The following terms have a Ventuz-specific meaning whenever they are used inside the software application or end-user documentation.
Each pixel in a texture can have an optional alpha value in addition to its color components. Artists usually specify this as a value between 0 and 255 but for the graphics hardware this is scaled down to the interval of zero to one. A value of zero indicates that this pixel is fully transparent and increasing the value will raise the level opacity. If an object renders a pixel over the already rendered content of the scene, one of a number of alpha-blending functions is used to mix the two color values. To create the correct appearance of transparency, one also has to respect the Z-order of objects, see Z-Depth.
For more information, see An Introduction to Realtime Rendering and Wikipedia: Alpha Blending.
An Animation defines the change of Properties over time, for example moving an object to a different location. Ventuz allows animation of all properties that can be bound to other nodes, either by using a Mover Node for simple types of animations or a Keyframe Animation for complex animations.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
A note box inside the Hierarchy or Content Editor that can be attached to a node and contains textual information. The author of the scene can add annotations to give hints to other Ventuz operators or himself. Example uses are writing down key-assignments, TODOs, and many more.
For more information, see Hierarchy Editor.
Due to the discreet raster of pixels on a display, rendering the edge of a triangle which is not completely horizontally or vertically aligned cannot produce a smooth line. To make the individual pixel shapes, especially along silhouettes of objects, less visible, the graphics card can internally render with a higher resolution and then sample the result down to the pixel grid. While this is more expensive to compute, it generally produces better looking results.
For more information, see AV Configuration and Wikipedia: Multisample anti-aliasing.
A Ventuz scene consists of the scene file and a number of assets used from the project it belongs to (see Projects and Scenes). To create a self-contained version of a scene, it can be exported which will create a .vza that contains both the scene and all required assets for it. Such an archive can then be given to others and imported into their projects.
For more information, see Projects and Scenes and Deployment.
This refers to the proportions of a screen. Specifically, it defines the ration of the screen width to the screen height. Thus a 16:9 aspect ratio has 16 pixels in width for every 9 pixels in height. The most common aspect ratios are 16:9 (Full HD) and 4:3.
For more information, see AV Configuration and Render Setups.
The connection between input and output properties of two nodes. Bindings allow a node to react to other parts of the scene, for example changing the color of an object based on the mouse position or changing the height of a cube based on the value in an Excel file.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
The "Blocked" Property is a property common to all Hierarchy nodes. When activated, the node and its children will neither be rendered nor will its values be validated. Note that a small amount of processing/traversal has to be done even if a node is blocked, so blocking should only be used to temporarily deactivate nodes. In case nodes are never needed, they should be deleted. See also Inactive.
A Ventuz Cluster is a network of Ventuz machines. These machines render parts of the same scene to overcome the resolution limitations of one single graphics board.
The CLI provides a possibility to control Ventuz remotely. A TCP/IP socket can be opened, e.g. via Telnet to communicate with a Ventuz system. The communication protocol can be defined in the Machine Configuration settings.
For more information, see CLI Remoting.
The Hierarchy and Content Container nodes encapsulate other nodes, thus allowing the user to create new functionality and hiding the complexity of its implementation. Design elements created once can thus be reused in a scene as if the element would be one of the standard nodes. Containers are one of the most important principles in organizing complex scenes.
For more information, see Containers and Interfaces.
The Content of a Scene describes assets and values/events that will guide the rendering process. This is opposed to the Hierarchy of a Scene which represents the render order and usage of the Content. For example, an Image Loader node (content) takes a filename and provides an output property that represents that image in memory, with no direct effect on the render output. The Texture node (hierarchy) can use that property to actually set the point in the rendering process when the image should be activated so that it affects subsequent meshes.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
Some nodes like the Switch or OSC nodes can dynamically extend their set of properties. This functionality is accessed via a button at the bottom of the Property Editor.
For more information, see Property Editor.
Ventuz Director is a template-based show control application. Where the Ventuz Designer is an authoring tool used to design visually rich and highly interactive 3D content, Director focuses exclusively on the job of using such content as part of a larger show.
The Director Mode is an advanced start-up mode for the Presenter. To start it in Director Mode a Project file .VZP file is needed. It defines the presentation settings and assigns the Ventuz Project assets to the Presenter. Unlike the Presenter in VPR mode, in Director Mode it can be remote controlled to load and unload any project scene.
For more information, see Remoting.
Describes an Output Property that doesn't have a continuous state but instead "activates/fires" when a certain condition occurs. For example, WindowsMouse fires the Enter event when the mouse enters the active render area.
For more information, see Property Editor.
A Property of a node inside a Container node can be exposed to make it accessible from the outside. The property thus appears as if it would be a property of the Container itself.
For more information, see Containers and Interfaces.
A line of C# code which is evaluated in the Expression nodes to provide a customizable processing of input property values.
(Deprecated) Externalization was the pre-Ventuz 4 mechanism to make properties accessible to external applications. It has been superseeded by the introduction of Project Data and Scene Data.
A selection of nodes in the Content Editor can be grouped together by creating a family. Ventuz draws a gray box around the nodes to visualize the relationship in the editor but the family has no effect on the functionality of the nodes.
For more information, see Hierarchy and Content Editor.
Short for Frames per Second, the number of refreshes of the render output per frame. In general, a FPS of 30 is the absolute minimum to achieve the appearance of real-time, but generally 60 FPS is needed to achieve smooth motion.
For more information, see Introduction to Realtime Rendering and Performance.
A Property can be made favored to indicate that it is often used. By default, Ventuz is configured to hide all non-favored Properties when selecting a node in the Hierarchy Editor but show all Properties when selecting the node in the Content Editor. This can be turned off in the application options.
For more information, see Property Editor.
By default, Ventuz will show a smaller version of the rendering result in the Render window (also called preview window) that is part of the User Interface. When pressing the fullscreen mode button, the render window will resize to occupy the complete screen. In general, the preview window is used during construction of a scene and fullscreen mode to run the final result.
For more information, see AV Configuration.
The Hierarchy of a Scene describes what elements will be rendered (i.e. polygonal objects, fonts, ...) or affect the rendering (i.e. material assignment, texture assignment). This is opposed to the Content of a Scene which represents the assets/parameters that will be used to actually apply the function of the Hierarchy nodes. For example, an Image Loader node (content) takes a filename and provides an output property that represents that image in memory, with no direct effect on the render output. The Texture node (Hierarchy) can use that property to actually set the point in the rendering process when the image should be activated so that it affects subsequent meshes.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
The "Inactive" Property is a Property common to all Hierarchy nodes. When activated, the node will still be validated but not rendered.
For more information, see Hierarchy Editor.
An interface defines a set of Properties that must be implemented on a Container. A container is given an interface to easily replace the implementation of a container with another one without destroying the bindings already in place.
For more information, see Containers and Interfaces.
Keyframes are part of an animation and define the value of the animated properties at a specific point in time. Keyframes allow the user to create complex animations without having to specify the properties explicitly every frame. For every frame that is no keyframe, Ventuz will interpolate a suitable value based on the previous and next keyframe available.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
A scene layout is a Ventuz scene that does not contain actual 3D content but serves as a description for arranging different views on a content scene. For example, there may be different layouts to run the same scene either on a three-projector-setup (which requires handling overlaps correctly) or on a multi-display-wall (which required handling bezels correctly). A layout usually consists of a combination of Scene Port and Viewport nodes. A convenient way to manage multiple layouts is to use the Stage Editor.
For more information, see Multi Display Setups and Shaping as well as Scene Management.
This is a set of configuration parameters that can be changed while Ventuz Runtime or Designer is running.
These parameters can be changed via Remoting 4 or within the Ventuz Configuration Editor.
For more information, see Live Options Editor.
Configuration settings that are specific for a single machine rather than the complete project (which can be found in the Project Properties). The Machine Configuration, for example, contains the ID a machine should use when working in a cluster of machines or the kind of hardware to accept Touch Input from.
For more information, see Machine Configuration.
An Input Property that accepts an event rather than a numeric or textual value. Methods can be triggered by binding them to an output event property or by clicking on the icon next to the event in the Property Editor.
For more information, see Property Editor.
In 3D computer graphics texture filtering, mipmaps are pre-calculated, optimized collections of images that accompany a main texture, intended to increase rendering speed and reduce aliasing artifacts.
See Anti-Aliasing.
Nodes are the fundamental building blocks of a Ventuz Scene. Each node is either a Content or Hierarchy node and thus belongs either in the Content Editor or Hierarchy Editor. Each node has a number of input and/or output Properties which can be connected via Bindings. All nodes can be accessed via any of the Toolboxes.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
A Ventuz Operator is an artist/programmer that is proficient in using Ventuz. The term is either used to describe someone that is capable of creating Ventuz presentations or running them for a customer. Sometimes also referred to as Ventuzians, we have found they operate most efficiently when kept supplied with copious amounts of sugary brain food and caffeine.
Open Sound Control is a network protocol that was originally designed as a replacement for the antiquated MIDI music protocol but is often used for simple communication between devices and or machines.
For more information, see Open Sound Control.
An ascii-based network protocol to send commands and/or values. Can be used to send commands from one Ventuz scene to another or to connect Ventuz to external input/output devices that support this protocol. For more information, see Open Sound Control.
For more information, see Remoting.
The Presenter is a standalone runtime or player version of Ventuz which plays Presentations.
The structure of the scene cannot be changed in the Presenter any more.
For more information, see Deployment.
A Presentation is a .VPR file which contains a Ventuz scene and all resources and assets which are referenced by this scene. A VPR is created in the Designer by exporting a Presentation. A double-click on a .VPR file starts the Presenter to run this Presentation.
For more information, see Deployment.
A collection of Scenes, all stored in a common work folder. The Scenes can share textures and other assets as those are stored in a folder structure inside the project folder opposed to storing them inside the Scene file itself. In order to create a self-contained Scene, export it to a Ventuz Scene Archive (vza).
For more information, see Projects and Scenes.
The Project Data is a collection of properties that are associated with the whole project instead of any individual scene or node. They usually describe characteristic properties of a project like the file name of a database file every scene uses or the main background image. By using Project Data, such global properties can easily and efficiently be updated in all scenes of a project at the same time.
For more information, see Project Data and Scene Data.
A property is an input or output value/event of a node which can be bound (see Binding) to properties at other nodes to create a logic dependency. For example, the x-position of an Axis can be assigned to the output of a Mover. Whenever the output value of the Mover changes, that value is automatically set as the new value of the x-position. Since some nodes contain a large amount of properties, the most often used have been marked Favored and Ventuz by default will hide the non-favored ones unless the node is directly selected in the Content Editor.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
The Property Editor is part of the Ventuz User Interface and shows all input and output properties of the selected nodes.
For more information, see Property Editor.
Remoting is the generic term for controlling scenes and providing them with data by remote applications or data sources. This can be achieved via different concepts like .Net Remoting, OSC Remoting or CLI. Even manipulating an Excel sheet which is referenced by a Ventuz scene could be classified as Remoting.
For more information, see Remoting.
The render output window, usually situated in the right lower corner of the Ventuz User Interface. This is a true WYSIWYG editor, not merely a preview, and accurately reflects what your final output will look like. Most users prefer to work with the Hierarchy Editor, Content Editor and Property Editor to manipulate objects in the scene but it is also possible to interact directly through the renderer window by using the Transformation Gizmos (a.k.a. Widgets).
For more information, see User Interface.
The Render Setup is an XML file created by the Render Setup Editor that specifies which visual part of a scene each machine has to render in a Multi-Machine or Cluster environment.
For more information, see Render Setup Editor.
The Repository is a kind of customizable Toolbox. It can store nodes, subtrees or complete scenes for re-use in other scenes. A server-based Repository can be used for collaborative work if several Ventuz operators are involved in the same project. The Repository is also used to update content of Interface Containers.
For more information, see Toolbox and Repository.
A piece of source code that can be used to create custom functionality. In Ventuz, a script node can be used to create a new node type/functionality by defining properties and the source code that does the processing to generate output values based on the input.
For more information, see Script Nodes.
A Scene consists of a number of Nodes, connected by Bindings to create an interactive, real-time presentation. A scene is always part of a Ventuz Project and assets such as textures are used from that Project instead of storing them in the Scene itself.
For more information, see Projects and Scenes.
The Scene Data is a collection of properties that are associated with a scene instead of any individual node. They can easily be bound to any node in the scene, regardless of its position in the scene/content hierarchy. Scene Data also provide a mechanism for controlling a scene from an external application.
For more information, see Project and Scene Data.
A Scene Port is a Hierarchy node which can load another (nested) scene. The Stage Editor gives information about all loaded scenes and their current assignment to Scene Ports.
For more information, see Scene Management.
The Scene Root is the starting point for all Hierarchy node linkage. It's the tilted 'T' in the upper left corner of the Hierarchy Editor in every new scene.
Hierarchy and Content Containers can be sealed and protected to be opened again. Permanently sealed Containers cannot be opened anymore!
For more information, see Containers and Interfaces.
Usually is a short for the Project Properties, containing machine-independent project parameters like the target display's Aspect Ratio. For machine-dependent aspects like connected input hardware configuration, see Machine Configuration.
For more information, see Project Properties and Machine Configuration.
The process of creating or manipulating a geometry for the sole purpose of applying the render output to it. For example, if a projector is used to project onto a bent wall, shaping can be used to model the shape of the wall and thus compensate the stretching effects from inside Ventuz.
For more information, see Multi Display Setups and Shaping.
Part of a Keyframe Animation, usually associated with the transition between two States in the State Logic.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
Part of a slide show implemented using the Slide Manager Node. Each Slide works like a Hierarchy Container and can contain any number of nodes. As opposed to traditional presentation software, a slide is not a 2D object but rather represents a subset of the scene that should be visible when the slide manager comes to the respective point in the presentation.
For more information, see Slide Manager.
Part of an Animation State Logic which represents a certain situation during a presentation. States are connected by transitions which allow the presenter to navigate through his presentation in a non-linear fashion.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
A State Engine or State Logic consists of multiple States and animated transitions between them. A state engine allows a presenter to go through a presentation in a non-linear fashion but also do context-sensitive animations.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
The statistics are a render overlay which can be activated via the Statistics button. It contains a number of performance indicators such as the frame refresh rate (FPS) and memory utilization.
For more information, see Performance.
Templates are graphics that have been prepared in advance and just require an operator to fill in the latest values. For example, a template might represent some broadcast over the should graphic and the operator only has to fill in the image and a subtitle. Templates are extensively used in Ventuz Director but can also be triggered via Remoting. Technically, a template is a present state in an Animations's State Logic.
For more information, see Templates.
The configuration of triangles used to represent the surface of an object. Usually used in the context of resolution of a tesselation, meaning the amount of triangles used to represent the object.
For more information, see Geometry Import.
The x-axis in a diagram used to visualize the time component in a Keyframe Animation.
For more information, see Animation and State Engine.
The Toolbox contains all available Ventuz nodes. They are grouped in several reasonable categories (see Nodes for an overview). There are three ways to access nodes in the Toolbox: via the standard Toolbox window or via one of two Fast Toolboxes. The Fast Toolbox can be accessed by pressing SPACE in the Hierarchy or Content Editor. Which Fast Toolbox is displayed then depends on your configuration (menu Tools->Options->Toolbox). In case of the Alphabetical Toolbox type the first letters of the node name you are looking for and all nodes which start with these letters will be presented. In the Categorized Toolbox, node categories can be selected by shortcuts. Then the corresponding nodes will be listed.
For more information, see Toolbox and Repository.
A network protocol built on top of Open Sound Control (OSC) designed for transmitting MultiTouch input data. This protocol is most often used by MultiTouch tables or projections whereas simple MultiTouch screens more often use the Windows Touch API.
For more information, see TUIO and MultiTouch.
This is the process of updating node output values (Content nodes) or their influence on the rendering (Hierarchy nodes). It is necessary if the input properties have changed. The Validation is done at the beginning of every frame to make sure that the render output is based on the latest data/settings. The overall Validation time per frame is proportional to the number of nodes that have to be validated.
For more information, see Nodes and Bindings.
Configuration settings that are specific for a single machine rather than the complete project (which can be found in the Project Properties). The Machine Configuration, for example, contains the ID a machine should use when working in a cluster of machines or the kind of hardware to accept Touch Input from. [wiki MachineConfigurationMC#MachineConfiguration Machine Configuration], Audio Video Configuration and Layout Configuration are subsets of the Video Configuration.
For more information, see Ventuz Configuration.
Introduced with Windows Vista, this is a Windows API used by developers to listen to MultiTouch input coming from a display device. A Windows Touch display behaves similarly to a standard mouse and is designed for simple one-machine one-display use cases. In all other scenarios, MultiTouch input devices are better off using the TUIO protocol instead.
For more information, see MultiTouch.
In addition to the color components, all modern graphic cards use a so called Z-Buffer to store a depth value between zero and one for each pixel of the rendering output. When an object is rendered, the graphics card compares the depth value of the object at a given pixel with the value stored in the Z-Buffer to decide if that pixel is occluded by the already rendered objects or not. Usually a smaller Z value corresponds to something being closer to the camera.
For more information, see Introduction to Realtime Rendering.
Visual artifacts which can result off incorrect occlusion calculation due to insufficient resolution of the Depth Buffer.
For more information, see Introduction to Realtime Rendering.
Means of using the .net framework to control Ventuz from an external application.
For more information, see Remoting.