Designing Library Objects: Tips and Tricks

A well-organized library with high-quality objects saves time, simplifies daily tasks, and enhances quality. Establishing a consistent approach across the organization makes it easier to share data and collaborate smoothly.

This article guides you through planning and creating your library objects.

Article Overview:

• Phase 1 | Planning the Elements
• Phase 2 | Halocline: Creating Elements, Adding to Your Library, and Exporting

Phase 1: Planning the Elements

Titles

• Choose Concise Names - Limit to 40 characters (as per Halocline standards as of 08.04.24).
• Use Common Terms: Opt for the most widely recognized term when multiple options exist.
• Sorting Note: Elements in your personal library are not sorted alphabetically but by import order, so the title does not affect sorting.

Tags

• Tags help filter objects in your library.
• Use up to three Tags: Suggested examples are provided, but you can create your own tags. Learn more here about VR libraries and tags.

Phase 2: Halocline – Object Creation, Adding to Library, and Export

Creating Objects

General Guidelines

• Maintain a consistent design across objects for better planning clarity.
• Use only the necessary number of boxes to optimize performance.
• Avoid overlapping boxes. If overlaps are necessary (e.g., wheels), assign identical colors to avoid "flickering."
• Be mindful of rotated geometries to enable later scaling. Learn more here under “Changing Group Size”.

Colors

• Use a reasonable number of colors, typically two to four.
• Avoid overly colorful designs.
• Prefer neutral shades for primary components and highlight with accent colors.
• Represent identical materials with consistent colors.

Rounded Shapes

• Approximate rounded shapes using up to four offset boxes: Position the first box straight. Duplicate it, rotating by 45°. Duplicate the straight box twice more, rotating one by 20° left and the other by 20° right. Learn more here.
• Warning: Avoid finer resolutions to prevent performance issues.

Grouping Geometry

• The grouping of geometries should be divided into logical subassemblies so that the user can quickly and easily adapt the library objects to individual needs afterward (e.g., adjusting the pickup height of the material lifter).
• Limit groups to two or three levels, including the main assembly, to simplify editing.

Movement Constraints

• If movement constraints are needed (e.g., limiting a material lifter’s fork to the Z-axis), set them at this stage. Learn more here about movement restrictions.

Adding to Personal Library

Naming

• The text for the naming of the element corresponds to the title from the previous planning phase.
• The naming can be done directly on the element or after adding it to the personal library.

Inserting Elements

• While pressing the "Add to Library" button, position yourself appropriately relative to the element. Your view of the element determines the default preview orientation in the library. Choose a starting view that clearly showcases most or all of the element's key features.

Tags

• The tags from the planning phase are adopted and assigned to the objects.

Duplicating

• If a version of the library object in another language is desired, the element must first be duplicated. This is done using the plus icon on the Gizmo or the duplicate function. Additionally, the steps for naming and assigning tags are repeated.

Exporting Elements

VR File Export

• If you want to use or share the library objects outside of Halocline, you can export them from the library as a haloitem, PDF, or STEP file and save them in a central location of your choice. The exported data is stored by default in Documents/Halocline/Export.