Parametric Command

The Parametric Command Panel

This panels shows up when you call a parametric command. The parametric command window is created in a way that allows all sorts of parameter to be entered. This allows for very advanced usages, but may require some learning in some cases. We will detail here the meaning of each elements.

1. The name of the command and the help of the command next to our favorite MonKey!
2. The names of the parameters to enter: if a parameter as a wrong value, a warning sign will appear next to its name: you will not be able to execute the command before resolving the error. To switch between parameters, you can use TAB or SHIFT+ TAB to go to the next or to the previous parameter
3. The name of the parameter repeated here for UX convenience
4. The type of the parameters (parametric commands only support a set of types by default but you can add yours, see later)
5. The help for the parameter, describing what it does
6. The search field: On the right is the default value until you start to enter a text. If you selected a suggested value in the search right under, the suggested value will show here, and it will be the value used for the parameter. Some parameters only allow a set of correct value, and will get the first value of the suggested ones if you entered a text that is not recognized. If you do not wish to use the currently suggested value, you can press the UP key until no field is selected
7. The suggested values: the values presented here depend on the type of the parameter, and on how the command was configured. Sometimes there will be no suggestions available. To chose one of the suggested values, click on one of the field, or press UP or DOWN arrows to navigates through the values
8. A reminder that you can execute the command without filling the remaining values by pressing CTRL + ENTER. The parameters you did not fill will then take their default values.

Entering A Value

When you are on the panel, you can directly start to type to fill the value for the current parameter you're focused on. If you do not type anything, the default value for the parameter will be used.

Default Value

There isn't always a default value available: if the search field prompts you to enter a value, it means you have to, and cannot leave the field blank.

Suggested Values

When you start to type, some suggested value will show up (they might be present from the start in certain cases).

To select one of the suggested value, hover your mouse over one of the field, or press the UP or DOWN arrow. You will see the value on the left side of the search field update.

This value represents the value that will be taken instead of the text you entered as you selected a suggest one.

To unselect a suggested value, press the UP arrow until no value is highlighted. The value of the text you entered will then be taken.

Forced Suggested Values

In some cases, a suggested value will automatically be selected in case none is. For instance, when the command requires you to enter the name of an asset, it will automatically select the first suggested value from the text you entered, if any.

If you select a suggested value, this one will of course be the one taken into account.

Navigating The Panel

When you are done entering a value for a parameter, press ENTER or TAB to enter the next parameter's value, or execute the command if no parameter is left.

Pressing CTRL+ ENTER at any time will directly execute the command (if possible) by assigning the default value to all the parameters you did not enter.

To navigate between parameters, click on the tab or press TAB or SHIFT+TAB to go to the next or the previous parameter.

Navigating Array Parameters

Some parameters are array parameters: they can accept more than one value (but can as well contain only one value).

The navigation of arrays works exactly the same as parameters: ones you are done editing the current array ID you are on, press ENTER or TAB to confirm it. When you do so, MonKey will automatically create a new temporary ID for the Array: if you start to type a value or select a suggested value, it will be added to the array. If you do not want to add more array values, simply press TAB or ENTER again to go to the next parameter of the command.

Pressing TAB or SHIFT + TAB allows you to edit the next or the previous ID. You can as well click on one of the array IDs shown under the parameter help.

Note: It is currently not possible to remove array values: if you entered a value by mistake, you must press ESCAPE to leave the parametric panel and enter the command's parameter once more.

Execution Error

It may happen that one of the parameter was not recognized by MonKey. In that case, an error icon will show next to the parameter that was not recognized. If you try to execute the command with an error left, MonKey will automatically focus the first parameter with an error.

If the error comes from one of the array members of an array parameter, the array ID with the error will also display an error icon.

Leaving the Parametric Panel

To exit the parametric panel at any time, simply press ESCAPE, or the MonKey Hotkey to put it to sleep if docked, or close the popup.

Parameter Types

There are a lot of parameters type that are accepted by MonKey (see Command Creation for more info).

However, ways to enter the parameters fall in few categories only:

• By name : simply enter some text! Valid for any object name, enum, type, component, and string
• By value: enter your numbers. 0.5 or .5 or 0 are all accepted. (programmers: .5f is not a valid number: floats are converted internally)
• For Vector like types (like Vector2, Vector3, Vector4, Color,...) enter each vector values separated by a comma, like 1,5,1
• For Booleans, true, false, t,f,0 and 1 are accepted

Suggest values may be formatted differently to be better readable: entering one of the suggest values in full letters also works (for instance for a Vector3, typing "one" will be recognized as Vector3.one)