CHARGES
Charges are the core of bLogix and are what give your creations life. Charges get created by batteries (and some inputs) and get passed through wires and other components in a very predictable manner. A charge can have a value of 1 to 255 which are visualized in the play mode to help you create working circuits. They can combine and split based on the rules of the bits they pass through and are used to control switches, connectors, lights, gates, and gadgets.
PARTS
Parts are small groups of bits that can be placed with your cursor. They can be saved to your computer, uploaded to the Steam Workshop, and stored in your Bit Bins for easy access. Parts can contain connectors, gadgets, and non-contiguous groups of bits. However, if you attempt to place bits that are not attached to the main bLogix or connectors that are not valid, they will not be placed.
NAVIGATION / CONTROLS
The controls for the actual game are simple and limited to a few keyboard shortcuts and mouse clicks. This is by design, the majority of keyboard keys and all controller inputs are reserved for you to use as inputs in your bLogix.
Navigating in the workshop:
Mouse Left Click to select or place the cursor bits.
Shift or Ctl Mouse left click to select multiple bits.
Ctl-x Ctl-c to cut or copy selected bits
Ctl-z Ctl-y to undo and redo
Mouse Right Click-Drag to rotate camera
Alt-Mouse Right Click-Drag to move camera up/down left/right
Mouse Scroll to zoom camera
Alt-Mouse Scroll to move camera forward/back
Double right click any bit to center camera on that bit
Other Controls:
When placing input bits you can click the keyboard key or controller button to automatically change the IO bit to that input.
toolbars
The right side of the toolbar contains the tooltip text area that displays info about currently selected items and random tips to help navigate bLogic Blox. Clicking on the textbox will toggle classic tooltips which is the classic popup box that displays when you mouse over an item. The tooltip text area is resizable by dragging the bar to the right of the textbox.
Workshop Tools:
Workshop Icon – Open workshop mode
Select – Set select mode
Delete – Delete current selected bit and sets delete mode
Place – Set place mode
Cut – Cut selected bit(s) and sets place mode
Copy – Copy selected bit(s) and sets place mode
Undo – Undo previous change to bLogix
Redo – Redo previous change to bLogix
New – Clear all bits
Open – Load bLogix from file system
Save – Save current bLogix to file system with option to upload to Steam Workshop
Download – Download bLogix and parts from Steam Workshop
Move – Move camera center left/right up/down
Rotate – Rotate camera around camera’s center point
View – Show the view dialog.
Show/Hide Cursor bin – Show or hide the cursor bin
Show/Hide Bit Bins – Show or hide the bit bin
Test mode Tools:
Play – Open test mode and starts running the bLogix circuit at approximately 30 cycles per second
Stop – Stop and reset all charges running in the circuit
Pause – Stop the running circuit but maintains all charges
Step – Run one cycle of the circuit
Half Speed – Run the circuit at half speed
Quarter Speed – Run the circuit at quarter speed
Eighth Speed – Run the circuit at eighth speed
Sixteenth Speed – Run the circuit at sixteenth speed
Reset – Restart and rebuilds the bLogix
General Icons:
Info – Open the information dialog box
Settings – Open the settings dialog box, useful in balancing quality vs computer performance.
Special Note with regard to the Physics Collider Setting: bLogix can be very CPU intensive, particularly when there are many moving parts. The physics engine prefers to have static colliders and does not enjoy recalculating the bLogix’s colliders when they move relative to each other. The physics collider setting changes how precise bLogic Blox will be in the creation of colliders. A low setting means fewer colliders with less precision while a high setting will create more colliders with higher precision. Lower settings should result in higher performance and better frame rates but at the end of the day you should just be impressed that your computer is doing a few billion things every second.
CURSOR BIN
The cursor bin contains the current group of bits that will be placed with a left mouse click. You can load and save parts to/from the cursor using the open/save icons. Clicking on a bit bin will update the cursor with that bit or group. Dragging the cursor from the cursor bin to a bit bin will save that part to the bit bin. The icons on the bottom represent the types of bits that can be placed; the bit and value can be changed using the labels on top of the cursor bin.
The details of the current cursor can be viewed by clicking on the details icon on the top right of the cursor bin. Right click and drag or mouse scroll to rotate the current part. Left clicking on a bit will make that the center of the cursor for more accurate placement. Use the XYZ icons to rotate the cursor bits.
BitBins
There are 100 bit bins which can be used to save bits and parts (groups of bits) to more easily create your bLogix. You can change the value of a single bit using the value buttons on the top of the bit bin. Right click and drag or mouse scroll to rotate the current bit or part.
Bits
Bits are the building material for bLogix and are the scaffolding that charges pass through. Each type has a specific set of rules that govern how charges will behave. Decorations and insulators, for example, will not accept or pass a charge while other materials will duplicate, split, multiply, store, or react to charges. There are 9 general categories bits fall under: insulators, circuits, math, switches, lights, IO, connectors, decoration, and gadgets. Using these basic building blocks you can construct just about anything your mind can imagine.
Insulators
Insulators are basic building blocks that come in 256 different colors. They follow a WWRRGGBB color format where the binary equivalent of the value is converted into a color. 0-63 decimal (00000000-00111111) are combinations of Red, Blue, and Green while all numbers from 64-255 (01000000-11111111) are shades from black to white. This is really more important when dealing with the light bits as you can control how much of each color a bit will display by using multipliers that correspond with the binary numbers for Red (16) Green (4) and Blue (1).
Insulators do not accept or pass charges.
Circuits
Circuits or wires are the basic medium that charges travel through. The numbers on the wire bit are displayed on in test mode to visualize the charges that are generated.
A battery bit generates a charge every cycle based on the value set on the battery. Batteries will pass charges to all bits except p-conductors or n-conductors. A charge sent to a battery from a p-conductor will increase the charge generated by the battery and a charge sent to a battery from an n-conductor will decrease the charge generated for that cycle.
Copper wire represents the base wire type. Each cycle it can accept charges and will pass the charge to any neighbors that will accept a charge. The charge is divided evenly between its neighbors and remainders are discarded. If you care about the remainder you should use a divider bit with a n-conductor.
Silver wire is similar to a copper wire, however it will only conduct to one neighbor. Charges will pass through multiple silver wires in a single cycle.
Gold wire, also known as a repeater, accepts a charge and duplicates it to all neighbors. Similar to a copper wire the charge is limited to a single cycle.
The P-conductor or P-Type functions like a copper wire except it will not accept a charge from an N-conductor. Using N-P is a way to control the direction of charges through your circuits. It is also used to operate switches, gates, storage bits, and modify battery charges. As such it will operate those logic bits but not directly pass a charge to them.
N-conductor or N-Type also functions like a copper wire except it will not pass a charge to a P-conductor. Using N-P is a way to control the direction of charges through your circuits. It is also used to operate switches, storage bits, and modify battery charges. It can also capture remainder charges in amplifiers, multipliers, and dividers. As such it will operate those logic bits but not directly pass a charge to them.
Maths
Math bits will modify a charge in a predictable manner passing charges to any bit that accepts a charge and passing any remainder to an n-conductor
A max bit is used to limit the charge that can pass through. The value set will be the maximum charge that a neighbor will receive. If the charge is modified, then the remainder can be captured with an N-Conductor. The charge is divided evenly between its neighbors and remainders are discarded. (note: the remainder of divided charge among neighbors is different than the overflow
Amplifiers add a charge to any charge that passes through up to 255. If there is an overflow it can be captured with an N-Conductor.
Damplifiers subtract a charge from any charge that passes through.
Multiplyers will multiply a charge to any charge that passes through up to 255. If there is an overflow it can be captured with an N-Conductor. This can be useful if, for example, you have one wire in and 4 out, multiplying the charge by 4 will ensure that each output gets the same charge while keeping the ability to capture the remainder.
Dividers will divide any charge that passes through. If there is a remainder it can be captured with an N-Conductor.
Logic
Logic bits are bits that can make decisions and control flow. The can be used to create logical circuits that can compare charges, store them, and release charges in programmable and predictable ways.
Switch: Will act like an insulator when off and a copper wire when on. P-conductors will turn a switch on with any charge and N-conductors will turn a switch off with any charge.
Gate: Similar to switches and will act like an insulator when off and a copper wire when on. They are controlled using one P-conductor and one N-conductor. Charges from N/P do not go through the gate; only set it open or closed. There are 7 types of gates: AND, OR, NOT, XOR, =, >, and < gates, listed below.
AND: Gate is open if both N and P pass a charge.
OR: Gate is open if either P or N pass a charge.
NOT: Gate is open if neither P or N is passing a charge.
XOR: Gate is open if only one P or N is passing a charge but not both.
EQUAL: Gate is open if both charges are equal but not zero.
GREATER THAN: Gate is open if P is larger than N but not zero.
LESS THAN: Gate is open if P is less than N but not zero.
Capacitors will accept a charge and fill up to the value set on the capacitor. Once full it will release the entire charge.
Storage or memory bits will store any charge(s) sent to them through a P-Conductor. They will release the charge with an N-conductor to any bit that accepts charges.
IO
IO bits are the mechanism used to accept input from a keyboard or controller. They allow you to add controls to your bLogix to create movable objects or user controlled circuits. When placing an IO bit you can press the key or controller input to change the value of the IO bit.
NOTE: The first IO (Value 0) is the [ALL] IO and this one generates a charge equal to any button that is pressed during that cycle. This can be used in conjunction with displays to generate a charge from a key then display that key.
IO is the primary bit in the input output group and is activated for each cycle its corresponding input is being pressed. When it is activated it acts like a copper wire, otherwise it behaves like an insulator. The value represents the input such as A-Z, 0-9 or a number of controller inputs
IO_Down is the same as IO but is only activated for one cycle when its corresponding input is pressed down. When it is activated it acts like a copper wire, otherwise it behaves like an insulator. The value represents the input such as A-Z, 0-9 or a number of controller inputs.
IO_Up is the same as IO but is only activated for one cycle when its corresponding input is released. When it is activated it acts like a copper wire, otherwise it behaves like an insulator. The value represents the input such as A-Z, 0-9 or a number of controller inputs.
IO_Out simulates a user pressing the corresponding IO. It is triggered with any charge and can be used to allow wires that are physically separated to communicate. The value represents the input such as A-Z, 0-9 or a number of controller inputs.
IO_DISPLAY uses the same list of IO’s such as A-Z, 0-9 or a number of controller inputs. This bit does not take a value; when a charge is sent to it the bit displays the IO character corresponding with the charge.
Lights
Lights are bits that change color with a charge.
Light White takes a charge and changes to white where the intensity equals the charge (0-255). Place a multiplier in front of the light to always make it 100% white. Acts like a repeater so all neighbors will receive the same charge.
Light RGB takes a charge and changes to various colors in a binary WWRRGGBB format. You can use various logic circuits to control what color gets displayed. Acts like a repeater so all neighbors will receive the same charge.
Glass White will display the same color of a Light White it is attached to. Acts like an insulator so it will not pass a charge, good to use between lights to keep colors from mixing.
Glass RGB will display the same color of a Light RGB it is attached to. Acts like an insulator so it will not pass a charge, good to use between lights to keep colors from mixing.
WWRRGGBB format: This format was designed to encapsulate the largest number of colors in an 8 bit format that could be modified with circuits. Colors use the first 6 bits of the 8 bit number or 0-63 in decimal. 00-RR-GG-BB (00000000-00111111) are combinations of Red, Blue, and Green (00=0%, 01=33%, 10= 66%, & 11= 100%) so a number like 00-00-00-11 (decimal 3) would be 100% blue, while 00-00-10-00 would be 66% green. All numbers from 64-255 (01000000-11111111) are shades from black to white. Using multipliers that correspond with the binary numbers for Red (16) Green (4) and Blue (1) is a good way to mix colors.
Decorations
Decorations are just fancy insulators.
Connectors
Connectors separate two sections where the green side is the side that is attached to the main bLogix. Extenders take a charge and move its child parts while rotators and spinners will rotate their child parts.