Key concepts
This page explains the meaning of every main term used in MotioForge Studio. Understanding these concepts makes all other features much more intuitive.
Domain
A Domain is the hardware configuration project that describes an entire animatronic system. It contains the list of communication ports, all connected physical elements, and all animations associated with that machine.
You can have multiple domains (e.g. one per character or installation) and switch between them from the start window.
Port
A Port is a physical connection between the computer and the hardware. In MotioForge Studio ports are mainly serial ports (USB/COM) to which servo motor drivers or other devices are connected.
Each port has a logical name (e.g. "Main port"), a physical address (e.g. COM3) and a communication protocol.
Element
An Element represents a single physical component of the system. There are five element types:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| SERVO_BUS | Digital servo motor controlled via serial bus (e.g. ST3215). Has a unique address on the chain. |
| SERVO_PWM | Analogue servo motor controlled by a direct PWM signal (Arduino pin) or via I2C expander (PCA9685). |
| SWITCH | Digital ON/OFF output: relay, LED, solenoid, fog machine, etc. |
| SOUND | Audio output: plays an audio file in sync with the animation. |
| TRIGGER_BUTTON | Physical button connected to DEIMOS for manual animation activation. Does not generate timeline segments. |
Each element has a unique name, is associated with a port, and has specific parameters (min/max travel for servos, initial state for switches).
Animation
An Animation is a time-sequenced set of commands sent to the elements. Each animation has its own timeline, an activation mode, and can be run once, in a continuous loop, or triggered by an external signal.
A domain can contain dozens of distinct animations that the operator can call up at any time.
Segment
A Segment is the basic building block of an animation. It represents a single command sent to an element in a precise time interval:
- For a servo: "go to position X at speed V from time T0 to time T1".
- For a switch: "activate/deactivate the digital output at time T0".
- For an audio element: "play file F from time T0 at volume V".
Segments are drawn on the timeline by dragging the mouse. Each horizontal track corresponds to an element.
Playback
Playback is the real-time reproduction of the animation. During playback MotioForge Studio continuously calculates the position of the time cursor and sends commands to physical devices through the open ports.
Execution range
The Range is the time interval that is executed during playback. It is shown on the timeline as a coloured area with two markers (start and end). You can run the entire animation or just a portion of it.