Scenario
How do Levels relate to the Tygron Platform
For different reasons it is possible to divide a project in two or more levels. Reasons to do so can be (but are not limited to):
- to provide the session participants a learning curve, to get used to interacting with the Tygron Platform
- Create a first level as tutorial where a stakeholder can only perform a limited number of actions and measures. This can even happen in a secluded area of the 3D World, to get acquainted with the interaction with the Tygron Platform, without affecting the outcome of the session as a whole.
- to gradually make the project interaction more complex, to match the issue in real life more closely
- Add more complex actions, measures and indicators to let session participants gradually experience the complexity of the spatial planning issue(s) at hand.
- to jump in time to a future scenario
- Each level can start with an event or measure that reflects future scenarios, such as floodings that only occur once every fifty and every one hundred years, or the sea level rising over time.
- to provide pause moments during a session
- Sessions often take up a whole morning, afternoon or even the whole day. By implementing levels the session flow can be interrupted to incorporate pause moments for reflection and refreshments.
By default, a project in the Tygron Platform always consists of at least one level.
Adding, duplicating and removing Levels in a project
Adding a Level
A level can be added in two ways in the Tygron Platform; through a ribbon drop down option or by selecting the Add button on the bottom of the left panel, after selecting Levels in the ribbon bar.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select Add new Level from the drop down menu
- Or select Add on the bottom of the left panel
Duplicating a Level
When levels are used to add complexity or to provide a tutorial, it can be very convenient to be able to duplicate a previous level. This avoids having to create and assign all previous actions, measures and indicators again for each consecutive level. Instead, only the added complexity needs to be put in the duplicated level.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to be duplicated on the left panel
- Select Duplicate on the bottom of the left panel
Removing a Level from a project
Sometimes an earlier implemented level becomes redundant, or an error has occurred that renders a level useless. In such cases it is possible to remove the level completely.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to be removed on the left panel
- Select Remove on the bottom of the left panel
Changing the properties of a Level
Level
By selecting a level entry on the left panel, the following properties become available on the right panel:
Name
- Main article: Names
- In the Name field a more suitable name can be entered, if desired. Examples of this can be: "Tutorial", "Prologue", etc.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select Level to be renamed from the left panel
- Select Name field on right panel
- Delete the previous name
- Enter new name
- Confirm by pressing the 'Enter' key
Description
- The description field allows for describing the level in the Editor. This is convenient when the level has added complexity. The description will appear on the Level panel of the Admin Interface, providing a short summary of the levels in the project.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select Level to have description added from the left panel
- Select Description field on right panel
- Delete the previous text (if needed)
- Enter new description
- Text is instantly confirmed when typed ('Enter' key adds hard return to text)
Event Bundles
- Main article: Events
An event is something that occurs, on which the application can react. By selecting the Event Bundles option of a level, (a bundle of) Server events can be added to a level, that will trigger as soon as the level starts.
Server Events fired when chosen
- This section manages Server Events that are fired when the level is 'chosen' (= when level is started). Events can be assigned on the right panel to the selected level, after being added with the 'Add Event' button on the bottom of the right panel. Then the desired event can be selected from a list on the bottom panel. The selection can be confirmed with the 'Commit' button, or cancelled with the 'Cancel' button.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select Level to have events added to
- Select Event Bundles from the selected level
- Select 'Add event' on the bottom of the right panel
- Select the newly added event on the right panel
- Select the desired server event from the bottom panel
- Confirm the selection with the 'Commit' button, or use the 'Cancel' button to clear the selection
Measures
- Main article: Measures
Besides events it is also possible to trigger measures (= predefined actions) at the start of a new level. For example; in the first level the stakeholders looked into different spatial alignments of possible solutions, in the second level, one alignment is constructed at the start of the level as such an automated measure, to accommodate further discussions. Prerequisite for this is to have the measure(s) already available, then select the Measures entry on the left panel. The available measures will then show up on the right panel, which can then be assigned to the selected level.
- Ensure predefined measures are available in the project
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to have measures added to
- Select on the left panel the Measures property from the selected level
- Mark the check box of the desired measure from the available entries on the right panel
Stakeholders
- Main article: Stakeholders
Selecting the arrow next to 'Stakeholders' on the left panel opens up the stakeholder section, containing the names of all active stakeholders in the project. Here the stakeholder properties can be set up per level. The following properties can be adjusted:
Provided Budget
- Main article: Budget (Indicator)
- The Provided Budget is the budget increment that happens at the start of the level. This can be the fixed income per stakeholder per period, or a dedicated subsidy flow for a special cause for example. This increment is separate from any income generated during the level from stakeholder actions.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to have the stakeholder budget changed from
- Select on the left panel the Stakeholder from the Stakeholder list of the selected level
- Enter a new budget in the budget field on the right panel
- Confirm by using the 'Enter' key
Start with Cinematic
- Main article: Cinematics
- To introduce the new level with a cinematic, each stakeholder can have a tailor made cinematic triggered at the start of each level to inform about the intricacies of the new level at hand. These cinematics must be created first, before they are available for selection from the drop down menu on the right panel.
- Ensure a proper cinematic is available
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to have the stakeholder cinematic changed from
- Select on the left panel the affected Stakeholder from the Stakeholder list of the selected level
- Select on the right panel the desired cinematic from the drop down menu
- Mark the check box 'Start with Cinematic' to activate the cinematic at the start of the level
Active Action Menus
- Main article: Actions
- It is possible to assign more (or even different) action menus for each consecutive level, for each stakeholder. This is very useful when levels are implemented to build up complexity over the course of a session. Available action menus are present in a list with check boxes. Checking a box adds the action menu to the selected stakeholder for that level.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to have the stakeholder actions changed from
- Select on the left panel the affected Stakeholder from the Stakeholder list of the selected level
- Mark on the right panel the check boxes of the desired action menus
Playable Zones
- Main article: Zones
This section allows for assigning dedicated areas in the 3D world to the selected level. Any non selected area is not playable, which means that any planned action here will not be deployable; the Action brush selection will color red to visualize this. This allows, as example, for the first tutorial level to take place in a small corner of the 3D world that does not have a large impact on the overall progression of the session.
- Select Storyline → Levels
- Select the level to change on the left panel
- Select Playable Neighborhoods
- Mark on the right panel the check boxes the playable zones to be active at the start of the level
Multi Scenario