The tyVehicleWidget helper is a general-purpose, fully-simulated PhysX part that can be attached to a chassis, turret, barrel, or even another widget, with configurable linear and angular joint limits on each axis - useful for building custom moving parts (antennas, hatches, mirrors, cargo, and similar) that don’t need a more specialized helper of their own.
tyVehicleWidget helpers are created from a tyVehicle helper’s “Create vehicle part…” menu, not from the Create panel.
Pressing the “transform” button will temporarily sever the parent/child relationship between the helper and its children (ex: meshes parented to it), allowing you to move/rotate/scale the helper without affecting its children. This allows you to do things like reposition the helper without moving its children with it. Depressing the “transform” button will restore the prior parent/child relationship.
The “fit…” menu has options which allow you to match the position/orientation/scale of the helper to its child meshes.
The “flip” button will flip the transform of the helper along its dominant axis, without affecting its children.
Enable collisions: when enabled, this widget is allowed to collide with its base helper.
Mass: the mass of the widget’s rigid body.
Each axis below can independently be locked, left free, or limited to a specific range.
X/Y/Z axis: the allowed range of motion along each axis, when that axis’s mode is set to limited.
Stiffness/damping: the stiffness and damping of the spring that holds the widget within its linear limits.
Restitution: the amount of bounce when the widget hits one of its linear limits. A value of 0 means it stops dead on impact; a value of 1 means it bounces back with the velocity it hit the limit with.
Twist and each swing axis below can independently be locked, left free, or limited to a specific range.
Twist: the allowed twist rotation range (around the widget’s attachment axis), when twist mode is set to limited.
Swing X/Y - Range: the allowed swing rotation range on each axis, when that axis’s mode is set to limited.
Swing X/Y - Bias %: shifts the center of that axis’s swing range, rather than the range always being centered on the widget’s rest orientation. A value of 0 keeps the range centered (equal swing in both directions); a value of 100 (or -100) shifts the entire range to one side, so the widget only swings from its rest position to the full range in one direction, rather than straddling it.
Bias is useful for something like a hatch or flap that should only open one way from its resting (closed) position, rather than being able to swing an equal amount to either side of it.
Stiffness/damping: the stiffness and damping of the spring that holds the widget within its angular limits.
Restitution: the amount of bounce when the widget hits one of its angular limits (twist or either swing axis). A value of 0 means it stops dead on impact; a value of 1 means it bounces back with the velocity it hit the limit with.
From helper: the convex hull of the widget will be generated from the helper’s stand-in geometry.
From linked meshes: the convex hull of the widget will be generated from the meshes parented to the widget.