Creating a hexagonal custom tile in Virtual Worlds follows much of the same process as any other custom tile. Familiarise yourself with the general procedure here before beginning.
Prepare Your Tile Image
The primary difference when creating a hexagonal tile is that the image file will need to account for the shape, including the necessary white space in the corners, unlike a standard rectangular or square tile where the image extends fully to the edges.
Locate an Appropriate Hexagonal Tile Template
The best way of creating your own custom hexagon tiles is to start by using what is already built into the software. This involves searching the existing tile catalogues within Virtual Worlds to find a hexagonal tiling template that suits your custom tile requirements. This will ensure that your design integrates seamlessly with pre-existing hexagonal layouts.
For detailed guidance on navigating tile catalogue templates, refer to Navigating Tile Catalogue Templates.
Investigate the Tile Template for Hex Model Details
Once an appropriate hex template is located, it is important to check the specific hex model used. Different templates may use various hexagonal shapes and sizes, so identifying the correct model is crucial for uniformity. To do this:
- Apply the hex template to a wall in your design.
- Select an individual tile from the template and open up the Tile Browser by selecting the icon below:
From here, select Catalogue Tools and then Add/Edit Catalogue to open the Database Tile Record.
- Examine the Model field in the tile details to identify the model being used. Take note of this for now and also ensure you note down the size of the tile. It's important that the ratio of this tile is the same as your custom tile to ensure it will fit the template correctly.
Locate the Hex Model in the File Browser
After identifying the hex model used, navigate to the appropriate folder in the file browser to locate the .3DS model file. This file is found within the Virtual Worlds install directory in Program Files. Typically, this is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Virtual Worlds\Catalogue\Tiling but some installs may vary. From here, locate the tile catalogue used in the previous step and and enter the Models section of this to find the .3DS file.
Create Your Custom Tile Using the Located Model
With all necessary information gathered, proceed to create your custom hexagonal tile:
- Ensure your custom tile image is saved as a .jpg file with an appropriate name.
- In Tile Browser, navigate to your custom tile catalogue and select it from the Catalogue Name dropdown.
- Click Catalogue Tools and choose Add/Edit Catalogue Entry.
- Select Create New Tile to open the Database Tile Record.
- Enter the necessary details such as Name, Description, and Product Code.
- Input the Nominal Dimensions based on the template size noted earlier.
- Under Visual Characteristics, click the ellipsis next to Model and select the identified hex model (e.g., hex_tile.3DS). You will need to navigate to the location discovered on the previous step to complete this.
- Set your tile image as the Model Texture and save your new tile.
Your custom hexagonal tile is now ready for use in Virtual Worlds Professional. Apply it within your designs and adjust as needed.