Working with Parameters
Different types of parameters have their unique way of interacting with them.
Parameters define configurable values that control the behavior of objects and systems within a Grid Studio project.
They are used throughout the application and can represent many different types of data such as numbers, states, coordinates, or configuration values.
Parameters are typically edited through the Inspector, but they can also be accessed and modified by systems such as Workflows, Modifiers, and Scripts.
Grid Studio provides several different ways to interact with parameters, allowing both precise manual input and automated control.
Editing Parameter Values
Parameter values can be edited using several interaction methods depending on the situation and the level of precision required.
Some methods focus on precise input, while others allow quick adjustments during configuration or live operation.
The following sections describe the different ways parameters can be modified.
Values can be entered directly into the parameter input field.
The input system supports additional features such as unit conversion and mathematical expressions, allowing users to quickly perform calculations or convert units while entering values.
Many parameters provide interactive controls such as arrow buttons or sliders.
These controls allow users to quickly adjust values without manually typing them.
Modifier keys can also be used to change how values are adjusted, for example by enabling finer or larger adjustments or temporarily overriding slider limits.
Clicking on the parameter name opens a dedicated adjustment dialog.
This dialog provides additional controls for modifying values and allows users to continuously adjust a value using keyboard input.
Parameters can also be adjusted using mouse-based interactions.
For example, users can drag values directly or use the mouse wheel to increment or decrement numeric parameters.
These methods are especially useful for quickly tuning values.
Parameter Settings
Parameters provide additional configuration options that control how values behave and how they can be edited.
These settings can be accessed by right-clicking a parameter and selecting Parameter Settings from the context menu.
The parameter settings dialog allows users to define constraints and editing behavior for the parameter.
Range
The Range defines the global minimum and maximum value of the parameter.
This range acts as a hard limit and cannot be exceeded by any system.
This means the defined range applies to all ways of modifying the parameter.
No system can set a value outside of the defined parameter range.
Slider Range
The Slider Range defines the range used by the UI slider.
Unlike the global parameter range, this setting only affects the user interface.
The slider range allows the UI to focus on a practical editing range while the parameter itself may support a much larger range internally.
Step Size
The Step Size defines the base increment used when adjusting the parameter.
Modifier keys can still scale this base step during editing.
Decimal Points
The Decimal Points setting defines how many decimal places are displayed for the parameter value.
This affects how the value is shown in the user interface but does not change the internal precision of the parameter.
Special Parameter Types
Some parameters provide special interaction behavior or additional functionality that differs from standard parameter inputs.
The following sections describe some commonly used special parameter types.
Target parameters allow users to reference other objects or elements within the project.
Instead of entering a simple value, the parameter stores a reference to another object.
This makes it possible to connect systems together by selecting the target object directly from the project.
Target parameters are commonly used when an object needs to interact with another object, such as referencing devices, connections, or other system components.
Some parameters provide dropdown menus that contain predefined values.
In certain cases these dropdowns are editable, allowing users to manually enter custom entries.
Parameters in Systems
Parameters are not limited to manual editing in the Inspector.
They can also be accessed and modified by several systems within Grid Studio, including:
Workflows, which can read or write parameter values as part of automation logic
Modifiers, which process parameter values in real-time node graphs
Scripts, which can read and modify parameters through Python
Maps, which drive parameters from protocols
This makes parameters one of the central mechanisms for controlling behavior across the system.
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