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Scene Features

DDDBrowser supports a rich set of features that make scenes interactive and engaging. This guide covers all the features available in scenes.

Portals​

Portals allow you to travel between scenes:

  • Purpose: Connect different scenes together
  • Trigger: Interact with portal instance
  • Configuration:
    • Auto-trigger (travel immediately on approach)
    • Manual trigger (require interaction)
    • Script trigger (controlled by scripts)
  • Validation: Destination URL and world are validated
  • Travel: Loads destination scene when triggered

Portals can specify:

  • Destination URL
  • Trigger radius
  • World ID and position (for world-based scenes)

See Portal Examples for more details.

Textboxes​

Textboxes display information and collect user input:

  • Purpose: Show text, dialogs, quests, etc.
  • Features:
    • Title and content text
    • Action buttons
    • Checkboxes for preferences
    • Script callbacks for user actions
  • Types:
    • Scene textbox instances (3D positioned)
    • ImGui textboxes (overlay style)

Textboxes are controlled by scripts using Engine.openTextBox() and Engine.closeTextBox().

See Textbox Examples for usage.

Pictureboxes​

Pictureboxes display images in the 3D world:

  • Purpose: Show images, signs, UI elements in 3D space
  • Configuration: Texture asset reference
  • Positioning: Placed like any other instance
  • Use cases: Signs, billboards, UI panels

Pictureboxes are defined as assets and placed as instances.

See Picturebox Examples for usage.

Audio Playback​

Scenes can play audio:

  • Types:
    • Spatial audio: Positioned in 3D space, volume based on distance
    • Ambient audio: Constant volume regardless of position
  • Features:
    • Looping support
    • Volume control
    • Multiple simultaneous sounds
    • Script-controlled playback

Audio is controlled by:

  • Audio instances in the scene
  • Scripts using Engine.playAudio() and Engine.stopAudio()

See Audio Examples for usage.

Lighting​

DDDBrowser supports three types of lights:

Point Lights​

  • Type: Omni-directional light from a point
  • Properties: Color, intensity, range
  • Use case: Lamps, torches, area lighting

Directional Lights​

  • Type: Parallel light rays (like sunlight)
  • Properties: Color, intensity, direction, shadows
  • Use case: Sun, moon, global illumination
  • Shadows: Can cast shadows with configurable resolution

Spot Lights​

  • Type: Cone-shaped light
  • Properties: Color, intensity, direction, angle, range
  • Use case: Flashlights, spotlights, focused lighting

All lights support:

  • Color (RGB)
  • Intensity (brightness)
  • Shadows (directional lights)
  • Real-time updates via scripts

See Lighting Examples for usage.

Shadows​

Directional lights can cast shadows:

  • Purpose: Realistic lighting with depth
  • Configuration:
    • Shadow map resolution
    • Shadow bias
    • Orthographic size
  • Performance: Higher resolution = better quality but slower
  • Limitations: Only directional lights cast shadows

Skyboxes​

Skyboxes provide environment mapping:

  • Purpose: Background environment (sky, space, etc.)
  • Format: Cubemap texture (6 faces or equirectangular)
  • Rotation: Optional rotation for animated skies
  • Configuration: Defined in scene JSON

Skyboxes create atmosphere and context for scenes.

Scripts and Gamemodes​

Scenes can include Lua/Luau scripts:

Entity Scripts​

  • Attached to: Individual instances
  • Lifecycle: on_start, on_update, on_interact, etc.
  • Purpose: Object behaviors, interactions, animations
  • Access: Entity ID, asset ID, position, etc.

Gamemode Scripts​

  • Scope: Scene-wide
  • Purpose: Game logic, state management, events
  • Features:
    • State persistence
    • Event system
    • Save/load support

See Lua/Luau API for complete scripting documentation.

Trigger Volumes​

Trigger volumes detect player presence and trigger events:

  • Types:
    • lookAtVolume: Player looks at it
    • lookedAtVolume: Player has looked at it
    • singleTriggerVolume: Triggers once
    • multiTriggerVolume: Triggers multiple times
    • cooldownTriggerVolume: Triggers with cooldown
    • exitTriggerVolume: Triggers on exit
    • stayTriggerVolume: Triggers while staying
    • timedEntryTriggerVolume: Triggers after time
    • counterTriggerVolume: Triggers after count
    • sequenceTriggerVolume: Triggers in sequence
    • toggleTriggerVolume: Toggles on/off
  • Use cases: Doors, checkpoints, events, puzzles

Autosave Volumes​

Autosave volumes automatically save scene state:

  • Purpose: Persistent game state
  • Trigger: Player enters the volume
  • Notification: Optional on-screen notification
  • State: Saves gamemode and script state

See Scene Save Examples for usage.

Teleport Volumes​

Teleport volumes move the player:

  • Purpose: Instant player movement
  • Trigger: Player enters the volume
  • Destination: Target position in the scene
  • Use cases: Elevators, portals, fast travel

Spawn Points​

Spawn points define where players appear:

  • Purpose: Set initial player position
  • Configuration: X, Y, Z coordinates
  • Default: (0, 0, 0) if not specified
  • Use case: Start locations, respawn points

Movement Bounds​

Movement bounds limit player movement:

  • Purpose: Restrict player to an area
  • Configuration: Min and max X, Y, Z coordinates
  • Default: (-100, -100, -100) to (100, 100, 100)
  • Use case: Confined spaces, levels with boundaries

Game Types​

Scenes can specify a game type:

  • FPS: First-person shooter style movement
    • Full movement controls
    • Jump, sprint, crouch, etc.
  • NONE: View-only mode
    • No player movement
    • Camera controls only
    • For viewing/interacting only

Next Steps​