The Cora plug-in allows you to sort a set of Sub-Containers based on multiple criteria. It is a useful tool when your scene starts getting complex and it is difficult to maintain the overview. To make sorts by different criteria it can help you reorganize the scene tree structure. It works on all containers under the container it is added to.

The plug-in is often used together with the Time Displacement plug-in which enables many creative possibilities.

Cora Properties

• Criteria: Selects the wanted sort criteria.

  • Name: Performs a case sensitive sort. In normal sort order, capitalized letters are listed first. Be aware, use letter case consistently if you want to have a correct result when you perform a sort by name.

  • X: Sorts by X-values.

  • Y: Sorts by Y-values.

  • Z: Sorts by Z-values.

  • Vis: Sorts all the visible containers first.

  • Alpha: Sorts by the alpha value among those containers who have an alpha function attached. Alpha values set on the material of a container are ignored.

  • Key: Sorts containers by key function. Among those with key signal attached, the key alpha value is used for the further sorting.

  • Rand: Sorts by random.

• Mode: Sets the order of the sorting. Choose between setting the Highest or the Lowest values.

• Random Seed: Is relevant if you have chosen random as your sort criteria. It specifies a seed for the random number generator. Even though Viz Artist use random numbers, the animation for a specific random seed always looks the same.

• Random Weight: Defines how random the randomize function sorts. Random 1.0 means random, random 0.0 does nothing and random 0.5 gives you a 50% chance if a container is resorted or stays in place.

• Execute: Starts the operation.

To Organize the Scene Tree

Add the Cora plug-in to the container that holds the Sub-Containers you want to sort, select the sort criteria and press the Execute button.

See Also

• Time Displacement