Inexor

The design of the API shall be similar (but not identical) on Inexor Core and Inexor Flex and easy to use (especially flex).

UUIDs are used for the identification of entity types and entity instances even across client or server boundaries.

The entity system is a directed property graph mapped on the Inexor Tree. Synchronization between Inexor Core and Inexor Flex happens automatically and can be defined on entity type level.

TODO: The Inexor Tree has to be extended by a graph system.

Data types

Inexor Tree Node

Currently the Inexor Tree is only an hierarchical tree. By extending the tree with a directed property graph the synchronization happens automatically. The tree structure have to be extended with relationships between two nodes in the tree.

The architectural changes are:

Every tree node can have multiple parent nodes, too. But there is still only on primary parent node. Using the primary parent node the hierarchical tree structure stays intact. Therefore addressing a node using a path is still working even if a node has multiple parents.

Furthermore the relationship between two nodes is a object itself (we call it a relationship). A relationship consists of a parent node and a child node and can have attributes itself (equal to a tree node).

This enables us to store information about the relationship between to nodes! An example for using this feature is that a teleport entity and have multiple destinations (teledest). If a player enters the teleporter he will be teleported to a random teledest. But if you define an attribute propability for each relationship from the teleporter to a teledest, you can define which teledest is used more than the others.

For the Inexor Tree the change is that every Tree Node has to be extended using a list for the relationship to the parent nodes and a list for the relationships to the child nodes.

  • Attributes
    • List<Relationship> parents
      • Multiple parents allowed
      • Currently
        • Only one parent node
      • Future
        • One primary parent node
        • A list of relationships to the parent nodes
        • The relationship contains the parent node and this as child node
    • List<Relationship> childs
      • Multiple childs allowed
      • Currently
        • A list of relationships to the child nodes
      • Future
        • A list of relationships to the child nodes
        • The relationship contains this as parent node and the child node
  • Methods
    • Node getParent()
      • Returns the primary parent Node
    • List<Node> getChilds()
      • Returns all child Nodes (Nodes, not the relationships!)
    • List<Node> getParents()
      • Returns all parent Nodes (Nodes, not the relationships!)
    • List<Node> getChildRelationships()
      • Returns the Relationships from the current Node to child Nodes
    • List<Node> getParentRelationships()
      • Returns the Relationships from the current Node to parent Nodes
    • Node addChild(name, datatype, ...)
      • Creates a child node
      • Also creates the relationship between the parent node and the child node (bi-directional)
    • Node addChildRelationship(Node, attributes)
      • Adds an existing Node to the list of child nodes
      • Also creates the relationship between both Nodes
      • Adds the relationship to the list of child relationships (of this node)
      • Adds the relationship to the list of parent relationships (of the other node)
    • Node addParent(Node, attributes)
      • Adds an existing Node to the list of parent nodes
      • Also creates the relationship between both Nodes
      • Adds the relationship to the list of parent relationships (of this node)
      • Adds the relationship to the list of child relationships (of the other node)
    • List<Relationship> getParentRelationships()
      • Returns the list of relationship to the parent nodes
    • List<Relationship> getChildRelationships()
      • Returns the list of relationship to the child nodes
    • Relationship moveTo(Node)
      • Moves a node to another location in the tree
      • The primary parent is changed, the current relationship is removed and a new relationship is created

Inexor Tree Relationship

Represents the relationship from a parent Node to a child Node.

  • Attributes
    • String uuid
      • The UUID of the Relationship
    • Node parent
      • The parent Node
    • Node child
      • The child Node
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute/Node> attributes
      • The attributes of the relationship (It's a Property-Graph!)
  • Methods
    • String getUuid()
      • Returns the UUID of the Relationship
    • Node getParent()
      • Returns the parent Node
    • Node getChild()
      • Returns the child Node
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute/Node> getAttributes()
      • Returns the relationship attributes

Entity

An Entity is a configurable object of a certain type (Entity Type). For example the entity type is light and the instances are light 1 and light 2.

  • Attributes
    • String uuid
      • The UUID of the Entity
    • String type_uuid
      • The UUID of the EntityType
    • [Nur C++] EntityType type
      • The EntityType object
    • String name
      • The name of the Entity for use in the UI or rendering the entity in the 3D world
      • Optional
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute>/Node attributes
      • The attributes of the Entity
  • Methods (Nur C++)
    • String getUuid()
      • Returns the UUID of the Entity
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute>/Node getAttributes()
      • Returns the attributes of the Entity
    • EntityType getType()
      • Returns the EntityType
    • String getTypeUuid()
      • Returns the UUID of the EntityType
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute>/Node getTypeAttributes()
      • Returns the Attributes of the EntityType
  • Inexor Tree
    • Path to a Entity Node
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/entities/entity_uuid
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9
    • Name of an Entity
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/entities/entity_uuid/name
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/name
    • Attributes of an Entity
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/entities/entity_uuid/attributes/attribute_name
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/x
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/y
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/z
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/r
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/g
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/b
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/yaw
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/pitch
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9/attributes/intensity

EntityType

The type of an entity defines the properties all instances have in common. Therefore you can define attributes on entity type level. Also specialized renderers are responsible for rendering entities of an certain entity type. Also there may be specialized entity emitters or entity modifiers, which spawns new or modifies existing entities of an certain entity type.

  • Attributes
    • String uuid
      • The UUID of the EntityType
    • String name
      • The name of the EntityType
    • Map<String, EntityAttribute>/Node attributes
      • The attributes of the EntityType
    • (Nur C++) List<Entity> entities
      • The instances (all Entities of this type)
  • Methods (C++)
    • List<Entity> getEntities()
      • Returns all entities of this type
  • Inexor Tree
    • Path to an entity type
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light
    • Name of an EntityType
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/name
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/name
    • Attributes of an EntityType
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/name
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/attributes/x
    • Entities of type EntityType
      • /instances/instance_id/entity/types/entity_type_name/entities/entity_uuid
      • Example
        • /instances/31415/entity/types/light/entities/ab39-39c9

EntityAttribute

  • Each Entity contains 0..n named attributes
    • It's possible to get the value of an attribute by the name of attribute
    • Each attribute has a data type
    • The data type is variable
  • NodeJS:
    • Ein Entity-Node enthält einen Kind-Node namens attributes
    • Die Kind-Nodes von attributes sind die eigentlichen Attribute
    • Node Objekte stellen bereits transparente getter und setter bereit
    • Node Objekte besitzen bereits eine Datentypbehandlung
  • C++:
    • In C++ müssen die Attribute in einer Map mit dem Namen als Key und einem Objekt vom Typ EntityAttribute als Wert gesammelt werden
    • EntityAttribute ist eine eigene Klasse, die den Datentyp und den typisierten Wert beinhaltet (boost::any)
    • getter und setter sollen transparent sein

API / Service Layer

In order to access entities in Inexor Flex we just use the Inexor Tree API. The API below simplifies and unitizes the usage and though. In theory everything can be done with the Inexor Tree API but is more complicated.

In contrast to Inexor Flex you have to use the Entity System API in Inexor Core! Entity and EntityType are fully implemented C++-Classes. Whereas Inexor Flex uses Inexor Tree Nodes in Inexor Core you have to use instances of Entity and EntityType.

Entity Manager

All management of entities is done by the EntityManager (CRUD + Inexor Tree). The entity manager simplifies the access to entities.

  • Entity/Node get(uuid)
    • Liefert das Objekt zurück
  • List<Entity/Node> getAll(type_uuid)
    • Gibt alle Entities vom angegebenen Typ zurück
  • List<Entity/Node> getAll(EntityType/Node)
    • Gibt alle Entities vom angegebenen Typ zurück
  • EntityType/Node getType(uuid)
    • Gibt den EntityType für das angegebene Entity zurück
  • EntityType/Node getType(Entity/Node)
    • Gibt den EntityType für das angegebene Entity zurück
  • void remove(uuid)
    • Löscht das Entity mit der angegebenen uuid
  • void remove(Entity/Node)
    • Löscht das Entity
  • void removeAll(type_uuid)
    • Löscht alle Entities vom angegebenen Typ
  • void removeAll(EntityType/Node)
    • Löscht alle Entities vom angegebenen Typ
  • Entity/Node create(type_uuid)
    • Erzeugt ein neues Entity mit dem angegebenen EntityType und gibt das Objekt zurück
  • Entity/Node create(type_uuid, publish)
    • Erzeugt ein neues Entity mit dem angegebenen EntityType und gibt das Objekt zurück. Macht das Entity über den InexorTree verfügbar, wenn publish = true
  • Entity/Node create(EntityType/Node)
    • Erzeugt ein neues Entity mit dem angegebenen EntityType und gibt das Objekt zurück
  • Entity/Node create(EntityType/Node, publish)
    • Erzeugt ein neues Entity mit dem angegebenen EntityType und gibt das Objekt zurück. Macht das Entity über den InexorTree verfügbar, wenn publish = true
  • void publish(uuid)
    • Macht das Entity und seine Attribute über den InexorTree verfügbar
  • void publish(Entity/Node)
    • Macht das Entity und seine Attribute über den InexorTree verfügbar
  • void unpublish(uuid)
    • Removes an Entity from InexorTree
  • void unpublish(Entity/Node)
    • Removes an Entity from InexorTree

EntityTypeManager

All management of entity types is done by the EntityTypeManager.

  • EntityType/Node get(uuid)
  • EntityType/Node create(name, attributes)
  • void remove(uuid)
  • void remove (EntityType/Node)
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