Simulation 3D Message Get

Retrieve data from Unreal Engine visualization environment

Libraries:
Vehicle Dynamics Blockset / Vehicle Scenarios / Sim3D / Sim3D Core
Aerospace Blockset / Animation / Simulation 3D

Description

Note

Simulating models with the Simulation 3D Message Get block requires Simulink^® 3D Animation™.

The Simulation 3D Message Get block retrieves data from the Unreal Engine^® 3D visualization environment. In your model, ensure that the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block is at the same level as the Simulation 3D Message Get block.

Tip

Verify that the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block executes before the Simulation 3D Message Get block. That way, the Unreal Engine 3D visualization environment prepares the data before the Simulation 3D Message Get block receives it. To check the block execution order, right-click the blocks and select Properties. On the General tab, confirm these Priority settings:

Simulation 3D Scene Configuration — 0
Simulation 3D Message Get — 1

For more information about execution order, see Control and Display Execution Order.

Configure Scenes to Send Data

To use the block, you must configure scenes in the Unreal Engine environment to send data to the Simulink model:

Install the Customize 3D Scenes for Vehicle Dynamics Simulations.

In the Unreal^® Editor, follow these general workflows to send data to Simulink. For detailed information, see Get Started Communicating with the Unreal Engine Visualization Environment.

Unreal Engine User	Workflow
Blueprint	Instantiate the `Sim3DSet` actor that corresponds to the data type you want to send to the Simulink model. This example shows the Unreal Editor `Sim3DSet` data types. Specify an actor tag name that matches the Simulation 3D Message Get block Signal name parameter. Navigate to the Level Blueprint. Find the blueprint method for the `Sim3DSet` actor class based on the data type and size specified by the Simulation 3D Message Get block Data type and Message size parameters. For example, in Unreal Editor, this diagram shows that `Write Array Boolean` is the method for the `Sim3DSetBoolean` actor class that sends Boolean data type of array size 30. Compile and save the scene. Note By default, the Double Lane Change scene has a `Sim3DSetBoolean` actor with tag name `NumOfConesHit`.
C++ class	Create a new actor class for the mesh or asset that you want the Simulink model to interact with. Derive it from `ASim3dActor`. In the new actor class: Declare a pointer to the signal name as a class field. Get the class tag. Create a signal writer and assign the pointer in the method `Sim3dSetup`. In the method `Sim3dStep`, invoke the `WriteSimulation3DMessage` function to write the data to the Simulink model. Delete the signal writer in the method `Sim3dRelease` of the actor.

Unreal Engine User

Workflow

Blueprint

Instantiate the Sim3DSet actor that corresponds to the data type you want to send to the Simulink model. This example shows the Unreal Editor Sim3DSet data types.
Specify an actor tag name that matches the Simulation 3D Message Get block Signal name parameter.
Navigate to the Level Blueprint.
Find the blueprint method for the Sim3DSet actor class based on the data type and size specified by the Simulation 3D Message Get block Data type and Message size parameters.
For example, in Unreal Editor, this diagram shows that Write Array Boolean is the method for the Sim3DSetBoolean actor class that sends Boolean data type of array size 30.
Compile and save the scene.

Note

By default, the Double Lane Change scene has a Sim3DSetBoolean actor with tag name NumOfConesHit.

C++ class

Create a new actor class for the mesh or asset that you want the Simulink model to interact with. Derive it from ASim3dActor.
In the new actor class:
- Declare a pointer to the signal name as a class field.
- Get the class tag.
- Create a signal writer and assign the pointer in the method Sim3dSetup.
- In the method Sim3dStep, invoke the WriteSimulation3DMessage function to write the data to the Simulink model.
- Delete the signal writer in the method Sim3dRelease of the actor.

For more information about the Unreal Editor, see the Unreal Engine Documentation.

Examples

Scene Interrogation with Camera and Ray Tracing Reference Application

Interrogate a 3D Unreal Engine scene with a vehicle dynamics model by using a camera and ray tracing reference application project.

Open Script

Ports

Output

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ReadMsg — Data retrieved from scene
`scalar` | `array`

Data retrieved from the 3D visualization environment scene data. In the Unreal Engine environment, you can use the Sim3DSet class to configure scene actors to send data to the Simulink model.

For example, in the Unreal Editor, the Double Lane Change scene has a Sim3DSetBoolean actor with tag name NumOfConesHit. Use it to retrieve the number of cones the vehicle hits during a double-lane change maneuver.

This table provides the Double Lane Change scene cone name that corresponds to the ReadMsg array element.

Simulation 3D Message Get Block `ReadMsg` Value	Unreal Editor Cone Name	Simulation 3D Message Get Block Array Element	Unreal Editor Cone Name
`ReadMsg(1,1)`	`SM_Cone5`	`ReadMsg(2,1)`	`SM_Cone10`
`ReadMsg(1,2)`	`SM_Cone4`	`ReadMsg(2,2)`	`SM_Cone09`
`ReadMsg(1,3)`	`SM_Cone3`	`ReadMsg(2,3)`	`SM_Cone08`
`ReadMsg(1,4)`	`SM_Cone2`	`ReadMsg(2,4)`	`SM_Cone07`
`ReadMsg(1,5)`	`SM_Cone01`	`ReadMsg(2,5)`	`SM_Cone06`
`ReadMsg(1,6)`	`SM_Cone15`	`ReadMsg(2,6)`	`SM_Cone20`
`ReadMsg(1,7)`	`SM_Cone14`	`ReadMsg(2,7)`	`SM_Cone19`
`ReadMsg(1,8)`	`SM_Cone13`	`ReadMsg(2,8)`	`SM_Cone18`
`ReadMsg(1,9)`	`SM_Cone12`	`ReadMsg(2,9)`	`SM_Cone17`
`ReadMsg(1,10)`	`SM_Cone11`	`ReadMsg(2,10)`	`SM_Cone16`
`ReadMsg(1,11)`	`SM_Cone25`	`ReadMsg(2,11)`	`SM_Cone30`
`ReadMsg(1,12)`	`SM_Cone24`	`ReadMsg(2,12)`	`SM_Cone29`
`ReadMsg(1,13)`	`SM_Cone23`	`ReadMsg(2,13)`	`SM_Cone28`
`ReadMsg(1,14)`	`SM_Cone22`	`ReadMsg(2,14)`	`SM_Cone27`
`ReadMsg(1,15)`	`SM_Cone21`	`ReadMsg(2,15)`	`SM_Cone26`

Parameters

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Signal name, SigName — Message signal name
`mySignal` (default)

Specifies the signal name in the 3D visualization environment. In the Unreal Engine environment, use the Sim3DSet actor class 'Tags' property located in the 'Details' pane.

For example, you can retrieve data from the double-lane change scene that indicates if cones are hit during a double-lane change maneuver. To retrieve cone hit data from the double-lane change scene, set this parameter to NumOfConesHit. In the double-lane change scene, the Sim3DSet actor class 'Tags' property is set to NumOfConesHit.

Data type, DataType — Message data type
`double`* | `single` | `int8`* | `uint8`* | `int16`* | `uint16`* | `int32` | `uint32`* | `boolean`

3D visualization environment signal data type. The supported data types depend on the Unreal Engine workflow.

Workflow	Supported Data Types
Blueprint	`single` `int32` `Boolean`
*C++ class	`double` `single` `int8` `uint8` `int16` `uint16` `int32` `uint32` `Boolean`

Workflow

Supported Data Types

Blueprint

single

int32

Boolean

*C++ class

double

single

int8

uint8

int16

uint16

int32

uint32

Boolean

In the Unreal Engine environment, instantiate the Sim3DSet actor class for the data type that you want to send to the Simulink model. For example, you can retrieve data from the double-lane change scene that indicates if cones are hit during a double-lane change maneuver. To retrieve cone hit data from the double-lane change scene, set this parameter to boolean. In the double-lane change scene, the Sim3DSetBoolean actor class is instantiated to send the cone hit or miss boolean data.

Message size, MsgSize — Message dimension
`[1 1]` (default) | `scalar` | `array`

3D visualization environment signal dimension. In the Unreal Engine environment blueprint, set the input to the node of the Sim3DSet actor class to specify the dimensions of data that you want to send to the Simulink model.

For example, you can retrieve data from the double-lane change scene that indicates if cones are hit during a double-lane change maneuver. To retrieve cone hit data from the double-lane change scene, set this parameter to [2 15]. In the double-lane change scene, the input to the blueprint node for the Sim3DSetBoolean actor class is set to 30, the number of cones in the scene.

Sample time — Sample time
`0.02` (default) | `-1` | `scalar`

Sample time, in s. The graphics frame rate is the inverse of the sample time. If you set the sample time to -1, the block uses the sample time specified in the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration block.

Version History

Introduced in R2019b

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R2024a: Requires Simulink 3D Animation

Simulating models with the Simulation 3D Message Get block requires Simulink 3D Animation.

Simulation 3D Message Get