View source for Exercise - Building a Complex Component

This exercise shows how to create a traffic cone with a double flashing lamp, using the 'newLED' component.



* Open a new Flowcode flowchart.

* Ensure that the [[System Panel]] is visible. If not use the [[View]] menu.

* The following assumes that you have built, and exported a LED component, as described in [[Exercise - Create a LED component]] and [[Exercise - Exporting the LED component]].
[[File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex1.png|180px|right]]
* Open the 'Outputs' toolbox, where you stored the exported 'newLED' component.

* Locate the 'newLED' component, and use the down-arrow next to it to add it to the [[System Panel]].


* Click on the LED to select it. Change the 'color' property to orange (e.g. 0x0080FF).

* Using the Panel Properties, with the LED still selected, set its 'Position' to X=0, Y=0, Z=10, and its 'Scale' to 'Wi...'=1, 'He...'=1, 'De...'=0.25. 
: The component should resemble the picture opposite, (depending on the 'camera' zoom.)

[[File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex2_01.png|180px|right]]







* Click on the head of the vertical arrow, (green), to rotate the camera to give an 'edge-on' view.

* The LED should still be selected. If not, click on it. Right-click and select the 'Copy' option. Then right-click and select the 'Paste' option. 
: A second identical LED appears. 

* Set its 'Position' co-ordinates to X=0, Y=0, Z=-10, and the 'Rotation' settings to X=0, Y=180, Z=0. 
: The System panel should now resemble the one shown opposite:
[[File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex3_01.png|180px|right]]






* Drag and drop a cube onto the System Panel.

* Select it, and set its 'Position' co-ordinates to X=0, Y=0, Z=0, and 'Scale' to 'Wi...'=32, 'He...'=12, 'De...'=32. 

* Change its 'color' property to mid-grey (e.g. 0x5A5A5A).

: The System Panel looks like:






* Drag across all three shapes and group them by clicking on the 'Group' icon.[[File:Panel_Icon_Group.jpg|30px]]
* Notice that the 'Component Handle' and 'Type' have changed to 'Group'. Rename the 'Handle' as "flasher".

* Click on the head of the vertical arrow, (blue), to rotate the camera back to the 'head-on' view.

* Drag and drop a cone onto System Panel.

* Select it, and set its 'Position' co-ordinates to X=0, Y=-35, Z=0, 'Scale' to 'Wi...'=45, 'He...'=35, 'De...'=80 and 'Rotation' to X=-90, Y=0, Z=0. 

* Change its 'color' to red (e.g. 0x0000C0).

* View it from different 'camera' directions by clicking on the heads of the red, green and blue arrows. It should resemble the picture shown below:
<gallery widths=180px perrow=3 caption="Three views">
File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex4_01.png
File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex5_01.png
File:gen_exerciseBuildComplexComp_complex6_01.png
</gallery>
* Revert to the