Naming an Alarm Item (Legacy 3DS MAX)

The Alarm is a specialized version of the state display. It is designed to handle alarm lights. The two states should represent the lamp off and on.

Approach

The alarm can be implemented with two approaches:

• Based on state display

• Based on material

  State Display-based approach

• There are two alternative meshes.

• The mesh n:0 represents the alarm off state while the mesh n:1 represents the alarm on state.

  Material-based approach

• Only the _0 mesh is required.

• The shader requires a base/fEmissiveMul material entry to enable alarm status changes to modify the material emissivity.

Script node

ItemAlarm

Mesh hierarchy

root

|--alarm_0_xxx

|--(alarm_1_xxx)

|--(label_alarm_xxx)

Building the item

• Create the mesh of the display.

• Check bObjectSpace in each geometry.

• Rename geometry as _0.

• Apply a shader supporting base/fEmissiveMul.

For a duplicated mesh approach only:

• Duplicate the geometry and name as _1.

• Apply a shader, check bObjectSpace and change the fEmissiveMul value to modify the intensity.

Comments

• The mesh name must contain a _0 an _1 version, if based on the StateDisplay approach.

• The shader must support base/fEmissiveMul material attribute, if based on the material emissivity switch approach.

• The mesh that flashes when the item is selected is the one currently shown, depending on the state.