Highlight Object & Remove Highlight on Object - Altoura Creator Documentation

Overview

The Highlight Object and Remove Highlight on Object actions control visual emphasis effects (glow, outline, or pulse) on 3D objects. Use these to draw the learner’s attention to objects they should interact with, or remove emphasis once the interaction is complete.

Highlight Object

When to Use

Focus attention: draw the learner’s eye to the object they should interact with next
Progression cues: highlight components one at a time as the training progresses
Success feedback: highlight an object after the learner successfully completes a task
Multiple targets: highlight several objects to show available interactive elements
Color-coded guidance: use different colors to indicate different object types or statuses

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
Target Objects	object list	Yes	One or more 3D objects to highlight. Pick them in the parameter panel or with Edit in Scene.
Highlight Color	hex color	No	Color in hex (e.g., `#FF0000` red, `#00FF00` green, `#FFFF00` yellow). Defaults to red.
Intensity	number (0–100)	No	Strength of the effect. Slider in the panel; defaults to 100.
Duration (ms)	number	No	How long the highlight stays on. Leave empty to keep it until removed.
Effect Type	enum	No	Glow (default), Outline, or Pulse.
Wait Until Complete	boolean	No	If checked, the next action waits until this highlight finishes before running.

Key Behavior

Visual effect: Glow, outline, or pulse around each target object.
Immediate: The effect appears as soon as the action runs.
Override previous: If an object is already highlighted, a new Highlight Object replaces the previous color, intensity, and effect.
No collision impact: Highlighting an object doesn’t change its physical properties or interaction boundaries.

Remove Highlight on Object

When to Use

Remove after interaction: stop highlighting once the learner has clicked or engaged with the object
Cleanup: remove emphasis effects when transitioning to a new task
Dynamic guidance: hide highlights as the learner becomes familiar with the interface
Selective deemphasis: stop highlighting one object while highlighting others

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
Target Objects	object list	Yes	One or more objects to remove the highlight from.
Wait Until Complete	boolean	No	If checked, the next action waits until removal finishes before running.

Key Behavior

Selective or batch: You can remove highlight from one object or multiple objects at once.
Safe if not highlighted: Calling Remove Highlight on Object on an object with no highlight has no effect.
Non-destructive: The object remains in the scene and fully functional; only the visual effect is removed.

Practical Examples

Step-by-Step Component Interaction

Scenario: A machine assembly task shows each component highlighted in sequence. As the learner completes each step, the highlight moves to the next component.

State: AssembleStep1

onEntry:
1. Highlight Object: Object: component_a, Highlight Color: #FF6600 (orange)
2. Play Audio: narration about component A

Transition: ComponentAPlaced (triggered when learner interacts with component A)

Action list:
1. Remove Highlight on Object: Target: component_a
2. Highlight Object: Object: component_b, Highlight Color: #FF6600
3. Play Audio: narration about component B
4. Transition to AssembleStep2

Highlights move from component to component, guiding the learner through the assembly sequence.

Color-Coded Object Types

Scenario: A maintenance training highlights different types of objects in different colors: red for damaged items, green for safe items, yellow for warnings.

In a state’s onEntry:

Highlight Object: Object: damaged_bearing, Highlight Color: #FF0000 (red = danger)
Highlight Object: Object: safety_valve, Highlight Color: #00FF00 (green = safe)
Highlight Object: Object: pressure_gauge, Highlight Color: #FFFF00 (yellow = warning)

The color coding immediately communicates the status of each component to the learner.

Highlight on Success

Scenario: When the learner successfully completes a repair, highlight the repaired item as positive feedback.

State RepairAttempt: learner tries to repair a component.

If repair is successful, transition to RepairSuccess with action list:

Highlight Object: Object: repaired_component, Highlight Color: #00FF00 (green = success)
Play Audio: success_chime.mp3
Set Variable repairComplete to true

Visual and audio feedback reinforce the learner’s success.

Progressive Emphasis Removal

Scenario: Early training steps have heavy visual guidance (multiple highlights). As learners progress, highlights are gradually removed.

Beginner level:

Highlight: component_a, component_b, component_c, tool_shelf (4 items highlighted)

Intermediate level (after learner completes first task):

Remove Highlight on Object: [component_a, component_b]
Only highlight component_c and tool_shelf (2 items)

Advanced level (after second task):

Remove Highlight on Object: all remaining highlights
Learners navigate without visual cues.

Guidance fades as learners build confidence and competence.

Use consistent color conventions:

Green for safe, correct, or positive actions
Red for danger, incorrect, or negative actions
Yellow for warnings or caution
Blue for neutral information or alternate paths

This helps learners quickly understand status without reading labels.

Highlights are visual only—they don’t change the object’s physics, collision, or interactivity. An un-highlighted object is still clickable; a highlighted object is not necessarily more interactive.

If you highlight many objects at once (more than 3–4), the screen can become cluttered and confusing. Use highlights strategically to direct attention to the most important next step, not to highlight everything at once.

​Overview