Subsymbol Overview

Subsymbols are reusable ZapWorks Studio components and can be used to define functionality that is to be used more than once. A subsymbol can also be used to separate and abstract functionality away from the main root symbol.

A root symbol is created when a new project is created in ZapWorks Studio. This is denoted by the colored rectangle in the top middle of the window with the name of the project.

Any further symbols created from within a symbol are known as subsymbols, they are symbols within symbols.

Subsymbol Use

Subsymbols can be exported for sharing or use in other projects. Symbols are exported as .zpp files, and can be imported by dragging a .zpp file into the Symbol Definitions panel of ZapWorks Studio.

Subsymbols can themselves contain subsymbols. In fact even a ZapWorks Studio project itself is a symbol that can be exported and imported into other projects. For more information on importing and exporting see - Importing and Exporting.

Defining A New Subsymbol

Defining a new subsymbol is done by clicking on the plus icon of the Symbol Definitions section of ZapWorks Studio. From there a name must be entered and a template selected. The two primary templates will be explained further in the following pages but here's a brief description of both:

Blank Symbol
These are great for building small components that you'll reuse multiple times in the parent symbol or share between projects. An example might be a flower symbol (built from multiple planes) that is used several times in a garden scene. By default the Hierarchy in Blank Symbols is relative to the place that they are dragged to in the Hierarchy of the parent symbol.
Screen Symbol
These are used to build complete, self-contained areas or screens of an experience. A high score table, for example, or an instruction dialog, may be built as a screen symbol that's constructed and displayed to the user when they tap on an icon in the parent symbol. The root node inside Screen Symbols is relative to Z.screen by default (rather than their position in the parent symbol's Hierarchy as with Blank Symbols).

From the Symbol Definitions area it is also possible to import subsymbols that have been previously exported by dragging them into the defined area.

Next Steps

The next article will discuss creating a blank symbol, the simplest template to choose from when creating a new subsymbol.

Next Article: Blank Symbol

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