MDL Model Parameters

Parameters are used to further describe a primitive or component. The following provides a brief description of the various parameters available in an MDL model.

A parameter is inherited by all of the children of the component/primitive in which the parameter is specified unless otherwise noted in the description of the parameter.

AlphaFuncTransparency

Description
The AlphaFuncTransparency parameter allows you to use the depth buffer and an alpha channel at the same time. However, the alpha channel is normally 8-bit, offering the full range of translucency values between invisible and fully opaque. When AlphaFuncTransparency is enabled, the alpha channel acts as if it is binary. Alpha values of less than 50% will be treated as 0%, fully transparent, meaning invisible. Alpha values of 50% and above will be treated as 100%, meaning opaque. The benefit is you can have a texturemap defining a large number of complex holes or shapes in a single polygon, without the expense of defining those shapes as polygon geometry.

Syntax
AlphaFuncTransparency {Yes , No}

Yes Enabled.
No Disabled. Default.

Example
Component Tree
        Polygon
                AlphaFuncTransparency Yes
                NumVerts 4
            Texture
                RGB tree
                Parm Transp
                Parm AA
                Parm ClampS
                Parm ClampT
            EndTexture
                TxGen
                Data
                    -2.5 0 0
                    2.5 0 0
                    2.5 0 10
                    -2.5 0 10
        EndPolygon
EndComponent

AttachEffect

Description
The place from which a special effect begins. Currently, the only effect available is SMOKE. This value is not inherited.

Syntax
AttachEffect <name>

<name> Up to 31-character name of point to be used for origin of a special effect.

Example
Component Smoke-1
        Sphere
                Translate -27 0 0
                Slices 8
                Stacks 8
                Radius 7
                AttachEffect Smoke
                Translucency 1
        EndSphere
EndComponent

AttachSensor

Description
The place from which the sensor cone emits. When defined, the AttachSensor (also called Attach Point) can be specified in the Vertex Offset page of a sensor’s 3D Graphics. If this feature is not used, the sensor cone origin is the center of the parent model. This value is not inherited.

Syntax
AttachSensor <name>

<name> Up to 31-character name of point to be used for the origin of the sensor cone.

Example
AttachSensor sensor1

BackfaceCullable

Description
Indicates whether the back face (polygons that face away from the camera) of the primitive is drawn. Use this parameter in cases where there is a deliberate hole or you need to show the backside of an object. Performance is improved if the back face is not drawn.

Syntax
BackfaceCullable {Yes , No}

Yes Back face is not drawn.
No Back face is drawn. Default.

Example
PolygonMesh
        FaceColor %120098080
        SmoothShading No
        BackfaceCullable Yes
        Specularity 0.000000
        Shininess 51
        NumVerts 74
EndPolygonMesh

BoundRadius

Description
The model, including all articulations fully extended, should just barely fit inside a hypothetical sphere. This bounding sphere is then used to determine if the model is in the view volume. This parameter increases rendering speed. Only one BoundRadius parameter can be included in a model file.

Syntax
BoundRadius <name>

<name> The radius of a sphere, in meters, that encompasses the model. Default values: 100 meters for a vehicle and 2500 meters for a facility.

Example
BoundRadius 15000000

Comment

Description
Indicates that the text following this parameter is ignored and is for informational purposes only.

Syntax
Comment <text>

<text> One line of text.

Example
Comment Converted from "Thel_standalone" by LwConvert.

FaceColor

Description
Color of the primitive.

Syntax
FaceColor {<color name>, <%RRRGGGBBB> }

<color name> The name of a color in the rgb file. Default is white.
<% RRRGGGBBB> RRR, GGG, and BBB are each represented by a number between 000 and 255. For example, white is %255255255.

Examples
FaceColor gray30
FaceColor %002006060

FaceEmissionColor

Description
The color of the glow cast by the specified primitive.

Syntax
FaceEmissionColor {<color name>, <%RRRGGGBBB> }

<color name> The name of a color in the rgb file. Default is no color.
<% RRRGGGBBB> RRR, GGG, and BBB are each represented by a number between 000 and 255. For example, white is %255255255.

Example
FaceEmissionColor %002006060

FaceStyle

Description
The style used to draw the face of the primitive.

Syntax
FaceStyle{Hollow, Filled, Points}

Hollow Draws only an outline of the polygon.
Filled Draws a solid polygon. Default.
Points Draws only the vertices of a polygon.

Example
FaceStyle Hollow

FrontFaceCCW

Description
The direction in which the front face of the primitive is drawn, as shown in the following illustration:

Syntax
FrontFaceCCW {Yes, No}

Yes Front face is drawn counter-clockwise. Default.
No Front face is drawn clockwise

Example
Component WingAssm
      Refer
          Rotate 0 -5 90
          Translate 71.8 -0.75 -3
          Component Wing
      EndRefer
      Refer
          FrontfaceCCW No
          Scale -1 1 1
          Rotate 0 10 90
          Translate 71.8 0.75 -3
          Component Wing
      EndRefer
EndComponent

NoDraw

Description
Indicates that the specified primitive or component is not drawn. If this parameter is not included for a primitive or component, then that primitive or component is drawn.

Syntax
NoDraw

Example
NoDraw

ObscurationFrom

Description
Available only with the Obscuration tool. Identifies the component or primitive from which a sensor projection emits as the source of the projection. When included with a component or primitive, STK does not consider that element in obscuration calculations.

Syntax
ObscurationFrom

Example
ObscurationFrom

Pointing

Description
This parameter defines the X, Y, and Z components of a vector for a particular element. Note the following:

  • The pointing parameter must be next to an articulation in the component file.
  • The component containing this parameter cannot contain any translations or scales.
  • The articulation can only contain two rotations.
  • It is recommended that you point along the existing axis.
  • The values are not inherited.

Syntax
Pointing <name> <vector>

<name> Up to 31-character name of element for which vectors are being defined.
<vector> Values for vector axes X, Y, and Z. You can use fractional values.

Example
Component ParentLayer2_Thel_standalone
      Refer
              Component Base
      EndRefer
      Refer
             Articulation Laser_Base_Az
                  Rotate Azimuth -360 0 360
             EndArticulation
             Pointing Laser_Base_Az 1 0 0
             Component ParentLayer3_Thel_standalone
      EndRefer
EndComponent

Shininess

Description
The size and brightness of the specularity. To keep the correct ratio between shininess and specularity, shininess must be 128 times the value of specularity. For example, 128 to 1 or 64 to .5,

Syntax
Shininess <value>

<value> 0.0 through 128.0.

0.0 indicates no shine at all. Default.
128.0 indicates a very bright shine
  A smaller number produces a more spread out and dimmer shine. A higher number produces a more concentrated and brighter shine.

Example
Shininess 128

SmoothShading

Description
Specifies whether pixels are averaged to produce a smooth transition from light to dark.

Syntax
SmoothShading {Yes, No}

Yes Pixels are averaged. Default.
No Pixels are not averaged. The actual polygons are visible and there is no blending of color.

Example
SmoothShading Yes

SolarPanel

Description
Provides access to the solar panel tool. This parameter identifies a component or primitive as a solar panel and identifies the group to which the solar panel belongs. If you specify a SolarPanel, you must also specify a SolarPanelGroup. If there is only one SolarPanel, the solar panel group name is the same name as the solar panel.

Syntax
SolarPanel <name>

<Name> Up to 31-character name that shows up in the list of the solar power tools window. You can have multiple selections if needed; for example, one for the +Y side and one for the -Y side.

Example
SolarPanel geo1

SolarPanelGroup

Description
Only available with the solar panel tool. Specifies the name of the solar panel group and the efficiency of the solar panel used in solar panel calculations. Multiple solar panel groups may exist in a single model file. This value is not inherited.

This parameter is defined outside of any component/primitive and is normally at the top of the file. You can have any number of these defined using different names.

Syntax
SolarPanelGroup <group name> <efficiency in percent>

<group name> Name of group to which the value is to be applied.
<efficiency in percent> 0.0 through 100.0, indicating the percentage of solar panel efficiency.

The efficiency rating depends on the type of panels used. The higher the number, the more efficient the panels. The example shows an efficiency of 14.0. This number is a percentage of how well the cell can convert solar to electrical energy.

Example
SolarPanelGroup geo1 14.0

Specularity

Description
Controls the intensity or brightness of the highlights.

Syntax
Specularity <value>

<value>
 
  		0.0 through 1.0 , where:

0.0 - no specularity. Default.
1.0 - very bright highlight

Example
Specularity 0.000000

Texture

Description
Specifies a texture file.

Syntax
Texture
          RGB <texture file>
          Alpha <alpha texture file>
          Parm <parameter value>
EndTexture

<texture file> Name of the texture file. Valid texture files are: *.bmp, *.tif, *.png, *.ppm, and *.tga. Required.
<alpha texture file> The name of the alpha texture file used to create custom transparencies.
<parameter value>

 

 

 

 

 

 

AA. Anti-aliasing is applied; texture is opaque. Anti-aliasing smooths the texture. Without this keyword anti-aliasing is not applied.

Transp. Use the color at pixel 0,0 to identify the color which is made transparent when displaying the model.

Mipmap. Mipmap the texture. Mipmapping reduces the sparkle associated with large textures viewed from far away.

ClampS. Clamps the texture coordinates along the width of the texture from 0 to 1.

ClampT. Clamps the texture coordinates along the height of the texture from 0 to 1.

Example
Texture
        RGB flametex-orange
        Alpha flamealpha3
        Parm AA
EndTexture

Texture
        RGB flametex-orange
        Alpha flamealpha3
        Parm AA
        Parm MipMap
EndTexture

Translucency

Description
The amount of translucency.

Syntax
Translucency <name>

<name> 0.0 through 1.0, where:

0.0 - Opaque. Default.
1.0 - Completely transparent

Example
Translucency .75

TxGen

Use the TxGen parameter when applying a 2D texture to a 3D window. This parameter can only be defined for a primitive. The Texture parameter must be defined if this parameter is included in the primitive. This parameter is NOT inherited and CANNOT be defined for a component.

Do not use the TxGen parameter for a polygon mesh with UV coordinates.

Syntax
TxGen

Example
TxGen