Breeze Designer Macros

Breeze Designer 2.0.7 and later use the Microsoft ActiveScript engine to run macros. This means macros may be written in Visual BASIC, JavaScript, PerlScript or PythonScript depending on the interpreters loaded. A number of samples, written in Visual BASIC, are provided to demonstrate some of the language extensions. These may be found in the macros sub-directory. To set the language type add $ on the first line followed by the name of the language ie $VisualBasic selected the Visual BASIC interpreter. Updates of the ActiveScript engine may be found at:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/vbscript

The Breeze Designer macro support requires that an ActiveScript supporting application like Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office 97, Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 / 6.0, or the above scripting pack has been installed prior to running Breeze Designer scripts.

Language extensions
All the following functions are available though the Breeze Designer scene object. This object is pre-created when using macros from within Breeze Designer. That is to use any on the following functions a scene. should be added to the front of the function.

Scene functions

Function	Arguments	Description
New		Delete all contents of the current scene
Load	Filename	Load an external file into the current scene
Save	Filename, Format	Save the current scene using the given format
Render		Render the current scene with the default renderer
Move	x, y, z	Translate the selected object(s) also MoveObjects
Scale	x, y, z	Scale the selected object(s) also ScaleObjects
Rotate	ax, ay, az	Rotate the selected object(s) also RotateObjects
RotateAbout	ax,ay,az, x, y, z	Rotate by angle ax,ay,az about pivot point x,y,z
ScaleAbout	sx,sy,sz, x, y, z	Scale by sx,sy,sz about pivot point x,y,z
CreateAnimation	Name	frames Create a new animation n frames long
AnimateObjectName	Name	Add the named object to the current animation
AnimateObject	Handle	Add the named object to the current animation
GotoFrame	Number	Set the current animation frame (as piSetFrame)
GetMaxFrame		Return the number of frames in the current animation
SetFrame number		Reserved
SetScenePropertyX	PropertyName, variant	Set the current scene properties
Redraw		Redraw the current scene in all views
RebuildObjects		Apply current settings and re-create the current selected object(s)

Object functions

Function	Arguments	Description
CreateObject	Name, Type	Create an object of nominated type, returns handle
CreateDefaultObject	Type	Create a default object of nominated type, returns handle. By default this handle is freed. See AutoFree for further details
FindObject	Name	Finds object of name and returns a handle
GetObject	Handle, Flags	Get object based on search flags
GetObjectCount	Flags	Get object count based on search flags
SelectObject	Handle, Flags	Selects or deselect and object
ClearSelection		Clears the current selection
DeleteObject	Handle	Delete the attached object & geometry
FreeObject	Handle	Free a created object handle
AddPoint	Handle, x, y, z	Add a point to a point object
AddFacet	Handle, x1 ... z3	Add a facet to a polygon object
GetPropertyId	PropertyName	Get a property type identifier from a text description
GetProperty	Handle, PropertyId	Get an object property
GetPoint	Handle, flags	Get a point or polygon from object using search flags. Returns handle
GetPointValue	Handle, flags	Get a point value from point handle, 0=X1, 1=Y1 .. 8=Z3
SetObjectPropertyX	Handle, type, variant	Set object property, also SetPropX. See below for discussion on value.
SetTexturePropertyX	Handle, variant	value Set a defined texture property field of a user defined texture attached to the current object.
SetCursor	x, y, z	Set 3D cursor to position
SetSize	Handle, x, y, z	Set the object unity size
SetColor	Handle, Name	Apply the named color to the selected object(s)
SetTexture	Handle, Name	Apply the named texture to the selected objects(s)
SetExtra	String	Applies object specific additional information in a string format. (Reserved)
SelectName	Name	Selects an existing object by name
SelectGroup	Name	Selects all objects in the named group
RebuildObject	Handle	Apply current settings and re-create object
GetBound	Boundobject	Get the bounding vales of the selected object(s)
GetTexture	Handle	Get the texture name of the selected objects(s)

Other functions

Function	Arguments	Description
CallPlugin	name	Call a plugin function
SetPluginPropertyX	Name, variant	property value Set a plugin function property
Transform	Name	Execute a named transformation on selected objects
GetFileName	Flag, filter	Get a file name from save/load flag with file filter

Object definitions
The following groups of object types are currently supported by the CreateObject and CreateDefaultObject functions:

Object	Value
GROUP	1
POINT	8
LINE	9
POLYGON	10
LIGHT	11
CAMERA	12
SPHERE	13
PLANE	14
DISC	15
CYLINDER	16
CONE	17
ELLIPSOID	18
TORUS	19
BOX	20
HEIGHTFIELD	21
BLOB	22
PATCH	23
TEXT	24
USERDEFINED	25

The point, line and polygon are special case objects and can not be created with the CreateDefaultObject function. These objects represent on object that is a collection of points, lines and polygons respectively. The heightfield, text and userdefined objects require additional property information before they can be exported.

Object Properties

Name	Value	Description
Size	1	Object unity size, usually 1,1,1
Extra	2	General point value attached to object
Scale	3	Scale
Rotate	4	Rotation about center
Translate	5	Position
LookAt	6	Look-at point for camera
Up	7	Up vector point for camera
Direction	8	View direction point for camera
Right	9	Right vector point for camera
Type	101	Object type
Flags	102	Object general flags
Group	103	Group indentifier
Select	104	Select flag
Rgb	105	Preview RGB color
Csg	106	Csg operation if within group
Attribute	108	Reserved
MaterialType	107	Reserved
LightType	110	Type of light object 0=Omni, 1=Spot, 2=Area
LightTightness	111	Spot light tighness
LightAdaptive	112	Area light adaptive
LightJitter	112	Area light jitter
Name	201	Object name
Material	202	Material name ie texture name
PluginSignature	203	Plugin that created object
TextObjectString	204	Text for text object
HeightfieldName	205	File name used for heightfield
Comment	301	Comment field
VrmlAnchor	302	VRML anchor
VrmlInline	303	VRML inline text
UserInline	304	User defined text written out in export

Search flags

Name	Value	Description
Any	0	Get any object
First	1	Get the first object
Next	2	Get the next object, use after first
Selected	4	Combine with other flags for selected mask
Last	8	Get the last object

The any and last flags are not supported by all functions.

Points, line segments and polygon objects are empty by default. Only one camera may be created in a given scene. Text, height fields, blobs and user defined require additional information before they may be exported.

Property functions implement named functions for each variable type supported ie to set an integer object property the function SetPropInt or SetObjectPropertyInt should be used. Below is a table describing the supported object types:

• Int - 1 argument Integer
• Dbl - 1 argument Double or floating point
• Str - 1 argument String or quoted string
• Pnt - 3 arguments 3D point

Variant data versions are also available for each of the property functions. Within ActiveAcript this allows the function to be called directly without explicitly specifying the argument type. Current there is no variant support for point data types.

There are a number of system variables, or properties, available from the macro language. These allow changes to be made to the macro run time environment. These variables include:

• AutoFree - default 1. Automatically free any objects created with CreateDefaultObject
• AutoRefresh - default 1.
• Version - Variable. This contains the current Breeze Designer version
• ShowErrors - default 1. Display a error message dialog is an error is encountered

By default views are updated after any visual operation is performed. This property should be restored before completing a script if it is disabled during a script.

The following is an example of a simple VisualBASIC script:

	Sub main()
		CYLINDER = 16
		Scene.New()
		h = Scene.CreateDefaultObject( CYLINDER )
		Scene.FreeObject( h )
	End sub

This example creates a new scene containing a cylinder. Be sure to call the save function if you wish to keep the scene after it has been constructed. Properties available from the macro language are also available from the OLE-Automation interface. Refer to the Microsoft OLE-Automation for further information of this interface. Refer to the plug-in function descriptions for further function information.