Control panel

The Control Panel, which occupies the upper left part of the workspace, collects the display settings and commands for confirming the edit or deleting the object.

We have already discussed the management of movement in space in the design phase, and we have highlighted the concept of POV, which corresponds to a camera that frames the workspace from vantage points that we choose. This type of construction allows us to have an overview, but it does not give us the certainty that we have designed the spaces optimally, at least from the point of view of walkability.

So, in order to validate the scene structure without necessarily publishing the environment to test it, the control panel helps us with the first two buttons from the left. These two buttons actually transform the working mode, locking the POV by assigning real motion functions to the keyboard and mouse.

First person

The first button activates the first-person viewport, simulating the presence of an avatar. As long as the mouse is inside the viewport, the pointer disappears: this way, mouse movements, in combination with the keyboard, orient the view and thus any non-straight movements.

In this mode, the controls differ from the game mode in that the keyboard is essential to enable movement, while the mouse provides a spherical view (x and y axes) and the click provides interaction feedback (if any).

The corresponding keys to apply motion are W-A-S-D, where

• W: forward

• S: backward

• A: left sideways shift

• D: right sideways shift

• SHIFT: run

• SPACE: jump

To exit this mode, press the ESC key on the keyboard to release the mouse.

Pressing ESC again will lock the mouse again , while clicking on the first person key will return you to construction mode.

Third person

The next button brings an avatar into the scene by imposing a third-person view.

As in the first-person view, movements are entrusted to the keyboard with the same configuration, while the mouse orients the view and thus the direction of movement.

This mode is very useful when a human reference is needed to estimate proportions with the dimensions of objects in the scene.

For example, commonly used elements such as buildings and doors can be resized if necessary, but incorrect proportions could prevent proper enjoyment or create unwanted visual effects. A third-person motion test can help us properly evaluate any staging choices.

Focus Camera

This topic has already been covered here, but let's take a closer look: the third element in the control panel is the "focus camera" button , and it is actually a function that is useful in the default viewing mode, i.e. free camera. As already mentioned, the focus repositions itself as the camera is moved, according to the positioning and manipulation of objects in the scene. It natively corresponds to a specific view of the object in use, or of the initial coordinates of the space.

What determines which view we get is the existence of an active selection:

• If no object is selected, the Focus Camera button returns to the scene initialization coordinates;

• if an object is selected, the Focus Camera button will reset the focus on it, bringing the POV to a predefined distance from the object's pivot; only in this case, we can use the same function through a keyboard shortcut by pressing the F key.

The focus camera is one of the least used features in the early stages of editing a scene, as the mostly empty environment allows for easy selection and editing. However, this simplicity creates a habit. In fact, management becomes complicated when there is a building to set up, and moving within it can become complex because the focus corresponds to a kind of pivot. It should be remembered that linear movement (W and S keys, on the z axis), unlike lateral movement, does not move the focus, but only the distance from it, and by rotating the view, architectural elements such as walls or other staging elements could be inserted between our point of view and the object to be edited.

Best practice: it might be necessary to move an object from a clearly visible position to another semi-hidden position or out of our field of view (more on this topic later). In some cases, an inaccurate movement might cause us to miss the object. In either case, before confirming its position, it would be a good idea to use the focus camera button (or the F key) to bring the object back into visual focus.

Legend

The only function of this element is to summarize the most important commands of the Builder, already mentioned here, regarding the movement and editing of objects and the movement in space.

Erase/Confirm

Normally disabled, these buttons become active only when an object is selected.

The first , has the sole function of deleting the selected item from the scene, and is irreversible. Its shortcut is the CANC key on a PC or Fn+Backspace on a Mac.

The second , confirms the position and is conditional on the validity of the position itself. In fact, as we will see later, we can only confirm the position for elements that are not larger than the scene itself, inscribed in it, or otherwise not outside its boundaries. Its shortcut is the ENTER key.

Best practice: when you are working on a layout that includes buildings and furniture, you may accidentally select a building and delete it, or move it and confirm the new location. To avoid this, when structuring complex spaces, it is a good practice to mark the position, rotation, and scale coordinates of the buildings on a note, exactly as they are described by the tools themselves, so that you can effectively relocate changed objects to the same positions.