About Action Patterns¶
What is an Action Pattern?¶
In MAGES NXT we have classified behavioral tasks into clearly defined entities. Those can be insertion of objects, removals, assemblies, cuts etc.
We call those Action Patterns and we have published them here.
The classification of surgical processes is a common practice in medicine to translate the surgery steps into programmable entities.
To take this even further, our Action Patterns form a unique software design pattern to reflect the needs of development. Using an easy to extend methodology, we created a library of basic Actions that covers most of the cases in VR and we are constantly updating it to mach our needs.
Note
Action Patterns can be used in other simulation genres as well. We are testing them in medicine because is the most challenging.
Usage and examples¶
Here are some basic examples of Action Patterns:
Action Pattern |
Example |
|---|---|
Insert Action |
Place the wheel on the table. |
Remove Action |
Pull the cap of the bottle. |
Use Action |
Sterilize the hand of the patient with the cotton ball. |
Trajectory Action |
Take the knife and cut the dough in circle |
Activate Action |
Squeeze the ballon to pop it. |
Question Action |
Which is the fastest animal on earth? |
Scenegraph editor¶
To use our Action Patterns we created a visual scripting editor. In this way, developers don’t need to write additional code to program their simulations. Our node-based editor offers all the features of our Action Patterns in an easy to use environment.
Each node represents an Action Pattern. The connections between the Actions reflects the flow of each simulation.
You can extend Actions by using steps or scripts. This enables easy customization.
Note
The main principle we follow is to configure everything the Action needs from the scenegraph editor, without messing with extra components.
Action Pattern Wizard¶
In addition to the Scenegraph editor, we have also created a no-code solution to enable more novice users to use our Action Patterns in just a few steps, the Action Pattern Wizard.
Currently, you can create Insert, Question, Remove, and Use actions through the wizard, which will be automatically added to your scenegraph and ready for use.