Getting Started

This page describes the main steps required to get up and running with VixML.

System Requirements

• Macintosh running Leopard (10.5) or later
• Windows (XP preferred) with OpenGL hardware-acceleration capable graphics card and drivers.

Download the VixML Software and Tools

Here is the latest version of the VixML SDK (updated March 31st):

• VixML SDK 1.0b2 for Mac OS X
• VixML SDK 1.0b2 for Windows (Windows SDK release notes)

The SDK contains the following:

• Desktop vxEngine: this is the tool that runs on your desktop that you'll use to design, build and preview your content.
• VixML Samples: contains sample VixML file and assets
• VixML TextMate plugin: set of macros to assist with writing VixML

Note: in order to preview your content on the iPhone, you'll need an individually provisioned version of the iPhone vxEngine. See submission for more details on receiving a copy.

Interested in the differences between vxEngine 1.0b1 and v1.0b2? Check out the B2 release notes?.

Download a Text Editor

We recommend using TextMate (available from www.macromates.com).

The TextMate text editor is optional. Though any text editor will work, Viximo recommends TextMate with the VixML plugin, which includes macros that greatly simplify the content creation process. Throughout this documentation, when a Text Editor is referenced, we'll assume that you're using TextMate.

The VixML TextMate Bundle included in the SDK contains a set of macros that enable quick and easy creation of VixML tags through the use of simple keyboard shortcuts.

To install the bundle, you'll need to preform the following steps:

1. Create a directory for TextMate bundles if one does not already exist. The bundles directory should be located under your home directory at "Library/Application Support/TextMate/Bundles".
2. Copy the VixML.tmbundle file into the Bundles directory.
3. If TextMate is running, select Bundles > Bundle Editor > Reload Bundles.

Verify Your Installation

The best way to ensure that you've downloaded the SDK & configured TextMate correctly is to run some sample code.

Verifying the VxEngine

To do this, you'll need to run the VxEngine that is included in the SDK. The VxEngine desktop application is a Mac OS X application that interprets and executes VixML code. It is used for testing and previewing VixML code during development, before deploying to the iPhone. Run the sample Bell code by:

1. launch the VxEngine application (double click)
2. click on "Open" and select the "index.xml" file located in the "Sample" >> "01 Bell" of your downloaded VixML Bundle.

You should see:

Clicking on the "Shake" button at the bottom should cause the image of the bell to rotate back and forth and play a sound.

Verifying TextMate macros

The TextMate macros included in the VixML SDK bundle allow you to easily create VixML markup tags such as a sprite or a controller through the use of the shortcut keys.
To use the macros, open up a blank document within the TextMate application. At the bottom of the new window should exist a toolbar that enable you to change the language format of the file you are editing.

Click on the "language" toolbar and change the language to VixML.

You can now easily create VixML tags with default attributes by typing the name of the object (e.g. group, trigger, controller, sprite, etc...) followed by the Tab key.
Test this by creating a scene and typing scene[tab]. It should then layout an entire scene for you:

Get Started Building VixML Content!

After you're up and running with the VixML simulator and have run the sample content, you're ready to dive into VixML content development. Open up the index.xml file for a piece of sample content to see how the content is built in VixML. Then:

• read the Building A Scene for an introduction to the concepts used in VixML content development
• refer to the VixML Reference Guide for detailed reference of VixML

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