User Guide > Overview > Digital Assets   

Promoting Handles

To provide a digital asset with an interactive interface, handles such as transform handles or HUD sliders can be set up. These handles can be quickly promoted to the digital asset level using existing handles as a starting point.


Promoting Transform Handles

Select your object with the Pose tool [this does not work with the Transform tool], then RMB-click on the handle and select Export handle to Type Properties. This will promote all the associated parameters to the Type Properties' parameter list and the xform handle to the Type Properties' handle list.


Promoting HUD Sliders

The same technique can be used to promote a HUD slider. RMB-click on the slider and select Export handle to Type Properties. The key advantage of promoting a HUD slider this way is that the Handle Parameters set prior to promotion will become part of the HUD slider's definition in the Type Properties window.

When you first create a HUD slider it is a persistent handle. You can RMB-click on it to access the Handle Parameters where you can set and lock its range. From Tools > Persistent Handle Editor you can set the HUD slider's name which will also be promoted. After you finish be sure to make the slider non-persistent in order to avoid having two sliders at the digital asset level.

Below are a list of some of the definitions used to define the position and look of a HUD slider. You could type these in yourself but promoting the handle gives you a head start once you set the Handle Parameters.

hudx(105) hudy(130) - These define the HUD slider's position in the Viewer pane.

hudw(120) hudh(16) - These define the HUD slider's size.

hudnameside(3) hudvalueside(2) - These define where the labels are positioned.

hudharbourname('name') hudharbourx(105) hudharboury(130) - These put your HUD slider in a group that will dock with other HUD sliders in the same group that are positioned correctly.

hudlocklow(1) hudlockhigh(1) - These set the high and low locks on the slider range.

hudrangehigh(10) hudrangelow(1) - These define the slider range values.

ownerop('geo/tube1') - This is the original owner of the parameter being controlled.


Promoting All Handles

If you have several handles set up as persistent handles then you can choose Operator > Export All Handles to Type Properties from the Viewer pane menu to promote them all at once. After you finish be sure to make the original handles non-persistent then jump up to the digital asset level to see the handles in place there.