# Simulator Test Board input in the Unity Editor without hardware. ## Overview The Board Input Simulator replicates Piece and finger interactions inside Unity. Place, move, touch, lift, and rotate virtual Pieces using mouse and keyboard. The simulator generates the same input events as real hardware, enabling rapid iteration without deploying to a device. ## Opening the Simulator Open the simulator from Unity’s menu bar: **Board > Input > Simulator** The simulator window displays a palette of icons representing fingers and Pieces. ## Enabling Simulation Toggle the **Enable Simulation** button in the simulator toolbar. You can enable simulation before or during Play mode. When enabled, clicking icons in the palette and interacting in the Game view generates [`BoardInput`](https://docs.dev.board.fun/unity/api/BoardInput) events via [`BoardInput.GetActiveContacts()`](https://docs.dev.board.fun/unity/api/BoardInput.GetActiveContacts). ## Simulator Toolbar | Button | Function | |---------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | **Enable Simulation** | Toggle simulation on/off | | **Trash** | Clear the selected icon slot (doesn’t delete the asset) | | **Reset** | Reset the icon palette to defaults | | **Clear** | Remove all simulated contacts from the scene| | **Settings** | Open simulator settings | ## Placing Contacts ### Select an Icon Click an icon in the simulator palette. The icon represents either a finger or a specific Piece. Selecting an icon puts you in **Placement Mode**. ### Place the Contact In Placement Mode, a preview of the icon follows your mouse in the Game view. Click anywhere in the Game view to place the contact. Placing generates a `Began` event in the input system. After placing, you exit Placement Mode. Repeat to place additional contacts. You can place up to 1000 contacts simultaneously. ### Cancel Placement To exit Placement Mode without placing: - Click the icon again in the simulator palette - Press **Escape** ## Lifting Contacts To remove a placed contact: 1. Left-click directly on the contact in the Game view 2. This generates an `Ended` event 3. You enter Placement Mode with that contact You can then place it elsewhere or press Escape to discard it. ## Moving Contacts ### Touch and Drag 1. Press and hold the left mouse button on a placed contact 2. The contact visual changes to indicate it’s being touched 3. Drag to move the contact 4. This generates `Moved` events ### Touch State While holding the mouse button on a contact: - The contact’s `isTouched` property becomes `true` - Moving generates position updates - Releasing the mouse returns `isTouched` to `false` ## Rotating Contacts Rotate contacts while placing or moving them: | Control | Action | |---------------------------|----------------------------------| | **Mouse scroll wheel** | Rotate freely | | **Shift + scroll wheel** | Rotate faster | | **+** key | Snap rotate clockwise | | **-** key | Snap rotate counterclockwise | Rotation generates orientation updates in the contact data. ## Adding Custom Icons Create custom icons to represent your game’s Pieces: ### Create an Icon Asset 1. Right-click in the Project window 2. Select **Create > Board > Simulation > Icon** 3. Configure the icon properties ### Icon Properties | Property | Description | |-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Display Name** | Name shown in the simulator palette | | **Contact Type** | `Finger` or `Glyph` | | **Glyph ID** | Which Piece this represents (Glyph type only) | | **Sprite** | The visual for the icon | | **Size** | Render size relative to 1920×1080 | | **Alpha Hit Test Minimum Threshold** | Minimum alpha for click detection (sprite must be Read/Write if > 0) | ### Add to Palette Drag your custom icon onto any slot in the simulator palette. Your palette configuration is saved in `UserSettings/BoardInputSimulationIconPalette.asset`. ## Simulator Settings Access settings via: - The **gear icon** in the simulator toolbar - **Edit > Project Settings > Board > Simulation Settings** ### Input Controls The simulator uses Unity’s Input System for controls. You can customize these by providing a different Input Actions asset. | Control | Default | Description | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | **Touch** | Left mouse button (hold) | Touch a placed contact | | **Place** | Left click | Place a contact | | **Lift** | Left click on contact | Lift a contact | | **Cancel** | Escape | Exit placement mode | | **Snap Rotate CW** | \+ key | Rotate clockwise by fixed amount | | **Snap Rotate CCW** | \- key | Rotate counterclockwise | | **Rotate** | Scroll wheel | Rotate freely | | **Fast Rotate** | Shift + scroll | Rotate quickly | ### Appearance Settings | Setting | Description | |-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | **Icon Outline Color** | Outline color when not touched | | **Icon Outline Thickness** | Outline thickness when not touched | | **Lifted Icon Color** | Color when simulating lifted state | | **Lifted Icon Shadow Color** | Shadow effect color | | **Lifted Icon Shadow Distance** | Shadow offset distance | | **Touched Icon Outline Color** | Outline color when touched | | **Touched Icon Outline Thickness** | Outline thickness when touched | ### Rotation Settings | Setting | Description | |-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | **Snap Rotation Degrees** | Degrees per snap rotation | | **Rotation Speed** | Free rotation speed | | **Fast Rotation Speed Modifier** | Multiplier for fast rotation | ### Reset to Defaults Click **Reset to Defaults** to restore original settings. This doesn’t delete custom Input Actions assets. Settings are saved in `UserSettings/BoardInputSimulationSettings.asset`. ## Workflow Tips ### Testing Without Hardware 1. Enable simulation before entering Play mode 2. Place Pieces where your game expects them 3. Test touch interactions by holding and dragging 4. Verify rotation detection with scroll wheel ### Matching Real Hardware The simulator generates identical [`BoardContact`](https://docs.dev.board.fun/unity/api/BoardContact) events to real hardware. Use it to: - Develop core gameplay before hardware arrives - Iterate quickly on touch interactions - Test edge cases (many contacts, rapid rotations) - Debug contact phase handling ### Simulating Fingers Include finger icons in your palette for testing: - Button presses and UI interaction - Multi-touch gestures - Combined Piece + finger interactions ## Limitations The simulator can’t replicate everything: - **ML model behavior** \- Simulator uses configured glyph IDs directly; it doesn’t run the ML model - **Noise rejection** \- Simulator doesn’t generate false contacts that would be filtered on hardware - **Touch precision** \- Mouse input differs from finger/Piece contact patterns - **Performance** \- Desktop performance doesn’t match device performance Always test on real hardware before release.