VR Sink

(To be removed) Write data from Simulink model to virtual world

VR Sink will be removed in a future release. For more information, see Version History.

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Libraries:
Simulink 3D Animation

Description

To output data from the model to control and animate a virtual world, use a VR Sink block. The VR Sink block writes values from its ports to virtual world fields specified in the Block Parameters dialog box.

The VR Sink block is equivalent to the VR To Video block, except that the Show video output port parameter for the VR Sink block is cleared by default.

The VR Sink block cannot be compiled by the Simulink^® Coder™ software, but it can be used as a SimViewing device on the host computer.

Note

The current internal viewer window (vrfigure) properties are saved together with the Simulink model. Next time you open the model, the internal viewer window opens with the same parameters that were last saved, such as position, size, and navigation mode. When you close the viewer window, the Simulink software does not alert you if these properties have changed.

The VR Sink block is a Sim Viewing Device. You can include it in models that you compile with Simulink Coder software. If you use External mode to compile, build, and deploy the model on a target platform, such as Simulink Real-Time™ or Simulink Desktop Real-Time™, some sink blocks and Sim Viewing Device blocks stay in normal mode during simulation, receive data from the target, and display that data. For more information, see Use C/C++ S-Functions as Sim Viewing Devices in External Mode (Simulink).

Ports

Input

Input 1 — Input signal

real scalar | real vector

Input signal to drive the virtual reality visualization of nodes selected in the Virtual World Tree.

Data Types: double

Output

Output 1 — Output video stream

3-element vector of video signal dimensions

Use the output port to access the RGB video stream of the VR signal input.

Data Types: double

Parameters

Source file — File name specifying virtual world that connects to block

string scalar | character vector

By default, the full path to the associated virtual world 3D file appears in this text box. If you enter only the file name in this box, the software assumes that the virtual world 3D file resides in the same folder as the model file. You can specify a VRML file or an X3D file.

• Click New to open an empty default virtual world editor. When you either enter a source file name or use the Browse button, the New button becomes an Edit button.

• Click Edit to launch the default virtual world editor with the source file open.

• Click View to view the world in the Simulink 3D Animation™ Viewer or a Web browser.

• Click Reload to reload the world after you change it.

Open Viewer automatically — Display virtual world on model load

off | on

Enable this parameter to display the virtual world after loading the Simulink model.

Allow viewing from the Internet — View virtual world over network

off (default) | on

Enable this parameter to make the virtual world accessible for viewing on a client computer. If you do not select this check box, then the world is visible only on the host computer. This parameter is equivalent to the RemoteView property of a vrworld object.

Description — Virtual reality object description

string scalar | character vector

The description is displayed in all virtual reality object listings, in the title bar of the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, and in the list of virtual worlds on the Simulink 3D Animation HTML page. This parameter is equivalent to the Description property of a vrworld object.

Sample time — Block sample time for simulation

0.1 (default) | scalar | vector

Specify the sample time for the block, or specify -1 to inherit the sample time.

Show video output port — Output VR signal to video

off (default) | on

Enable a port to output an RGB video stream for further 2D video processing.

Video output signal dimensions — Specify video output size

[200 320] (default) | 2-element vector

Specify the dimensions ([height width]) of the video output signal in pixels.

Virtual World Tree — View structure of virtual world

node

This box shows the structure of the virtual world 3D file and the virtual world itself.

Nodes that have names are marked with red arrows. You can access them from the Simulink 3D Animation interface. Nodes without names but whose children are named are also marked with red arrows. This marking scheme makes it possible for you to find all accessible nodes by traversing the tree using arrows. Other nodes have a blue dot before their names.

Fields with values that you set have check boxes. Use these check boxes to select the fields whose values you want the Simulink software to update. For every field that you select, an input port is created in the block. Input ports are assigned to the selected nodes and fields in the order that corresponds to the virtual world 3D file.

Fields whose values cannot be written (because their parent nodes do not have names, or because they are not of virtual world data class eventIn or exposedField) have an X-shaped icon.

Show node types — Display node types in virtual world tree

off (default) | on

Enable this parameter to show node types in the virtual world tree.

Show field types — Display field types in virtual world tree

off (default) | on

Enable this parameter to show field types in the virtual scene tree.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

R2023b: To be removed

The VR Sink will be removed in a future release. Instead, use sim3d classes and Simulation 3D blocks to interface MATLAB^® and Simulink with the Unreal Engine^® 3D simulation environment. To get started, see Create 3D Simulations in Unreal Engine Environment.