Become a 3D Rad Addon Author!

Become a 3D Rad Addon Author!
THIS TUTORIAL REQUIRES 3D RAD V6.48 OR GREATER

INTRODUCTION
3D Rad addons are ready-to-use resources that don't require neither coding nor modeling. Users can just add them to their projects, configure them and go!

Whatever you create with 3D Rad can be exported as an addon that others can use in their projects, in a very productive way.

As an example, to show you the recommended procedure, let's create now a simple addon.

ADDON CREATION EXAMPLE
Imagine you want to export a customized car in your project as an addon that others can simply add to their projects as a single, ready-to-use item, without worrying about applying SkinMesh objects to the Car object, configuring physics parameters and so on. For this example, let's pretend that your project is the default car demo included to the 3D Rad installation.

Launch 3D Rad, press Ctrl+O and select the SimpleProject demo.

Remove all objects from the project, except those you want to be part of the addon. In the example I removed the sky-box and the terrain. Note that I kept G-Force and CamChase as I want my final addon to be a car coming with gravity and even a camera. What you include is entirely up to you!

Make sure that your addon includes at least one Group object. You don't have to actually group objects together, but grouping objects that you want to be editable as an unique item by the final user is usually convenient.

Rename the Group object as shown below, making sure the addon name you specify (BuggyCar_xi in the example) includes your unique addon-author-identifier and is less than 64 characters in total). I chose 'xi'. It can be any combination of letters and digits (16 characters maximum, no 'special' characters allowed). Make sure the identifier you choose is not already in use by other authors. This is very important to avoid conflicts, on final users' PC, when they install addons from different authors!

Now save the project as a new file. The project name must be the addon name you specified above followed by the _source tag.

Select the Group object (now called Addon: name_id) and then, while holding the H and D keys pressed, right click all objects you want to be hidden in the final addon.

Note that hiding objects this way makes them inaccessible immediately. There is no way to un-hide them after you have right-clicked on them (*)!

(*) DISCLAIMER: 3D Rad allows you to protect your addon objects so that they are not listed when projects
containing them are opened by the final user. However the protection is not meant to stop expert hackers.
Currently, there is technically no way to protect digital contents from the attack of expert hackers. The 3D Rad author
expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for any adverse consequences or damages resulting from this.
In the example I chose to hide everything (including SkinMesh objects), except the Group object (to allow the final user to position the car in the scene) and the Car object (to allow the final user to link the car to other objects, for example to enable collision detection with other cars, a race-track etc).

Save the project as a new project, into the addons folder (not the main projects folder!). The name must be the addon name you specified above (BuggyCar_xi in the example).

By using a paint program, make a 128x128 pixel image, in .jpg format. This will be the icon the final user will see when browsing the installed addons (Project->Addons menu option).

Save the addon icon image to the

C:\3D Rad\3DRad_res\addons\index\CATEGORY\

folder, where CATEGORY is one of the categories listed in the submission form below (drop down list).

Please feel free to email me and suggest an additional category if none of the existing ones fits your addon!

To test your addon, create a simple scene...

...open the addon browser window...

...and select the new item. The visible components of your addon should be listed in a different color.

The addon created in this example can be positioned after selecting its Group (now 'Addon') object.

Note that the car has its own camera, which means that any other camera in the project should be removed or disabled to avoid render window overlapping. Due to this, including a camera to your addon isn't always the best choice.

CREATING THE ADDON INSTALLER

Download and install Inno Setup, a free program to create software installers

Browse to the 3D Rad installation folder (author_kit sub-folder) and double click the addon_installer_example.iss file. This should open Inno Setup and you should see something like the following:

Save the Inno Setup project with a different name (for example, BuggyCar_xi), to prevent the modifications you are making next from altering the original example project.

In the A zone, specify the name of your addon (must be identical to the addon name, for this example, BuggyCar_xi). Also make sure the source path (second line in zone A) points to the main 3D Rad folder (usually C:\3D Rad).

In the B zone, specify the category folder you are using for your addon (see 9., above).

In the C zone, specify all the files required by the addon. Note that only files that are specific to this addon have to be specified here.

You MUST NOT specify files that are included to 3D Rad by default, even if your addon requires them. Failing to do so will make the installation file bigger than necessary and also risk to overwrite future updated default resources with the same name, on the final user's PC.

IMPORTANT! The name of your resource files or folders (like for example the name of customized SkinMesh data folder) must include your identifier. In the example, I called the data folder BuggyCar_xi_body, where xi is my unique identifier.

In the D zone, specify any icons associated with the files required by the addon. This could be, for example, the icon associated with the SkinMesh of a car-body you have created.

Note that you can omit these icons if the objects associated with them, in your addon, are hidden. Omitting resource icons allows you to avoid adding unnecessary items (displayed when the SkinMesh aspects browser is opened for example) to the final user's 3D Rad installation.

When your Inno Setup project is complete, you can compile it (Ctrl+F9) to generate the installation file for your addon. The file is generated into the output folder, within your main 3D Rad folder. When launched on the final user PC, it will install your addon there, making it available in the Project->Addons menu.


	<< BACK			Become a 3D Rad Addon Author! THIS TUTORIAL REQUIRES 3D RAD V6.48 OR GREATER INTRODUCTION 3D Rad addons are ready-to-use resources that don't require neither coding nor modeling. Users can just add them to their projects, configure them and go! Whatever you create with 3D Rad can be exported as an addon that others can use in their projects, in a very productive way. As an example, to show you the recommended procedure, let's create now a simple addon. ADDON CREATION EXAMPLE Imagine you want to export a customized car in your project as an addon that others can simply add to their projects as a single, ready-to-use item, without worrying about applying SkinMesh objects to the Car object, configuring physics parameters and so on. For this example, let's pretend that your project is the default car demo included to the 3D Rad installation. Launch 3D Rad, press Ctrl+O and select the SimpleProject demo. Remove all objects from the project, except those you want to be part of the addon. In the example I removed the sky-box and the terrain. Note that I kept G-Force and CamChase as I want my final addon to be a car coming with gravity and even a camera. What you include is entirely up to you! Make sure that your addon includes at least one Group object. You don't have to actually group objects together, but grouping objects that you want to be editable as an unique item by the final user is usually convenient. Rename the Group object as shown below, making sure the addon name you specify (BuggyCar_xi in the example) includes your unique addon-author-identifier and is less than 64 characters in total). I chose 'xi'. It can be any combination of letters and digits (16 characters maximum, no 'special' characters allowed). Make sure the identifier you choose is not already in use by other authors. This is very important to avoid conflicts, on final users' PC, when they install addons from different authors! Now save the project as a new file. The project name must be the addon name you specified above followed by the _source tag. Select the Group object (now called Addon: name_id) and then, while holding the H and D keys pressed, right click all objects you want to be hidden in the final addon. Note that hiding objects this way makes them inaccessible immediately. There is no way to un-hide them after you have right-clicked on them ()! () DISCLAIMER: 3D Rad allows you to protect your addon objects so that they are not listed when projects containing them are opened by the final user. However the protection is not meant to stop expert hackers. Currently, there is technically no way to protect digital contents from the attack of expert hackers. The 3D Rad author expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for any adverse consequences or damages resulting from this. In the example I chose to hide everything (including SkinMesh objects), except the Group object (to allow the final user to position the car in the scene) and the Car object (to allow the final user to link the car to other objects, for example to enable collision detection with other cars, a race-track etc). Save the project as a new project, into the addons folder (not the main projects folder!). The name must be the addon name you specified above (BuggyCar_xi in the example). By using a paint program, make a 128x128 pixel image, in .jpg format. This will be the icon the final user will see when browsing the installed addons (Project->Addons menu option). Save the addon icon image to the C:\3D Rad\3DRad_res\addons\index\CATEGORY\ folder, where CATEGORY is one of the categories listed in the submission form below (drop down list). Please feel free to email me and suggest an additional category if none of the existing ones fits your addon! To test your addon, create a simple scene... ...open the addon browser window... ...and select the new item. The visible components of your addon should be listed in a different color. The addon created in this example can be positioned after selecting its Group (now 'Addon') object. Note that the car has its own camera, which means that any other camera in the project should be removed or disabled to avoid render window overlapping. Due to this, including a camera to your addon isn't always the best choice. CREATING THE ADDON INSTALLER Download and install Inno Setup, a free program to create software installers Browse to the 3D Rad installation folder (author_kit sub-folder) and double click the addon_installer_example.iss file. This should open Inno Setup and you should see something like the following: Save the Inno Setup project with a different name (for example, BuggyCar_xi), to prevent the modifications you are making next from altering the original example project. In the A zone, specify the name of your addon (must be identical to the addon name, for this example, BuggyCar_xi). Also make sure the source path (second line in zone A) points to the main 3D Rad folder (usually C:\3D Rad). In the B zone, specify the category folder you are using for your addon (see 9., above). In the C zone, specify all the files required by the addon. Note that only files that are specific to this addon have to be specified here. You MUST NOT specify files that are included to 3D Rad by default, even if your addon requires them. Failing to do so will make the installation file bigger than necessary and also risk to overwrite future updated default resources with the same name, on the final user's PC. IMPORTANT! The name of your resource files or folders (like for example the name of customized SkinMesh data folder) must include your identifier. In the example, I called the data folder BuggyCar_xi_body, where xi is my unique identifier. In the D zone, specify any icons associated with the files required by the addon. This could be, for example, the icon associated with the SkinMesh of a car-body you have created. Note that you can omit these icons if the objects associated with them, in your addon, are hidden. Omitting resource icons allows you to avoid adding unnecessary items (displayed when the SkinMesh aspects browser is opened for example) to the final user's 3D Rad installation. When your Inno Setup project is complete, you can compile it (Ctrl+F9) to generate the installation file for your addon. The file is generated into the output folder, within your main 3D Rad folder. When launched on the final user PC, it will install your addon there, making it available in the Project->Addons menu.