BabylonJS-EditControl

An edit control for use in BabylonJS (a 3D HTML Webgl framework) applications.

About

Many 3d editors provide, what is called, a widget/gizmo/transform control, to help translate, rotate or scale 3d objects in the editor.
This EditControl is just that.
You can embed this in your Babylonjs application to provide those same capabilities.
It currently supports

For a demo, head on over to https://ssatguru.github.io/BabylonJS-EditControl-Samples/demo/Demo.html

Limitations/Issues

This currently does not handle properly, a right handed mesh in a left handed system (example gltf mesh in lhs babylon) or a left handed mesh in a right handed system.
A right handed mesh in a right handed system or a left handed mesh in a left handed system is handled properly.
A gltf mesh in a right handed babylon is handled properly.
I would address this in a future release.

For a list of other know issues, shortcomings and planned enhancements see https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl/issues

3.3.0 Major changes

Moved the EditControl to the Babylonjs DefaultUtilityLayer scene.
Because this scene is different from the main scene there is less interference with the main scene. Also makes it a bit faster.
This is similar to how the native gizmos of Babylonjs work.

Upgraded to latest version of Babylons js - 5.41.
Replaced deprecated methods with new ones. Upgraded other dev dependenices to latest version - typescript, webpack etc.

3.20 Major and Breaking changes

Version 3.2.0 converts the project from a plain vanilla JavaScript project to a module based JavaScript project.
With this change, the way to load the application has changed.
In JavaScript, instead of

var EditControl = org.ssatguru.babylonjs.component.EditControl;
editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);

now do

var editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);

In TypeScript, instead of

import EditControl = org.ssatguru.babylonjs.component.EditControl;

now do

import {EditControl} from "babaylonjs-editcontrol";

See below for more details.

Quick start

  1. add the following dependencies
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/pep/0.4.2/pep.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.babylonjs.com/babylon.js"></script>
<script src="EditControl.js"></script>

See INSTALL below to find where you can get “EditControl.js”.

  1. a small javascript code snippet to get you up and running
//------------------EDIT CONTROL -------------------------------------------------
//create edit control (mesh to attach to, active camera, canvas, scale of editcontrol)
var editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);
//to show translation controls
editControl.enableTranslation();
//set transalation snap value in meters
editControl.setTransSnapValue(0.5

see sample project here https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl-Samples/tree/master/sample-global

INSTALL

You can find the “EditControl.js” from its git repository “dist” folder or “releases” section
https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl/tree/master/dist
https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl/releases

You can also install this from npm

npm install babylonjs-editcontrol

USAGE

This has been built as an UMD module which means you can use it as a CommonJS/NodeJS module, AMD module or as a global object loaded using the script tag.

Project “BabylonJS-EditControl-Samples” https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl-Samples has a collection of sample projects to show how to use this from TypeScript, NodeJs, AMD or plain vanilla JavaScript applications.

Below is a quick summary of how you can use this as different module types.

CommonJS/NodeJS Module

let BABYLON = require("babylonjs");
let EditControl = require("babylonjs-editcontrol").EditControl;
let engine = new BABYLON.Engine(canvas, true);
...
let editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);
...

AMD Module

<script src="./lib/require.js"></script>
<script>
	require.config({
		baseUrl: ".",
		paths: {
			"babylonjs": "./lib/babylon",
			"ec": "./lib/EditControl"
		}
	});

	require(['babylonjs', 'ec'], function (BABYLON, ec) {
		let EditControl = ec.EditControl;
		let engine = new BABYLON.Engine(canvas, true);
		...
		let editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);
		...
	});
</script>

Global Module

<script src="./lib/babylon.js"></script>
<script src="./lib/EditControl.js"></script>
<script>
	let engine = new BABYLON.Engine(canvas, true);
	...
	let editControl = new EditControl(box,camera, canvas, 0.75);
	...
</script>

DEPENDENCIES

The two can be installed from npm

npm install babylonjs pepjs

or via cdn

<script src="https://code.jquery.com/pep/0.4.2/pep.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.babylonjs.com/babylon.js"></script>

API

To Instantiate

// JavaScript
var editControl = new EditControl(mesh,camera, canvas, 0.75, true);

// TypeScript
import {EditControl} from "babaylonjs-editcontrol";
let editControl:EditControl = new EditControl(mesh,camera, canvas, 0.75, true,0.02);

This positions the edit control at the mesh pivot position and displays x,y,z axis.
Takes five parms

To show Translation, Rotation or Scaling controls

editControl.enableTranslation();

editControl.enableRotation();
editControl.setRotGuideFull(true/false) //This makes the rotation guides 360 degree(true) or 90 degree(false) .90 degree  looks less cluttered.
editControl.returnEuler(true); // Optional. This will return rotation in euler instead of quaternion. Quaternion is the default.

editControl.enableScaling();

To hide Translation, Rotation or Scaling controls (just displays x,y,z axis)

editControl.disableTranslation();
editControl.disableRotation();
editControl.disableScaling();

To check if Translation, Rotation or Scaling is enabled

editControl.isTranslationEnabled();
editControl.isRotationEnabled();
editControl.isScalingEnabled();

To turn on/off local/ global mode

editControl.setLocal(boolean true/false);

To check if local/ global mode

editControl.isLocal();

To turn on/off translation, rotation or scale snapping

editControl.setTransSnap(boolean true/false);
editControl.setRotSnap(boolean true/false);
editControl.setScaleSnap(boolean true/false);

editControl.isTransSnap();
editControl.isRotSnap();
editControl.isScaleSnap();

To set/get translation, rotation or scale snap values

editControl.setTransSnapValue(number n in meters);
editControl.setRotSnapValue(number n in radians);
editControl.setScaleSnapValue(number n a factor by which scale should increase);

editControl.getTransSnapValue();
editControl.getRotSnapValue();
editControl.getScaleSnapValue();

To bound translation, rotation or scaling

This restricts tranlation, rotation,scaling between a minimum and maximum values

setTransBounds(min?: Vector3,max?: Vector3) ;
setRotBounds(min?: Vector3,max?: Vector3);
setScaleBounds(min?: Vector3,max?: Vector3);

removeTransBounds();
removeRotBounds();
removeScaleBounds();

Note: rotation bounds has not been implemented. This is on TODO list.

To undo or redo

editControl.undo();
editControl.redo();

To set undo count

By default does upto 10 undos

editControl.setUndoCount(number count);

To check if user editing (moving,translating or scaling object)

editControl.isEditing();

returns true if the use is in the process of editing

To check if the pointer is over the edit control

editControl.isPointeOver();

returns true if the pointer is over the edit control

To be called back whenever the user starts, takes or ends an action

editControl.addActionStartListener(function(number actionType));
editControl.addActionListener(function(number actionType));
editControl.addActionEndListener(function(number actionType));

Each of these take a function as a parameter.
The ActionStartListener would be called when the user starts translating,rotating or scaling a mesh
The ActionListener would be called when the user is translating,rotating or scaling a mesh
The ActionEndListener would be called when the user ends translating,rotating or scaling a mesh

When called, these listeners would be passed a number which would indicate the action being taken by the user.
This number would have one of the following values
0 - ActionType.TRANS, Translation
1 - ActioneType.ROT, Rotation
2 - ActioneType.SCALE, Scaling

To remove the listeners

editControl.removeActionStartListener();
editControl.removeActionListener();
editControl.removeActionEndListener();
editControl.removeAllActionListeners() // to remove all;

To refresh mesh Bounding Info.

EditControl uses mesh bounding info to provide the same smooth scaling experience for both small and large mesh. The bounding info changes when a mesh is baked. Use this method to refresh the bounding info if you baked the transform of the mesh.

editControl.refreshBoundingInfo();

To get position and rotaion of EditControl

editControl.getPosition();//returns Vector3
editControl.getRotationQuaternion(): //returns rotation in quaternion

The postion and rotation of EditControl would be the same as that of the mesh to which it is attached

To show/hide EditControl

editControl.hide();
editControl.isHidden(); //turns true or false
editControl.show();

To set visibililty (transparency)

editControl.setVisibility(v:number);

By default the visibility is set to 0.75

To switch camera

editControl.switchCamera(camera:Camera);

The edit control uses the camera specified during instantiation to control how it is scaled or picked.
Use this to swicth to a different camera after instantiation.
You might want to use this for example when the active camera in your scene changes and you want to use the new one for the editcontrol.

To switch edit control to another mesh

editControl.switchTo(Mesh mesh, optional boolean isEuler );

This quickly removes the edit control from one mesh and attaches it to another mesh.

The translation, rotation, scaling mode is maintained.

mesh : the mesh to which the control should switch to
isEuler : true/false, optional, default false, true indicates that rotation of the mesh is in euler

To detach from the mesh and clean up resources.

editControl.detach();

Build and Test

If not already installed, install node js.
Switch to the project folder.
Run “npm install”, once, to install all the dependencies.

Build

Run “npm run build” - this will compile the files in “src” and create a development module in the “dist” folder.
Run “npm run build-prod” - this will compile and create a minified production module in the “dist” folder.

To test

Two ways to test.

  1. using the webpack-dev-server.
    Start the development server
    “npm run start”
    This will start the live dev server on port 8080 (could be different if this port is already in use) and open the browser with the file http://localhost:8080/tst/test.html.
    The dev server will live compile your code any time you make changes.
    Note: The dev server does not write the build to disk, instead it serves it from memory. In our case the build, “EditControl.max.js”, is served from location http://localhost:8080/dist. (see publicPath in wepack.config.js file).

  2. using any other http server.
    Start the server , say http-server, from the project root folder (not from within “/tst “ folder).
    Goto http://localhost:8080/tst/test.html (assuming the server was started on port 8080).
    Everytime you make changes you will have to build using “npm start build-dev”.

Note:

The original version was written in Java and then transpiled to TypeScript/JavaScript using JSweet.
It was originally written in Java, as at that time I wasn’t very comfortable with the TypeScript language and its ecosystem.
Over time I have become more comfortable with it.
The new version is thus written in TypeScript.
It is based on the initial TypeScript code generated by JSweet.
Porting to Typescript was easy, as JSweet generates good human readable TypeScript which allows one to switch to TypeScript at any time.
For those interested, the old java version is still available at https://github.com/ssatguru/BabylonJS-EditControl.java