeds.
Images & Videos: Embed static or moving visuals.
Web Browsers: Render live web pages in-world.
Text Panels: Display formatted text, captions, or notifications.
Adding Displays to Your World
Place: Add a display via the Hang Toolbar. Scale and position using Gizmo handles.
Configure: Select your input source and adjust size, aspect ratio, and more in the Inspector Panel.
Import Media: Upload files or link live sources directly in the Inspector.
Set Interactions (optional): Use Action Nodes (e.g., On Click, On Enter Zone) to show/hide or swap display content.
3. Objects
3D Objects are the physical assets you place—and freely resize—in your world.
Object Categories:
Physics-Enabled: Assets with physics properties (rigidbodies, colliders) that respond to gravity, collisions, and forces.
Interactive: Assets with built-in behaviors or scripts (e.g., toys, levers) that players can trigger or manipulate.
Static: Decorative assets without physics—perfect for scenery and set dressing.
Adding Objects to Your World
Place: Drag from the Asset Browser or add via the Hang Toolbar. Scale and position using Gizmo handles.
Configure: Adjust physics or script parameters in the Inspector Panel.
Set Interactions (optional): Attach Trigger or Interaction Nodes to detect player actions (e.g., On Grab, On Use).
4. Lights
Lights illuminate your world—you can tweak color, intensity, and range to set the mood. mtion offers two types:
Point Light: Emits light in all directions from a single point—perfect for general area lighting (think lanterns, lamps). Use the Gizmo Visibility toggle to hide the light bulb model while keeping its glow.
Spot Light: Projects a focused cone of light—ideal for spotlight effects like flashlights, stage lights, or accentuating key objects.
Adding Lights to Your World
Place: Add a light via the Hang Toolbar. Scale and position using Gizmo handles.
Configure: Tweak color, intensity, range, and angle in the Inspector Panel.
Set Interactions (optional): Use Logic Nodes to toggle lights, change colors, or animate brightness in response to player triggers.
Performance Tip: Lights are rendered in real time—use sparingly and optimize range to maintain framerate.
5. Shapes
Shapes are customizable 3D primitives you can scale, rotate, and position freely along any axis. By combining multiple shapes, you can craft more complex geometry. In this Alpha phase, mtion currently offers:
Box (Rectangular) Primitives: Fully adjustable on all axes for walls, platforms, or any block-style structure.
Coming Soon: Spheres, cylinders, cones, and more.
Adding Shapes to Your World
Place: Add a shape via the Hang Toolbar. Scale and position using Gizmo handles.
Configure: Add textures (images as textures) in the Inspector Panel.
Set Interactions (optional): Link Shapes to trigger events when players interact with them.
6. Avatars
Avatars in mtion come in two flavors:
In-World Player Avatars
Automatically assigned when you join a multiplayer Experience (you’ll get a random default look in Alpha).
Soon you’ll be able to fully customize your avatar—choose hairstyles, outfits, and more—and carry that avatar across all your mtion worlds.
VTubing-Style Avatars
VSF Models: Upload directly from your PC via the Avatar Browser—just click the avatar icon on the Hang Toolbar.
VRM Models: Import through the mtion Unity SDK (see the SDK docs for details).
Once imported, pair them with facial- and body-tracking apps (no VR headset required) to animate your avatar in real time—perfect for live streaming and VTubing.
Whether you’re jumping into a game or streaming as your digital persona, mtion gives you the tools to express yourself—both in-game and on camera.
7. Audio
Audio brings your worlds to life. mtion supports two audio types:
Static Audio
Non-positional, global sound that plays uniformly for every player.
Ideal for background music, narration, or UI cues.
Settings: loop on/off, volume, fade in/out.
Spatial Audio
Positional sound sources you place in your world—players hear them louder as they get closer.
Perfect for environmental effects (wind through trees), object interactions (door creaks), or directional cues (off-screen footsteps).
Settings: maximum range, roll-off curve, cone angle (for directional audio), loop, and volume.
Adding Audio to Your World
Place: Add an audio source from the Hang Toolbar. Position using Gizmo handles.
Configure in the Inspector:
Choose Static or Spatial mode.
Adjust volume, looping, and, for spatial sources, range and attenuation.
Set Interactions (optional):
Link audio playback to events or logic nodes (e.g., play sound when a player enters a zone).
Best Practices
Keep background music as Static Audio to avoid positional inconsistencies.
Use Spatial Audio sparingly—too many sources can impact performance.
Optimize files for web delivery: compress to reasonable bitrates without sacrificing quality.
With Static and Spatial Audio, you can craft dynamic, immersive soundscapes that guide players through your experiences.
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