Branch length in OnyxTREE....?

[Kawzy]

So, I'm new to Onyx. In fact, my whole office is new to Onyx and I'm in charge of learning it, then teaching it to some others that will also be utilizing it. My question comes from how the "Branch Lenght" parameters work really. I'm trying to figure out why there is a percentage slider on the right controling the branch length and also individual percentage sliders for each level of branch when you click on "Branch Length" a second time. I guess my real question here is how do they work with each other. Do the individually set parameters override the single branch length control? Is it vice versa? Is it a combination of the two? Does the single bar perhaps determine at what percentage the individual parameters are recognized with 100% meaning that the B1, B2, and B3 parameters are what determine the lengths and setting it to something like 50% means that it randomly chooses to use the individual parameters or preset parameters? Or is it that the overall bar determines how much change is allowed when you adjust the "Random Seed"..... I can play with these buttons and I understand it well enough to get the look I want after a few tweaks, but undoubtably the question will be asked when I teach this program to others and I just want to understand it. For some reason trial and error just isn't really working for me on this one.

[WAcky]

Have you been following along with the manual?

[Kawzy]

I sure have. Unfortunately it's not always very in depth. That's more what I meant by trial and error. The manual will say something, and then one usually has to play with the parameters a little to understand the meaning. I'll try to give a brief example.

 

So the manual says that "Branch Length sets the length of the longest branch relative to it's parent branch." Subsequently, B1/B2/B3 lenght have an identical description. I take this to mean that simply enough, branch length controls branch length. Increasing this slider in turn increases branch length.

However, what I'm trying to understand is how the overall control relates to the individually set B1/B2/B3 length. Let's say I go in and set B1 length to 40%. I then adjust the master "Branch Length" to 50%. It would appear to me that this then actually sets the B1 length to reflect 20%, instead of the set 40%. If instead I wanted it to remain the 40% that I set under B1 lenght, I would have to set the overall to 100%. Or if I actually wanted it to reflect the 50% I had set for the overall, I'd have to set the B1 length to 100%....right?

I'm simply just trying to verify that I'm right in this as I want to understand how Onyx works so that I can effectively explain it to others. If I'm not right, and there is more to it or if I'm simply just understanding it completely wrong, then I would like to know so I can better use Onyx myself as well.

[WAcky]

After a quick play around I believe that what you have explained above is correct. It would appear that the branch length parameter is like a multiplier for the extra dialogue box (B1,B2,B3).

 

I'm not sure why one would want this other than the idea of creating all your branches up correctly only wanting to size them up all up a small or large amount. Instead of using the B1,B2,B3 parameters and possibly messing up your sizes, you could just use this branch length multiplier.

 

Not sure but it looks like this is the case.

 

And yes, the manual is pretty lacking in practical advice...

[jkletzien]

yes I believe your description jives w/ my understanding too.

 

B1/B2 and B3 relate to the interrelation of lengths between the branch lengths, while the vertical slider controls their lengths relative to the bough length.

[Kawzy]

Alrighty. Thank you both very much for your help. I agree with you Wacky. I wasn't quite sure why one would want to do this, and I wanted to make sure that something else wasn't going on that I wasn't catching.