Function
What are functions
A function is the purpose of a type of building. The term function comes from urban planning jargon, when dealing with zoning plans.
How do functions relate to the Tygron Platform
Functions are the blueprints of Constructions in the 3D world. They describe the purpose and properties of Constructions. A Function also defines which 3D model is placed in the 3D world. A Function is effectively a "type of Construction".
The properties associated with a Function are known as Function Values
Each Construction in a Project has a Function defining what kind of Construction it is. Constructions with the same Function may have different locations, different heights, and different owners. But Constructions with the same Function will have the same set of properties defining their economic, environmental, and spatial effect.
Additionally, Functions can also be used as definitions for actions. When a Function is used as an Action, the Action will be the creation of a new Construction, the Function of which is the Function which is used as Action. Some properties of the Function, such as the minimum, maximum, and default amount of floors, also affect how a Stakeholder can enact their action.
The Tygron Platform contains several hundred Functions.
Function values
- Main article: Function Value
Functions are composed of a collection of properties called Function Values. These form the actual numeric definitions which are applied on a Construction which is set to be of a certain Function. In principle, when such a value of a Construction is required for a calculation, the value set in the Function is used.
A complete list of all available Function Values can be found on the Function Values page.
Overwrites
Function Values can be defined on several levels. Primarily, they can be defined on Functions. The Function Values of Functions can be overwritten by Function Values window. Additionally, a Function can be duplicated, and that new Function will effectively have the same values of the original Function. Lastly, regardless of the Function a Construction has, it can have its own Function Values as well. This means the used Function Values is determined as follows:
- If a Construction has their own Function Value set, that value is used.
- Otherwise, if the Construction's Function has an explicit Function Value defined, that value is used.
- Otherwise, if that Function was created by duplicating another Function, that Function's value is used. This step is repeated until either a value is found, or the original Function (from which all the others are derived) is found.
- The original Function always has a valid Function Value
Function Categories
Functions are divided into Function Categories. Where a Function itself may be "Old Warehouses", such a Function may belong to a Function Category "Industry". This categorization helps when trying to select a specific Function among the full collection of Functions. It also makes it easier to query Constructions in a Project but filtering on the purposes of the Construction. Rather than creating individual queries for each Function which matches a broad usage for Constructions, a single query for a Function Category can be used.
Functions are always part of at least one Category, but can also be part of multiple functions. An example is a Function for a Construction with shops at a bottom floor, but residences on floors above it. Or flats which contain a mix of both social and luxury housing. In these cases, the Function's Categories each have a respective weight. The Construction will be considered wholly of the specified Function, but the Construction will be considered "divided up" between the Categories when querying, for example, their floor size.
Categories:
Currently the Tygron Platform distinguishes the following Function Categories:
| Category | TQL Term | Combinable | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable housing | SOCIAL | yes | |
| Agriculture | AGRICULTURE | ||
| Bridge | BRIDGE | ||
| Education | EDUCATION | yes | |
| Gardens | GARDEN | ||
| Healthcare | HEALTHCARE | yes | |
| Industry | INDUSTRY | yes | |
| Intersection | INTERSECTION | ||
| Leisure | LEISURE | ||
| Market housing | NORMAL | yes | |
| Nature | NATURE | ||
| Offices | OFFICES | yes | |
| Other | OTHER | ||
| Parks | PARK | ||
| Roads | ROAD | ||
| Senior housing | SENIOR | yes | |
| Shops and restaurants | SHOPPING | yes | |
| Squares | PAVED_AREA | ||
| Student housing | STUDENT | yes | |
| Top market housing | LUXE | yes | |
| Underground | UNDERGROUND |
Regions
To further help with finding the appropriate Function, they are also divided into regions. Based on the location of the Project, the region for the Project is set automatically. Some Functions are only available in certain regions. This is based on what region of the world the Function would be most appropriate for.
When selecting a Function, it is possible to change the region of the Project to gain access to the Functions of other regions. It is possible to Mix Functions of various regions freely.
Regions:
Currently the Tygron Platform distinguishes the following regions:
- Africa
- Asia
- North America
- Northwestern Europe
- Other