path: root/doc/src/glossary.qdoc

/****************************************************************************
**
** Copyright (C) 2019 The Qt Company Ltd.
** Contact: https://www.qt.io/licensing/
**
** This file is part of Qt 3D Studio.
**
** $QT_BEGIN_LICENSE:FDL$
** Commercial License Usage
** Licensees holding valid commercial Qt licenses may use this file in
** accordance with the commercial license agreement provided with the
** Software or, alternatively, in accordance with the terms contained in
** a written agreement between you and The Qt Company. For licensing terms
** and conditions see https://www.qt.io/terms-conditions. For further
** information use the contact form at https://www.qt.io/contact-us.
**
** GNU Free Documentation License Usage
** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free
** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software
** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of
** this file. Please review the following information to ensure
** the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.3 requirements
** will be met: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl-1.3.html.
** $QT_END_LICENSE$
**
****************************************************************************/

/*!

\title Glossary
\page glossary.html

This page provides short explanations of terms used in Qt 3D Studio.

\table
  \header
    \li
      Term
    \li
      Meaning
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Action Palette}{Action}
    \li
      Actions provide a way to create interactivity in a \l presentation without scripting.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Action Palette}{Action palette}
    \li
      The action palette is used to manage \l {action}{actions} for the selected element.
  \row
    \li
      \target {animation portion}
      \l{Studio: Timeline Palette#Animation portion}{Animation Portion}
    \li
      To the right of the \l{scene graph} in the \l{timeline palette} is the actual \l timeline.
      The \l{time bar}{time bars} for each element control element lifespan.
      The \l keyframe markers control the timing of the animation. The \l playhead allows the
      preview of animation effects.
  \row
    \li
      \target application
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Application}
    \li
      Your application is the entry point of your \l project. It is represented by a single
      \l{uia}{.uia file} at the root of your project folder. This file references the
      \l presentation and \l{sub-presentation}{sub-presentations} in your project.
      The application is what is displayed by the \l Viewer.
  \row
    \li
      \target asset
      Asset
    \li
      Assets are elements which you can use in your \l presentation. Assets can be images, 3D
      models, \l{effect}{effects}, fonts, \l{material}{materials}, \l{shader}{shaders},
      \l {behavior}{scripts} and \l{sub-presentation}{sub-presentations}.
  \row
    \li
      Asset library
    \li
      Included in \l studio is a set of \l{asset}{assets} ranging from images to 3d models.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Basic Objects Palette}{Basic objects palette}
    \li
      The Basic objects palette provides a mechanism for creating objects unique to a
      \l presentation, not represented by a file on disk in your \l {project palette}.
  \row
    \li
      \target behavior
      \l{Using Behavior Scripts}{Behavior}
    \li
      Behavior scripts can be applied to objects to give the specific object a certain behavior.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Basic Objects Palette#Component}{Component}
    \li
      Components are somewhat like mini-scenes. Although they are 3D geometry (not a 2D
      composition of rendered layers), they have their own \l {slide}{slides} and
      \l {timeline}{timelines}.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Using Data Inputs}{Data input}
    \li
       This makes it possible to control \l timeline animations, object properties and
       \l{slide}{slides} with data.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Toolbar#Edit Cameras}{Edit cameras}
    \li
      Sometimes you want to move around the 3D space of your scene in the editor without
      adjusting the final rendered view. \l Studio calls this concept edit cameras.
  \row
    \li
      \target effect
      \l{Applying Layer Effects}{Effect}
    \li
      Each \l layer in a \l presentation may have one or more post-processing effects
      applied to the visual result
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Basic Objects Palette#Group}{Group}
    \li
      A group is an empty transform element. Attaching models to the group
      (placing them as children of the group in the \l {timeline palette}) allows you to
      move/rotate/scale/hide the group and have this affect all items within it.
  \row
    \li
      .import file
    \li
      When importing 3D models of \e .fbx and \e .dae format to \l studio, they are converted to
      \e .import files.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Inspector Palette}{Inspector palette}
    \li
      The inspector palette is used to control values and animations of element properties.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Animations#Interpolation}{Interpolation}
    \li
      Interpolation defines the easing of \l keyframe animations.
  \row
    \li
      \target keyframe
      \l{Animations}{Keyframe}
    \li
      A keyframe is a a time marker that stores the value of a property.
      A keyframe can for example define the X position for an element. To create an animation,
      add another keyframe for the X position of the same element but in another position on the
      \l timeline. \l Studio will determine the correct X position for all frames between the
      two keyframes.
  \row
    \li
      \target layer
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Layer}
    \li
      A single Studio \l presentation combines one or more layers. The visual result of each
      layer comes from rendering a 3D scene, 2D scene (via an orthographic camera),
      or \l{sub-presentation}{sub-presentation}. Layers are then composited with items on upper
      layers drawing on top of the content on lower layers.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Slide Palette#The Master Slide}{Master slide}
    \li
      Each scene and \l component have one master slide.
      Elements placed on this \l slide exist on all slides of that scene or \l component.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Materials and Shaders#Materials}{Material}
    \li
      Materials define how object surfaces are rendered in \l studio and \l viewer. You can create
      your own basic materials, save them in your \l project, and assign them to objects.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Scene View and Matte#Matte}{Matte}
    \li
      Surrounding the \l {scene view} is the matte. The matte may not be visible if your
      \l presentation is larger than the available space.
  \row
    \li
      Mesh
    \li
      The actual geometry of a 3D shape.
  \row
    \li
    \target playhead
      \l{Animations}{Playhead}
    \li
      The playhead in the \l timeline is used to set the time for new keyframes, and for previewing
      animations.
  \row
    \li
      \target presentation
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Presentation}
    \li
      Presentations are represented by \l{uip}{.uip files} in your project. A presentation
      has one or more \l{layer}{layers} composited to the screen, comprised of 2D assets
      and 3D assets created in other applications.

      Each application can only have one main presentation shown on screen (specified by the
      \l {uia}{.uia file}) but this presentation may reference other
      \l{sub-presentation}{sub-presentations}, either on flat layers or as images and textures
      drawn in a scene.
  \row
    \li
      \target project
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Project}
    \li
      A project is simply a folder on your computer holding all the assets needed for your
      \l application. When you start a new project, a default folder structure will be created.
  \row
    \li
      \target {project palette}
      \l{Studio: Project Palette}{Project palette}
    \li
      The project palette displays the files and folders on disk for your \l project.
      Only files usable by \l Studio are displayed in the palette.
  \row
    \li
      QML Stream
    \li
      A QML stream is a \e .qml file used as a \l{sub-presentation}.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio: Scene Camera Palette}{Scene Camera palette}
    \li
      The scene camera palette allows you to zoom in to pixel perfect level with the scene camera.
  \row
    \li
      \target {scene graph}
      \l{Studio: Timeline Palette#Scene Graph}{Scene graph}
    \li
      The left half of the \l{timeline palette} shows the scene graph where all elements in your
      \l presentation for the current \l slide.
  \row
    \li
      \target {scene view}
      \l{Studio: Scene View and Matte#Scene View}{Scene view}
    \li
      The scene view is the center region of \l Studio, showing you the visual result of rendering
      and compositing the \l{layer}{layers} of your \l presentation, and also allowing you to
      select and transform elements graphically.
  \row
    \li
      \target shader
      \l{Materials}{Shader}
    \li
      Shaders are arbitrary GLSL Shaders, wrapped in a file format providing an artist-friendly
      interface for adjusting properties in \l studio.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio:Slide Palette}{Slide}
    \li
      A Studio \l presentation combines 3D assets with animations and slides.
      Slides can be thought of as states and provide visual variations within the \l presentation.
  \row
    \li
      \l{Studio:Slide Palette}{Slide palette}
    \li
      The slide palette shows all slides in a \l presentation or a \l component.
  \row
    \li
      \target studio
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Studio}
    \li
      An authoring tool for creating interactive 3D presentations and applications.
  \row
    \li
      \target {sub-presentation}
      \l{Using Sub-Presentations}{Sub-presentation}
    \li
      Sub-Presentations is a feature which allows a \l studio \l presentation (\l{uia}{.uia file})
      or a QML file to be embedded in a \l studio \l presentation.
  \row
    \li
      \target {time bar}
      \l{Studio: Timeline Palette#Adjusting Time Bars}{Time bar}
    \li
      Each element has a time bar in the \l timeline. The time bar control the lifespan
      during which the element is active.
  \row
    \li
      \target {timeline palette}
      \l{Studio: Timeline Palette}{Timeline palette}
    \li
      The timeline palette provides direct access to all elements in your scene,
  and also gives you control over the animation and timing within a \l slide.

      The timeline palette is comprised of two connected sections: the \l {scene graph} and the
      \l {animation portion}.
  \row
    \li
      \target uia
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{.uia file}
    \li
      The \e .uia file is the application file, it is by default located in the root folder of
      your \l project.
  \row
    \li
      \target uip
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{.uip file}
    \li
      The \e .iup file is a presentation file. A \l project can have one or more presentation files
      located in \e presentations folder of your \l project.
  \row
    \li
      \target viewer
      \l{About Qt 3D Studio#Concepts}{Viewer}
    \li
      A runtime player to test and deploy interfaces created in \l Studio.
\endtable

*/