Null Objects
In Spark AR Studio a null object can be used to group other objects. It doesn't have a shape, but it can be manipulated in 3D space.
Objects grouped under a null object are known as its children. The children take on the properties of the null object. For example, if you make a null object bigger, any children will get bigger too.
Null objects are particularly useful for adding secondary animation or to make sure a group of objects have exactly the same position.
Adding null objects
To add a null object to your scene:
- Click Add Object.
- Select Null Object from the menu.
When the null object is selected in the Scene panel, you'll see an axis in the Viewport:
Grouping other objects
To group objects using a null object, the objects must be children of the null object.
To make an object the child of a null object, either:
- Drag the object onto the null object in the Scene panel.
- Right-click on the null object in the Scene panel, select Insert, then select the object that you want to group under the null object.
You'll see the child of the null object listed underneath it in the Scene panel with a slight indent. In the image below, plane0, plane1 and plane2 are all children of nullObject0:
Properties
Visible
Uncheck this box to stop the null object and any children from being rendered in the scene.
Transformations
Change the position, scale and rotation of the null object. You also use the manipulators to do this.
Interactions
Insert simple combinations of patches involving the instance into the Patch Editor, like tap gestures.
Enable For
Choose the camera or cameras on a mobile device in which you want to render the null object.
Creating patches
Clicking the arrow next to a property in the Inspector will create a patch to represent it.
In the Inspector, click Create under Interactions and select either:
- Object Tap - to create a patch representing the null object (and its children) in the scene and an Object Tap patch, which will detect when someone taps the null object.
- Producer Patch - to create a patch that represents the null object.