TeeMaker - TeeChart VCL/FMX Samples

Overview

TeeMaker is a powerful 3D object creation and modeling tool included with TeeChart. It allows you to interactively design, build, and export complex 3D objects and scenes that can be integrated into your TeeChart applications. TeeMaker provides a visual editor for creating 3D blocks, shapes, and complete 3D environments. Location: VCL/TeeMaker/ Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMaker.dpr:1

What is TeeMaker?

TeeMaker is a standalone application and component library that provides:

Interactive 3D Editor - Visual WYSIWYG environment for 3D object creation
3D Block System - Modular building blocks for complex objects
OpenGL Rendering - Hardware-accelerated 3D visualization
Export Capabilities - Save and load 3D objects for use in applications
Animation Support - Create animated 3D scenes
Texture Mapping - Apply images to 3D surfaces
GLSL Shaders - Custom shader support for advanced effects

Getting Started

Running TeeMaker

TeeMaker is a standalone executable application: Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMaker.dpr:68

program TeeMaker;

uses
  Forms,
  TeeMakerEditor,
  TeeBlocks,
  TeeMakerControl,
  OpenGL2;

begin
  Application.Initialize;
  Application.Title := 'TeeMaker';
  Application.CreateForm(TMakerEditor1, MakerEditor1);
  Application.Run;
end.

TeeMaker Component

Embed TeeMaker editing capabilities in your applications: Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMakerControl.pas

uses
  TeeMakerControl;

var
  MakerControl: TTeeMakerControl;
begin
  MakerControl := TTeeMakerControl.Create(Self);
  MakerControl.Parent := Panel1;
  MakerControl.Align := alClient;
  
  // Load a 3D object
  MakerControl.LoadFromFile('object.hou');
end;

3D Block System

What are Blocks?

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeBlocks.pas:1 Blocks are the fundamental building units in TeeMaker:

{********************************************}
{ TeeMaker - Basic 3D Blocks                 }
{ Copyright (c) 2002-2026 by Steema Software }
{       All Rights Reserved                  }
{********************************************}
unit TeeBlocks;

Blocks support:

Position and rotation
Texture mapping
Transparency
Animations
Parent-child hierarchies

Available Block Types

TeeMaker includes numerous pre-built block types: Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMaker.dpr:19

uses
  TeeBlocks,          // Base block system
  TeeRain,            // Rain effect block
  TeeStairs,          // Staircase generator
  TeeRevolution,      // Revolution surfaces
  TeeExtruded,        // Extruded shapes
  TeePipe,            // Pipe/tube shapes
  TeeRoundRect,       // Rounded rectangles
  TeeTerrain,         // Terrain generation
  TeeHelix,           // Helix/spiral shapes
  TeeWater,           // Water effects
  TeeMesh,            // Mesh objects
  TeeFacesBlock,      // Face-based modeling
  TeeClipBlock;       // Clipping volumes

Creating Basic Blocks

var
  Block: TCustomBlock;
begin
  Block := TCustomBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Position
  Block.X := 100;
  Block.Y := 200;
  Block.Z := 0;
  
  // Size
  Block.Width := 50;
  Block.Height := 50;
  Block.Depth := 50;
  
  // Appearance
  Block.Color := clRed;
  Block.Transparency := 30;
  
  // Add to scene
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Block);
end;

Advanced Block Types

Revolution Surfaces

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeRevolution.pas Create 3D objects by rotating a 2D profile:

var
  Rev: TRevolutionBlock;
begin
  Rev := TRevolutionBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Define profile points
  Rev.Points.Add(0, 0);
  Rev.Points.Add(10, 20);
  Rev.Points.Add(20, 40);
  Rev.Points.Add(10, 60);
  Rev.Points.Add(0, 80);
  
  // Revolution settings
  Rev.Steps := 32;        // Smoothness
  Rev.Angle := 360;       // Full rotation
  Rev.StartAngle := 0;
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Rev);
end;

Extruded Shapes

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeExtruded.pas Extrude 2D shapes into 3D objects:

var
  Ext: TExtrudedBlock;
begin
  Ext := TExtrudedBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Define 2D shape
  Ext.Shape.MoveTo(0, 0);
  Ext.Shape.LineTo(100, 0);
  Ext.Shape.LineTo(100, 100);
  Ext.Shape.LineTo(0, 100);
  Ext.Shape.ClosePath;
  
  // Extrude depth
  Ext.Depth := 50;
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Ext);
end;

Terrain Generation

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeTerrain.pas Generate 3D terrain from heightmap data:

var
  Terrain: TTerrainBlock;
begin
  Terrain := TTerrainBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Configure terrain
  Terrain.Width := 200;
  Terrain.Height := 200;
  Terrain.GridSize := 50;
  
  // Load heightmap
  Terrain.LoadHeightMapFromFile('heightmap.bmp');
  
  // Texture
  Terrain.Texture.LoadFromFile('grass.jpg');
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Terrain);
end;

Helix/Spiral Shapes

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeHelix.pas

var
  Helix: THelixBlock;
begin
  Helix := THelixBlock.Create(Self);
  
  Helix.Radius := 30;
  Helix.Height := 100;
  Helix.Turns := 5;
  Helix.Steps := 100;
  Helix.TubeRadius := 5;
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Helix);
end;

Textures and Materials

Texture Mapping

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeBlocks.pas:98

type
  TBlockTexture = class(TPersistent)
  private
    FAlpha: Boolean;
    // ...
  end;

// Usage:
var
  Block: TCustomBlock;
begin
  Block := TCustomBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Load texture
  Block.Texture.Picture.LoadFromFile('wood.bmp');
  Block.Texture.Mode := tmStretch;
  Block.Texture.Alpha := True;  // Use alpha channel
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Block);
end;

Available Textures

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/Makers/ directory contains:

Wood.bmp
Marble.bmp
Bricks.bmp
Stone.bmp
Water.bmp
Glass.bmp
Metal textures
And more…

Texture Selector

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeTextureSelector.pas TeeMaker includes a texture browser:

uses
  TeeTextureSelector;

procedure ShowTextureSelector;
var
  Selector: TTextureSelector;
begin
  Selector := TTextureSelector.Create(Self);
  try
    if Selector.Execute then
      Block.Texture.Picture := Selector.SelectedTexture;
  finally
    Selector.Free;
  end;
end;

Animation

Block Animations

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeBlockAnimations.pas

var
  Anim: TBlockAnimation;
begin
  Anim := TBlockAnimation.Create(Block);
  
  // Rotation animation
  Anim.AnimateRotation := True;
  Anim.RotationSpeed.X := 1.0;
  Anim.RotationSpeed.Y := 2.0;
  Anim.RotationSpeed.Z := 0.5;
  
  // Position animation
  Anim.AnimatePosition := True;
  Anim.PositionDelta.Y := 10;  // Move up/down
  
  // Start animation
  Anim.Active := True;
end;

Move Animations

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMoveAnimation.pas

var
  MoveAnim: TMoveAnimation;
begin
  MoveAnim := TMoveAnimation.Create(Block);
  
  // Define path
  MoveAnim.StartPosition := Point3D(0, 0, 0);
  MoveAnim.EndPosition := Point3D(100, 100, 50);
  MoveAnim.Duration := 2000;  // 2 seconds
  MoveAnim.Loop := True;
  
  MoveAnim.Start;
end;

Number Animations

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeNumberAnimation.pas Animate numeric properties:

var
  NumAnim: TNumberAnimation;
begin
  NumAnim := TNumberAnimation.Create(Self);
  
  NumAnim.Target := Block;
  NumAnim.PropertyName := 'Transparency';
  NumAnim.StartValue := 0;
  NumAnim.EndValue := 100;
  NumAnim.Duration := 3000;
  
  NumAnim.Start;
end;

OpenGL Integration

OpenGL Rendering

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMakerMain.pas:27 TeeMaker uses OpenGL for hardware-accelerated rendering:

uses
  TeeMakerEditor,
  TeeProcs,
  TeeDraw3D,
  TeCanvas,
  TeeOpenGL,        // OpenGL support
  TeeMakerControl,
  OpenGL2;          // OpenGL API

GLSL Shaders

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeGLSLShaders.pas Custom shader support: From: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMakerMain.pas:89

procedure TMakerEditor1.BCompileShaderClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  // Compile custom vertex and fragment shaders
  CompileGLSLProgram(
    MemoVertexShader.Text,
    MemoFragmentShader.Text
  );
end;

procedure TMakerEditor1.CBShaderActiveClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  // Enable/disable custom shader
  MakerControl.UseCustomShader := CBShaderActive.Checked;
end;

OpenGL Extensions Viewer

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeMakerMain.pas:41 TeeMaker includes OpenGL extension information:

// TabGLExtensions displays:
// - Available OpenGL extensions
// - OpenGL version info
// - Pixel format details
// - Video memory information

File Format Support

Native Format (.hou)

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/Makers/ contains example .hou files:

house.hou
Office.hou
Chair.hou
Table.hou
Person.hou
Bicycle.hou
And more…

// Save TeeMaker scene
MakerControl.SaveToFile('myobject.hou');

// Load TeeMaker scene
MakerControl.LoadFromFile('myobject.hou');

OBJ Format

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeObjFormat.pas Import/export Wavefront OBJ files:

uses
  TeeObjFormat;

procedure ImportOBJ;
var
  ObjBlock: TObjBlock;
begin
  ObjBlock := TObjBlock.Create(Self);
  ObjBlock.LoadFromFile('model.obj');
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(ObjBlock);
end;

3DS Format

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/Tee3DSFormat.pas Import 3D Studio files:

uses
  Tee3DSFormat;

procedure Import3DS;
var
  Block3DS: T3DSBlock;
begin
  Block3DS := T3DSBlock.Create(Self);
  Block3DS.LoadFromFile('model.3ds');
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Block3DS);
end;

TeeMaker Examples

Expo3D Demonstrations

Location: VCL/TeeMaker/Expo3D/ Contains example scenes:

Light focus.hou
Local_Montilivi.hou
Plastic Chair.hou
Plus texture files for materials

Test Applications

Location: VCL/TeeMaker/TestChart3D/ Test applications demonstrating TeeMaker integration with TeeChart.

Block Gallery

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeBlockGallery.pas Visual gallery of available block types:

uses
  TeeBlockGallery;

procedure ShowBlockGallery;
var
  Gallery: TBlockGallery;
begin
  Gallery := TBlockGallery.Create(Self);
  try
    if Gallery.Execute then
      MakerControl.Blocks.Add(Gallery.SelectedBlock.Clone);
  finally
    Gallery.Free;
  end;
end;

Advanced Features

Kinematics

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeKinematics.pas Inverse kinematics for robotic/skeletal animation:

var
  Kinematics: TKinematics;
begin
  Kinematics := TKinematics.Create(Self);
  
  // Define joint chain
  Kinematics.AddJoint(Joint1);
  Kinematics.AddJoint(Joint2);
  Kinematics.AddJoint(Joint3);
  
  // Set target position
  Kinematics.Target := Point3D(100, 150, 50);
  
  // Solve inverse kinematics
  Kinematics.Solve;
end;

Mesh Subdivision

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeSubdivideMesh.pas Smooth meshes using subdivision:

var
  Mesh: TMeshBlock;
begin
  // Load or create mesh
  Mesh := TMeshBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Subdivide for smoother surface
  Mesh.SubdivisionLevel := 2;  // 0-4
  Mesh.SmoothSubdivision := True;
end;

Camera Control

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeCamera.pas

var
  Camera: TCameraBlock;
begin
  Camera := TCameraBlock.Create(Self);
  
  Camera.Position.X := 100;
  Camera.Position.Y := 100;
  Camera.Position.Z := 200;
  
  Camera.LookAt.X := 0;
  Camera.LookAt.Y := 0;
  Camera.LookAt.Z := 0;
  
  Camera.FieldOfView := 60;
  
  MakerControl.Camera := Camera;
end;

Clipping Volumes

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeClipBlock.pas Create clipping planes to section 3D objects:

var
  Clip: TClipBlock;
begin
  Clip := TClipBlock.Create(Self);
  
  Clip.PlaneNormal := Vector3D(1, 0, 0);  // Clip along X axis
  Clip.PlaneDistance := 50;
  Clip.Enabled := True;
  
  MakerControl.ClippingPlanes.Add(Clip);
end;

Integration with TeeChart

Chart Block

Source: VCL/TeeMaker/TeeChartBlock.pas Embed TeeChart charts as 3D objects:

var
  ChartBlock: TChartBlock;
begin
  ChartBlock := TChartBlock.Create(Self);
  
  // Configure chart
  ChartBlock.Chart.AddSeries(TLineSeries.Create(Self));
  ChartBlock.Chart.Series[0].FillSampleValues;
  
  // Position in 3D space
  ChartBlock.X := 0;
  ChartBlock.Y := 0;
  ChartBlock.Z := 0;
  ChartBlock.Width := 200;
  ChartBlock.Height := 150;
  
  MakerControl.Blocks.Add(ChartBlock);
end;

When to Use TeeMaker

Best Use Cases

3D Data Visualization - Complex 3D charts and graphs
Architectural Visualization - Building and room layouts
Scientific Visualization - Molecular models, terrains
Product Visualization - 3D product presentations
Interactive 3D UI - Custom 3D user interfaces
Educational Applications - 3D geometry teaching tools
Gaming/Simulation - Simple 3D scenes

Not Recommended For

Full 3D game engines (use Unity, Unreal instead)
CAD applications (use specialized CAD tools)
High-polygon photorealistic rendering

Performance Tips

Use OpenGL
```
MakerControl.UseOpenGL := True;
```

Limit Polygon Count

RevolutionBlock.Steps := 16;  // Lower = faster

Optimize Textures

// Use power-of-2 texture sizes: 256x256, 512x512, etc.

Cull Hidden Faces
```
MakerControl.BackFaceCull := True;
```

Use LOD (Level of Detail)

Block.DetailLevel := dlLow;  // For distant objects

Get Started

VCL Samples

FMX Samples

Chart Types

Features

Advanced

​Overview

​What is TeeMaker?

​Getting Started

​Running TeeMaker

​TeeMaker Component

​3D Block System

​What are Blocks?

​Available Block Types

​Creating Basic Blocks

​Advanced Block Types

​Revolution Surfaces

​Extruded Shapes

​Terrain Generation

​Helix/Spiral Shapes

​Textures and Materials

​Texture Mapping

​Available Textures

​Texture Selector

​Animation

​Block Animations

​Move Animations

​Number Animations

​OpenGL Integration

​OpenGL Rendering

​GLSL Shaders

​OpenGL Extensions Viewer

​File Format Support

​Native Format (.hou)

​OBJ Format

​3DS Format

​TeeMaker Examples

​Expo3D Demonstrations

​Test Applications

​Block Gallery

​Advanced Features

​Kinematics

​Mesh Subdivision

​Camera Control

​Clipping Volumes

​Integration with TeeChart

​Chart Block

​When to Use TeeMaker

​Best Use Cases

​Not Recommended For

​Performance Tips

​See Also

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