URL Image Actor

The URL Image Actor can be used to preload and display images from a URL in 3D space. It supports web links and local resources with the following formats:

• PNG

• JPEG

• BMP

In Editor

1. Add a URL Image Actor from the "Place Actors" list

   

2. Set the NextURL property

   • Example of a local URL (drag and drop an image into web browser and then copy the address):
     file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/file.jpg

   • Example of a web URL:
     https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Oslo%2C_Norway%2C_Jan_2020_00027.jpg

3. Click the Download Next Image function button

   • This preloads the image into a dynamic texture, but won’t display it yet

     

4. Call (via the control panel or the API) the IsNextImageReady function several times to check if the image is ready

   • When testing in Editor you can just make sure that a new downloaded texture appeared

5. Click the Apply Downloaded Image function button

   • The image is being displayed

   • Before triggering this function you might want to consider using scaling options to match your desired behaviour

All parameters and functions can be called remotely via the control panel or the API

Remote Usage

Using the control panel

Add an image source

1. Click on the "Resources" icon in the toolbar to open the Resource library

2. Click on "Upload" button to browse and select an image file

   

3. Double click the empty canvas to open the Widgets toolbox

4. Double click the image widget and click+drag the mouse to draw an image widget

5. Double click the widget and select an image from the Resource library

   

Send the image to the URL Image Actor

1. Select the URL Image Actor in the Engine tab

2. Search for the "Download and Apply Image" function

   

3. Drag it onto the canvas to create a trigger button

4. Add the URL of the image as argument of the Download and Apply Image function

   

   

Any image web URL can be used. Depending on the size, the time to load the image might vary.

Here’s a URL-only example call via Pixotope Gateway (targeting an actor called URLImageActor_0):

http://localhost:16208/gateway/2.3.0/publish?Type=Call&Target=~LOCAL~-Engine&Method=CallFunction&ParamObjectSearch=URLImageActor_0&ParamFunctionName=DownloadAndApplyImage&ParamFunctionArguments=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Oslo%2C_Norway%2C_Jan_2020_00027.jpg

Learn more about How to use Pixotope Gateway

URL Image Actor example control panel

1. Download zip file

2. Unpack it into your project and click "Rescan folders" in the Launch panel

URL Image Actor Example.zip

Using Blueprints

All of the above-mentioned functions and properties are also exposed to Blueprints and can be controlled this way.

Here is a simple test example that downloads and displays an image when user clicks button J on the keyboard:

Solving Color Issues

Depending on your virtual lights, post process, and the loaded image itself, the resulting colors might not be what you expect.

This can be adjusted by using a custom material for you URL Image Plane. This way you can design any adjustments and rendering qualities you like.