Picking, gizmos and XR

• Picking (babylon.pick, babylon.ray): shoot a ray into the scene, from the pointer or from any point in any direction, and learn the first mesh it hits, where and at what distance. It is how a click selects a part.
• Gizmos (babylon.gizmo): the handles a person drags to move, rotate and scale an object, singly or all together through a gizmo manager, with their own events for when a drag starts, moves and ends.
• XR (babylon.webXr): enter virtual or augmented reality from the browser, with controllers, teleportation and hit tests against the real world.

To react to the pointer, set a function with babylon.scene.onPointerDown, onPointerMove or onPointerUp, and pick inside it.

Every function

Picking

Function	What it does
getBU	Reads the first barycentric coordinate of the hit inside its triangle, the weight of the triangle's second vertex, used to work out texture coordinates.
getBV	Reads the second barycentric coordinate of the hit inside its triangle, the weight of the triangle's third vertex, used to work out texture coordinates.
getDistance	Reads how far along the ray the hit was, in scene units; meaningful only when hit is true.
getPickedMesh	Reads the mesh a pick hit; meaningful only when hit is true.
getPickedPoint	Reads the point in the scene where a pick hit the mesh; meaningful only when hit is true.
getPickedSprite	Reads the sprite a pick hit, when sprites rather than meshes were picked.
getSubMeshFaceId	Reads the index of the triangle that was hit within its sub-mesh.
getSubMeshId	Reads the index of the sub-mesh that was hit, for meshes split into several material sections.
hit	Tells whether a pick hit anything at all; check it before reading the mesh, point or distance.
pickWithPickingRay	Shoots a ray from the active camera through the pointer's current position and reports the first pickable mesh it hits, the way a click selects.
pickWithRay	Shoots a ray into the scene and reports the first pickable mesh it hits, with the hit point and distance; read the parts with the other methods here.

Rays

Function	What it does
createPickingRay	Builds a ray from the active camera through the pointer's current position on the canvas, the ray a click would pick with.
createRay	Builds a ray starting at origin and pointing along direction; length limits how far it reaches, and 0 or nothing leaves it unlimited.
createRayFromTo	Builds a ray that starts at from, points toward to and is exactly as long as the distance between them.
getDirection	Reads the direction a ray points in, as a unit vector.
getLength	Reads how far a ray reaches; an unlimited ray reports a very large number.
getOrigin	Reads the point a ray starts from, as a point in the scene.

Gizmos

Function	What it does
axisDragGizmo.getIsEnabled	Reads whether one axis arrow of a position gizmo is shown.
axisDragGizmo.setIsEnabled	Shows or hides one axis arrow of a position gizmo, so the mesh can be locked against moving along that axis.
axisScaleGizmo.getIsEnabled	Reads whether one axis handle of a scale gizmo is shown.
axisScaleGizmo.setIsEnabled	Shows or hides one axis handle of a scale gizmo, so the mesh can be locked against scaling along that axis.
base.getScaleRatio	Reads how large a gizmo's handles are drawn relative to the default size.
base.scaleRatio	Sets how large a gizmo's handles are drawn; 1 is the default size and 2 doubles it, whatever the attached mesh's size.
boundingBoxGizmo.createBoundingBoxGizmoObservableSelector	Passes through the name of a bounding box gizmo event as a typed selector for code that subscribes to gizmo events by name.
boundingBoxGizmo.getAxisFactor	Reads the drag sensitivity per axis of a bounding box gizmo.
boundingBoxGizmo.getFixedDragMeshBoundsSize	Reads whether the handles of a bounding box gizmo are sized relative to the mesh bounds.
boundingBoxGizmo.getFixedDragMeshScreenSize	Reads whether the handles of a bounding box gizmo keep a constant screen size.
boundingBoxGizmo.getFixedDragMeshScreenSizeDistanceFactor	Reads the camera distance at which a bounding box gizmo's handles appear at their world size.
boundingBoxGizmo.getIncrementalSnap	Reads whether a bounding box gizmo's scale snapping steps add up rather than multiply.
boundingBoxGizmo.getRotationSnapDistance	Reads the angle step in radians a bounding box gizmo snaps rotation to, 0 meaning smooth rotation.
boundingBoxGizmo.getRotationSphereSize	Reads the size of the rotation handles of a bounding box gizmo.
boundingBoxGizmo.getScaleBoxSize	Reads the size of the scale handles of a bounding box gizmo.
boundingBoxGizmo.getScaleDragSpeed	Reads how fast a bounding box gizmo scales the mesh for a given drag.
boundingBoxGizmo.getScalePivot	Reads the pivot fractions a bounding box gizmo scales around.
boundingBoxGizmo.getScalingSnapDistance	Reads the drag step a bounding box gizmo snaps scaling to, 0 meaning smooth scaling.
boundingBoxGizmo.setAxisFactor	Sets a separate drag sensitivity per axis for a bounding box gizmo, so scaling along one axis can respond faster or slower than the others.
boundingBoxGizmo.setFixedDragMeshBoundsSize	When true, the handles of a bounding box gizmo are sized relative to the bounds of the attached mesh instead of a fixed world size.
boundingBoxGizmo.setFixedDragMeshScreenSize	When true, the rotation spheres and scale boxes of a bounding box gizmo keep the same size on screen whatever the distance to the camera; it takes precedence over fixedDragMeshBoundsSize.
boundingBoxGizmo.setFixedDragMeshScreenSizeDistanceFactor	Sets the camera distance at which a bounding box gizmo's handles appear at their world size when fixedDragMeshScreenSize is on; the default is 10.
boundingBoxGizmo.setIncrementalSnap	Chooses how a bounding box gizmo's scale snapping steps combine: incremental steps add up, 1.1 then 1.2 then 1.3 for a step of 0.1, while the default multiplies, 1.1 then 1.21 then 1.33.
boundingBoxGizmo.setRotationSnapDistance	Makes a bounding box gizmo rotate the mesh in steps of rotationSnapDistance radians instead of smoothly; 0 turns snapping off.
boundingBoxGizmo.setRotationSphereSize	Sets the size of the round rotation handles on a bounding box gizmo's edges.
boundingBoxGizmo.setScaleBoxSize	Sets the size of the square scale handles on a bounding box gizmo's corners.
boundingBoxGizmo.setScaleDragSpeed	Sets how fast a bounding box gizmo scales the mesh for a given drag; 1 is the default.
boundingBoxGizmo.setScalePivot	Sets the point a bounding box gizmo scales the mesh around, as fractions of its bounds: [0.5, 0.5, 0.5] is the center and [0.5, 0, 0.5] the bottom; by default it scales from the opposite corner.
boundingBoxGizmo.setScalingSnapDistance	Makes a bounding box gizmo scale the mesh in steps of scalingSnapDistance scene units of drag instead of smoothly; 0 turns snapping off.
manager.attachToMesh	Shows the manager's enabled gizmos on a mesh so the user can manipulate it; any mesh attached before is released.
manager.createGizmoManager	Creates a gizmo manager with the chosen gizmos enabled: position arrows, rotation rings, scale handles and a bounding box.
manager.detachMesh	Hides the manager's gizmos by releasing the mesh they were attached to.
manager.getBoundingBoxGizmo	Reads the bounding box gizmo of a manager, the frame with corner handles for scaling and rotating, for tuning its handles and snapping; it exists only when bounding box gizmos are enabled.
manager.getPositionGizmo	Reads the position gizmo of a manager, the arrows that drag the mesh along an axis, for tuning its snapping and planes; it exists only when position gizmos are enabled.
manager.getRotationGizmo	Reads the rotation gizmo of a manager, the rings that turn the mesh around an axis, for tuning its snapping and sensitivity; it exists only when rotation gizmos are enabled.
manager.getScaleGizmo	Reads the scale gizmo of a manager, the handles that stretch the mesh along an axis, for tuning its snapping and sensitivity; it exists only when scale gizmos are enabled.
planeDragGizmo.getIsEnabled	Reads whether one plane handle of a position gizmo is shown.
planeDragGizmo.setIsEnabled	Shows or hides one plane handle of a position gizmo, so the mesh can be locked against sliding in that plane.
planeRotationGizmo.getIsEnabled	Reads whether one ring of a rotation gizmo is shown.
planeRotationGizmo.setIsEnabled	Shows or hides one ring of a rotation gizmo, so the mesh can be locked against turning around that axis.
positionGizmo.createPositionGizmoObservableSelector	Passes through the name of a position gizmo event, drag start, drag or drag end, as a typed selector for code that subscribes to gizmo events by name.
positionGizmo.getAttachedMesh	Reads the mesh a position gizmo is currently attached to.
positionGizmo.getAttachedNode	Reads the node a position gizmo is currently attached to, which may be a transform node rather than a mesh.
positionGizmo.getIsDragging	Tells whether the user is dragging a position gizmo right now.
positionGizmo.getPlanarGizmoEnabled	Reads whether a position gizmo shows its plane handles.
positionGizmo.getSnapDistance	Reads the step size a position gizmo snaps to, 0 meaning smooth movement.
positionGizmo.getXGizmo	Reads the arrow of a position gizmo that drags along X, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.getXPlaneGizmo	Reads the handle of a position gizmo that drags within the plane facing X, the YZ plane, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.getYGizmo	Reads the arrow of a position gizmo that drags along Y, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.getYPlaneGizmo	Reads the handle of a position gizmo that drags within the plane facing Y, the XZ plane, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.getZGizmo	Reads the arrow of a position gizmo that drags along Z, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.getZPlaneGizmo	Reads the handle of a position gizmo that drags within the plane facing Z, the XY plane, to enable or disable it on its own.
positionGizmo.planarGizmoEnabled	Shows or hides the square handles of a position gizmo that drag the mesh within the XY, YZ and XZ planes, in addition to the axis arrows.
positionGizmo.snapDistance	Makes a position gizmo move the mesh in steps of snapDistance scene units instead of smoothly; 0 turns snapping off.
rotationGizmo.createRotationGizmoObservableSelector	Passes through the name of a rotation gizmo event, drag start, drag or drag end, as a typed selector for code that subscribes to gizmo events by name.
rotationGizmo.getAttachedMesh	Reads the mesh a rotation gizmo is currently attached to, or null when none is.
rotationGizmo.getAttachedNode	Reads the node a rotation gizmo is currently attached to, which may be a transform node rather than a mesh.
rotationGizmo.getSensitivity	Reads how far a rotation gizmo turns the mesh for a given drag.
rotationGizmo.getSnapDistance	Reads the angle step in radians a rotation gizmo snaps to, 0 meaning smooth rotation.
rotationGizmo.getXGizmo	Reads the ring of a rotation gizmo that turns around X, to enable or disable it on its own.
rotationGizmo.getYGizmo	Reads the ring of a rotation gizmo that turns around Y, to enable or disable it on its own.
rotationGizmo.getZGizmo	Reads the ring of a rotation gizmo that turns around Z, to enable or disable it on its own.
rotationGizmo.sensitivity	Sets how far a rotation gizmo turns the mesh for a given drag; 1 is the default and higher values turn it faster.
rotationGizmo.snapDistance	Makes a rotation gizmo turn the mesh in steps of snapDistance radians instead of smoothly; 0 turns snapping off.
scaleGizmo.createScaleGizmoObservableSelector	Passes through the name of a scale gizmo event, drag start, drag or drag end, as a typed selector for code that subscribes to gizmo events by name.
scaleGizmo.getIncrementalSnap	Reads whether a scale gizmo's snapping steps add up rather than multiply.
scaleGizmo.getSensitivity	Reads how much a scale gizmo changes the scale for a given drag.
scaleGizmo.getSnapDistance	Reads the step size a scale gizmo snaps to, 0 meaning smooth scaling.
scaleGizmo.getXGizmo	Reads the handle of a scale gizmo that stretches along X, to enable or disable it on its own.
scaleGizmo.getYGizmo	Reads the handle of a scale gizmo that stretches along Y, to enable or disable it on its own.
scaleGizmo.getZGizmo	Reads the handle of a scale gizmo that stretches along Z, to enable or disable it on its own.
scaleGizmo.sensitivity	Sets how much a scale gizmo changes the scale for a given drag; 1 is the default and higher values scale faster.
scaleGizmo.setIncrementalSnap	Chooses how a scale gizmo's snapping steps combine: incremental steps add up, 1.1 then 1.2 then 1.3 for a step of 0.1, while the default multiplies, 1.1 then 1.21 then 1.33.
scaleGizmo.snapDistance	Makes a scale gizmo change the scale in steps of snapDistance instead of smoothly; 0 turns snapping off.

XR

Function	What it does
simple.createDefaultXRExperienceWithTeleportation	Starts a default WebXR experience in VR with teleportation over the given ground meshes, enough for simple walkthroughs; nothing is given back.
simple.createDefaultXRExperienceWithTeleportationReturn	Starts a default WebXR experience in VR with teleportation over the given ground meshes, as createDefaultXRExperienceWithTeleportation does, and gives back the experience with the near menu, button and text it created plus a dispose function to end it.
simple.createImmersiveARExperience	Starts a default WebXR experience in immersive AR mode, showing the scene over the camera view of the room on a device that supports it.